Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After watching this DVD, I was kind of wondering which DVD many of the reviewers were watching. First off, Dennis looked fine. He was having a blast playing drums and joking with Mike Meros through most of the concert. Yeah, Brian looked bad, but he did back then. Anyone who saw these guys in concert from 76 on would know Brian wasn't much of a presence on stage. His vocals were pretty bad as well. That was normal. Every now and then he would surprise people, but you couldn't see a Beach Boys concert at that time and expect a lot from Brian. The rest of the guys and supporting cast did what they did, . . . they put on a good show. Unlike concerts from a few years earlier, they had already begun shortening the show, and doing more top 40 music. I miss the days when they would do Marcella, Long Promised Road, Funky Pretty and others in their live shows and play for 90 to 120 minutes. Not to mention, while the vocals are great, I miss the more rock oriented shows. The stage is fairly small compared to a lot of the shows they put on in the states, so the guys tended to stand around. So Mike isn't allowed to prance like he used to do. They all appeared in good spirits, although now and then looking like they were going through the motions. There was not a 'fight' between Carl and Mike. In those days, it was not unusual for these guys to bow together, and Mike missed his spot. This is also consistent with Carl's problems with the boys lack of rehearsal time before shows. And during Surfer Girl, it's Dennis moving closer to Mike, and Mike seems a little hesitant. First off, the rift between the two is legendary, but it also appears as though the music pushes all that aside during the shows. Of course, Dennis was also known to play pranks on Mike 'on stage' so Mike could be hesitant because of that. But it hardly takes away from the song, although the song is far too rushed, which again is something they began doing around 1980.
Favorite songs from this set had to be "I Get Around," and "Keepin' the Summer Alive."
Overall, I enjoyed this, but also realized why shortly after Dennis died I stopped attending Beach Boy concerts. They were transforming into a Las Vegas act. It is interesting to see some of the little things going on, on stage, such as Carl keeping an eye on Brian; Dennis kissing Brian on the back of the head; Al asking Brian if he's okay right before, I think "Barbara Ann." I also wonder about the sign that Brian could read from his piano which reads: "Don't Panic."
Mainly I am amazed at how easy these guys made it look, but saddened that they did not take advantage of the arsenal of songs they could have played to make the show longer. These guys are legends, and we get to see elements of that, but for me, the writing was on the wall. Accept this DVD for what it is, a glimpse of what was truly an endless summer, where you can go to that nearest faraway place, and let your heart be filled with spring.
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GOOD TIMIN' - LIVE AT KNEBWORTH 1980 - DVD Movie
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