This DVD is part of a plethora of Queensryche material hitting your local music emporia in the immediate future. There’s the CD of this DVD, a new “best of”, not to mention the fact that the ‘Ryche will be playing near you in November and December with Thin Lizzy (not that it’s really Thin Lizzy, but I digress.) Accompanying this DVD were three, count them, three press releases of which the shortest was a doubled side of A4. Surely every discerning rock fan (and even rock reviewer) knows the band’s history? Good – I thought so; I’ll just recycle them then. 

I soooooooooo wanted to love this DVD – honestly. On the plus side this two disc epic covering both of the Operation Mindcrime CDs is lavishly packaged and definitely value for money in the song department. It’s very possible that avid fans of the band may well watch the extras more than once (especially the version of The Chase with Ronnie James Dio). Yet for me, I just couldn’t get into to it at all. Let me explain why. 

There seems to be a lack of energy from the band (except Geoff Tate), in fact it made me look up our own review of Queensryche at Manchester last year where we noted, “Wilton and Eddie Jackson seemed to be just going through the motions and it would be hard, if not impossible, to tell from their lack of emotion whether they were actually enjoying the experience at all. As for Mike Stone, as good a guitarist as he is, he isn’t Chris DeGarmo, and the songs lacked the latter’s sound, feel and vocals. His absence is still a hurdle Queensryche have found no way of overcoming.” This is very much a nail/head-interfacing scenario on our part. 

As good as the songs are, and let's face it many of them, especially those on disc 1 from part one of the Mindcrime opus are classics of the genre, there is no sense of excitement in the band’s performance in front of a hometown crowd. What makes it even worse are some of the directorial choices by Bruce Green – I mean, overlaying the lyrics over a live performance? That’s so BTEC Media Studies. Mr Green, it has to be said, is hampered by the staging of the concert as well. 

More than anything else I am reminded of Styx’s Kilroy Was Here home video fro the 1980’s but that had millions of dollars thrown at it whereas Queensryche’s stage set looks like something that would be disappointing in a school play. It makes it very difficult to take any of it seriously especially given Geoff Tate’s rather serious emoting. Did I mention his suspiciously luscious hair as well? E-mails to the usual address please. 

If you like Queensryche I am sure you won’t be put off by my words but myself, I’d rather have the CD.

Let us know your views on Mindcrime At The Moore

Disc One
Remember Now
Anarchy-X
Revolution Calling
Operation: Mindcrime.
Speak
Spreading The Disease.
The Mission
Suite Sister Mary.
The Needle Lies.
Electric Requiem
Breaking The Silence
I Don’t Believe In Love
Waiting For 22
My Empty Room
Eyes Of A Stranger

Disc Two
Freiheit Ouverture
Convict
I’m American
One Foot In Hell
Hostage
The Hands
Speed of Light
Signs Say Go
Re-Arrange You
The Chase
Murderer?
Circles
If I Could Change It All
An Intentional Confrontation
Junkies’s Blues
Fear City Slide
All The Promises
Walk In The Shadows
Jet City Woman