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The Eagles: Farewell 1 Tour – Live from Melbourne was originally released on DVD in 2005, so it’s been a long time coming to Blu-ray, but is very welcome nonetheless.
Shot in Melbourne, at the Rod Laver Arena in November 2004, the name isn’t about the band calling it a day, but, as Glenn Frey says, “The longer this goes on, the better these songs sound. There is a ‘sort of’ honesty in calling the tour Farewell 1, with its implication that Farewell 2 will follow soon.”
There are long-term classics like The Long Run, New Kid in Town, Lyin’ Eyes, one of my favourites in Hotel California, tearjerkers like Wasted Time, solo hits such as Boys of Summer and Life’s Been Good and two new tracks, One Day At A Time and No More Cloudy Days, which are pleasant enough but I can’t ever see them becoming true classics. And in the background for One Day At A Time, it looks like the graphics screen has all gone a bit ‘Atari VCS’, I’d say from the Yars Revenge period.
Basically, it’s all here. And it’s never looked or sounded better. And unless it’s been filmed in Ultra HD (unlikely for 2004), it never will. Buy this today.
The complete track listing is as follows:
- The Long Run
New Kid in Town
Wasted Time
Peaceful Easy Feeling
I Can’t Tell You Why
One of These Nights
One Day At A Time (New Track)
Lyin’ Eyes
The Boys of Summer
In The City
Already Gone
Silent Spring Intro
Tequila Sunrise
Love Will Keep Us Alive
No More Cloudy Days (New Track)
Hole In the World
Take It To the Limit
You Belong to the City
Walk Away
Sunset Grill
Life’s Been Good
Dirty Laundry
Funk #49
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fast Lane
Hotel California
Rocky Mountain Way
All She Wants To Do Is Dance
Take It Easy
Desperado
Presented in the original 16:9 ratio and in 1080p high definition, the quality of the print is perfect with no issues whatsoever. It’s presenting a concert and does exactly what it says on the tin.
Similarly, and in DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio, the audio is top-notch and brings the classic music to you with all the clarity you’d expect.
There’s only one extra, Eagles Interviews (11:14), where the band talk about how much they enjoy playing together, although Joe Walsh sounds rather worse for wear. Overall, this piece if fairly perfunctory and nothing to shout about. However, I can’t really condemn a music release’s overall score for a lacking supplemental because that’s not what you bought it for. You bought it for almost three hours of music, and boy does it deliver!
Sadly, there are no lyrics available on the disc, although their 2000 DVD, Hell Freezes Over, didn’t have them either, just subtitles for the chat inbetween songs, and in languages other than English(!)
The menu featured animation of the camera panning across the audience, but oddly it’s all done in silence.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
10 10 10 1 |
| OVERALL | Buy it! |
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 165 minutes
Year: 2005
Distributor: Warner Music
Cat no: 0349-792563
Released: March 25th 2013
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio
Languages: English
Subtitles: None
Widescreen: 1.78:1
Disc Format: BD50
Director: Carol Dodds
Producers: Ken Ehrlich, John Ramsay and Harry Sandler
Eagles:
Glenn Frey: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Don Henley: Drums, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
Joe Walsh: Guitar, Organ, Slide Guitar, Vocals
Timothy B. Schmit: Bass, Vocals
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.