The Next Best Thing to Being at the Concert...
By Joe Wetzel
HLN Today Co-Editor
While no DVD could hold all of Huey Lewis and the News's hits, this is a strong collection of them with other tracks which collectively serve as a quality retrospective of the band. Every album from the band except one is represented in the feature, from the energetic "Some Of My Lies Are True" from their debut album to "Thank You #19" and "We're Not Here For a Long Time" from Plan B. ("Rhythm Ranch" also from Plan B appears as a bonus track.)
Hard at Play is the lone album without a song on the DVD, but one could argue that stylistically it was a return to Sports and the first half of Fore! so those songs don't show a different style to the listener. As Huey often says during concerts when someone screams the name of a song, "So many hits, so little time."
Listening to the DVD in 5.1 surround sound on a large high definition TV is the next best thing to being at one of their concerts. The production values of Live at 25 match the best concert DVDs on the market.
Analyzing the main feature track by track, "Heart of Rock & Roll," "I Want A New Drug," "If This Is It," "Power Of Love," "Do You Believe in Love," "Bad Is Bad," "Heart and Soul," "(Too) Hip to Be Square", "Back in Time," "Doing It All For My Baby," and "Workin' For A Livin'" are all among their biggest hits and there is no question why they are part of the concert. It is worth mentioning that "Do You Believe in Love" was largely re-worked a few years ago. While the original is wonderful and largely the reason they were able to make Sports, the new version makes it fresh and richer. Many fans find the new version more compelling.
"So Little Kindness" is quite simply one of Huey's favorites which is why it made the DVD. The band claims "Thank You #19" is among the most difficult to play, and they appreciate the challenge of playing it. Because the band has only played "I Want a New Drug" in oh... maybe every concert they've played since 1983, the band is always looking to change it up, so the transition into "Small World" is the current incarnation. "Some of My Lies Are True" more than capably represents their first album, and seems to be the most energetic performance of the main feature.
The a cappellas wrap up with "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um," a Major Lance cover they are currently playing in concert. This is probably the most questionable choice as one of their other a cappellas could have been included. ("Naturally" anyone?) The other covers, "Its Alright" and "But It's Alright" were both released as singles by the band and seem to be more recognized. "We're Not Here For A Long Time..." has the right lyrics to close out the show and is probably the most energetic track from Plan B.
The comments from Huey during "Rhythm Ranch" were interesting, and just the kind of thing that would be nice for every track as an alternate audio track before the lyrics start. The other bonus tracks provide a taste of the band's concerts during the 80s.
This DVD's mix of hits, filled out with other cuts to give anyone an idea of the band's various musical directions, is sure to please. There are a few hits missing but those can be used for another concert DVD in the near future. (One can hope.) While they shouldn't rehash this ten times over, there is certainly room on the shelf for another live concert video from Huey Lewis and the News.
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