Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On "Live" (DVD)

I'm sure that by now there's need to explain just who Chickenfoot are, or give details of the collective talent and pedigree that they possess. Basically, any band that contains half of Van Halen, a Red Hot Chilli Pepper and a world renowned guitar whizz, is going to have to deliver to live up to the expectations that those shared histories demand. For anyone who hasn't heard the self titled Chickenfoot debut (where were you??), expectation were met, bettered and with subsequent listens, exceeded some more. The high energy, good time rock and roll that the foursome produced didn't just grab your attention; it transfixed you with its fantastic body shaking grooves and immediately left you gagging for more. Equally impressive was the production and packaging, which went a long way to make the album feel like a genuine event, which is this day and age is a huge achievement in itself.

The special edition of the album gave a DVD taster of what the live Chickenfoot experience is all about and also hinted at the great chemistry both on and off stage that Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith and Joe Satriani have and really added to the package. So with all that now water under the bridge, what does Get Your Buzz On "Live" contain? The main feature is a one hour forty minute live show - filmed at The Dodge Theater in Phoenix with 16 state of the art high definition cameras - that includes all bar one of the tracks from the album (Runnin' Out is omitted, although an instrumental version is used over the credits and elsewhere on the disc), along with a fantastic version of "Bad Motor Scooter" (a song originally by Hagar's first band Montrose), which segues into The Who's "My Generation", before in the best Keith Moon style, Chad destroys his kit.

Live all the songs come over stunningly and the huge sense of fun between the band members on stage visibly flows out into the crowd and in the same way, through your TV and into your living room. Making the whole experience well worth watching over and over. As you would expect, all four members of the band put in fantastic performances, and it is a joy to watch Satriani really having a ball in a proper band situation. Having seen Joe live a few times myself, I would suggest he's never been as "alive" on stage as he is here. Hagar and Anthony really impress vocally, in fact Anthony is a revelation on backing vocals as he adds colour to the songs with his pitch perfect singing, never better illustrated than when he takes the lead for the Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song" which is tacked onto the outro of "Get It Up". Hagar constantly amazes by hitting all the high notes and considering he's now into his sixties, the energy he shows on stage is phenomenal.

It's virtually impossible to pick out songs to highlight, as each one is worthy of its inclusion, however the jammed up version of "Down The Drain", where Chad really lets fly behind the kit, is a visual and aural treat and having Sammy join Joe on guitar for "Future In The Past" and "Bad Motor Scooter" adds a different dimension to the music. The actual filming and directing of the DVD, by Daniel E. Catullo III (Rush, Creed, Godsmack, Smashing Pumpkins) is fantastic and unlike most music DVD's, held the interest to such an extent that once I had finished my first viewing, I immediately pressed play again and I really can't say that for many live releases on any format.

Beyond the gig itself, there is a photo gallery which contains all the shots from the booklet and adds a few more. While the photography is excellent, as with all galleries it's not something you'll view often. However the hour long "documentary" is a part you will visit more than most special features, as the humour and sense of fun makes this a great watch. Loosely following the band while they play at the Tabernacle in Atlanta and The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the backstage footage shows the cooky humour of the guys in the band, however the "interviews" with Adam Corolla, Bob Weir and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) of Spinal Tap are a great idea and well executed. Mostly the intention of the documentary is to be a bit of fun (Chad asking members of the public if they any idea who Chickenfoot are being another highlight), however every now and again a poignant question is interjected, like when Michael is asked straight out whether Satriani or Eddie Van Halen is the better guitarist.

Get Your Buzz On "Live" is a fantastic representation of a band that has already had a huge impact on the rock scene and looks set to continue doing so. As Sammy says himself at the end of the show "That's the way Rock and Roll is supposed to be played". Can't argue with that!

Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On "Live" is released on DVD & Blu-ray in the USA by EMI America (April 20), and in the UK by Eagle Rock Entertainment (April 26). Further info: www.chickenfoot.us

Track Listing
1. Avenida Revolution
2. Sexy Little Thing
3. Soap On A Rope
4. My Kinda Girl
5. Down The Drain
6. Bitten By The Wolf
7. Oh Yeah
8. Learnin' To Fall
9. Get It Up
10. Turnin' Left
11. Future In The Past
12. Bad Motor Scooter
13. My Generation

Added: April 25th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band's Web Site
Hits: 2308
Language: english

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