Lana Lane
10th Anniversary Concert DVD
Review by Gary Hill
You really can't go wrong with Lana Lane. She consistently puts out killer music, and this DVD is no exception. Of course, a big part of that is the musicians with whom Lane surrounds herself, and along with husband Erik Norlander, this DVD finds her in the company of Mark McCrite, Peer Verschuren, Kristoffer Gildenlow and Ernst Van Ee. There is not a slacker in the bunch and it shows. All the musicians contribute to the success of this video, but that is certainly not the end of it.
First, let's take a look at the concert video that is the heart of this collection - and it is more than just one DVD, but we'll get to that later. The live show that was captured here is the band's Tokyo concert on their 10th Anniversary Tour (OK, given the title that last part is a no brainer). The video is roughly 90 minutes long and is well filmed and the sound is great, Granted there are a few (and I mean few as in "not many") rough cuts on the video, but overall this thing is very nicely done. They give you a couple different options on the playing, and the menu is simple and effective. The show includes material from just about every period in Lane's history and she often has at least one or two things to say about the songs before they launch into them. For those unfamiliar, Lane's particular blend of progressive rock leans heavy on the classic hard rock in the vein of Rainbow, but her voice is at times like Annie Haslam, but also often close to the Wilson sisters of Heart. In any event, the combination of elements lends to a great blend of music, and this is certainly captured here. Frankly, I don't think there is anything I would have changed about this central video (including the way it was filmed and presented, the choice of songs, nothing really). Any problems (the choppiness mentioned earlier being the only one) are so minor as to essentially not exist.
This brings us to the bonuses. The first is a "Video Tour Diary." While this segment does give a fun and impromptu look behind the scenes most of it is simply shots of the road from the window of a van. While it has its moments, I think I would have preferred some actual interview segments. There are some cool live clips in here, though, that have been culled from various points in the tour. That part alone is what saves the VTD. Finally, they also include an audio CD which captures all but the first couple songs of the concert in this format. That's nice because you can take it with in the car. This seems to be a trend which is catching on at least a little with concert DVD's. I'd like to see it become a lot more widespread.
So, the bottom line here, this is a great video collection from an artist who always delivers strong musical products. The packaging and bonuses, along with the sound and filmography are top-notch. Fans of Lane need to rush out to buy this collection. Those who have been waiting to jump onto the Lane bandwagon might find that this is a great point to start.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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