Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol. 3By AKGFAN
Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol. 3Release Date: 03/21/2007 Price: 5,040 Yen My RatingPerformance - 10/10 Video Quality - 9/10 Sound Quality - 9/10 Overall Score - 9.5/10! Live PerformancesThis DVD is split into essentially two parts. One part covers AKG’s live performances at the Yokohama Arena on 12/9/2006 and 12/10/2006. The second part shows some interesting back stage footage. First let’s review their live performances. Overall, I was quite impressed with the stage layout and quality of the performance. There are many singers who sound absolutely horrible when they perform live. Gotoh though is a real professional, and sounds exactly like he does on recorded releases minus an occasional voice crack. Another thing I noticed right away was the smooth transitions between the different performances shown. If it wasn’t for the fact that AKG wore different shirts on day two at Yokohama, I would’ve thought that the DVD was one giant performance. The transitions are so well done that most of the songs even flow nicely from one to the next. Some other fantastic things I noticed were sweet close ups of Yamada and Kita playing their instruments, camera footage of the entire band together, and spectacular shaking camera effects during key parts of their rock songs. To put it quite simply, this DVD blows the previous two out of the water with its professional quality and live shots! With that in mind, let’s take a look at the tracklist featured on the DVD:
The DVD starts off with "Senseless". I enjoy this song a lot because its intensity and pace increases as the song progresses, making it thrilling for the audience. After continuing with "Flash Back", it was time for "Mirai no Kakera". This classic song was quite good, but what struck me was at the end of the song. If you listen carefully, the last few notes of the guitar were changed so that it would transition perfectly into the beginning of "Siren". It sounds really spectacular and flows very well! As the DVD continued to progress, two other songs really surprised me. The first was "Blue Train". In recent diary entries, AKG has remarked that their more recent songs are becoming harder to perform live because of their complexity. "Blue Train" really makes this comment quite apparent. Throughout a lot of the song, all four members were constantly watching each other so that their coordination was on mark. The complexity of the song is quite apparent when you watch all of them concentrating so hard to mesh their parts. By far, "Blue Train" is a song that is not nearly appreciated enough. Recorded versions of the song don’t do it justice until you watch the band play it. 
The second song to really impress me was "World Apart". Its high energy and rocking melody really got the audience going. Accompanied with shaking camera effects and all four members rocking out, this song became the most memorable performance for me out of the entire DVD.Part one of the DVD closes with "Gekkou". At the end, the last few notes of "Gekkou" are held out for several minutes as AKG exits the stage. I found it to a very experimental, but odd sounding end to a concert. It is almost anti-climatic to a certain extent. Behind the ScenesThe second part of the DVD features all behind the scene footage and lasts for about fifeteen minutes. Unlike other dvds, this one actually takes you to places like their recording studio and rehearsal at Yokohama Arena. All of the footage is divided into three days. The first day featured is November 2, 2006 in a recording studio. From the looks of things, it seems that they were going over songs for the album "Feedback File". A lot of the footage shows them rehearsing and recording older songs. With their own staff, AKG was able to record trial runs and listen back to improve parts of songs. It also represents Gotoh as the true leader and compositional mastermind of the band. He is often shown studying their songs, listening to recordings, and directing members as they rehearse songs. The footage makes the recording process seem very strenuous for the members both mentally and physically. The last two days featured are November 6th and November 10th. On the 6th, the band prepares for a live at a small venue. It shows some of their pre-concert rehearsal, as well as the lighting crew’s preparations. The 10th shows similar footage, this time at the Yokohama Arena. Where to Buy itFor those thinking about buying this DVD, I absolutely recommend it. It is incredible and a real treat for any AKG fan. I feel like I really got my money’s worth from this DVD. The performances were spectacular, and the video quality is superb. The picture was clean, crisp and clear. What I especially loved was rockin’ performances that AKG gave! If you liked this review and want to know where to buy this great DVD, click on one of the links below. Please support this great DVD and buy it :) YesAsia CD Japan  |
