This video captures a classic performance from John Lee Hooker. The performance itself makes this worth having, but the DVD is not without its issues. The first of those is the fact that it’s only about 45 minutes in length. There are no bonus materials or anything. The second problem is the quality of the film. While the picture on the front has been colorized, this is in black and white. Even in terms of black and white footage, it’s rather poor. The video is often washed out and there are blemishes and other artifacts on the film. The sound is reasonably good for the time, though. There doesn’t seem to be any reference on the packaging that this is black and white, so that seems a little deceptive. Still, it was shot with multiple cameras and given the historic and entertainment value of this, it’s worth having. It’s just far from perfect.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.