4Reel Cow Palace DVD

[J.D. Miller]

I think the version of The Real Me is pretty good at
this show. JD

--- Scott Schrade <schrade at akrobiz.com> wrote:

> I received my 4Reel Cow Palace DVD the other day.
> This is the infamous 1973 show where Keith passes
> out
> towards the end of the show & an audience member
> (Scott
> Halpin) gets to finish the set on drums.
> 
> Compared to my old VHS copy, this DVD is a huge 
> upgrade.  Still, it's B&W, & not the greatest
> quality.
> Somewhat fuzzy.  The camera work is rather stiff but
> there are plenty of shots of each member.  OX has a
> skeleton top on!
> 
> The audio has been replaced with a better-sounding
> audience boot.  The sync-up is very good.  The sound
> is bass-heavy but the vocals are strong.  Moon's
> drums
> are pretty buried.
> 
> There's a continuous time-counter near the bottom of
> the screen along with a "BGP Archives" graphic. 
> (Bill
> Graham Productions.)
> 
> The show itself is fair.  Some of the QUAD songs
> just
> didn't translate well to the stage in '73 ("The Real
> Me,"
> "Bell Boy"....)
> 
> Knowing Moon is going to pass out, one expects to
> find
> him barely hanging on.  And, at times, he does seem
> to
> have a tentative, worried look on his face.  But at
> other
> times he seems just fine.  He's especially perky
> during
> "Bell Boy."  But he's no where near the Moon we see
> in 
> the Houston '75 DVD.
> 
> Curiously, Pete goes over to Moon after LROM & 
> seems to have some kind of serious discussion with
> him.
> Then, Roger announces WGFA....
> 
> This is where Moon loses it.  It's a shame the drums
> aren't
> louder because you can't really tell how off he's
> playing.
> But the look on his face isn't good & there seems to
> be
> a scurrying of people behind his kit.  
> 
> And then, all of a sudden, he's gone.  Not there. 
> The rest
> of the band plays on.  At one point Pete bangs on
> Moon's
> gong!
> 
> WGFA without the drum part after the synth break is
> just plain weird.  Pete motions to the empty kit
> during the
> point where the drums are supposed to come in.
> 
> "We're just gonna go revive our drummer....by
> punching
> him in the stomach," Pete says after WGFA.  "You'll
> have
> to fucking wait."
> 
> Moon gets "revived" & there are hijinks as he & Pete
> 
> wrestle on stage when the band comes back.
> 
> "Magic Bus."  Moon looks frail.  Out of it.  No
> smiles.  
> No silliness.  Just a struggle to....keep it
> together.  It's pain-
> ful to watch.  And then, at the end of the song,
> Moon's 
> flat on his face, on top of his tom-toms, & the
> roadies
> drag him away.  Daltrey looks pissed.  The band
> keeps
> playing. (!)
> 
> "See Me, Feel Me."  Sans drummer.  Daltrey starts
> throw-
> ing tambourines out to the audience!  The song ends
> &
> the band applauds the audience. (!)
> 
> Then, Pete asks, "Can anybody play the drums?"  And
> we
> all know what happens next.
> 
> This DVD is for hardcore fans only.  A document of a
> Who
> show gone horribly wrong.  The packaging is nice, as
> usual
> from the folks at 4Reel.
> 
> Grade:  C.  (C+ for its historical value.)
> 
> 
> - SCHRADE in Akron
> 
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