Customer Reviews

Live Hot Potatoes [VHS]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you've ever seen the Wiggles live, then you know just how fantastic their live shows are. This video is a must-have for nothing else, a keepsake. It's full of stuff from their recent tour, and even has Santa in there at the end. They go around looking for Jeff again, complete with the blow-up balloon. My little one went upstairs and grabbed his guitar and was playing along with most of the show. Then he went after his keyboard and gave me the guitar and we played together! You can't passively watch the Wiggles - you just have to get up and dance along. They do such a fantastic job too - it never ceases to amaze me the amount of time an thought that goes into their shows. This video gives a glimpse of what they did here in the US - they showed them driving in the Big Red Car, going under signs for Columbus, then driving into the auditorium and the next thing you see is them driving out in the Big Red Car onto the stage. That about floored my husband, who is a teacher as well (so are the Wiggles). He just keeps remarking at all the attention the Wiggles give to the details to keep the kids' attention while teaching them at the same time. They're learning and they don't even know it. Just like Leapfrog products! I'm still wondering how Greg dances like a noodle up there - he's got to be double-jointed!

Don't expect this to be a quick view and leave video either - it's 140 minutes long! Some of the cinematography could have been better though on this - the dark shots turned blue, and Anthony produced the musical portion and some of Greg's vocals are a little "hot" here and there, but kids don't care much about that. And, unless you're a musician or in the music business, you're not going to notice it much. That's my only criticism of this video. It's especially nice to hear Captain Feathersword sing "Eagle Rock." I loved it when they had him flying on a trapeze out into the audience during their recent shows here and guess what? It's on this video too! That definitely made our day here. My little one was just as mesmerized by it again when he saw the video.

Another highlight of this video is that it is totally live. There's no canned studio tracks being used on this one. They have a live orchestra up there, complete with backup singers. Dom Lindsey is the orchestra director, complete in white hat and tails, and leads the orchestra, plays trumpet (hey, it's worth the cost of the video just to hear him play!), and even sings as one of the "three tenors" with Captain Feathersword. Awesome part for us music people out there!

Great, great stuff, I highly recommend it and if you're new to the Wiggles, grab this guy and get "Toot, Toot" too. That still is their best one, in my humble opinion besides this one. Great job Wiggles and thanks very much for caring about the quality of products being directed towards our children. You definitely deserve all the success you are having!

I bought this and had high hopes after Top of the Tots and Santa's Rockin' - those were not that good as far as the Wiggles go.
This new live show has a whole band on stage, elaborate sets and everyone appears to be singing. My son, 2 yrs 2 mos, was very intereseted in the new format of a concert. They did more close-ups, split screens, etc, not just a wide shot of the stage as in older concert footage.
The only complaint I have is at times the words and their mouths seemed off on the DVD. Not that they weren't singing, just a technical difficulty of the production of the DVD. Extras are just so-so and I wish they would list the run time to tell the actual length of the feature show only. Over all, I'd say it's pretty darn good Wiggles. And we have almost ALL of the dvds/vcr shows that there are!

We own 6 Wiggles videos and this one is always in the DVD Player. Our 2½ year old and 11 month old children dance, sing and go wild everytime they watch. All of the kids favorite songs including, Fruit Salad, Rock-A-Bye a Bear, Music with Murray, Wheres Jeff and Dorothy and Wags are in this fun video...it even includes some fun holiday songs. A great buy...and a must have for those Wiggley Fans!!!!!!!

Boy everyone is so estatic about this DVD - I guess I am in the waaayyyy minority....

I got this for my 4 yr old who really likes the Wiggles...I really like them too...she watches the show and I have a couple of tapes of them....following the reviews on here, I ordered this DVD.....the first time I put it on , it did not hold her attention for more then a minute - no exaggeration....and this is a child you loves Kipper and Angelina Ballerina so it is not like she needs a big deal to keep her attention...but I know the problem...the problem is not the Wiggles but it is the format.....It is a LIVE in concert DVD and my daughter atleast is not really "into" watching a full live recorded concert.....when they have songs in concert on Disney channel (ONE song) she loves it ...usually the songs are very upbeat and close up... but a whole DVD of a taped concert...eh....with far away shots and stuff like that
....
Fact is, later another time I put it on again and she did watch it....But it is not a DVD she has asked for ever again which is saying something.... Yesterday someone loaned us a Calliou tape and she wanted to see it so many times I had to say "I think we need a rest!"

It must be very cool though to go to an actual concert of them...I love those guys! I am glad to see some kids really liked this DVD! I wish my daughter had cuz it cost $13!!! : )

A lot of giggling from my autistic eight year-old son Stephen when he watches the DVD of his favorite band wiggling.

Such a creative group. You really get a sense of how good their live shows are after seeing this. We'll have to take Stephen before he is too old, or maybe the beauty of it is that Stephen will never be too old.

Thanks for all the joy you bring to children of all ages.



Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

The Wiggles have produced some videos lately that were just horrendous -- "Space Dancing," "Top of the Tots," and "Santa's Rocking." So, I checked this one out from my local video store instead of buying yet another disappointing DVD.

Well, I'm just going to have to go out and buy this one. My child loved it, and I liked it, too.

It seems that one of my biggest problems with other recent Wiggles releases has been solved in this one. All that endless mugging for the camera and forced smiling does not work well on the small screen. However, on stage, the Wiggles seem perfectly natural, no matter how goofy they're being. In fact, they shine on stage.

My other problem has been the abject hideousness of some of the new songs. I had to ban "Top of the Tots" for awhile because the songs drove me nuts. It wasn't the good kind of "nuts" that songs like "Hot Potato" drive you -- the kind where you are embarassed to find yourself happily singing the songs in the car even when your children aren't with you. No, it's the kind of "nuts" that comes with having to listen to pop music all day. The newer songs are bland, too complex for little ones, and don't naturally lend themselves to handmotions and dance steps that little ones can easily duplicate.

Well, that problem isn't completely resolved. Some of the more useless new songs, like "Central Park, New York," appear on this video. (Note: The Aussie and American pronunciations of the word "squirrel" are so different as to cause confusion.) However, some of the old favorites are there, too, so it's a pretty good balance. My toddler doesn't mind. She even loves "Eagle Rock," which drives me screaming from the room every time.

The thing that really knocks this DVD down a star level for me is the appearance of Santa Claus. It gives the video too much of a seasonal feel that just isn't helpful -- especially when it's 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 percent humidity, which it is two months out of the year here in Kentucky, USA.

Overall, this is one of the better Wiggles videos. If your kids are fans, you need to get this one.

When I first read the review regarding the "fear factor" of the giant inflatable Jeff balloon, I laughed. But then my 18 month daughter cried hysterically when it was inflated, so I began to see the validity of that review.

All this aside, this video is fantastic. It was the ONLY thing that made our 16 hour car trip bearable. My daughter is so enamored of the Wiggles - she shrieks at the mere suggestion that I put it in the player. You will love this production, as it includes dozens of songs that are catchy, well-performed, and action-packed. At 18 months, Emma has learned most of the actions to most of the songs, and is especially fond of Rock-A-Bye-Bear. A list of some of the songs covered follows - I don't have the official list handy, but here's what I can remember:

Toot Toot
Rock-A-Bye-Bear
Hoop De Doo
D-O-R-O-T-H-Y the Dinosaur
Rolling Down the Sandhills
Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist
Where's Jeff
Eagle Rock
Fruit Salad
The Monkey Dance
Quack-Quack-Cockadoodle Doo (I can't remember the real name)

The Wiggles are a rock band that play as much to the adults as they do our children. You can tell these guys are having fun and their enthusiasm is quite infectious. I highly recommend this DVD as a "greatest hits" of their songs and skits. You'll be humming or whistling their songs at work the next day.

My two boys, who are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2, love the Wiggles, and this seems to be their new favorite video! Basically, it's a recording of a concert the group put on in Sydney, and they put on quite a show. The live orhcestra is wonderful, the wiggly dancers are there, and Santa Claus even makes an appearance! What more can you ask for? My kids spend pretty much the entire 70 minutes of the video on their feet dancing along with the Wiggles and the children in the audience. My older son is autistic, and he responds so much to the Wiggles and their videos, and this one is no exception! They play tons of the popular Wiggles' songs, the set is bright and colorful, and the Wiggles and their friends are up to their usual antics! A must have for a little Wiggles' lover!

I have never written an Amazon review, but my 2-year-old LOVES The Wiggles so much, I had to put the word out. "Live Hot Potatoes" is the first DVD I bought after wearing out "Wiggle Time." It's so refreshing because I actually WANT to get up and perform the songs with my son. The music and dancing is fabulous...these guys have tons of talent. Even my husband loves them! I recommend this along with "Wiggle Time" and "Wiggle Bay" to any parent like me who can't stomach Barney or the Teletubbies (makes my skin crawl).