Certifiable [CD & DVD]

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• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Better Than Therapy is better than most

  • Incentivized

  I’m going to review “Better Than Therapy,” the documentary by Jordan Copeland that is part of the DVD and Blu Ray Certifiable set. For those who don’t know, Jordan is a film maker and drummer Stewart Copeland’s son. He had extraordinary access to the band, backstage and dozens of shows on the reunion tour. Since he’s so close to the members of the Police, the interviews have a nice, relaxed feel to them. The documentary also has interviews from various times throughout the tour, so you get a nice feel for the progression of attitudes, challenges, accomplishments, etc. This is one of the few pieces on the Police that is balanced between all three members. Many features or interviews focus on Sting and seem to forget the band is a trio! Kudos to Jordan for giving each guy equal time. I wish there was more footage from the second leg of the tour when the band came back to the U.S. But editing must be a more time consuming process than I realize. Jordan probably had to draw the line somewhere and start working on the editing. I also wish there was more fan footage and some interviews with fans, but the average buyer of this DVD set wants to see the band, not a bunch of strangers. It's just that some of the fans have such interesting stories of the tour, they deserve to be preserved. It would have been nice to have some footage from the Police’s last show at Madison Square Garden, but again, the timing must not have been right. I thought it was an odd choice to include so much of the Australian 60 Minutes interview, since it was almost like Jordan was letting someone else do his job for him. But since anyone outside of Australia didn’t get to see the interview, he probably thought we’d enjoy it. But the 60 Minutes reporter asks some pretty basic questions that most fans have already heard. Though some of the footage was available on the official Police website, it will be new for many people. It’s clear in the interviews that the three band members care deeply for each other but have noticeable personality, creative and musical differences. It’s amazing that the tour lasted as long as it did and was as perfected as it was. Sting and Stewart seem to be frequently at odds and Andy is the peacemaker. But the doc also shows the band mates relaxing with each other, joking with each other and enjoying the tour. Just like old times. I also liked hearing a couple of songs not played on tour and not commonly heard, Low Life being one. I really enjoyed the documentary. I might be biased about the documentary, however, since I’m in it briefly! There’s a quick shot of myself and my friends screaming as the band arrives for their historic “press conference” and short performance at the Whisky in Hollywood in February of 2007. Since I NEVER thought this tour would happen, I'm happy to have “Better Than Therapy” as a wonderful, permanent memory of it. I also bought the vinyl set even though I don't have a turntable. I'm a geek.

  Posted 17 years ago by OutlandoGirl

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Great set for hard-core and casual fans.

  • Incentivized

  I am a casual Police fan so I picked this up because I: 1. Didn't have the big bucks to see the Police on their last tour; 2. Don't have any CD's of the Police; 3. Wanted to have a copy of their greatest hits. This is a really nice collection of their concert in Argentina and probably as good a stop as any to be representative of the tour. The video quality on the DVD is pretty good. The sound on both the DVDs and the CDs is stellar. I also bought a copy of the Police's greatest hits on sale and the sound quality on the Certifiable CDs actually beats it, even though I'm pretty sure the greatest hits have been remastered. I have been enjoying this DVD all weekend and playing the CDs in my car. If you are even a casual fan like me, you'll enjoy this and if you are a big fan then you'll want to pick this up because even though there is nothing new, it's still great to see the Police live in concert. The live versions of the classic songs are performed terrificly, with the standout in my opinion a slower version of "Wrapped Around Your Finger" that beats the album cut. It's also fun to hear sting yell out some phrases in Spanish here and there to the Argentinian crowd. As for the extras, there is a relatively brief 50 minute documentary about how and why the band decided to come back for another tour. The most interesting part is footage from when the band reformed and played a gig at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, a small intimate L.A. club where the Police started out in the 70s. It's pretty cool to see the footage in the small club and to see the reaction of the fans staring at a reunion they never thought would happen (there is a shot of one guy who is so overcome at the club he is crying). Thankfully, the doc doesn't try to psychoanalyze the Police or their music. Obviously, these guys are hugely talented and there are tensions and egos galore, but when they get together they play some great music. My only gripe with the set is the packaging; the recycled plastic case doesn't hold the discs well and mine were loose when I opened the case. I had to snap them back into place. It also would have been nice to have a digital download of the album but at this price you can't complain too much. A great value. Highly recommended.

  Posted 17 years ago by Spilkman

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  The Police/Certifiable

  • Incentivized

  Here it is in a nutshell. If "Certifiable" is anything like the the last Police concert I saw and heard at MSG, you are in for a musical/visual masterpiece. The aura never left this unmatchable dynamic "trio". Sting is Sting, with his commandingly haunting vocals and spot on bass playing. Andy Summers was electrifying with more lead riffs, along with his distinct chorus/flange mastery. Stewart Copeland, with older bones, glasses, and a graying head, still cracked that snare harder than Chinese Algebra, pounded that bass drum pedal like a cardiac arrest patient, and mastered the high-hat rhythms like only Stewart Copeland can. I have followed the Police all over since I was 18 years old. I have danced at studio 54 with Sting, shared the same restroom with Stewart Copeland, and shook the hand of Andy Summers. This last show at MSG, was the single greatest musical concert my eyes and ears have ever been a part of. I would give up all of my daughters Jonas Brothers CD's to see them again! This is an SOS! The Police were here first, and...last.

  Posted 17 years ago by Conzilla