Customer Reviews

Secret Policeman's Ball: The Secret Policeman Rocks!

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

 

 

I have several of these 'Balls' on VHS and was happy to hear that they were to be reissued on DVD, but was disappointed with the results for several reasons. First, the sound quality hasn't been updated - a definite drag in our digital era. Second, the selections leave a bit to be desired; it's like they went for the obvious rather than include the obscure - example: no Ian Anderson, Robert Plant being backed by a band that included Mick Karn and Phil Collins as a rhythm section (a smokin' first),along with Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) on keys. This band did an amazing version of 'Whiter Shade Of Pale', and also played behind Pete Townsend and Kate Bush (represented on a smaller scale here). And there's too much acoustic stuff to constitute real rock. Thirdly, the video itself hasn't been cleaned up let alone remastered, making this lackluster, lackadaisical and lacking true balls...

If you aren't a fan of [primarily] British comedy but love British music, this DVD is a compilation of the Secret Policeman's Balls [concerts]. You can't really use the term "Rocks" as most of the DVD is acoustic.

On the negative side, they didn't do much to improve the audio or video [still specs in the video] and maybe they had little choice but audio fades aren't great.

On the near positive side, there is also over an hour of interview footage with most of the musicians including a big chunk of recent interviews from Pete Townshend. The interviews are both old and new. What I didn't like much is the editing/splicing.

Actuaciones de antologia, como las de Sting, Phil Collins y principalmente Pete Townshend, demostrando que fue y es un gran guitarrista armónico, tiene un manejo ritmico de u guitarra inigualable. También el duo de Clapton / Beck, en fin es un concierto inperdible!!!

A recent Australian edition concludes some this stuff under title "Secret Policemen's Music Edition".

Short of visual and audio special techno effects, performing presents a real class of musicians' natural skills and abilities.

Hopefully, the US production will be sharper on merits of technical DVD presentation as images are a bit blur.

Great performances by rock legends to benefit Amnesty Int'l. Highlighted by Beck and Clapton. This is a keeper.