Roger Waters - The Wall - Live In Berlin DVD

Well, the picture is improved. While not as crispy as video can be today, this was over ten years ago (and I assume it had a PAL to NTSC transfer to go through, though I'm not sure) and it doesn't look bad. Good color, deep black, clean noiseless video for the most part. Definite improvement over the soft VHS and Laserdiscs. I can only listen to the stereo and the mix there seems to be pretty much the same. My one wish for this disc was that they would remove the irritating video during the Gerald Scarfe film clips, but they do not. Every time one of his animations comes on, there is a long shot of a camera traveling down a length of Berlin wall, which, to me, is quite irritating. The concert is presented much the same as it was before, with the exception that Leonard Cheshire's intro to the show has been left off, which is kind of a slight to the man, since the whole thing probably wouldn't have happened the way it did without him. As, for extras, there's a nice, but not too deep documentary (first covering Berlin's history and then the show), extra video footage shot for MOTHER that wasn't used, and a photo gallery. The worst "extra" is the above mentioned, irritating footage of Gerald Scarfe's animations shown in a row with out any sound! Overall, a good replacement for an old laser or VHS for visual improvement and the documentary. The 5.1 mix may be nice as well. I'd imagine that most people buying this, already have seen it and know what they're buying. It's an acquired taste and not essential listening or viewing, to my way of thinking, but nice.

 

Wasn't the footage for "Mother" in the original video with Sinead O'Connor and "The Band" taken from the dress rehearsal from the night before the real concert because of the sound glitches on the actual night?

(I realize that's quite a long-winded question, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to ask! )

 

There was a power outage durring Sinead's performance at one point Waters does a tap dance for lack of anything else to do in the dead silence. There were several glitches that night the dress rehearsal went off perfectly the night before. there was also one performance that was redone a few hours after the concert was over.
I wonder if any of this is in the extras.

 

All of this is mentioned in the documentary. A little of the footage of the power outage is shown, including Rog's tap dance and prayer. For the original show, power on stage shut down during THE THIN ICE and MOTHER. The backing tracks continued to play, but the musicians on stage had no power. This can be heard on the original radio broadcasts in America.

 

P.S. The "footage" I described in my first post, for MOTHER, that wasn't used, is actually MUSIC VIDEO type footage that I guess they were going to cut into the performance, like the footage of the helicopter. It features a young Pink with his mom, played by Marianne Faithful. The older Pink is played by another name I recognize, but currently can't remember.

 

I found this DVD in the racks of the record store right next to the cd reissue. Was this DVD released in an Amaray keep case? I found the jewel case, but would rather have the Amaray.

I did buy the cd and it's been an enjoyable listen. I've been in a bit of a "Wall" mood recently, so it was good release timing!

 

If Amaray is the tall, standard DVD size plastic case, then yes, that's how I got mine.

 

Good, I'm glad I didn't buy the copy in the jewel case. It would just confuse me because the front artwork is IDENTICAL to the cd front artwork. There is a DVD logo on the spine, and on the back though.

 

Last night I headed out to Tower Records and picked up "The Wall Live in Berlin" on DVD. I watched the documentary all the way through, and watched the concert up to "Mother".

I remember when I first started getting into Pink Floyd, I rented this video while I was visiting my mother and stepfather in California. The VHS tape from Blockbuster was barely watchable, no amount of messing with the tracking button could clear up the picture. Despite all that I still watched it a couple of times.

The documentary was pretty interesting. It seems that Roger is no fan of Sinead O Connor!

 

The documentry is nice, I would have like to have seen more or even some rehearsal stuff but I dont know what exists.

It was also interesting that a little more was discussed about other performers who were considered but either back out or couldnt do it. Roger mentions Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker. The liner notes mentions Neil Young (but he had some ~"bad news in the family." Rod Stewert considered for the Brian Adams part.

It seems Ive hear mentioned Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and U2 were also considered, can anyone confirm this info or have anyone to add to the list.

It is fun to think of the posibilities and who might of done what. Maybe Neil for "Young Lust" for example.

 

Rog is a big Peter Gabriel fan, but I dunno if he was ever considered for the show. Personally, I think the biggest single thing that could have made this an amazing event that people besides die-hard Floyd/Waters fans would continue to talk about, would have been if Roger had David Gilmour (at least) on the stage with him. This is in complete disregards to Roger's feelings, because obviously, he would never have asked him. No "special guests" other than that. The show could have remained much the same as it appears, though ditching the Jerry Hall "act" and the actors used for THE TRIAL would have been on my list too. It would not be billed as Pink Floyd, just Roger Waters and the Bleeding Heart Band with special guest David Gilmour. I think that alone would have drawn much more attention to the subsequent album and video that it could have been extremely beneficial to the Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief. It would not have been for money or ego (not that it ever was, but how selfless would Rog have seemed for that show of diplomacy?), but just to benefit that charity. After the show they could never have spoken again, much like now. But that show would have been "must own" and the charity would have gotten an amazing start (not that it didn't, I'm not sure, but the album never did well, and I assume the video didn't fair TOO much better). Just my fantasy of what turned out rather spectacular and mediocre at the same time.

 

On second thought, billing it as Pink Floyd would actually have been the REAL capper wouldn't it? Oh well, I still would have enjoyed it that much more.

 

The credits for the cd and DVD list "The Hooters" as performers. What tracks do they play on?

 

No doubt calling it Pink Floyd The Wall would have given it even more attention. They probably could have done it, I'm just thinking about the Broadway version of "The Who's Tommy." Hell even the main character was named Pinkerton Floyd. Anyway it didnt stop almost everyone that was there from calling it Pink Floyd, in the city people would say "oh your going to the Pink Floyd concert."
I would have loved to see Dave and the others there too but at that time Roger was feeling very protective of his work after all he toured Radio KAOS to a bunch of "half full" halls at the same time PF were touring around selling out stadiums night after night. The last tour has helped him to get over that now.

 

From memory, I think they performed on "Mother" with The Band. (I believe they were producing a never-released Band album around this time, some bits of which later were released on "Jericho.")

Ryan

 

If I remember right the Hooters played backing Brian Adams, maybe even at a couple of points I will look to my original cd and see if it says.

 

That may be right Ryan somewhere in the first half.