Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Concert: C+
The Rolling Stones and their contribution to music are
inarguable, but even they need to go off and do different project away from
each other. In Bill Wyman’s case, he launched
The Rhythm Kings and though there is some good musicianship and good choices of
material, the performance of that material is shockingly poor from their April
26, 2000 concert for German TV’s Ohne Filter concert series.
The classics include:
1) Let The
Good Times Roll
2) Walking
One & Only
3) Jitterbug
Boogie
4) Melody
5) Jump
Jive & Wail
6) I Put A
Spell On You
7) Anyway
The Wind Blows
8) Baby
Workout
9) Mystery
Train
10) Hello Little Boy
11) Groovin'
12) Tear It Up
Jump Jive & Wait lacks energy and has
none of the edge or authentic feel or enthusiasm the Joe Jackson versions have
had. Baby Workout cannot keep up
with the Jackie Wilson version by a longshot, while Smokie Robinson’s Groovin’
is drained of its romanticism and adultness in the flat way it is presented
here. These and other classics are done
with a casual “just throw it out there” attitude that undermines each
performance and makes this a tortuous disappointment. The only point they gained is that they know good music and the musicians
have some talent. The vocals are less
impressive, though who knows what we would have got if these singers had tried
with more ambition and effort. Maybe
they were having a bad night?
The full frame PAL color video is
about what would expect for a recent taping, having the usual limits in its
good color and limited definition. The
sound is available in the usual PCM CD-type 2.0 16bit/48kHz Stereo, as well as
a slightly better Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3, which plays better all around. There is not the depth in the 5.1 here heard
in the Mark King, Tony Joe White or even the band America’s DVD from the
series, all reviewed elsewhere on this site.
Besides repeating the same stereo cords plug, other DVDs in the series,
and Ohne Filter producer interview,
it has a biography of the band and is at least an obvious curio. It is only for the most curious.
- Nicholas Sheffo
