Triumph: A Night of Triumph Live (DVD)

Difficult as it may be to believe today, Triumph used to be one of the biggest rock bands in the world, with a rabid fan base that worshiped it and its feel-good music while reaching orgasmic heights during Triumph's (at-the-time) elaborate and laser-filled stage shows. That adoration is on display throughout A Night of Triumph Live, a DVD that captures the thrill that was a Triumph concert back in the late Eighties. Recorded on Jan. 16, 1987, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this set spans the trio's dynamic catalog to cover Triumph's more melodic and commercial moments ("Somebody's Out There," "Magic Power"), as well as the band's lesser, more stereotypical songs ("Allied Forces," "Rock N' Roll Machine") and its all-out rockers ("Tears in the Rain," "Fight the Good Fight"). Then there's a solid cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way," which apparently went over quite well when the Canadians played it in their homeland.

As on Triumph's Live at The US Festival, released on DVD in 2003, A Night of Triumph Live offers insight into the band's questionable fashion sense. Singer/guitarist Rik Emmett's affinity for colorful spandex pants and silk shirts, bassist Mike Levine's penchant for decorating his neck and left wrist with scarves, and singer/drummer Gil Moore's pretty-boy looks are on full display here. Additional guitarist, keyboard player and singer Rick Santer is outfitted in a tasteful sports jacket with the sleeves rolled up and actually looks the coolest on stage. His musical contributions and strong rock voice complemented Triumph well and should have earned him status as an official fourth member of the band. Triumph couldn't have achieved the live sounds it did without him. Also noteworthy are the low barricades, from which — amazingly — the jubilant crowd manages to stay far away.

A few technical glitches — wimpy-sounding explosions and what appears to be some vocal retouching by executive producer Moore on his own performances — mar an otherwise impressive set, which is available in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 sound. And an eight-minute documentary covering the band's 94-stop 1985 tour (including backstage footage at The Spectrum in Philadelphia) falls short, courtesy of a horrible narrator who makes the doc play like a grade-school filmstrip. Sample sound bite: "Rik Emmett is a superb guitarist. … He's a highly trained musician." A pair of bonus videos — "When the Lights Go Down" from the Live at The US Festival DVD and a cheesy promo clip for "Just One Night" presumably from a forthcoming video compilation — round out A Night of Triumph Live. But, as was always the case with this band, the live show here is the towering highlight.

Track Listing:
1) Tears in the Rain
2) Somebody's Out There
3) Allied Forces
4) Lay It On the Line
5) Midsummers' Daydream
6) Follow Your Heart
7) Take A Stand
8) Magic Power
9) Rock & Roll Machine
10) Spellbound
11) Rocky Mountain Way
12) Fight the Good Fight
Bonus Material: "Backstage at The Spectrum," photo gallery, two bonus videos ("When the Lights Go Down" from Live at The US Festival and "Just One Night")

Added: January 3rd 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Official Triumph Web Site
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Language: english

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