Elly Roberts reviews
Glastonbury Anthems: The Best Of Glastonbury 1994-2004
Distributed by
EMI Records
- Cert:
- Cat.no: 5444009
- Running time: 130 minutes
- Year: 1994-2004
- Pressing: 2005
- Region(s): All, PAL
- Sound: Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 16:9
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Music: 10/10; DVD: 6/10
- Extras:
Approx 40 minutes: A visit to the Glastonbury Greenfields, Glastonbury
by Air, Interview with Michael & Jean Eavis in 1995, Glastonbury
Fayre: exclusive footage from the 1971 film, Photo Gallery
Thirty thousand fans voted via a poll on the official festival site for this tracklisting:
what an excellent choice they made.Twenty snippets from a decade of world
renowned Glastonbury festival in Somerset between 1994 and 2004.
This fantastic none chronological running order of the best of
Glasto-Blasto featuring the cream of the ever evolving roster of British and
American artists. Since its beginnings in 1971, which you can experience on
the extras (Glastonbury Fayre) the event has embraced not only seminal rock
acts, but has branched out into Dance,World Music, Jazz, Folk etc. It’s a shame
that some the lesser known acts such as Nitin Sawney don’t get a look-in as
I can recall some great performances, especially a mesmerising jazzed-up At
The River by Groove Armada.
Fresh-faced Scottish combo Franz Ferdinand kick-off the proceedings with
their riff-ladened Matinee from their award-winning album.
Travis, the band that opened the door for the mellow pop revival, display a
band overtaken by Coldplay and Keane. Dance outfit Faithless raise the
atmosphere, but they’re not as hot a band as you might think. Their repetitive
beats border on tedium.
Thankfully, the Manics are on top form with A Design For Life, arguably the
rock anthem of the 90s as James Dean Bradfield roars out each lyric.
Richard Hall aka Moby, the genre-bending maverick, delivers a neuvo-Gospel
classic - Why Does My Heart Feels So Bad, with huge backup singer Diane
Charlemagne giving the best performance on the DVD. Robbie does his usual
thing on Angels, but only serves to prove the song is mightier than the
singer. Elsewhere, dance band Basement Jaxx are always good value for money, as
are hip-hop funk-blending Fun Lovin’ Criminals. It hits a low when Blur
trash-out a dire This Is a Low.
Rock festivals need a big one, and THE festival song prize goes to The
Levellers for a blistering rendition of their debut single of 1991 - One Way
as the throng goes nuts. McCartney rounds it off with a stirring Hey Jude.
Extras are not spectacular by any means. There’s a 1995 interview with Mike
and Jean Eavis, the farmers who provide the land. The aerial footage serves no
more a purpose than showing the expansive site littered with tents and
bodies. Archive footage from 1971 simply shows revellers in various states of
‘happines’ - some in the nude during the post-hippy period.
The full list of tracks included are :
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
