Music DVD Review: The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 3

God, what a trip through history this DVD is.

You see, you've got to understand something here. I'm something of a classic rock geek.

I admit it. Guilty as charged.

But let's put this in perspective.

By classic rock geek, at this point I have to separate myself from the modern day Homer Simpson stereotype of the same.

You know.

The balding fifty-something guy who works his way through a dead end job humming to himself the somewhat reassuring refrain of "some people call me the Space Cowboy," that probably sustained him through his youth every bit as much as it does through his current existence.

The same guy who removes his suit and tie once during the summer to don an old rock T-shirt and jeans to rock out to the oldies at one of those triple bills with Styx, Foreigner, and REO playing at your nearest outdoor shed for example?

To some degree, yes I am that very guy. But I'll tell ya what?

For me, this went much deeper.

For me, it was an obsession.

For me, if we want to talk about the memories at least, it was more about lying in my parents’ backyard listening to something like Wishbone Ash or Uriah Heep. Never mind the Led Zep or Steve Miller my buddies from those days remember.

For me, it was about envisioning my own future as a rock star. Nothing less.

While the jocks I knew in high school were thinking about nailing that hot cheerleader at the Homecoming Dance to Chicago's "Beginnings" for example, I had far bigger fish to fry.

For me it was more somewhere along the lines of nailing some rock groupie type to the tune of something like David Bowie's "Cracked Actor."

You know what I mean? The "suck, baby, suck" part?

Yes, even then the lyrics did matter, which gets me to the more immediate present, and the more serious part of what I have to say here.

The bottom line is, for better or for worse, I've devoted my entire life to rock music.

And the rock music that I grew up with kicks my ass like nothing that has ever come along since, or that I suspect ever will again.

And by that I don't mean the same Led Zeppelin and The Who shit everyone my age remembers fondly (great as it is).

But rather, I'm talking about the forgotten chestnuts.

As cool as the DVD age we live in has allowed us to relive just how cool bands like Zeppelin and The Who were in concert back then, just where is that great show by somebody like Mott The Hoople I remember so well? I mean for me at least, all the young dudes did carry the news...

Article Author: Glen Boyd

You'll find Blogcritics music editor Glen Boyd sharing his Thoughtmares on his personal blogs The World Wide Glen, and The Rockologist. Glen is also the author of Neil Young FAQ, scheduled for a spring 2012 release by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard …

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