The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000

Bruce Springsteen

Overview

"A collection of over 33 music videos, Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978-2000 is a taped retrospective of one of rock's most illustrious and successful singer/songwriters. This two-disc DVD compilation spans Bruce Springsteen's music video career, featuring such songs as ""Born to Run,"" ""The River,"" ""Born in the U.S.A.,"" ""Dancing in the Dark,"" ""Brilliant Disguise,"" ""Human Touch,"" ""Murder Incorporated,"" ""Secret Garden,"" ""Dead Man Walkin',"" and ""The Ghost of Tom Joad,"" just to name a few. Each full frame video presentation varies in quality; the older videos from the 1970s are somewhat grainy and dirty, while newer ones from the 1990s seem crisp and bright. Color bleeding is kept to a bare minimum while the black levels seem even and dark. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as PCM 2.0 Stereo. The 5.1 soundtrack is superb with rear and front speakers engaged throughout most all of the performances. Older videos don't display as much depth as the newer ones, though overall this is a very exceptional and full 5.1 soundtrack. No distortion or hiss is heard during any of the performances. No subtitles are included on this disc. Supplements for Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978-2000 have been kept to the bare minimum. An alternate version of ""Secret Garden"" with strings is included, as is a discography and some audio clips from Bruce Springsteen's albums. Fans of ""The Boss"" will definitely want to get their hands on this expansive video collection."

Product Details

Release Date:	01/16/2001
UPC:	0074644901092
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	NR
Source:	SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT***
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:45:00
Sales rank:	32,524

Special Features

Digitally mastered; 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound; PCM stereo; Interactive menus; Instant chapter access to songs; Complete discography with audio clips; 15 bonus videos and perfomances

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bruce Springsteen	Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar
Caroline Rhea	Lynette Hansen
Charles Shaughnessy	Dimitri Dentatos
Robert Carradine	Malachi Van Helsing
Matthew O'Leary	Adam Hansen
Laura Vandervoort	Chelsea Hansen
Myles Jeffrey	Taylor Hansen
Bruce Springsteen	Performer

Technical Credits

Steven Boyum	Director
Don Schain	Producer
Diane Gutterud	Producer

Editorial Reviews

The original laserdisc version of this video compilation was one of the few real successes that Sony Music Video had in the late '80s, and for good reason -- it offered a fine cross section of Bruce Springsteen's music, built around some excellent concert footage from his prime years, along with all of the conceptual videos that had been such a delight on MTV in the years when the latter was new. The 17 songs from that original release are all here on disc one of this two-disc DVD collection, but disc two offers an additional 14 songs, covering his 1990s output and featuring releases right up through 2000. The fact that it is on two discs is a good sign -- rather than push the compression of sound and video information, which would have allowed this expanded program to fit onto a single DVD, the producers have made sure the sound and picture are rich and expanded by leaving them spread onto two discs. The result is the first DVD transfer of a laserdisc music video release that may actually sound better than the laser version. Good as the concert videos are, the conceptual clips have their own power -- "Atlantic City" with its minimalist approach; the more elaborate productions by director John Sayles for "Born in the USA," "Glory Days," and "I'm on Fire"; and the subsequent movie-related clips with their promotional thrust augmenting the musical considerations. The 1990s material represented on disc two is generally a little less compelling as music, apart from "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (which appears twice, as an official video and a live performance from The Tonight Show) and a bluesy version of "Born in the USA" done live on The Charlie Rose Show, than the '70s/'80s repertoire. The video productions built upon those songs are so elaborate, however, that they are captivating in this venue, and the sound throughout both discs is a match in clarity, crispness, and volume for that of any audiophile CD. The extra features include a discography of very limited utility and an alternate version of the "Secret Garden" video, set to the song with a string arrangement. The menu is reasonably easy to access and maneuver around. ~ Bruce Eder