Review of Randy Travis Live

Introduction

Y’know, I really suffered as a teenager. I was raised in a household where both my mother and father (especially my father) were Country and Western fans. And not just any old Country, it was a particularly putrid variation that we’ll call “Country and Irish”. The main practitioners of this were acts like Susan McCann, Big Tom and the Mainliners (really) and Philomena Begley. Oh, but it was awful. If it wasn’t oozing through the speakers of the radio in the kitchen, it was blaring of my father’s car radio. I just couldn’t escape it. Sure, I tried sneakily changing the station to Radio Luxembourg (yep, I’m that old) or Radio 1, but it was no use. Just when I was starting to groove to Chic, my father would switch it over to George Hamilton IV. There was no malice in it (well, not much); he just though it was for my own good. But a boy can take just so much chorused pedal steel guitar, syrupy fiddle and inane lyrics.

Of course, I rebelled. For years, anything that had a vague hint of Country was branded crap (or words to that effect) and disregarded out of hand. In time, though, I mellowed and I now realise that there are no bad genres (except possibly New Age and Death Metal); just bad artists. At the time, my changing attitude to Country was helped by the emergence of a batch of artists that revitalised the whole Country music scene. Young upstarts like Steve Earle, Clint Black, Dwight Yoakam, Joe Ely (who supported The Clash) and Carlene Carter. These artists and others made a music that honoured the best of their predecessors (Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, etc) while injecting a modern relevance into their song writing and performance.

Around about the same time as the artists cited above were making their names, Randy Travis was also starting out on his music career. Randy was a former bad boy who is very open in saying that if it wasn’t for his music he would be in jail. However, a lucky break saw him win a talent contest in Charlotte and the rest, as they say, is history. At his peak in the late Eighties, Randy was never out of the Country charts, being voted Male Vocalist of the Year and gaining some cross-over success. In the Nineties, his star faded somewhat and he was eclipsed by the brasher style of Garth Brooks. That said, he has continued to make consistent albums and he is still a big draw on the concert circuit. In addition, he has a nice sideline as an actor appearing in films like The Rainmaker and Black Dog. While he is no Brando, he has usually acquitted himself better than some of his co-stars (e.g., Steven Segal).

This DVD consists of footage recorded at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim, California on December 14, 2000.

Video

Visually the disc is very good. The stage and lighting are pretty simple but effective and Randy and his band are usually well lit. This and a quality transfer leaves the disc looking crisp and clear. No artefacts or softness are visible. Quality stuff.

Audio

Sonically, the disc is equally good. As with most Image discs, you get a choice of 3 soundtracks – DTS, DD 5.1 and DD2.0. All are good, presenting the event with a warm sound that complements the music and Randy’s voice. Overall, the DTS track has the edge, being fractionally clearer and having a little more depth. But there is very little in it. The sound is warm and rich without being overly spacious – the bulk of the music has a fairly standard stereo presentation with the rears only coming into prominence with audience effects. Generally, I thinks that this makes for more natural listening but some may feel a bit short-changed by not having a more “in your face” multi-channel experience.

Of course, Randy doesn’t have a particularly “in your face” sound. Unfortunately, at times, his material veers dangerously close the saccharine sound that I detested all those years ago – he never actually crosses over into schmaltz but he comes close.

However, while you might fault his material, you can’t really fault his talent. Randy Travis has a powerful voice with a phenomenal range; at times his voice is a low warm growl and at times a high blue keen. The disc captures his voice to perfection.

Features

Extras are fairly sparse. If you set aside (and I did) the 2 minute puff piece featuring ex-President George Bush (who thinks Randy is really great), you are left with a bonus track and an interview with Randy. The bonus track is a bit of a con, in that it is simply the encore. However, it is a good encore, being a faithful performance of the old Roger Miller track “King of the Road” which allows Randy’s voice free reign.

The 37 minute interview with Randy is excellent. He talks at length about his formative years, his career and his music. He comes across as, quite simply, a very nice man with no pretensions or airs and graces. He loves his music and has (genuinely, I believe) immense gratitude to the fans who have given him the opportunity to make a living from something he loves.

Conclusion

As with all music DVDs, how much you enjoy it depends on how much you enjoy the artist. If you are a Randy Travis fan, then you will really enjoy the disc – it looks and sounds great and it contains all the Randy favourites like "On The Other Hand" and "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man". If you are not a fan, there is little here for you.

While I have an obvious respect for Randy’s vocal talents (and, after the interview, think he is a decent sort), I haven’t really I haven’t really told you whether I enjoyed the music. Let’s just say that my father would love it.