Average White Band: Live at Montreux 1977 (DVD)

Eagle Rock Entertainment's Live at Montreux DVD series has yielded some truly classic performances (Jeff Healey-1999 and Gary Moore-1990) and a few questionable ones (The Moody Blues-1991). But this footage of the Average White Band's set at the Swiss festival on July 10, 1977, emerges as one of the most surprisingly engaging performances the label has released so far. Falling somewhere between Chicago and Kool & The Gang, this group of Scotsmen played better-than-average funk/pop/rock in its heyday. Opening this set with its No. 1 hit "Pick Up the Pieces" and then smoothing into the catchy "Work to Do," AWB sets the stage for a night of chic entertainment. Clad mostly in white, flowing garb so critical to the era, the band's six members look like leaders of a strange disco cult prancing around a stage set against a shimmering, tin-foil-like backdrop. Fortunately, led by bassist/vocalist Alan Gorrie and guitarist/vocalist Hamish Stuart (who later became the most recognized member of McCartney's band behind Paul and Linda), plus two sax men, AWB lets the music speak louder than the look. A version of the band still tours and records today, and it would have been nice to juxtapose some of this classic footage with some newer concert video. But the Live at Montreux series traditionally doesn't allow for that kind of creative packaging. Instead, in addition to eight songs in 64 minutes (in stereo, 5.1 surround sound and DTS) and the kind of in-depth liner notes we've come to expect in this series, we also get 33 minutes of three bonus tracks - mostly two-camera footage of varying and questionable quality that could not be restored to high enough technical standards for inclusion in the main program.

For the record, this lineup of AWB included Gorrie, Stuart, guitarist Onnie McIntyre, tenor saxophonist Malcolm Duncan, keyboardist/alto saxophonist Roger Ball and drummer Steve Ferrone (who, in fact, is not white).

Track Listing:
1) Pick Up the Pieces
2) Work to Do
3) A Love Of Your Own
4) Person to Person
5) Got the Love
6) Sweet and Sour
7) Cut the Cake
8) I Heard It Through the Grapevine
9) If I Ever Lose This Heaven (Bonus Track)
10) I'm the One (Bonus Track)
11) T.L.C. (Bonus Track)

Added: September 24th 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Official AWB Web Site
Hits: 2935
Language: english

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