Pixies (DVD)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: The PixiesDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Running Time: 144 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 4ad / Ada
Movie Reviews of Pixies (DVD)
Movie Review: A mandatory purchase for any Pixies fan
Summary: 5 Stars
The release of the Pixes DVD has to be,hands down,one of the most well-timed and serendipitous events in recent memory in the world of rock.
The band's old label,4AD, decides to release a second greatest hits CD along with the aforementioned DVD,meanwhile the rumor mill is churning about a Pixies reunion tour. Almost everyone unanimously decries"it'll never happen." Just weeks before the CD and DVD drop,the music world is cold-cocked with confirmation that the band is officially back together replete with a worldwide tour schedule. As a die-hard Pixies fan,even I thought the band would never re-unite because of the thick animosity between singer Black Francis and bassist Kim Deal. As of this writing,the Pixies are set to play FIVE nights here in Chicago. Talk about a strong comeback! I recieved this DVD as a birthday present and the only thing I keep saying to myself is"Wow!" It's great to see all those old videos again that I first saw in college,albeit now looking quaint compared to today's flashier,more bombastic fare. "Head On","Dig For Fire""Here Comes Your Man" and "Velouria"are so low budget,they're almost genius in thier minimalistic delivery("Velouria"has the band merely climbing down a quarry in slow motion,using a one camera shot whilst the song is playing. Nothing else.) Both "Debaser" and "Monkey Gone To Heaven"rely on concert footage,16mm film and artsy collages to fill out the content. "Alec Effiel"is the "slickest" and most rock star-ish video of the lot,utilizing both a wind machine and smoke machine to a quirky effect. Overall, they're all still interesting to watch after all these years,if you're a fan.
The live footage(the majority of the set list pinched from the "Surfer Rosa"album) is just sensational. The video quality is rather crisp for a DVD carrying footage and material(particularly the live stuff) from 15+ years ago,so DVD elitists should be satisfied. The sound quality(which I'm pretty sure was taken straight from the mixing board because it sounds brilliant!) has been remastered in 5.1 surround,putting my home theatre system through its paces,for sure. Even without the surround sound,the audio is good and should provide some nice output through any standard stereo TV. There are spots where the quality got a bit echoey but,for the most part,the sound has incredible muscle.
The BBC documentary"Gouge",featuring commentary from the band themselves(Kim is absent,for some reason),along with David Bowie,PJ Harvey,Radiohead,Blur,Bono from U2(who the Pixies opened for in '91),Big Black singer/"Surfer Rosa"producer Steve Albini and others is a nice little nugget that is chock full of yet more live footage and clips from thier videos. However,the admiration begins to get a bit tiresome almost to the point of sycophany,especially with Bono and the British journalists. One other caveat: why the hell does Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses,who were not only the Pixies' contemporaries and touring pals from almost the very beginning,but also labelmates on 4AD,gets only a couple of blurbs in? She's truly given a total "Yeah,whatever" in this doc and if you blink,you could very well miss her. And one would think that the producers would've tracked down and interviewed Tanya Donnelly,also of Throwing Muses and a founding member of Kim's post-Pixies band,the Breeders(Who,ironically,garnered the mainstream success with the "Last Splash"album that the Pixies never really achieved here in the States) It's strange that perhaps the people who had known them the longest and on a personal level gets short shrift,with the documentary relying more on the fawning adulation of musicians,many of whom have never even toured or met the Pixies. Regardless,this gets balanced out by the band's"aw,shucks" modesty,basically telling everyone,"it really wasn't that big a deal to us. We just liked playing out and having fun doing it." The doc also includes information on the band's notorious break-up,via fax,of all things. A must watch,to be sure.
The "On The Road"chapter is also a treat. This is the only part of the DVD where the video quality slips.Clearly filmed on VHS,it's a bit grainy and looks just like a home movie,of sorts. Still,it's totally forgivable as it shows our beloved foursome globetrotting from one gig to the next,being themselves and showing that these four truly were friends as well as co-workers. The footage has more live stuff,with a particulaly morose audience in Glastonbury,England,barely trying to enjoy the music. There's also sound checks,some sketchy footage of gigs from here in Chicago,Paris and Greece and cute one-liners from Kim Deal and David Lovering.
Again,if you're a die-hard Pixies fan,you can't truly claim as such until you get this DVD. The live concert alone guarantees its reply value a hundred-fold and the videos have a nostalgic charm that will bring you back to them,now and again.
Summary of Pixies (DVD)
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