Rating: 
Summary: Awesome collection of music
Review: In regards to a previous review, you ARE able to play individual songs. You simple go to the special features section of the disc and you can scroll through the individual performances and choose at your own will. This set is awesome. It includes the following:
Alice Cooper, Under My Wheels
Elton John, Tiny Dancer
Curtis Mayfield, We Gotta Have Peace
Randy Newman, Political Science
Bill Withers, Ain't No Sunshine
Rory Gallagher, Hands Off
The Wailers, Stir It Up
Roxy Music, Do the Strand
The Edgar Winter Group, Frankenstein
Captain Beefheart, Upon the My O My
Little Feat, Rock 'n Roll Doctor
John Lennon, Stand By Me
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Freebird
Emmylou Harris, Amarillo
Bonnie Raitt, Too Long at the Fair
Tom Waits, Tom Traubert's Blues
Talking Heads, Psycho Killer
XTC, Statue of Liberty
Blondie, Presence Dear
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, American Girl
The Police, Can't Stand Losing You
Bruce Springsteen, Rosalita
Iggy Pop, I'm Bored
The Specials, Message to You Rudi
The Damned, Smash It Up/I Just Can't Be Happy Today
The Ramones, Rock 'n Roll High School
U2, I Will Follow
REM, Moon River/Pretty PersuasionThere are also interviews with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, John Lennon, and Bruce Springsteen. There are commentaries and tidbits about each act. I wish we were given the two disc set, but hopefully if this sells well, perhaps in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: UK version may play in US
Review: Just a note: many US DVD players will convert PAL discs to NTSC but you have to read the manual to see if yours does. My JVC does a beautiful job with PAL discs, as long as they are region 0. The UK version of the OGWT has some stunning material not on the US version, and is well worth getting.
Rating:
Summary: PLEASE RELEASE MORE!!!
Review: Man would it be amazing if they released the FULL Bob Marley performance rather than one song!?? And yes, many of these were FULL in-studio concerts. Let's hope they release these sometime soon in their entirety!! I particularly would like to see the RETURN TO FOREVER concert recorded in 1976 by the Whistle Test. I have a bootleg DVD of it and the quality is crap. I'm sure they have the master tapes and that's like a holy grail performance for any jazz fan.
Rating:
Summary: Great vintage
Review: Nostalgic product reflecting a pre-MTV era. In fact, this WAS the MTV of it's day, I guess. Amazing how times have changed. Live music is always better and most of this is just that. At the risk of annoying readers, I must correct the earlier reviewer over the origin of the programme's name -
It refers to the older, more formal members of the BBC who, as was the stereotype of the day, tended to wear the traditional, grey suit to work in that venerable institution. Now - and here's the good bit - rhyming slang for 'suit' is 'whistle' - as in 'whistle and flute' = 'suit'. With me? Furthermore, it was regarded that a good melody, whether heavy rock, reggae or pop, could be imitated at a later time by way of a subconcious whistle, regardless of the age. Who hasn't heard their Mum whistle a rendition of a classic whilst baking - I know I have! Anyway, if the old guys repeated a song in this way then it was deemed to have passed the 'test', worthy of the charts and the disc was duly mass-produced and rushed to the shops. Hence the Old Grey Whistle (suit) Test! There, you're wiser for that. Questions on a postcard, please.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD STUFF---
Review: other reviewers have given the vital information,and there's no need to repeat the description from the package. i just wanted to add a few things i see as helpful but missing from other submissions. the number one priority for me is: how is the quality?
as for the whistle test, i think it's very good. i give the visuals 5 stars, sound about 4. not that there is anything bad about the soundtrack, it just doesn't measure up to our latest standards, and we shouldn't expect it to. the production values on the camera are first rate, and
much better than the musikladen series. for the most part, the direction is calm, and very watchable. the cameras are there just to record what happened, and not add their own fingerprint.
musikladen, creates a visual nervous tic with the "acid spangler" add-ons, which mar the experience. (the worst example of this kind of directors intrusion is "cream---the farewell concert". i truly despise how that footage was trampled on, and hope the original film exists sans the arty-farty lsd trip.)
since there aren't too many options to view rock and roll footage from the past, one shouldn't pass this one up. nice live performances from rory gallagher, little feat, captain beefheart, skynyrd, and more. there's something a bit fishy about alice cooper's performance---i think there is a mix of live and recorded tracks. roxy music is also canned, but very well done.
for a music lover like me, i was happy with the product, and hope to see more music released from this series.
Rating:
Summary: bloody excellent!!
Review: Out of an extensive collection of DVDs, this is the one I reach for habitually. Early in the morning, late at night, when I have five minutes to kill...whenever... there is always something on the disc to entertain. The sound is good. The pictures precede the video age and therefore are excellent, and the commentry although a slight interruption at times, is enlightening and worth watching as well. The disc also shows clearly why some musos stand the test of time, producing stuff which is timeless, while others can't quite cut it. Take Bill Withers Aint No Sunshine, for example. It is worth buying the DVD just for this performance. Compare Bob Marley's Stir It Up to the Damned's Smash it Up for example. Bob's music accompanied by Peter Tosh etc. is classic whereas the Damned were OK but could hardly be called memorable. Thanks to the fast forward button, I could bypass other forgettable performances, Roxy Music (Do the Strand), Lynard Skynard etc. and go directly to some fantastic and rare footage like Tim Buckley Dolphins, Tom Waits Tom Traubert's Blues, The Specials Message To You Rudi. In summary, not all of it is great but there are absolute gems on it for everybody and I found it definite value for money.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic selection of 70s performances
Review: Pop is the music of the rebel. But it's also the music of the non-rebel, and with the OGWT, from the heart of the BBC establishment, non-rebellious, thinking-person's pop reached its zenith. Of course, punk knocked it all down in 1977, and with the help of Saturday Night Fever disco, pop suddenly became physical again. The OGWT never really recovered, and once Bob Harris had gone, competition from other TV programs such as Channel 4's 'The Tube' etc meant its days were numbered.
Which was a great pity, as all three OGWT compilation DVDs illustrate. The OGWT was a superb, must-see programme scheduled late on Tuesday evenings. You had to watch every show, firstly because there was no other TV programme showcasing 'album' music, and secondly because the Radio Times (the UK's TV listings magazine) never told you who would be appearing.
In the early 1970s I was at a boarding school, and our house was rationed to a TV maximum of three hours per week. Which programmes we watched were decided by the prefects (which brought them much undeserved popularity), and it says much about the quality of OGWT that this programme was always chosen.
These two DVDs have something of the feel of the TV programmes, except that they don't contain any interview material nor any of the wonderful animations chosen to accompany some tracks. (I never cease to be surprised at the number of occasions when I discuss OGWT with friends and they mention the 'Skiers' video chosen for Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'.) The introductions are, by and large, marvellous, if only to see how the artists and DJs look 30 years on.
The musical highlights, for me, are most of the 70s stuff, particularly Bill Withers (a fantastic performance of his 'Ain't No Sunshine', very much like the Carnegie Hall version on CD)and the Edgar Winter Group's 'Frankenstein', but there is so much else.
These DVDs will probably bring few new converts to the programme, but it's a treasure trove for those of us who were there at the time.
Rating:
Summary: Great collection of 70's and 80's performances
Review: The British are way ahead of us when it comes to release vintage performances on DVD. The Old Grey Whistle Test got its name from a Tin Pan Alley test; it was said that agents would have the doormen for the building come in, listen to a song and see if it was worthwhile. The test was whether the "old grey" folks could whistle the tune. The Old Grey Whistle Test had a variety of different types of performers over the years. While rock did dominate it wasn't the only type of music presented. This DVD presents the following performances and performers:
Alice Cooper-Under My Wheels
Elton John-Tiny Dancer (solo)
Curtis Mayfield- We Gotta Have Peace
Randy Newman - Political Science
Bill Whithers - Ain't No Sunshine
Rory Gallagher - Hands Off
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Stir It Up
Roxy Music - Do The Strand (with Eno but lipsynched)
The Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein
Captain Beefheart-Upon the My O My
Little Feat- Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
John Lennon - Stand By Me
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
Emmylou Harris - Amarillo
Bonnie Raitt - Too Long At The Fair
Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
XTC - Statue of Liberty
Blondie - I'm Always Troubled By Your Presence Dear
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - American Girl
The Police - Can't Stand Losing You
Bruce Springsteen - Rosalita (filmed concert performance)
Iggy Pop - I'm Bored
The Specials - Message to Rudi
The Damned - Smash It Up/I Just Can't Be Happy Today
The Ramones - Rock 'n' Roll High School
U2 - I Will Follow
REM - Moon River/Pretty Persuasion The interviews are fairly good as well. The John Lennon interview was a treat for me as a long time Beatles fan. Also interviewed are Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen. Producer Mike Appleton has included an audio commentary. There's also an artist's gallery where you can read about the performance and artist. In special features mode a guitar will appear in the upper right hand corner and take you directly there. After you've read it, it takes you directly back to the performance. Each of the Whistle Tests 6 presenters give really interesting (and occasionally funny)stories about either the performance or artist they're discussing. Why the BBC choose to release this as a single disc set (and some of the performers are interesting considering the US base but I'm not complaining as I like them all). There's also a two page booklet that includes the performances, a little background on the show and a paragraph or two from the producer. That's becoming more of a rarity now as many companies are discontinuing these. I personally like them as it allows you to see the chapter you want prior to the DVD starting. Disney is experimenting with discontinuing theirs for certain discs as is MGM. I bit of caution about the British two disc set; On the amazon.com British website it states it is a region 0 so it can be played anywhere. I have heard complaints from various folks that this isn't so. Since I don't have the 2 disc set from the UK, I can't comment directly but be wary.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing quality and variety!
Review: The video and audio quality is simply amazing, especially for some footage that is over 30 years old. Video is clear and sharp; my only quibble about audio is that it may be a bit TOO harsh sometimes, especially in the treble department. On occasion high-hats and cymbals sound too trebly, and I can't believe audio film quality was THAT good in the early 70's! A question: why is Bruce Springsteen's "Rosarita" video included here? Seems this is the same crappy-quality video that MTV used to play (remember when they played music videos?) and seems out of place here. If you are a music fan (Rap doesn't count) you will be pleased that there is a splendid variety here, such as reggae, New Wave, Southern rock, hard rock,country,singer-songwriter-piano-playing, etc. Overall, this is a great testament to how good a show The Old Grey Whistle Test really was. I hope they issue more DVD's and make this an ongoing series.
Rating:
Summary: A DVD that can be enjoyed more than once!
Review: This compilation is perfect for those of us who grew up when having what would now be considered eclectic taste was the norm. Back when FM radio was not programmed after 9 pm. When everyone record collection revealed their broad taste and exposure to many styles.
The songs that were selected do not always show the performers at their absolute best. I'm sure their was probably a better Roxy Music track than "The Strand," and Rory Gallagher, although brilliant as always, performed more than once on OGWT, and a better selection could have been made from a later performance. I would love to see complete performances released on DVD. Overall, the song selection is quite good. I do wish there was a way to skip the introductory comments that start many of the programs. Some of these are tedious to listen to.
Bear in mind that these recordings were made with basic gear during another era. Sometimes the mix is excellent, other times it leaves a lot to be desired.
The performances are generally outstanding. Highlights for me include: Curtis Mayfield, Rory, The Wailers (with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh!), Roxy Music, Edgar Winter's full length rendition of "Frankenstein," John Lennon, and the Ramones. The weakest performances are by XTC (who are given a lot of hype in their introduction, but sound dated and trite), and the Damned (who start off ok, but then sort of fizzle out, ending with an already cliche even back then knocking over of the drums. Let's put it this way: If you are intrigued by the names of the artists who appear on the disc and like them in general, you may be disappointed in a performance here and there, but you will love this DVD overall.
I've not watched the bonus footage yet, so I won't comment on that. This is a fun DVD that can easily bear repeated listening. One feature is that you can set it to play the tracks randomly.
I'd recommend this DVD to all fans of 70's to early 80's rock.
I only wish that the Clash had appeared on the OGWT so that, together with the Ramones, they could show viewers how other acts of the era paled in comparison.
|
