Take no prisoners! Well, this is what I declare to be a band's Real, genuine home video set of recordings! Forget the official wannabe-uncensored, behind-the-scenes counterfeit products of your favorite act, the video tapes or DVDs that claim to feature the cult footage you'd always dreamed of. Alan Kelly, the original drummer of Britain's top class - along with Sheffield heroes Def Leppard - hard/melodic Rock act Shy, delivers his entire heart and soul in a marvelous double DVD set full of TRUE home video shooting during the British quintet's 80s/90s glory days. Yeah, Sunset And Vine may be a remarkable comeback for Shy (by the way, NOT featuring Alan Kelly on drums!) but the real treasure chest is here! Come on in...
This collection features shots by (mostly) Alan himself, presenting an in-depth look in some of the most glorious moments of this Birmingham-based excellent outfit. I always considered Shy to be a rather unlucky band, since this vivid quintet presented some of the most outrageous elements of melodic-yet-hard Rock music globally but didn't succeed in grabbing the recognition they no-doubt deserved. In my mere opinion, being from the U.K. can't be considered as a bonus when playing a kind of music more proper for the goldmine of L.A. Shy, responsible - in my poor opinion, again - for one of the most outstanding pieces of melodic, yet groovy and hard European Rock albums - Excess All Areas(1987) - have released a set of (at least) respectable albums, from 1983's Once Bitten...Twice Shy to their latest effort Sunset and Vine. Alan Kelly may not be featured in the band's latest lineup (read his side of the story here), still he's the one who offers - through his Shy Official Website - this great present to all the Shy maniacs plus all melodic hard Rock fans everywhere. Let's take a look:
This double DVD set features footage before, on-time and after a live performance at the London's Marquee on Christmas Eve (1988 or 1989, I guess?), the band's experience in Los Angeles during the recordings of the Misspent Youth (1989) album (studio shots, photo sessions, trips etc), various shots during the making of their home videos (e.g. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll or Give It All You've Got) plus a radio interview for the KNAC Radio station, various funny stuff during the band's European tour in countries such as Italy, France or Holland, excerpts during the making of the Welcome To The Madhouse (1994) album at the Revolver studios in Wolverhampton and the Music Station in Birmingham, Shy in Russia (endless laughs...), an one-off performance of a bunch of Shy tunes in a local bar and their performance at the White Nights Festival... Phew...
You need more? All five Shy video singles are featured here as bonus cuts (I was almost in tears watching again the Break Down The walls video after 15+ years), pushing the total duration of both discs beyond the 2 ½ hours of pure Shy audio/visual unforgettable memorabilia, additionaly featuring easy navigation between chapters and titles. As Alan himself states, these were originally home videos recorded on an analogue camcorder and as such are subject to all the usual faults one can expect with such a device. Poor light, poor sound and camera shake. They are not professional productions and were never meant to be so. Forgive me if I insist, but this raw approach is this double DVD's strong point! Even if Alan is too strict in his evaluation, the content can definitely be considered viewable, don't worry! But - I repeat - it's the spirit that will move you!
If you're a devoted Shy fan, this compilation of non-professional but indisputably heart-made footage is your next goal. The same goes for every 80s AOR/hard Rock/melodic Rock fan who was not that familiar with the legendary band's deeds in the 80s/90s and needs an extra course on fine British hard Rock music.
Last but not least, all the previous credits also apply for the curious, open-minded Hard & Heavy devotee who wants to take a closer look at absolutely factual visual stuff depicting honest moments in a Rock band's life. I mean it, you don't have to be a Shy fan, you just got to be a TRUE music follower! Thank you Alan, thank you for your camcorder years back then!
Note: This double DVD can only be ordered online at Alan's Shy Official Website, where more details are available. What are you waiting for?