Product Details

• Actors: Ed Sullivan, Beatles
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, Compilation, Live, Soundtrack, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 9
• Studio: Rhino / Wea
• VHS Release Date: September 24, 2002
• Run Time: 520 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006AE00
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,735 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With a total of 144 songs (including repeats) and well over 500 minutes of playing time, this massive boxed set, whose nine discs each contain between 12 and 19 performances, truly is, as host Ed Sullivan famously said, "a really big show." With some 20 songs between them, the two most important rock acts of the 20th century, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, both of whom received huge career boosts from the Sullivan show (garnering a reported 80 percent audience share and 70 million viewers, respectively), are well represented; so are other genres, like Motown and '60s rock. And wonderful, galvanizing performances by, among others, the Jackson Five (especially "the little fella in front," as Sullivan calls Michael), the Animals, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Jackie Wilson, the Rolling Stones, and even the Association ("Along Comes Mary") are enough to counter the curious inclusion of the Brooklyn Bridge, Jay and the Techniques, and other obscure minor talents.

Still, the boxed set (whose DVD bonus features include "trivia tracks" and limited discographies) has serious flaws. Audio and video (color and black and white) are good, but far too many songs are repeated (the Jefferson Airplane's "Crown of Creation" appears twice on the same disc!), while others are obviously truncated; and there's no excuse for programming two songs each by the likes of Dino, Desi and Billy, and Freddie and the Dreamers. In the end, the good music saves the day, but the set's drawbacks keep Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics from being an essential purchase. --Sam Graham

Product Description
On Sunday nights throughout the '50s and '60s, Ed Sullivan brought pop culture into America's living rooms with th e most influential show of its kind. If you made it there, you had it made because for the first time, the entire county was at home watching. During the course of the show's run, many of the early rock and roll legends were featured in career-defining p erformances. These cultural milestones have been compiled for Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics, along with archival footage and narration for insight on the artists, their eras, and their classic appearances. Now seen with half a century of hindsight , it's clear Ed Sullivan was right--his was a "really big show."

•Chart Toppers Volume 1: Top Hits of 1965, Top Hits of 1966
•Chart Toppers Volume 2: Top Hits of 1967, Top Hits of 1968
•Chart Toppers Volume 3: Top Hits of 1969, Top Hits of 1970
•Rockin' the Sixties: Smash Hits of the Sixties, Psychedelic Sixties
•Soul Sounds: Sweet Sounds of Soul, Motor City Magic
•The British Invasion: The British Invasion Vol. 1, The British Invasion Vol. 2
•Elvis and Other Rock Greats: Move to the Music, Elvis Presley
•The Supremes & The Temptations
•Legends of Rock: Rock Legends - Vol. 1, Rock Legends - Vol. 2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buy at your own risk, October 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics Boxed Set (DVD)

Let me start by saying this could have been one of the great DVD sets ever released but Rhino really dropped the ball.

Some reviewers seem to think they are viewing the complete performances or the performances as "originally aired". Lets clear that up right now. These are the edited performances that aired on VH1 and in no way are they as originally performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Anyone who believes they are viewing the original performance need only compare the Beatles Ed Sullivan appearances from "Beatles Anthology" or "Beatles First US Visit" to the same performances contained in this DVD set. You will then see and hear exactly what you are missing. All songs suffer a similar editing done so skillfully that anyone unfamiliar with the songs or original broadcasts might be fooled. Don't think for a second that a group fortunate enough to appear on Ed Sullivan's show would have chosen to perform a "shortened" version of their songs. It just didn't happen. Sorry folks, but if you think you are viewing the original performance as aired you are just plain wrong.

Because of the price I was convinced that we would now see the full versions of these songs and not the hatchet job we saw on VH1. But Rhino really fooled us. One reviewer felt that the high price may be due to royalty payments to so many artists. Maybe, but I doubt it. The Hullabaloo DVD series has many artists but the set is very affordable and you get the complete performances as aired. As for groups like the Dave Clark Five being absent (they made 18 appearances on the Ed Sullivan show) it's possible that Dave Clark was able to avoid being part of this project. He was and is very protective of the usage of the DC5 material. But if he could avoid it then surely Apple (the Beatles management) would have disassociated themselves from this set as well. They are highly protective of the Beatles and would have opted out if possible. But that's another debate.

Sound quality is as good as you can expect from mono sources so long ago. Remember, Ed didn't broadcast in stereo. The so called 5.1 mix is just processed mono but does give the sound more depth than the plain mono track.

Overall this set is just a huge disappointment for the serious collector but may satisfy the casual fan although at quite a price. I would return mine for a refund if I could. I would really like to see Rhino post a response on this site and explain their decisions.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad I bought it...here's why, December 31, 2002

By	NativeDave "nativedave" (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics Boxed Set (DVD)

When I first saw the DVD set in the stores, I thought this was a no brainer to buy. Like many of you, I often look up the Amazon.com reviews first. I was really taken aback buy the poor ratings which made me think twice. Anyway, I had a chance to buy the set new for [a good price] this past week. I've watched 5 of the first 9 DVDs so far. Yes, some of the performances are cut short (not all verses sung). First of all, who cares if Sonny and Cher don't drag out I Got You Babe. I was more saddened at the short versions of Sly's Dance to the Music. Most of those abridged versions were due to programming at the time.

Overall I was quite pleased. I thought the sound and pictures were pretty well mastered. Yes, there is some song duplication, but it didn't kill me. No, I wouldn't pay full price, but I'm really quite pleased. Actually , the most annoying thing is getting the DVDs out of the package. They are in there tight and you have to be careful pushing the middle ring to get the discs out. I can live with this compilation. At least it's not put together by some self indulgent producer who has to put interview footage in the middle of live performances like many do...that's the worst sin of all. Bottom line is this was a rush to watch. Really enjoyed the young Tom Jones and the Association. FYI, one of the Association's hidden harmonies was the Hawaiian singer's brother, who was always off stage with a microphone. Buy it, but get it on sale.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing set!!!!, October 5, 2002

By	Marc (Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics Boxed Set (DVD)

Buyers beware! Most of the performances on this Ed Sullivan DVD box set have been cut. How in the world can you take a 2 minute song and cut it? Well, Rhino found a way. This would have been a great set if all 144 songs were complete. Surely they had enough space on each DVD (60 minutes per disc? Come on). I'm sending my set back for a refund.