What is on this disc? Which volume should I buy?
John F | 10/27/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Best of Gallagher Volume 1 contains 2 full-length Gallagher concerts: "Mad as Hell" and "Two Real".
"Mad as Hell" has some very intelligent Gallagher humor. He does not end this show with any Sledg-o-Matic smashing, if that's what you are looking for. In fact, Gallagher uses very few props in this show, and spends most of the time talking to the audience about what makes him mad. What I like the most about this concert is that it proves that Gallagher is not just a lunatic that smashes groceries onto audience members. He is also a genuine comic with very original and intelligent material.
"Two Real" is on the other side of the coin. This concert is filled with props, sketches, and smashes. In my opinion, none of it turns out very funny and it seems like Gallagher is trying too hard to live up to the "zany" image that had made him famous at that point in time. Although this is a very good piece of Gallagher history, it is not nearly as good as other shows that he has done and is not re-watchable like his other concerts.
Gallagher fans should be aware that there is a Best of Gallagher Volume 2, which contains "The Maddest" and "Stuck in the 60's". Both of the Volume 2 concerts have much better Gallagher content.
Furthermore, there is the "The Smashing Watermelon Collection" DVD-set that contains all 11 of Gallagher's broadcast concerts (including the 4 shows caontained on the "Best of" volumes. You can find it on Amazon and I have listed the individual concerts.
In conclusion, if you just want a little bit of Gallagher for $10, get Volume 2, not Volume 1... but, if you are a true Gallagher fan, get the "Smashing Watermelon Collection" for $30 and you can re-live ALL of the best Gallagher moments."
One 5-star show & one 2-star show
Kurt A. Johnson | North-Central Illinois, USA | 02/02/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a fan of Gallagher for many years now, and when my daughter recently discovered him as well, I decided that it was time to buy some new Gallagher videos. This DVD came out in 2005, and has two shows.
Mad As Hell is very good, almost classic Gallagher, with the funny man turning his wit and perspicacity loose on the world. This show was very funny and a pleasure to watch, even if it does not have the Sledge-O-Matic in it. It is sixty minutes long.
Two Real is a different Gallagher than I remember. In this show he relies much more heavily on the props for the humor, rather than his witty perception of the world around him. It is disappointingly unfunny, and is even dirtier than the other shows I have seen. He does do a Sledge-O-Matic bit at the beginning of this show, but it is quick and not funny. This show is thirty-five minutes long
So, as a long-time Gallagher fan, let me just say that this DVD contains one 5-star Gallagher show, and one 2-star Gallagher show. Overall, I am glad that I bought this DVD, but it could have been better. I give this DVD a guarded recommendation.
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