The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is
July 2004 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

The Neville Brothers have been a cornerstone of New Orleans roots and blues for the better part of three decades. Soulful vocals, set against catchy, mellow arrangements, are their trademark. A collaboration of the brothers and some high-profile friends, Tell It Like It Is does a good job entertaining its audience. What derails the show is when the tastefully restrained politics of the music become more obvious.

The concert opens well enough. John Hiatt’s "Yellow Moon" sounds tight and lively, while Ivan Neville and Bonnie Raitt do a good job belting out the lightweight "Falling out of Love." Dennis Quaid surprised me with his very smooth delivery of "Closer to You." Like Quaid’s acting, the dependable star’s performance alongside Bonnie Raitt was not thrilling, simply strong and confident. I also enjoyed the energy and rhythm of "My Blood." Musician and producer of the Neville Brother’s Yellow Moon album, Daniel Lanois, seemed right at home singing backing vocals and plucking away at his guitar.

Competent performances and an upbeat atmosphere kept me interested until Ed Bradley took the stage. The gifted reporter instantly revealed his utter lack of musical talent. Clapping his hands to a tune entitled "Sixty Minute Man," Bradley sang out of key and with little rhythm. Cyril Neville’s introduction described Bradley as a role model he looked up to. Still, what followed undermined this modicum of admiration. The newsman offered a misplaced, politically correct monologue about how he, personally, benefited from the courage of Rosa Parks and her refusal to be victimized by ‘50s segregation.

This gig certainly looks better than most. There are obvious MPEG artifacts and noise throughout the concert. Much of the noise appeared to be caused by film grain. The rich colors and inky blacks certainly suggest the use of film, in lieu of inferior videotape, and the inclusion of camera loaders and a post-production colorist in the end credits confirm it.

Stereo PCM varies little from the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. I could not tell the difference between the two, save for some added ambience in the rear channels. The audio possessed enough resolution and dynamics to convey the emotional content of each song.

I was not disappointed with the lack of extras on this DVD; Charles Neville’s introduction set expectations accordingly. In his words, this was supposed to be a party for family and friends. Regrettably, the evening would have been better served if political comments were relegated to nuance within the music.

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