Search - Super Hits of the '70s - Have a Nice Day on DVD

Great music, "classic" performances!

drmoze | NY, NY USA | 12/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I *gotta* write a review of this DVD (my first review!) after reading a couple of them posted earlier. I can't believe that some folks would actually *prefer* lip-synched music videos to real recordings of musicians actually playing their music! So, for those who do appreciate music performance, let me give you my impressions of this DVD and maybe sway you to check it out.The video and sound quality are very good (apart from a bit of over-psychedelic effects on Free's cut)--great when one considers that they are from the early 70's. And the performances are uniformly very-good-to-excellent. I can't believe anyone would find them "boring" because they aren't simply the familiar album versions. (Is it me or is something backwards here???) BTO doesn't have quite the full energy of their studio cuts, but Tull and the Ramones give nothing up . Dr. Hook's antics are hilarious (with an amazing feedback-assisted 'break' in their song) and even Hall and Oates are quite listenable. In my opinion, Alice Cooper *performing* live is better than any overproduced "music video".Just about all of the 19 songs are as good as their album counterparts; several sound even better. Watching this eclectic assortment of classic rock artists playing live is simply a real treat for the eyes and ears."

Far Out!

billymac72 | Chicago, IL United States | 01/24/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I thoroughly enjoyed this disc! I think what makes these time warps so enjoyable for music fans isn't just the fashions and early video special effects, but the energy it pumps back into many of these songs that have long since become cliche and, let's face it, boring through their saturated presence on "classic rock" radio stations and use in commericials. For instance, I remember when I first heard "Born to be Wild" or "Sunshine of Your Love" (which aren't featured here, by the way) and thinking they were the heaviest things I'd ever heard. Don't get me wrong, they're still great songs, but aren't we a little sick of them? And doesn't being sick of them contribute to these songs losing their edge with the passing of time? I place Badfinger's "Come & Get It" in this same category of unfortunately overused & abused songs. Certainly BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" deserves this classification as well.
But in watching the live performances on this disc, I was reminded again of how fresh, young & energetic this music first was when it originally arrived on the scene. Badfinger, especially, demonstrates pure joy in showing off their crafty arrangement & it's quite a treat to see them pull off the harmonies and everything so precisely. When one considers the tragedy that followed this band, it's somewhat heart wrenching to see how much they so clearly enjoyed themselves and their music.
Another highlight is Alice Cooper, who appears not only to be changing his shirt at the beginning of "Eighteen," but also downing a bottle of booze before taking a seat at the front of the stage. It also seems to take him a little while to remember the lyrics, but his nonsensical ad-libs are practically a celebration of his inebriated condition. No wonder my mother was so scared of this guy! (Marilyn Manson owes Coop a gigantic artistic debt) Alice does finally decide to actually stand up, albeit wobbly, around the sencond verse or so. It's great! The presence of some lesser-knowns (at least to younger audiences anyway) like Dr. Hook, Bonnie Tyler & America provide a good idea of what the entire musicical terrain was like back then (there was a little more range than just Kiss & Led-Zep!). Choosing the Ramones as the closing segment couldn't be any more appropriate in representing the approaching trends of the 80s. Well done!"

BEST 70's DVD COMPILATION TO DATE!!

sleepytimetime | columbus, ohio USA | 04/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I contemplated buying the Musikladen/Rockaplast series, but then saw this Super Hits Of The 70's DVD with ALL the best from all the rest on one disc!
... For now this is the ONE to get!
Give them a little time and I'll bet your favorite bands will release the same material on their own DVD release with even more material......."

Have a Nice DVD Day

Too Many Ceedees | Sparks, NV | 07/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems that Rhino has started a line of DVDs to accompany their excellent Have a Nice Day CDs. What a great idea and what a great start with this release. Rhino has collected some great video footage of some of the top acts of the late 1960's and the 1970's. Much of the footage comes from artists' performances at the German Musicladen locale. The lighting varies a bit from excellent for America to poor for BTO where Randy Bachman looks like a creature from a horror movie. The sound however, is consistantly good throughout. This is an excellent addition to a musical DVD collection. It presents material that is not likely to be available elsewhere. Go for it and Have a Nicer Day!"