The Christian rock/rap group dc Talk had gone about as far as it could go by the new millennium, and they found themselves at a crossroads. There was virtually no new ground for them to tread upon as a group, but they didn’t want to shut down the show, either. Instead, the band went on hiatus. Each member subsequently put out a solo record, and started the process of building a fan base all over again.
All of the solo albums are surprisingly good in their own unique way, and all have done fairly well at re…ail. This DVD is the companion piece to tobyMac’s “Momentum” record, the only one with such a support piece. The disc’s main event is a collection of three videos from the album; “Extreme Days”, “Get This Party Started” and “Irene”. The “Extreme Days” piece also comes with a bonus alternate ending, which I happen to prefer to the original.
While “Days” and “Party” are your standard Christian video faire, the “Irene” spot is very well done. The song tells the story of a single mother, trying to better her life and that of her child as best she can, and make it on her own in the city. We experience her day-to-day struggles, while tobyMac and his back-up singer tell us her story. It is a beautiful, moving video with rich colors and great camera work, making it by far the best video of the three.
Audio
Viewers are free to choose any audio option they wish… as long as it’s English 2.0. Luckily, the 2.0 track is well mixed, and it sounds great. The music comes in clearly, complete with full, deep bass. The studio has utilized all that the stereo format has to offer, making full use of panning instruments and sound effects across the sound stage. This is nothing short of the perfect 2.0 soundtrack.
Video
The video looks great on this disc as well. The picture is sharp and clear, and when it’s not… it’s that way on purpose. Some of the video segments push the colors to bleeding, and the whites bloom over their appointed borders. It is all part of the effect, however. ForeFront has shown that they have complete control over the video quality on this disc, and they can make it do pretty much whatever they want. If this disc were a widescreen presentation, it would get a perfect score.
Special Features
Extras abound on this title, with no less than five different offerings. Sixteen photos reside in the photo gallery, and eight song snippets are in the audio section. There are also two trailers here, which are short promos for the “Momentum” album. “Behind the Irene Scene” is a seven-minute featurette covering the shoot for the Irene video. This short piece is surprisingly informative, and features some interesting background information about the locations and the actors. Lastly, there is a seven-minute “Live Footage” section, which is actually filled with more backstage footage than live footage. Most of this featurette looks to be made up of personal home video, and it really goes a long way to make tobyMac and his entourage seem genuine and honest. What you see on stage is what you get off stage.
Closing Thoughts
This is a great companion piece to the “Momentum” album, especially when the disc’s absurdly low price point is taken into consideration. You really can’t go wrong with this one… fantastic music, an above-average video and a slew of extras make this one a must buy for pop music fans.
Special Features List
- Photo Gallery
- Trailers
- Live Footage
- Behind the Irene Scene
- Audio Clips
