If the last Moby DVD was anything to go by this one should be pretty good, as it contained promos, short documentary bits and live footage as well as funny skits, all put together in an endearingly relaxed way.
This second DVD indeed does not disappoint but in fact builds on the previous one, increasing the charm factor.
Basically the DVD contains promos - less this time, but still the quality is excellent, live footage - this time from Glastonbury earlier this year, rather then the Jools Holland footage from "Play." It also contains a couple of exerts (although not enough) from the South Bank Show about Moby, some amusing bits and bobs filmed by the man himself- some more miss than hit but never mind, and loads of remixes, B-sides and other music, some on the DVD and some on the accompanying CD, providing a wide range of material and remix interpretations of the man's stuff.
The promos show that the budget has been upped for 18, "We Are All Made Of Stars" showing Moby in a spacesuit - which he claims to be uncomfortable, but still better than working in Burger King! The videos are all excellent, the computer animated aliens in “In This World” and “Sunday (The day Before My Birthday)” providing both humour and pathos, in the first - wandering around with little hello signs wanting to meet and greet us, but failing as, being only a couple of inches tall, people going about their busy lives fail to spot them, except Moby who gives them a casual wave.
They return in the second video - this time with a bigger sign (size does count!) and get notices on the Hollywood stars features in "We Are All Made Of Stars" - self reference ahoy! This time they are taken to the bosom of the American nation and lead superstar lifestyles, which leads to them looking pretty messed up and finally heading back to their planet where - "There's no place like home" ... aaahh!
The video for "Extreme Ways" is an excellent performance video - with multiple Moby's playing in a band in front of lots of a young, mainly female audience - getting it on shall we say! The best bit of this is the making of - with the look-alikes - calling themselves "Phobies" - including Moby himself - bemoaning how he is ignoring them.
|
There are 2 videos for "Jam For The Ladies" - one of which was a competition winner to direct it and the other the official one - both are good, but weaker than the others.
The skits include the return of "Mr Fish" (don't ask!) Moby telling us how he's still "down with the kids" while ordering dead hookers to be removed from his hotel room, and a home video of him waiting to appear on TOTP. The juicing man stuff is funny once - but not twice sadly! There’s a bit of real product placement in the form of a visit to Mob’s tea shop in New York – surely this is a bit corporate!?
The live footage from Glastonbury is great, culminating in a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” - making me wish I'd been there - having seen him last year live in Sheffield. The footage will prove to anyone that he is not just a studio boffin but also a proper liver performer, with a band to match. It must be fun to be in the band - judging by the atmosphere and in-jokes presented (or maybe it's a front and in fact Moby is like James Brown - fining people for hitting a wrong note and travelling on a separate bus!)
The tracks and remixes etc are pretty much what you'd expect - most not really adding anything to the original - but that's the way of these things usually. All in all it's an excellent purchase for the Moby fan - I just wish there’s been more video promos on this one.
|
