God
Save the Queen – A Punk Rock Anthology (DVD)
Picture: D
Sound: D Extras: D Film: D
Honestly, God Save
the Queen bewilders me. To admit
that an anthology of Punk which includes live clips and videos of bands which I
hold dear, such as X-Ray Spex, Buzzcocks, Iggy & the Stooges, Johnny
Thunders and The Dead Boys, has no redeeming value truly pains me. How can it be?
Here’s how: God
Save the Queen provides not a shred of context nor betrays any evidence of
forethought or care on the part of this DVD’s producers. Simply put this is a hack job with one
mercenary mission - to steal the money of the Punk fan.
Look, if you’re going to title a DVD God Save the Queen there are certain expectations you had better
live up to. To invoke the Sex Pistols
might suggest to the naïve that the Sex Pistols will be represented. Alas, they are not. Nor are any of what we
might consider A-list British punk bands such as The Clash or The Damned a part
of this project either. But Vice Squad
and Blitz somehow made the cut?
And then there’s the inclusion of American acts such as
The Stooges (represented with a clip from their recent reunion tour), Dead
Boys, and Johnny Thunders (represented with a clip that un-seamlessly splices
together a late ‘70s Heartbreakers show and a late ‘80s Thunders show). Rather than a clip of The Ramones we’re
offered a very brief and very recent interview with Marky Ramone saying nothing
of particular interest.
Firstly, why are American bands even a part of this DVD
considering its ur-British title?
Secondly, and this is a problem throughout, why include on a DVD that is
clearly invoking Punk’s late ‘70s heyday clips that are as recent as a few
years ago?
The answer obviously is money. These clips were cheaply had and it would have cost a bit to
wrangle footage of The Clash or The Ramones from their respective record
companies. But certainly that’s no
excuse for putting out such a shoddy, ill-conceived product as God Save the Queen.
I suggest this DVD be pulled from the marketplace, that
the clips of American bands be excised, that all recent footage also be cut,
supplement that with a few more clips of lesser known British Punk bands,
re-title the package Germ Free Adolescents or Your Generation or after some
other fine but not so well known song, and release the DVD like that. I wouldn’t feel cheated by that particular
product; in fact I’d welcome it with open arms, ears, and wallet.
Until that DVD is released, though, please avoid God Save the Queen.
- Kristofer Collins
Kristofer Collins is an editor at The New Yinzer and the
owner of Desolation Row CDs in Pittsburgh, PA.
Visit Desolation Row at www.myspace.com/desolationrowcds
for more.
