Pretenders - Loose In L.A. [Blu-Ray]

One of the most recognizable female voices in rock pulls you into a night of some well-crafted songs in hi-def. Now this is how it's done.Truly, Chrissie Hynde is a classic rock and roll chick.  And seeing her do her thing in classic rock and roll style with her band, The Pretenders, playing what have become some classic rock and roll songs, is a really cool thing to see - especially on Blu-Ray.

And that's basically what you get for two hours on Loose In L.A..  Filmed at a sold-out show in the Wiltern Theater in the City of Angels on February 2003 (better late than never, eh?), you may hear Chrissie complain that her voice may not be up to par in the beginning (apparently necessitating a cortisone shot earlier that day), but you wouldn't know it to listen to this disc; she sounds a smooth as ever, singing her way through 26 songs from as many years of the band's catalog like the pro that she is.  The hi-definition looks fantastic and really takes you onstage with the band, with lots of smooth editing that shows the interplay that the band shares in an engaging way.  It really is one of those cases where it's practically better than being there.

It's a fairly standard package, with a 7.1 soundtrack - and one of the best mixed concerts I've ever heard - as well as the obligatory backstage footage and a video thrown in for good measure.  I wouldn't have minded if they'd thrown in more of the band's videos even with their old-school, low-def visuals for nostalgia's sake, but hey, you really can't complain with such a great show of Springsteenian duration.

The Bottom Line: If you're a Pretender's fan, you'll love this - especially since it's easily the best of their sparse live show catalog.  But if you're just a fan of good rock and roll and want to see how it's done by professionals, you won't be disappointed.

- Genghis really would like to see those classic MTV videos in hi-def...