mg196
Johnny Thunders - LAMF
Artist - Johnny Thunders
Title - Live In Cold Blood
Year of Release - (DVD) 2002 - filmed in 1982 in NYC
Record Label - CultDVD.com
Genre - Rock
Wow...ummm...I cannot believe that this was actually issued on DVD. It had ben issued on VHS and it is obviously just a straight VHS to digital transfer. Nobody was going to waste any money on this one with a remastering job. This had to be released as a joke...twisting the knife in JT's back just for kicks. But that ain't the half of it.
As for video quality...it isn't THAT bad. The sound mix is HORRENDOUS. I mean, during JT's signature song, the Chantays' "Pipeline," it is the BASS guitar that is out in front of the mix! The bass guitar creeps into the front of the mix several times throughout the 30 minutes (yes, the whole DVD is only 30 minutes). The editing is really miserable, too. It is obvious that they cut the show down severely...probably so there was some type of continuity when in reality the show was fractured by JT's junked-up ramblings and lousy performance. That may be the only merciful thing that the makers of this recording thought to do. Oh, after saying all that, you didn't expect me to say there were DVD extras did you?
Now as far as performances go, this has to be the worst performance ever issued on DVD. Period. For 3/4 of the show JT's eyes were rolled into the back of his head. LITERALLY. When his eyelids would open (yes, I said WHEN his eyelids would open) you see all white and his pupils rolled up there. Hell, he played with his eyes closed a good part of the time, too! His guitar strap kept unhooking from his black Gretsch (odd he has a Gretsch - the Les Paul TV is his signature axe). Throughout the show it kept coming unhooked!! During "Sad Vacation," he just laid down on the stage and nearly fell asleep while singing. Later in the show in the middle of a solo his shirt sleeve catches on the bridge. Ugh.
The band still held things together, thanks mostly to former Heartbreaker Walter Lure (Waldo).
I am not upset I bought this, though. First of all, JT video is tough to come by. Secondly, it was only $10 on ePay. What upsets me is how someone thought they would make money by laughing at one of my heroes. Seriously, there is absolutely NO REASON this ever should have been released. JT put on so many great shows, that there HAS to be one that would be appropriate for a proper DVD release.
Not to stand on my soapbox (though I will only briefly), but other famed junkies and addicts who died from their vices are treated like gods, but I have never seen one mocked or pissed on in any way even CLOSE to this. So many of Johnny's songs had a depth and sensitivity that his peers never could find. Jim Morrison's pretentious poetry is a toilet-clogging piece of crap compared to the beauty of You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory, Disappointed, or Children Are People Too, yet Morrison is treated like the Holy Ghost (hey, at least he got a cool movie - however truth-bending it actually was). Thank god Morrison was drop-dead gorgeous for a little while, otherwise he woulda been forgotten about long ago...
My advice? If you are a JT fan you are going to want this. Just don't expect much.
Title - Live In Cold Blood
Year of Release - (DVD) 2002 - filmed in 1982 in NYC
Record Label - CultDVD.com
Genre - Rock
Wow...ummm...I cannot believe that this was actually issued on DVD. It had ben issued on VHS and it is obviously just a straight VHS to digital transfer. Nobody was going to waste any money on this one with a remastering job. This had to be released as a joke...twisting the knife in JT's back just for kicks. But that ain't the half of it.
As for video quality...it isn't THAT bad. The sound mix is HORRENDOUS. I mean, during JT's signature song, the Chantays' "Pipeline," it is the BASS guitar that is out in front of the mix! The bass guitar creeps into the front of the mix several times throughout the 30 minutes (yes, the whole DVD is only 30 minutes). The editing is really miserable, too. It is obvious that they cut the show down severely...probably so there was some type of continuity when in reality the show was fractured by JT's junked-up ramblings and lousy performance. That may be the only merciful thing that the makers of this recording thought to do. Oh, after saying all that, you didn't expect me to say there were DVD extras did you?
Now as far as performances go, this has to be the worst performance ever issued on DVD. Period. For 3/4 of the show JT's eyes were rolled into the back of his head. LITERALLY. When his eyelids would open (yes, I said WHEN his eyelids would open) you see all white and his pupils rolled up there. Hell, he played with his eyes closed a good part of the time, too! His guitar strap kept unhooking from his black Gretsch (odd he has a Gretsch - the Les Paul TV is his signature axe). Throughout the show it kept coming unhooked!! During "Sad Vacation," he just laid down on the stage and nearly fell asleep while singing. Later in the show in the middle of a solo his shirt sleeve catches on the bridge. Ugh.
The band still held things together, thanks mostly to former Heartbreaker Walter Lure (Waldo).
I am not upset I bought this, though. First of all, JT video is tough to come by. Secondly, it was only $10 on ePay. What upsets me is how someone thought they would make money by laughing at one of my heroes. Seriously, there is absolutely NO REASON this ever should have been released. JT put on so many great shows, that there HAS to be one that would be appropriate for a proper DVD release.
Not to stand on my soapbox (though I will only briefly), but other famed junkies and addicts who died from their vices are treated like gods, but I have never seen one mocked or pissed on in any way even CLOSE to this. So many of Johnny's songs had a depth and sensitivity that his peers never could find. Jim Morrison's pretentious poetry is a toilet-clogging piece of crap compared to the beauty of You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory, Disappointed, or Children Are People Too, yet Morrison is treated like the Holy Ghost (hey, at least he got a cool movie - however truth-bending it actually was). Thank god Morrison was drop-dead gorgeous for a little while, otherwise he woulda been forgotten about long ago...
My advice? If you are a JT fan you are going to want this. Just don't expect much.
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