DVD Corner

Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Live

Sound Grade: B
Extras Grade: A
Picture Grade: B
Studio/Label: Time Life
Website: http://TimeLife.com
Sound Options and Formats: Dolby digital 5.1

Review

This humongous 9 disc set covers 24 years of live rock performances from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies with some one of a kind star power performances you will never see again.
This 9 disc set is a rock and roll music lover’s dream come true.  For those who like celebrity jams, this disc set is a must own set, although it may break your pocketbook, as it retails for over $100.  The 9 disc set has many memorable moments and I’ll try and list some of them:
Eric Clapton’s acceptance speech for Cream, which held a reunion performance for the first time in over 25 years.  Clapton wasn’t even going to show until Robbie Robertson of the Band convinced him about the museum’s annual event.  Clapton inducted The Band a year later, stating he had quit Cream to join The Band. He finally plays with them on “The Weight” that night.
Combinations of musicians are the biggest highlight of this set: Jeff Beck on stage with Jimmy Page doing Beck and Led Zeppelin stuff, Paul McCartney singing Let It Be with Paul Schaffer and band, Bily Joel, Joan Jett, John Mellencamp and John Fogerty doing “Gald All Over”, a tribute to the Dave Clark Five, Chuck Berry with Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder with the Doors, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Windwood, Dhani Harrison and Prince doing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

All forms of rock are celebrated from James Taylor’s light folk rock to heavy metal Metallica.  Soul is highlighted on one disc “I’ll Take You There” with Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Booker T and The MGs, The O’Jays, The Staple Singers, Martha and The Vandellas, Al Green and WIlson Pickett.

Organization for most on the disc set needed some work as many of the discs skip around from year to year and don’t really have a specific theme, other then the Soul disc just mentioned. Beatles are on disc one but individual Beatles are on other discs.  I think a chronological breakdown would have been better. The Who, Pretenders, Bonnie Raitt, Bee Gees, James Taylor and Metallica all share one disc.I fail to see the common thread there.

As with every mega celebrity concert, there are also some significant  no-shows due to death, feuds and other circumstances; No Levon Helm with The Band, no Grace Slick with Jefferson Airplane, no Paul for The Beatles induction.  Given the amount of egos involved, the concerts are still exciting to watch, even without some significant personalities.

Picture and sound quality vary and a disclaimer is presented at the beginning of each disc stating that but most of the performances are really in good shape.

Included on each disc as extras are the extended acceptance speeches and induction speeches.  One of the most memorable is Tom Hanks inducting the Dave Clark Five, followed by a gracious speech by surviving members, especially from Dave Clark. Also included is rehearsal footage of performances.  The ninth disc in this package is a full concert held in Cleveland in 1995.  Performers included James Brown, Lou Reed, Eric Burdon and Jon Bon Jovi, Allman Brothers and Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, John Mellencamp and John Fogerty.

All rock and roll fans will enjoy this set of unique performances; it is available in this 9 disc set, a deluxe 14 disc set and a best of 3 disc set.  Included is the link to order the set, exclusively from Time-Life.

Buy Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame LIVE-9 DVD disc set

November 14, 2009 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | concert, DVD review, Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame