Band : Gary Moore
Album title : The Definitive Montreux Collection
Label : Eagle Vision
Distributor : PIAS
Release date : November 2008
Release : 2-DVD package

A while back the people at the infamous Montreux Jazz Festival have started to release some of the video material shot over the years at the event, or at least, have come to an agreement with Eagle Vision to release ‘em! Thus, several concerts of different artists have already been issued (some of which I’ve even had the pleasure to review).

First of all: a word of warning! Because in spite of the title of this double DVD package, there’s been some tom-foolery going on when the footage was put together! I mean, not so long ago Gary Moore’s 1990 gig (where he had Albert Collins over as a guest on a couple of  songs) was put together in a box set (also comprising material by Eric Clapton & Friends and a special gig in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary Fender Stratocaster guitar) titled Guitar Heroes (review posted 15/11/2007). From thàt DVD, I happen to know that the footage used here was severely edited: of the 16 tracks played in 1990, only 7 are actually on the disc! That same DVD also had bonus footage from Gary’s 1997 performance at the festival, and two of those three tracks are missing also! So, what happened? The compilers of the DVD have looked at the set-list of the five performances (1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001) of which you’ll find footage here, found that several songs came back, and simply edited enough material to make for each of the songs to be featured only once! They apparently didn’t care about the fact that the true fan wànts to see full-length concerts, and don’t even mind about some of the songs returning…nay, even hunger to see those songs played with a different background!

If you’re simply looking to get yourself some live video footage by Moore, this package will certainly do (the five live sessions give you a total of 39 songs divided over two DVDs, disc one lasting almost two hours, disc two almost 2 ¼ hours), but for the true fan who thinks he just might get himself that gig of Gary’s which he did at Montreuxand which they were still missing…this is nothing short but a bummer! Might even call it an attempt to fool Gary’s fans out of their hard-earned money! Quite frankly, the way the DVD package is set up, this smells like a deliberate con! I wonder, would Moore and the people of the organizers really have given their consent (as mentioned on the outer cover) for this release in the somewhat dubuous form it was issued?

Tony.