The Move/ELO/Roy Wood - Video Collection

All Music Guide

Talk about the mother lode this doubleDVD bootleg set contains just about all of the video work by the Move, Roy Wood, Wizzard, and the original Electric Light Orchestra that a fan could want, and in surprisingly good quality, sound and picture alike. Oh, a legitimate producer could do a somewhat better job on some of it, to be sure, in terms of sources but a legitimate producer could use this as a model, and it's still a wellaboveaveragequality bootleg. Disc one is the gem, containing more than twodozen television performances, mostly by the Move and most of them really live, from Beat Beat Beat and Beat Club, among other shows, going as far back as "Night of Fear" and up through "Words of Aaron" (but opening with a searing rendition of "Down on the Bay"). ELO is lipsyncing "10358 Overture" on Top of the Pops, as is Wizzard in their appearances on the same show, but the Move material more than makes up for the lack of live performances by the later bands of which Wood was a member o...r leader; it also ends with an interview with Wood and a short documentary account of his influence on British pop style as well as music. This disc opens on a very elaborate menu, and each song gets a chapter number. The package is worth it just to hear how these guys could sound live (it's even Dolbyencoded for those with the playback capability) if you are a Move fan or a Roy Wood fan, getting this disc will be a nobrainer, but if you're not, chances are you will be after watching their stuff. And the ELO clip is great fun, even if it isn't a real performance, and the Wood solo spot (for "Forever") is interesting for its basic, almost minimalist quality; Wizzard, by contrast, try to take advantage of the fact that they're miming by putting on a very elaborate show (with all kinds of props, makeup, and costumes) for the cameras. Disc two consists of the Move's appearance on Colour Me Pop, which has been released elsewhere and is also essential viewing for any real fans. - Bruce Eder, All Music Guide Read more Less