The Sugarcubes  - Live Zabor (1989/Long-Form DVD-Video)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Main Program: B

 

 

As New Wave gave way to Alternative and Grunge in Pop and Rock, the influence of that genre and era continued with many other great music acts and bands.  Oskar Jonasson helmed and interviews and Richard Heslop helmed the rest in Live Zabor, a 1989 long-from Music Video project capturing The Sugarcubes at their peak, from outstanding stage performances, to great music, to various members of the band having fun off camera in skit-like sequences that mock the idea of press coverage for starters and interview pieces throughout.

 

The chapter stops are as follows:

 

Einar Interview
Planet
Cowboy
Magga Interview
Mamma
Siggi Interview
Cold Sweat
Bragi Interview
Cat
Birthday
Bjork Interview
Delicious Demon
Thor Interview
Motorcrash
Plastic
Eat the Menu
Speed is the Key
Deus
Luftgitar

 

 

Some of the performances mix the stage footage with narrative-like footage.  Of course, Bjork has had this amazing, stunning, enduring, dynamic solo career, but her work here is just as exciting, memorable, amazing, strong and terrific, so those who only know her solo work will want to get this disc.  It has at least as much energy, but the band’s work bookends the end of New Wave the way the work of Split Enz tends to forerun New Wave as much as Punk, a genre whose spirit and energy is very alive in both bands.  This is a remarkable project still today, considering it did not have tons of money thrown at it.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image was shot on analog videotape like so many of the classic Music Videos had been to that time, whether in PAL or NTSC.  This looks good for its age either way.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo does show its age a bit, with limited surrounds and a bit of a clarity ceiling.  Otherwise, playback is fine.  There was supposed to be a bonus version of Birthday in its original Icelandic version, but the menu only offers a play and chapter option, with no bonus track in site.  Don’t let that deter you from catching this, though.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo