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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quintessential Southern California of the 60s, July 18, 2003
THE BEACH BOYS - THE LOST CONCERT is a nostalgic reminder of the Southern California of the 1960s, where the Pacific-washed edge of the place was populated with sun-tanned surfers and their girls, and the Beach Boys could be heard on every car radio and beach blanket transistor.The DVD, only 22 minutes in length, has the group singing 9 of their songs, including "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Surfer Girl", "Surfin' USA", and "Shut Down". The performance on March 14, 1964 - before a live audience - was filmed by promoters to air on closed-circuit TV in theaters. The DVD seems to be a faithful reproduction of the original B&W film, though one gets the impression that the promoters were working on a limited budget. The teenage audience, the makeshift stage, and the overworked sound system suggests that the venue was a commandeered high school gym. And, as the camera pans the fans, I was left wondering, "Did we really look that geeky?" (I myself was a high school frosh at the time.) Regardless of the unsophistication of the production, this DVD is a must see for Beach Boy fans of that long ago era when US pop-music performers could still be well-groomed, clean-cut, and heart-breakingly All-American, and their lyrics celebrated fast cars, bikini-clad girls, and catching the next monster wave. Though I grew up in Malibu, the center of the SoCal beach culture, I was never a surfer myself. I would have been disowned by my Mom at least, to whom "surfer" conjured up visions of long-haired, lazy bums (only to be replaced in the 70s by "long-haired, drug-ridden hippies"). But, in that carefree period of my life, the sun shone, the ocean breezes swayed the palms, the waves caressed the beach off Point Dume, and the Beach Boys provided the background music. I miss those days. Truly.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rare Look at Prime Early Beach Boys, February 13, 2000
This is an incredible short video piece. It's the only long concert footage currently available of the early Beach Boys, since their performance on the T.A.M.I. Show has been excised for legal reasons from available prints of that film. At 22 minutes, this video wouldn't seem to qualify as lengthy, but since short sets were par for the course for multi-act shows of 1964, it must be viewed as a full concert.The band rocks. They are rough, but they have an electrifying garage band quality. It's interesting to hear how the Beach Boys actually played in their early years, as much of the playing on their early albums was done by studio musicians. They aren't perfect, but their energy carries the day. The band is interesting to look at, very clean cut with wide striped short sleeved sport shirts. They all move stiffly, with the exception of Mike Love, who was a total ham back then. He moves like a geek, but he never stops and helps get the shrieking teenaged audience going. His moves during "Long Tall Texan" will make you laugh, both with him and at him. The rest of the band are equally geeky to behold, albeit in a more reserved fashion. Dennis manages to toss his blond head around a lot while he barely keeps time on his drum kit. Carl and Al sing adequate harmonies head-to-head on one mike, although the harmony singing of the entire group gets a bit suspect at times. Brian Wilson is a treasure to behold, as he would not perform with the band much longer. You can understand why, as he doesn't appear to be comfortable with performing. Even when he talks to the audience, he tends to do so about three feet away from the mike, and has difficulty in gazing out at the audience. But when he sings, his voice is gorgeous, just as high and crystalline as his studio efforts. Especially charming is his energetic rendition of "Papa Oow Mow Mow." The sound quality is merely adequate. But you don't buy this kind of keepsake for the hi-fi sound. Good sound for video didn't really exist back in 1964. It certainly doesn't sound any worse than footage that you might see from the old "Ed Sullivan Show." You can clearly hear all the instruments and vocals. The screaming of the young girls in the audience does get wearing even at this short length, but it's to be expected from concerts of this era. The audience shots of these screaming girls is somewhat amusing. If you are a Beach Boys fan, this video/DVD is a must-have. It's a great glimpse of the band in their halcyon days, back when things were simple and innocent.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Let's Go Surfin' Now!!, December 8, 2000
Refusing to backdown to the tidal wave of Beatlemania, the Beach Boys pumped out 22 minutes of pure joy in this lost treasure from 1964. Sure, the concert is short, but brief gigs were all the rage in the early 60's. The Boys whip out classics such as "Little Duece Coupe", "Hawaii" and "Surfin' USA" with the frenetic energy of a garage band auditioning for their first gig. The adolescent girls shriek hysterically as drummer Denny Wilson shakes his long hair while pounding out a fearsome beat. Mike Love clucks around the stage like a reject from a Gidget movie. But, oh what fun! Then of course there's Brian, just nine months before his "retirement" from the road, caressing the crowd with his beautiful falsetto on "Surfer Girl". In fact, the rare appearance of Brian -- looking happy and healthy -- makes this video worthwhile. The Beach Boys, like the Beatles, would progress by leaps and bounds the following two years. Albums such as "Today" and "Pet Sounds" would prove to be landmark achievements, but never again would they seem so innocent and so wrecklessly full of energy. This video is a must own for all Beach Boys fans.
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DVD ~ The Beach Boys
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DVD ~ Beach Boys
