Product Description

Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 10/03/2006

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21448 in DVD
• Brand: Uni
• Released on: 2005-03-29
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Live, Original recording remastered, Restored, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.com
It's been available on audio CD since 1985 (now in a newly-remastered edition), but the long-awaited release of the DVD version of Bring on the Night will be a cause for celebration for fans of both Sting and the Police. Directed by Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorky Park, Enough), the film observes Sting and his new band as they rehearse and then perform their first concert, in Paris. The musicians, including Branford Marsalis (sax), Kenny Kirkland (keyboards), Darryl Jones (bass), Omar Hakim (drums), and two backing vocalists, are all superb, all with strong jazz backgrounds but a good feel for rock as well; and Sting's then-new material, drawn from his The Dream of the Blue Turtles album, is among the best of his solo career, especially "Consider Me Gone," "Children's Crusade," and the brilliant "Fortress Around Your Heart" (there are also several Police tunes, including "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle"). Equally compelling, surprisingly, are the insights, intended or otherwise, into the characters of the various participants. Sting himself is a bit of a stiff, frankly. Guarded, controlled, and not a little arrogant (he calls the pop music of the day "reactionary and racist"--except his, of course), he's in direct contrast to the others, especially the outspoken, irrepressible Marsalis, who's not at all shy about needling his basically humorless boss; Sting's manager, Miles Copeland, also has no problem saying exactly what he thinks. With a crisp digital transfer and remastered digital sound, Bring on the Night is highly recommended on every level. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Early Sting and Jazz or is it Rock
I just finished watching this DVD. This is great early Sting, taking a risk; Post Police. I really enjoyed the music, from a cast of excellent musicians. This is a documentary, so there are interviews over some (not all) of the music. Within the 25 chapters, there are maybe 12 full concert songs. The rest is rehearsal, with breaks in songs and interviews. Even a few of the concert songs, are split with rehearsal footage. There is the option in the special features to set your favorite song list that I have not tried yet.

The transfer to DVD is superior in widescreen. The .1 bass is great. The 5.1 surround sound is good, but it does not have the obvious separation of the instruments - like a Sax sound from the surround speakers only (As in the Sting DTS DVD music discs).

Overall, this is Sting in the early years and well worth the price of admission.

A true classic
Finally, those of us who have waited for the better part of a decade will have the great satisfaction of seeing and hearing one of the best inside-view videos on DVD. This is a landmark video - a reality video before the genre took off- and a very telling effort that relates the drama that unfolds behind the curtain for one of the most influencial rock musicians of the last couple of decades. An all-star line-up that features some of the jazz world's greatest young lions of the time: Omar Hakim (drums), Kenny Kirkland (piano), Darryl Jones (bass) and the venerable Branford Marsalis (sax). A truly stellar band playing some of the most progressive music of the time. The cd features different versions of the songs from the video release, which, most people who have seen the video will agree, was one of the most heinous crimes in the history of soundtrack releases. Be sure to check out the blazing solos in many of the songs; Kenny Kirkland's solo in the title track, Omar Hakim's drum solo - which seems to disrupt the fabric of time and space - in "I Burn for You," and Branford's smoldering-to-full-on-scorching solos throughout.

Finally on DVD
I purchased the "soundtrack" to this when CDs first came out in the 80s... now finally I have the DVD and am able to watch this great movie... It is the story of how a band and album are created... The performances are great... the documentary is great... Definite re-playability... Plus it has been mixed in 5.1 and also has some bonus videos... If you have listened to the CD, buy the DVD!