Customer Reviews

Radiohead: The Astoria London Live

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The year was 1994. Radiohead was soon to release their brilliant sophomore album "The Bends" coming off of a large tour promoting their debut smash "Pablo Honey." This concert mixes material from both. While I am definitely more of a fan of The Bends than Pablo Honey, it is always a delight to see "Creep," their infamous hit single. Several other tracks from the first album stood out as well (most notably "You" and the grand finale of "Blowout" which is worth the price of admisson by itself.) Other highlights included "The Bends", "My Iron Lung", "Just", and a truly hypnotic "Street Spirit." Any fan of Radiohead would be insane not to own this (if not just to see Thom with his hair died blonde and Phil WITH HAIR.)

Overall, the songs range from good to mind-blowing which leaves the show with a rating of VERY GOOD. Jonny Greenwood is spectacular with the rest of the group feeding off of his wild energy. And as always, Thom Yorke is so entertaining to watch. This is what rock and roll is all about.

I love Radiohead. Repeat, I love Radiohead. They put out the best 4 albums in a row since the beatles in the 60's. That being said...

This is the worst produced DVD I have ever seen.(!) It features perhaps 8 cameras with random selection of camera choice at almost exactly 4 second intervals. It is almost impossible to become interested in any part of the proceedings because you don't have the opportunity to watch any one of the fellas do ANYTHING for more than 4 seconds at a time. I can't believe anyone allowed this to happen. Who thought this was a good idea? He (or she) should be forced to watch this abomination. It's like staring into a strobe lite for an hour.

The only saving grace is that it is "filmed" at a time when the Band was beginning to ferment. Play it, but don't you dare watch or your likely to wind up in convulsions on the floor.

Come on boys, enough is enough. Give us a good, modern DVD, in at least dolby 5.1. I wouldn't care if you just used one camera. Please. Pretty please.

By the way. Would everyone please drop any references to the band called Coldpl_y (sorry, my fingers won't allow me to type the complete name)? How did Radiohead ever get linked with this completely unoriginal and mediocre band?

I have had a VHS copy of this show for years, and it's about the most kick-ass guitar-driven rock concert you could ever ask for... This covers most of Pablo Honey and some "new songs," as they play many songs from The Bends a year before it was released... Pretty standard set list from back then: You, Bones, Ripcord, Black Star, Creep, The Bends, My Iron Lung, Prove Yourself, Maquiladora, Vegetable, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, Stop Whispering, Anyone Can Play Guitar, Street Spirit, Pop Is Dead, Blow Out... High points are the spectacular opening "You," a rare live performance of "Black Star", and the sheer artillery of their amazing B-side "Maquiladora." The only downside to this DVD: After hearing this, you'll kick yourself for not having heard of Radiohead until 1999.

Performed in 1994, several months before the release of The Bends, this concert is a time capsule of a time when the band was just beginning to realize their full potential.Smoke'em if you got'em and be prepared to be amazed. From the very first song, more precisely from the very first riff of the very first song, the band seems to be proclaiming itself as "The Next Great Band" ready to join rock royalty. The intensity of the set is nothing short of astounding. Jonny is in top form, monumental riffs abound. Ed, a fantastic guitarist in his own right, adds just the right touches when called upon and blows the roof off the place, from time to time. Colin and Phil hypnotically keeping rythym, only hinting at what we would hear from them on subsequent records and Thom, well he is just being Thom. I've been a fan since Pablo Honey, with OK Computer and KID A being my favorite albums. I"ve seen them live twice, in 2001 and 2003, phenomenal shows but i also wish i would have been at this show. Live at Astoria will give you a greater appreciation of their earlier work. In a word; Mind-Blowing (or is that two words?)

Man, whoever said, this video is too quick for your eyes, here is Radiohead at their early best and exciting and and a MUST for all rock fans. This is Pink Floyd reincarnated with Led Zep in tow. And then go to "From the Basement" , what transfiguration. I love them

Yeah, there's lots of quick cuts in the editing, but what a FANTASTIC CONCERT!!!!
If your even mildly interested in Radiohead, pick up this DVD.
You won't be sorry...

been a fan since '93... loved the pablo honey/bends period, this is the concert i wish i could've seen... the band looks and sounds great in this concert, the frontline energy of the guitars and thom is amazing, and the backline strength of the very precise drums and bass is amazing as well. we need a few more like this one...

Despite the quick-cut editing, which is more and more commmon these days and really isn't too bad here, this live-concert DVD is a superb look at the experience that was a Radiohead show just prior to their rise to superstardom. The audio is quite good and the setlist, comprised mostly of songs from "Pablo Honey" and "The Bends," is rockin'. I never thought too much of "Pablo Honey" until I saw this DVD, which caused me to revisit "Pablo Honey." VERY glad I did!

The performance and music are superb, this is Radiohead at their best in my opinion. In fact, I think this live performance is better than anything they have recorded in the studio. Too bad the frantic jumping from one camera shot to another every 2 seconds gives me vertigo. To you film makers; get a clue, it's about the music not YOU!

Anybody that watched this and gets frustrated at the occasional editing has a legitimite reason to complain about a few moments in this otherwise brilliant DVD.

Sometimes you miss the best parts of certain songs because an edit or two is made quicker than you'd like.....Sometimes you'd like to see a wide shot with the crowd w/ the blue haze and the whole band for 10-15 seconds to let the thing breathe.... I get that.

But beyond all of that, this thing is so cool if you like either Radiohead or the music of the the early Grunge-Alternative scene. Seeing the crowd get in a frenzy during 'Ripcord' and NEW songs like 'The Bends' and 'My Iron Lung' is almost like a history lesson on Radiohead - what they used to be like. Any fan knows they altered their reputation as a rock band to seek a deeper, darker and untapped genre of music.

What we see in the DVD is the rawest form Radiohead, who was about to release perhaps the best album of the 90's (The Bends) and these fans had no idea until they got to see it in person. Pablo Honey was the perfect alternative record for the times - Several deep cuts with a hit - the quentissential hit (Creep), and a very memorable ending (Blowout)......So the anticipation for the new album-to-be was high.

So when rolled into one, it is amazing to see these 4 guys do it then, so straight forward and direct rock and roll, when now they put on more of a production and a show to please a very thirstly audience. Radiohead proves that even in it's infant stages as rock stars, they could rock as hard as ANY legitimate world-wide band. Watch 'Blow Out' one more time - they make their point. And then there's 'Creep'.... it's the very rare example you will ever get to see this song live - and it's as intense as the first few times you heard it in 1993.

Point Blank - it proves why many Radiohead fans loved the band from the beginning.

Enjoy.