Bryan Ferry: Live in Lyon

My 2002 review of a “best of” Musikladen compilation opened with the qualifier, “I confess that I have a soft spot in my musical heart the size of J Lo's butt when it comes to listening to Bryan Ferry, former lead singer of proto-glam/avant-garde pop rock pioneers Roxy Music.” Juvenile topical reference aside, I'm still a big Ferry fan and mostly enjoyed this 22-song 2011 concert filmed in a Roman amphitheatre in Lyon, France. Occasionally playing keyboards himself, Ferry is backed by a strong band that includes pianist Colin Good, guitarists Oliver Thompson and Neil Hubbard (the latter bearing a striking resemblance to actor Tom Courtenay), Jeremy Meehan on bass, Andy Newmark on drums, and Jorja Chalmers on keyboards and blistering sax. Touring in support of his 2010 release Olympia, Ferry serves up a solid mix of new tunes (“Alphaville,” “Reason or Rhyme”), Roxy Music faves (“Avalon,” “Sign of the Times,” “Love Is the Drug”), and covers (Bob Dylan's “All Along the Watchtower,” Neil Young's “Like a Hurricane,” John Lennon's “Jealous Guy”). But while the background-projected video footage seems unobtrusive, the annoying cutaways to female model/dancers were a poor substitute for simply watching the dapper suit-and-black-tie wearing Ferry in full crooner mode. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, the sound is crisp and clear here, although Ferry's vocals should have been more front and center in the surround mix. Extras include a featurette on the making of Olympia. Recommended. (R. Pitman)