There is no question that Mr. Anderson is "new age" in the truest sense of the word. This has long been evident in both his music and in his lifestyle. Knowing that he has long been a believer in the "Golden Mean," I expected some amount of pseudo-religious monologue to be found in this release, and in this regard, I was not disappointed. Much of the video is spent listening to Jon discuss this belief system with the small studio audience in attendance, and for the most part, it is inane and, at least in some regard, offers an insight into the motivations behind his music. Although I do not subscribe to his philosophies, I generally try to keep a tolerant mindset in respect to everyone's religious views, and by doing so, I was able to appreciate, if not necessarily enjoy, these segments. The Internet is here as the guide to help us move through the multiverse and enter the light? OK, whatever Jon... just sing me some nice songs please.
And sing he does. The 21 songs on the DVD are well done and I am happy to report that age has not stymied his vocal talents in the least. From haunting vocal numbers and remixed versions of familiar tunes to collaborative melds and electronica, the music still speaks to me in so many ways. I could have very easily leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and just enjoyed the music without pause. There is little question that if I were rating this DVD on the songs alone, it would easily receive a score in the high 90's. Unfortunately, simply listening to the songs is not an option. Tour of the Universe is filmed at, and obviously subsidized by, XM Radio, a fact all too apparent in the oft repeated advertisements that take place between almost every song, and in a few cases, during songs (you can hear a DJ doing a voiceover during the instrumental portion of "Bring On The Day"). At one point, a subtitle appears on the screen stating that the "extraterrestrials from XM Radio" are here to assist us in using technology as a gateway. Huh? Sadly, the chapter editing of the DVD makes it frustratingly difficult to skip these segments without missing some of the songs, as the ads are integrated into and around the musical portions. As if the advertisements were not enough, the video editing is sloppy and disjointed as well. The times when Jon appears on screen singing are often digitized over with odd visual effects and CG graphics. While some of these are enjoyable, in an MTV sort of way, many of them are disassociated with the music and only serve to detract from the overall experience.
For those more interested in the philosophical and religious views, there are a couple of special feature segments that discuss the "mysteries" behind the Golden Mean and how the Golden Mean has influenced several great classical composers. These special features actually run ten minutes longer than the feature video. In the end, although the music was absolutely fantastic, this DVD turned into a two-handed helping of XM Radio infomercial and theoretical sermon regarding the Golden Mean. It was once said about Jon that he is the only person trying to save this planet that is not from this planet, and after watching this, well, that may be true. If only the Internet and the ET's at XM Radio could guide me into getting my 3 hours back.
