Journey: Live in Manila (2010)

I will not discuss the price of the DVD as part of this review, since the DVD is a Walmart exclusive and the only way to get it for the tagged price is if you go direct to merchant.

With this DVD, Journey marks the first time it tops the Billboard's Top Music Video Sales chart. Their 2005 release Live In Houston 1981 The Escape Tour peaked at number nine. Also, Live In Manila has the second best DVD debut sales week of 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

This concert was indeed shot at 4K resolution, but you are not getting that kind of resolution except nothing different from the regular DVD quality movies you have in your home. The quality is actually limited by the DVD format.

The concert was made by the team from "Wizard", who brought with them an army of "Red Cameras". They shot at 4K, beyond high definition of display resolution. Even Blu-ray cannot touch the hi-res of a 4K. OK, it is a DVD, and for now it does not mean anything. But somehow, it is nice to know that maybe, hopefully, sometime in the future, there will be a chance to see it in its full lifelike resolution.

The first thing that will catch your eyes is the nice art work. Classic 80's, psychedelic, LSD inspired :), both inside and outside, a magnificent showcase of album art. It is a nostalgic trip back to one of the golden eras of music. It includes an 8-page brief retelling of the succession of events that lead to this historical concert. Journey stayed for 2 weeks in the Philippines. Their new lead singer brought them to see his humble beginnings; his old neighborhood, his old school where he was forced to drop out for lack of money. Homeless at the age of 13, he brought them to the park where he used to sleep at night, often in an empty stomach.

No doubt, this live performance (March 14, 2009, in front of close to 30,000 fans) is one important piece of history for the band. As we know, the band had their ups and downs, the break up, the succession of singers, and even a scandal. Journey is one of the monster melodic rock bands in the history of rock & roll. 80 million records under their belt, including their last album, "Revelation", which is now a cinch to become double platinum. The "Journey: Live in Manila" debuted at the Oprah Winfrey Show, which made a lot of people searched the internet to find out who the hell is Arnel Pineda. That special appearance propelled Arnel Pineda's name to #8 in Yahoo's top ten searches the next day.

The concert is very special to Arnel. 2 years ago, he was virtually unknown. Then Schon's discovery on YouTube, and then everything happened so fast that even Arnel admitted that all the blessings that he has received has not sunk in yet. A story that reminds you about the movie Rockstar, but this time it is happening in real life.

24 songs, the 2-DVD package is a 2 hours and 25 minutes of classic Journey hits including 7 songs from their last album. You can really feel Arnel's emotion and happiness performing in front of his fellow countrymen. He is bouncing around, jumping, covering every inch of the stage. Guitar god Neal Schon never fails to amaze the audience which is why he is one of the greatest living guitarist of our time. At the same time, he is showering the front stage with his signatured picks as fast as a ninja throw his stars. Jonathan Cain and his multiple level of keyboards still hammers those keys like he used to in the MTV version of "Separate Ways". Ross Valory always is the band's clown, making as many faces as Jim Carey can in his "Dumb and Dumber" days. And lastly, Dean Castronovo (who used to play with Black Sabbath) provided well appreciated respite for Arnel by belting out "Kepp on Runnin'", "Mother Father" and "Still They Ride". An incredible singer/drummer combination.

As a longtime Journey fan, I think "Live From Manila" holds its own against any other live Journey performance. The band continues to sound great, the playing is top notch all around, and I think Pineda embodies what the rest of the band wants and needs in a front man. He's energetic and lively, plus playing in front of his hometown probably amped him up a few more levels for this performance. My only knock against the package is that there's no backstage/interview type of feature. Especially considering Pineda has been in the band about 2 years now, I'd thought this would have been the perfect opportunity to get some one-on-one face time with him. But still, it's 2 hours and 25 minutes, and it's $10 at Walmart. That's just simply an unbeatable deal. (And I realize some people outside the US may not have easy access to a Walmart location, in which case I would say, $20 would not be too much to pay for this package. Any more than that............ you're on your own.) If you're in the US, there's no good reason to be buying this package from online sellers here at Amazon or anywhere else. All the hits are here, as well as a few deeper cuts from the late 70s and early 80s. (As always, one of my favorites "Girl Can't Help It" is not included, but that's happened so many times, I can't/don't hold that against them.)

And finally, this last part is just a rant. Feel free to skip it if you'd like. Arnel Pineda is a great singer, and he covers Steve Perry's voice nearly flawlessly. Despite what some angry, bitter people type on places like this, yes, THIS IS JOURNEY. Just because the band doesn't have the same lead singer anymore, it's still Journey. (And for the record, Perry was Journey's 3rd or 4th lead singer, depending on whether or not you count Fleischman). People usually decide what "their" version of a band is based upon what they grew up hearing, and anything that isn't that exact same version is "fake". That's simply not correct. This DVD (along with their album "Revelation") is Journey since 2007. You can feel free to not like this version of the band, but yes, it's Journey, whether you like it or not. Plus, these people don't even listen to the music. They just want to complain. (For a good example, read some reviews for Foreigner's new album "Can't Slow Down" or Skynyrd's new album "God & Guns").

As far as this DVD goes, the newer songs are good, and the classic songs sound true to the way you remember them. Congrats Journey on another great offering!

Buy Journey: Live in Manila (2010) Now

I agree with the other reviewer that all new DVD releases should offer a Blu Ray version because Blu Ray would offer both enhanced sound and picture quality.

The concert in Manila was very special because it was the hometown for Journey's new lead singer, Arnel Pineda. Arnel and his bandmates did not disappoint the fans. Arnel has a great voice and sings with a lot of heart. This DVD provides a great selection of Journey's hits and also quite a few of their new songs.

Running time 2:25:25

With regard to purchasing at Wal-Mart, not everyone lives close to one. Especially Journey fans who do not live in the U.S.

Read Best Reviews of Journey: Live in Manila (2010) Here

OK, fellow Journey fans! YES...This does exist!! Mine showed up today...This is an ALL Region Blu-ray with 3 different Audio options and the full concert on 1 Blu-ray disc opposed to the 2-disc DVD set. Awesome picture and audio as you would expect from a blu-ray! Must have!!

Want Journey: Live in Manila (2010) Discount?

I just viewed the concert on the HD concert channel, "Palladia". I have read all of the reviews of the poor video quality but it was crisp and clear on Palladia.

My complaint is it sounds like Neil Schon did the final audio mix and mastering. I tried listening in 5.1, stereo and other settings with the same results. Schon's guitar dominates the mix way way way too much especially on the right channel. The drums are lost and muddy and the keys are almost nonexistant. "Seperate Ways" is a keyboard driven song and I couldn't even hear them over the guitar.

The new singer sings great but even his vocals are overshadowed by the guitar and like another review said the backup vocals were weak.

I was wondering if others noticed this on their DVD copies of the concert before I make the decision to buy or pass???

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