In 2002, Delirious released the two disc live masterpiece Access:d. With a tracklist spanning two discs of the best from Delirious' catalogue, the only thing Access:d was missing was an accompanying DVD. After 8 years since filming their previous live video (A View From The Terraces - not available in the US), Delirious have decided that now is the time (no pun intended) to film a live DVD.

Within the packaging, the stated goal of this CD/DVD is to provide a raw and honest account of the live Delirious experience, and Now is the Time accomplishes just that. This is most notable on the CD, where the polished to perfection quality of Access:d is noticeably missing. The difference in CD quality would be disappointing if this were just another live CD, but here, the CD is more of a "bonus" than the main product. For me though, I find myself listening to CDs more than watching DVDs, so I was most excited about the CD. After multiple listens to the CD, the "raw" feeling has grown on me. That said, upon listening to Now is the Time, it becomes clear that you are hearing these songs the way you were meant to - live. While the CD does a good job of capturing fast songs like "Now is the Time" and "Paint the Town Red," it's the ballads that truly shine.

The DVD, on the other hand, is brilliant from beginning to end. The editors of Willow Creek used 12 cameras to capture the gig. Despite the amount of cameras used, the editors avoided "A.D.D. Editing," even when quick camera changes were necessary. The energy and passion of each song are conveyed with every camera shot coming together perfectly to give the full picture on what happened that night.

The bonus features on the DVD include "The Delirious? Story" - a 30-minute documentary of the history of Delirious from their humble beginnings to where they are today and their goals for the future - "Behind the Scenes at Willow Creek," and "Monitor Wall" - a behind the scenes look at directing one of the songs.

With these bonus features and the live CD included, Now is the Time is the ultimate Delirious? experience for long-time fans and beginners alike. If you've never been to a Delirious? show, check this project out and see what you've been missing.

- Review date: 10/26/06, written by David Taylor