Only nine stars for this Mike Oldfield extravaganza? I marked him on technical merit, that's why. If I hadn't watched "Tubular Bells II Live" this would rate a 10 but I suspect Mike was either suffering from arthritis or it was just bloody cold at the concert (or both) 'cause he missed a few notes and after Tubular Bells II, which was technically perfect, I took a star off him.

   Enough of this banal talk, Mike's done it again, to welcome in the new Millennium he was commissioned to perform a concert in Berlin with the aid of the State Orchestra and the Glinka State Choir of St. Petersburg. The result is another triumph of sound over geography. There is no way you could create a musical masterpiece in such a cold, damp, acoustically hostile environment, unless you happen to be Mike Oldfield. Some new songs were written especially for the occasion with some of the old favourites thrown in, Tubular Bells and Moonlight Shadow being the pick of the oldies.

    There is an incredible visual feast here with fluorescent Light Balloons, Xenon Gas Space Cannons and 550 special stage lights creating a pyramid of light. More than 500,000 spectators add to the ambience of this concert performed at the foot of Berlin's Victory Column.

    Sound quality is commensurate with the musicianship - that is, superlative. In an earlier review I told of my pining for the two Cello players in ELO, well, I just fell in lust with the Bass player in this DVD, a blonde Slavic looking beauty with the most incredible sense of timing (on the Bass that is). It's made me wonder what kind of band I could make out of two Cello players, a Bass player and me! Ah well, maybe in another life.

    Audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1 and again makes mockery of the DTS vs. Dolby Digital argument by having the program material and mixdown so good as to transcend compression ratio's etc. A linear PCM stereo track is also available on the disc. Video is excellent with vibrant hue's and good contrast although there's only so much that can be done with stage lighting.

    Another "Must Have" disc, even Mike Wilson, National Sales Manager of Qualifi (Marantz and Jamo Importers) uses this disc on demo's at trade shows.

Audio 5 out of 5

Video 4 out of 5

Content 4.5 out of 5