Eric Johnson - Live From Austin Tx
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DVD details
Artist: Eric JohnsonBrand: RED Distribution
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-11-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New West Records
DVD Reviews of Eric Johnson - Live From Austin Tx
DVD Review: Good, Yet Far From Stellar
Summary: 4 Stars
Aside from an appearance on the first G3 DVD (Vai, Satriani, Johnson), EJ has never properly had his own concert DVD. Until now, that is. This is a performance from Austin City Limits in 1988, and Eric & his friends Kyle Brock and Tommy Taylor perform a set that ranges from impressive to almost sloppy. This is not due to any fault of the rhythm section; in fact, the drums/bass are always perfect, and Mr. Brock even plays a nice "solo" at one point.
My biggest gripe with this performance is that Eric gets into noodling WAY too often on this program, and as a result it tends to hurt, rather than hinder the music. He possesses an incredible range of skills, and frequently improvises a number of chord changes, "harp harmonics" and even some two-handed hammer effects (all technical guitar stuff). This is all fine, except that Eric will often lose the tempo of the song at inappropriate moments, and wander off into improvisations that seem more disasterous than adventurous. I'm familiar with a great deal of improvised jazz, rock, and other styles of music, so I feel that I can safely say that the faults I have observed are valid.
Another problem I have is with Eric's voice on this particular recording. Although many people hate EJ's singing, I rather like it. However, whether it is due to improper mic'ing or something else, the vocals just aren't very effective here. His voice is too smooth and subdued to even ATTEMPT a song like Jimi Hendrix's classic "Love or Confusion", and here the lyrics are muddy and incomprehensible. The guitar playing is masterful, but the voice doesn't come anywhere close in terms of quality.
Having voiced these complaints, I will say that the audio mix is mostly good from the stereo mix I heard (my DVD player doesn't allow access to the DTS mix). The video quality is very nice for an 18 year old recording, and we manage to see very nice shots of Eric's fingers dancing on the fretboard.
The song selection is good, overall, and we get to see and hear music that would not appear on any of his albums for some time at the point the show was recorded. For example, "Camel's Night Out" did not appear on an album until 1996, but unfortunately it is very uneven and sloppy when compared to the studio and G3 performances of this song. Cliffs of Dover also appears here, in a slightly less focused rendition than would appear on Ah Via Musicom in 1990.
I think that the problem is that Eric, despite his incredible talent, has difficulty "feeling" the songs, especially in a live setting. He is a notorious perfectionist, so I can understand why he has only released one live album to date.
The bottom line is that, even with the faults, most fans will overlook them and enjoy what they see. Eric Johnson is among the most gifted musicians living today, and deserves the praise received from the reviewers on this page. I only wish that a more focused performance could have been released on DVD, perhaps something more recent, like the Alien Love Child or Acoustic shows of the last 5-6 years? Until then, this is the best, and only, Eric Johnson concert available on DVD.
Description of Eric Johnson - Live From Austin Tx
Legendary guitar hero Eric Johnson's 1988 performance on the Austin City Limits TV show was an amazing performance. The performance is now available on DVD. It captures the magical guitar work and energy that only Eric Johnson live can deliver. Also available on CD.Classic Rock Music CDs
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