I received this DVD in a trade last week... a trade! I haven't done one of those in the longest time. To be honest I was not aware that this was in circulation. I had seen some of the excellent RockPop footage that appears here on other compilations (Buzzcocks, The Rezillos), so I was hopeful that the quality of the footage on this compilation would be comparable and it is! The only critisism I would have is that throughout, the programme designers included a TV screen through which the footage is seen.. a watching television on television effect. I guess that this was just another case of programme producers experimenting with early video technology that was coming into play in the late '70s/early '80s, which with hindsight does nothing to enhance the audiences viewing experience, if anything the outcome is percisely the opposite. That notwithstanding, the footage is excellent, opening with a 'Nice 'N' Sleazy' that I had never seen before.
Most of the footage featured sits reasonably comfortably on a 'Punk & New Wave' compilation. There are some exceptions.... Cheap Trick for one. For some reason over many years that band have quite often cropped up on new wave compilations... to my ears they are American college rock, a long way from New Wave, regardless of whether you are considering New Wave from a US or UK perspective. I guess the cover of 'Since You've Been Gone' by Cherie and Marie Currie gets a foot in the door by virtue of the former having been a member of The Runaways.
Some of the other stuff is just interesting to see. John Foxx's Ultravox side by side with the Midge Ure version, Toyah's 'Neon Womb' from 'Sheep Farming In Barnet', the best song the band ever recorded and a typically madcap showing from Devo.
Aside from the 'new' Stranglers' footage my highlight is the inclusion of 'Die Roboter' by those Dusseldorf funsters, Kraftwerk. Brilliant to watch!
DVD Disc Image: https://we.tl/t-ebcPWqlIDB
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-q4EZDxiVr6
