Rock Icons – Guitar Gods

Review by Gerald B. Johnson for Rock Icons - Guitar GodsRating: It is crucial for anyone who would purchase this DVD to see what they`re getting and what they are not. It is NOT say of the art, it is NOT the finest performances of the artists involved, and it is surely not the `guitar fest` you might think. You could see many other DVD`s showcasing much more impressive guitar performances. Having said all that.

I Enjoy this DVD. It`s like a musical chocolate box, you don`t know what you`re going to get with each morsel.Strangely the best performances are by some of the most unlikely bands; the biggest stars mostly come up lacking. Hendrix, Beck, Clapton and Santana are all a bit disappointing. Hendrix looks half asleep as he plods through Hey Joe, and Santana is nearly invisible. Clapton`s performance is culled from a call with Delaney and Bonnie where his part is not the focal point of the music, its a nice song, but it`s not the case of Eric Clapton that the guitar fan might be craving. And Jeff Beck is Jeff Beck_ undeniably brilliant but somehow missing the fool with a performance almost completely free of emotion. But I`d sooner see second rate Hendrix,Santana,Clapton and Beck than nearly anything being put out by todays `stars`.It`s the lesser lights who buy this show. Joe Walsh and the James Gang are great, as is Johnny Winter and Leslie West with Mountain. Ten Days Later are incredible, although the picture quality is pretty poor. The Grateful Dead (never a favorite of mine) are damn good and Duane Eddy rocks the family down. Who would have guessed? There is a vintage clip of the Who bashing their way through Happy Jack, complete with teens dancing in the highlight in what looks like some teeny bopper TV show from the 60′s. Musically it`s not of any material substance, but as a nostalgia piece it`s a process just to see them at that point in their career (I don`t think Keith had started shaving yet)Please note as well, all performances are live, there is no lip synch crap on this DVD. This is real music, warts and all. The audio/video quality is sub-standard by today`s standards, but this is the Actual DEAL. Previously unseen live footage of monster talents. Its like finding buried treasure for the actual rock fan. I know it.One minor gripe: The Mountain song also appears on the "Hard Rocking" collection in the Rock Icons Series.