Post by rtbuck on Feb 5, 2008 18:58:33 GMT -5
Juliette & the Licks – Four on the Floor DVD
Label : Juliette & the Licks
Review by Bucky for Rock n Roll Universe
A few years back I had one of those nights where my wife & I fell asleep while watching the old boob tube only to be awaken by a loud noise. I rubbed my eyes & grabbed the remote to turn the television set off but as I looked up there was this dark haired girl dressed in yellow, contorting her body in ways I’ve only seen Iggy Pop move as she sang to a raw power tune in the same vein as the Stooges or MC5.I put the remote down & reached for my eyeglasses only to find out that this was no ordinary girl, this was actress Juliette Lewis. I’ve been hooked on her band Juliette & the Licks ever since that night.
Last year Juliette & the Licks released their best album to date called ‘Four on the Floor’ which not only featured Juliette Lewis, guitarists Kemble Walters & Todd Morse, & bassist Jason Womack but it also featured Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters & Nirvana on drums. 2008 brings us an awesome DVD by the band, entitled ‘Four on the Floor DVD’ which is broken down into four parts with over 2 hours of Juliette & the Licks footage including sessions, live footage, music videos, & some behind the scenes tour footage.
The first section of the DVD is divided into 2 parts of the recording of ‘Four on the Floor’. The first part is taken from the drumming sessions & features powerhouse drummer Dave Grohl pounding out rhythms & backbeats as if he’s possessed by the spirit of Keith Moon. At one point an interviewer asks a sweaty Grohl if he’d like some water to which Grohl replies “Dude…Do you know what I would really like?” & Grohl answers his own question “I’d like to record without everyone watching me!”. Part 2 of the first section is the vocals & overdubs session of the recording of the CD which kicks off with Lewis singing her ass off.
Guitarist Todd Morse becomes a victim of a practical joke by the rest of the band & producer Dylan Maclaren as they have him singing a girls part on “Smash & Grab”
The 2nd section of the DVD is called Live Licks & features the band playing 5 songs live in France. The band plays a cool cover of Donna Summer’s 1979 disco smash hit ”Hot Stuff” which totally rocks out while still keeping a steady disco rhythm. The raw energy that Lewis puts into “Death of a Whore” is unbelievable as she bends her body in a way that could possibly leave Iggy Pop scratching his head. The other 3 songs : “Hot Kiss”, “I Never Got to Tell You”, “American Boy” all rock the House.
The 3rd section features three outstanding videos form the ‘Four on the Floor’ album.The videos are for “Hot Kiss”, “Purgatory Blues”, & “Sticky Honey”.
The 4th section is entitled “Loose Licks” & features about 25 minutes worth of behind the scenes tour footage & even shows a scene in which a proud Juliette Lewis shows off her dirty taped up feet after a Hyde Park show. This section also has a part called “Old School Licks” & features 3 early music videos from a few years ago. These 3 videos alone are worth the price of the DVD. If someone were to ask me about Juliette & the Licks, all I would have to do is show the video for “Shelter Your Needs” & that sums up the band perfectly. The song is fast paced rocker & would’ve fit in perfect on the Stooges ‘Raw Power’ record.
The next song is the title track from their first full length album ‘You’re Speaking My Language’ & as the band is rocking out wearing white shirts & black ties in a dark club I immediately thought of ‘The Punk Rock Movie’(which featured bands from the punk scene between 1977 - 1979 including the Heartbreakers & the Sex Pistols) & the 1981 film ‘Urgh! A Music War’(another film of the Punk Scene with club scenes from London, NYC, & Los Angeles). The final video to close this 2 hour DVD is “American Boy” which is shot like “Shelter Your Needs” from different shows & it starts off with a bikini clad Lewis crowd surfing.
Overall this is a great DVD & is definitely worth checking out. The DVD is available through Juliette & the Licks myspace site & the service is unbelievably fast. www.myspace.com/julietteandthelicks
Bucky