Rating: 
Summary: BH Surfers Live before 1990; Just too difficult
Review: I do love the Surfers! But capturing them live before 1990 was a pretty schetchy proposition let alone trying to piece the mayhem together on film. This DVD is for completists only. My suggestion, buy it off Ebay on a copied VHS tape. Now why won't they find some footage from Lollapalooza or the Independent Worn Saloon tour?
Rating:
Summary: BH Surfers Live before 1990; Just too difficult
Review: I do love the Surfers! But capturing them live before 1990 was a pretty schetchy proposition let alone trying to piece the mayhem together on film. This DVD is for completists only. My suggestion, buy it off Ebay on a copied VHS tape. Now why won't they find some footage from Lollapalooza or the Independent Worn Saloon tour?
Rating: 
Summary: I need some TP
Review: I never really 'got" the Butthole Surfers. I would always seem to pick up their albums, partly due to their underground "buzz" and partly because I love the name. And every time, I would basically play it once and shelve it. Quite simply, it just didn't rock! Maybe it wasn't supposed to. But in the mid-80's with stuff like "New Day Rising" out there this didn't hold a candle. So here I am now, and again finding myself purchasing a Butthole Surfers product, partly because of their reputation for legendary live shows (this being from their prime), and partly again because I like the name. And once again, I don't get it.
It just doesn't rock. Sort of like why I never got into Sonic Youth. The buttholes are more like a noise/joke band, and perhaps I've missed the point all along. I mean, during one song the dude comes out with a tuba. What can I say, it's just not for me. Back to Zen Arcade.
Rating:
Summary: I need some TP
Review: I never really 'got" the Butthole Surfers. I would always seem to pick up their albums, partly due to their underground "buzz" and partly because I love the name. And every time, I would basically play it once and shelve it. Quite simply, it just didn't rock! Maybe it wasn't supposed to. But in the mid-80's with stuff like "New Day Rising" out there this didn't hold a candle. So here I am now, and again finding myself purchasing a Butthole Surfers product, partly because of their reputation for legendary live shows (this being from their prime), and partly again because I like the name. And once again, I don't get it.
It just doesn't rock. Sort of like why I never got into Sonic Youth. The buttholes are more like a noise/joke band, and perhaps I've missed the point all along. I mean, during one song the dude comes out with a tuba. What can I say, it's just not for me. Back to Zen Arcade.
Rating: 
Summary: Great in its way, but before the band's peak. Scant extras
Review: I'm a MAJOR Buttholes fan. I've seen them at least 25 times and even been fortunate enough to meet them a few times a long the way. They were a very magical thing at one time. They toured almost non-stop throughout the '80's and this video captures them at a good time, but not the BEST time visually or aurally. I know (straight from the band themselves!) that there is later, better footage. They became known for all their amazing, very psychedelic, crazy visuals onstage but this show was a couple years before they added some major visual additions. What I, and a lot of other fans would love to see is some video from around '87-'89, post Hairway to Steven. Jeff was in on bass, Paul had become an INCREDIBLE guitarist, Theresa hadn't left the band yet, and Gibby was still moving around onstage. Sadly, this dvd version of Blind Eye Sees All contains almost no extra footage. Something like Negro Observer from a '90's show. No obvious rhyme or reason for that addition either, but you take what you can get. This IS a great, fun, video, but it ISN'T the Butthole Surfers at their prime, which was only a couple years away...
Rating: 
Summary: An Enchanted Ride Up The Hershey Highway
Review: Oh how my gonadal tethers receded to the pith of my spine as I triumphantly swiped this
Dvd from off of the shelf of my local record store, fervently clutching its rectangular beauty in the midst of my tumescent grasp. Yes! The excitement was certainly palpable as I discovered this compendium of sonic insanity, and when I impatiently cantered into my docile abode to place this disc inside my player I reluctantly seated myself in the worn khaki cushions of my fetid couch and eagerly awaited the fruition of my monetary exchange. Well, it was worth it. As I was only familiar with the later output of the Surfers (Electriclarryland, Independent Worm Saloon, and the compilation of early demo material in Humpty Dumpty LSD) I was concerned briefly as to whether or not I would appreciate the notorious repute of their earlier work. Such an ignominious fool was I to ever doubt the greatness of the Butthole Surfers. Not only was I subject to an effusive release of feral brutality and palliative noise, I was fortunate to have my ears graced by some of the most bizarre songs ever assembled into one 80-minute set. Every single song vindicated my purchase by immeasurable exponents, and the kinetic stage behavior kept me well entertained. Amidst my amazement, I heard for the first time such classics of unbridled insanity like 'The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave,' 'Barbeque Pope,' 'Psy,' and 'One Hundred Million People Dead.' The manic intensity of this disc alone would garner a five star assessment, however it was a considerable act of charity to include intermittent interviews with the boys (and gal), wherein Gibby clearly evinced just how f*cking crazy he was. Never have I lamented over a band's past work (as compared to their less-than-invigorating efforts of late) than with the Surfers. I suppose though that if they were to keep up such musical activity they would have destroyed themselves. But I shall avoid digression by simply stating to you the facts. This DVD is a living testament to the relevance and pertinence of the Surfers' legacy. It demonstrates the pervasive outrageousness and absurdity that they so vehemently supported and offers a rare glimpse into a band that has since inexplicably decided to pursue more accessible material (I cite the dance-infectious Weird Revolution). But no matter the flaccid work they decide to churn out, this piece of plangent serenity shan't be erased. If you appreciate wild and experimental music, music that poses an imminent threat to your sobriety; if you like music that attacks the conventions of their songs with an incomparable temerity, or if you've ever even held a modicum of reverence for a band that defies conception yet does not appear ostentatious, then the Butthole Surfers are definitely for you and I strongly recommend you procure a copy of this miraculous DVD. It's a damn shame this music won't appeal to all of you, but it certainly deserves a fair look. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely essential document
Review: This 1985 live video documents the mighty Surfers during their "Cream Corn" era. What you get is our heroes merrily thrashing through their early classics while Gibby tears apart things and dances about. This is a professionally-shot and varied document that looks good, and this also documents the double-drumming unit and short-time bassist Trevor Malcolm playing a gigantic tuba. As amazing as these moments are, the highlight is the incredible interview with the band (all in one giant bed smokin' and drinkin'), wherein Gibby delivers some typically awesome words of wisdom.This DVD version is superior to the original video cassette: the sound is clearer and the picture's sharper. In addition to the new features (including a "Butthole Karaoke," which finally displays lyrics to songs like "Lady Sniff"), all the extras from the original video appear here. The 7" alternate version of the song "American Woman" (which came with the tape) is incorporated in its entirety on the DVD when you access the Gallery, and the "bonus footage" that originally appeared on the video cassette several minutes after the video ended is even placed as hidden feature. Heck, even the Touch and Go Video logo appears in the credits! (How'd that one get by?) My only complaint about the document is that I would have really liked to see the band's 1986-and-on years, in which they started played appalling movies of surgeries and accidents on a film screen projector behind them while Gibby set objects on fire. But make no mistake, "Blind Eye Sees All" is stellar all the way, and it's now made available again after many years of elusiveness. If you appreciate the genius of the Butthole Surfers, get this immediately. And if you don't "get" them, it's your loss.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely essential document
Review: This 1985 live video documents the mighty Surfers during their "Cream Corn" era. What you get is our heroes merrily thrashing through their early classics while Gibby tears apart things and dances about. This is a professionally-shot and varied document that looks good, and this also documents the double-drumming unit and short-time bassist Trevor Malcolm playing a gigantic tuba. As amazing as these moments are, the highlight is the incredible interview with the band (all in one giant bed smokin' and drinkin'), wherein Gibby delivers some typically awesome words of wisdom. This DVD version is superior to the original video cassette: the sound is clearer and the picture's sharper. In addition to the new features (including a "Butthole Karaoke," which finally displays lyrics to songs like "Lady Sniff"), all the extras from the original video appear here. The 7" alternate version of the song "American Woman" (which came with the tape) is incorporated in its entirety on the DVD when you access the Gallery, and the "bonus footage" that originally appeared on the video cassette several minutes after the video ended is even placed as hidden feature. Heck, even the Touch and Go Video logo appears in the credits! (How'd that one get by?) My only complaint about the document is that I would have really liked to see the band's 1986-and-on years, in which they started played appalling movies of surgeries and accidents on a film screen projector behind them while Gibby set objects on fire. But make no mistake, "Blind Eye Sees All" is stellar all the way, and it's now made available again after many years of elusiveness. If you appreciate the genius of the Butthole Surfers, get this immediately. And if you don't "get" them, it's your loss.
Rating:
Summary: Gibby standin naked in a freezing Detroit morning? Priceless
Review: This captures the 'Holes just a few years before the peak of their live performances (the traveling circus of lasers & smoke machines & upside-down films & Katherine the mute trancing centerstage...) Great performances of material through "Psychic...Powerless". In between songs, an exasperated interviewer attempts to get the goods as the band lounges together in a motel bed with Mark Farner and a siamese cat. It's a side splitter.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful addition to my collection
Review: This DVD was everything I had hoped for and then some. I have always loved the Butthole Surfers but never saw them in concert. I heard plenty of stories though. After watching this DVD, I truly regret never having seen them live. The sound is excellent, and it is well filmed. Usually I hate it when concert footage is broken up; however, in this case, the interviews, in between the songs, enhance the whole experience. The best way I can describe this performance is to compare it to a couple Throbbing Gristle VHS tapes capturing Throbbing Gristle live. The Butthole Surfers are a pop/punk version of Gristle. They are slightly more accessible but quite unique in their own right.
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