Audioslave: Live In Cuba Deluxe Edition

Review by Peter

Production Year: 2005
DVD Release Date: October 11, 2005
Studio: Sony
Cast: Audioslave (Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk)
Genre: Music - Concert
MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Audioslave is not your ordinary band; it is a supergroup, or "super duper group" as Tom Morello has jokingly called the band. Audioslave is comprised of Chris Cornell, the former lead singer of Soundgarden and one of the all-time great rock vocalists, and the "ashes" of Rage Against The Machine, specifically Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk (essentially, the whole band less Zack de la Rocha). Audioslave in their own right are a fantastic band and it is their own brand of greatness which is on display in this historic concert.

Audioslave's trip to Cuba proved to be a historic event as it was the first time an American Rock band had ever played in Cuba. The trip was made possible as part of a cultural exchange program between the United States and Cuba. Once the band arrived in Cuba they wasted little time in exploring the country, taking in the various historic monuments as well as traditional Cuban culture. The experience proved different for each member of the band. Viewers are greeted with footage of Chris Cornell sitting in John Lennon Park next to a statue of Lennon. We are also greeted with footage of Tim Commerford "riding Cuba" on his bike and Tom Morello playing an acoustic guitar in an unguarded moment.

The main event of the DVD is of course the concert itself. The Deluxe Edition of this DVD contains four extra songs, two Soundgarden gems and two Audioslave numbers, not included on the standard edition. Chris Cornell provides generally strong vocals with only a few noticeable problems. Regardless of this the concert is exceptional and Cornell is a standout with a great acoustic version of Black Hole Sun and other excellent renderings of Audioslave and Soundgarden songs.

The concert set list includes the following songs: Set It Off, You Time Has Come, Like A Stone, Spoonman, The Worm, Gasoline, Heaven's Dead, Doesn't Remind Me, Be Yourself, Bulls On Parade (Instrumental), Sleep Now In The Fire, Out Of Exile, Outshined, Shadow On The Sun, Black Hole Sun (Acoustic), I Am The Highway (Part Acoustic), Show Me How To Live, Cochise.

Video Quality

The concert itself is presented in widescreen format, with the subsequent "Out of Exile" documentary also in widescreen but in a different aspect ratio, both of which are listed nowhere on the box. The picture for the most part is very good, with good skin tones and no visible grain or interference of digital artifacts. At times you may notice skin tones being "off", in this case a result of the lighting and not the transfer or edit process and therefore no criticism forthcoming from me.

Audio Quality

Why? That is the only question I had in my head when I popped this DVD into my player and started the concert. We are presented with a good stereo mix but no Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 track. I can't fathom why a 5.1 mix would not be included on this DVD, especially when the DVD contains a full concert. I can't help but feel that someone dropped the ball here. Now that my disappointment has been expressed let’s talk about the audio track that is included. The stereo mix is good with a decent balance between the volume of the band and the singer, so that neither dominates the other in the mix.

Special Features

First is the "Out of Exile" documentary. As discussed earlier, it shows what Audioslave was up to when they were not on stage. This medium-length documentary helps the viewer understand and appreciate Cuban culture, with an emphasis solely on the Cuban people and not their government. It’s a rare look at a seldom seen country and a feature definitely worth checking out.

Next is the TV version of the "Out of Exile" doc. If you watch both the concert and the full-length commentary, this special feature serves little purpose, since it is a combination of both. The TV version aired on MTV to both inform the public about this historic event and promote what would become the DVD release.

The final special feature is included on a separate CD and contains performances from Audioslave's Sessions@AOL. The songs included on the CD are: Be Yourself, Loud Love, Doesn't Remind Me, Out Of Exile and Sleep Now In The Fire. The performances are interesting and this is a nice addition to the special features on the disc, but I don't understand why more songs were not included since they have played Sessions@AOL more than once.

Summary

Audioslave Live In Cuba not only offers up a great concert but also a great documentary. Even though some of the specifications are subpar it is hard not to recommend this DVD, especially for fans of Audioslave. Since the band has now split up this is likely to be the only live concert on DVD that we will have of them.