Search - Bauhaus: Shadow of Light/Archive on DVD

FINALLY ON DVD!!

John Sayers | The center | 12/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just watched my copy of this and have a few thoughts for anyone considering purchasing this dvd.
1. This is the "holy grail" of the commercially released visuals of Bauhaus back in the 80's on 2 vhs tapes. Since then, after going out of print long ago, they have been a mainstay on Ebay, etc. in copied versions for a good reason - this was a visual band and these tapes caught them at their zenith. An absolute must-have for fans and those curious about what the fuss is all about.
2. For the fans, like myself, who have owned the original vhs tapes since whenever, don't expect a major upgrade in visual quality. This stuff was originally shot on videotape and it shows. This is the best it will ever look, which is great, but not a LOT better than the original tapes. The sound is excellent, however - I noticed no tape hiss and distortion, and there are a few audio options on the menu page.
The band had nothing to do with this dvd release, so gripes about the artwork, etc. are redundant - Beggar's Banquet has sole rights to this footage and tried to get extras, like UK TV spots, etc. but were foiled by the owners of the rare footage. Bauhaus do not benefit financially from this dvd whatsoever, which is sad.
Bauhaus were a truly original and fascinating band, and this dvd captures them at their absolute best. A true classic rock/performance dvd. Highly recommended.

"

Previous review inaccuracy

S. J. Webbon | 12/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To say that Bauhaus receive no income from this release is completely untrue. They are actually being paid a HIGHER royalty on this release than on the previous vhs issues. Unfortunately the financial demands from the BBC made the inclusion of any bonus footage totally uneconomical and further bonus footage wouldn't have worked in isolation."

The Shadow is Cast!

Frankland S. Strickland | Memphis, Tennessee | 04/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To begin, let me say that I'm giving this product a full 5 stars. I do so not because the DVD version is any better than the original VHS, but because this is a definitive product from a band that all fans must own. Having your very own copy of "Shadow of Light/Archive" was a bit of a quest before now. It had long been out of print on VHS (and apparently laserdisc) and I was never fortunate enough to own an original. Thanks to the internet and Ebay, longtime Bauhaus fans could---if they were willing to pay the price---own a copy of their own. Still, one probably had to wait with bated breath when they first played the tape in anticipation of its quality. Is it faded? Will it even play? Has some idiot recorded an episode of "Dynasty" on it?

Thanks to the new DVD, these are all moot fears now. But let me warn you, that old VHS copy just might surprise you in its quality compared to this. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very delighted to have my own DVD copy of these essential Bauhaus videos and concert footage. Chances are you will too. Now, we no longer have to fear that the VCR will chew up the tape or that it will gradually lose its sonic and visual playback (as all tapes do). Essentially, we all can own a piece of history recorded on a reliable and durable format. But despite all of this, I am a bit disappointed that the overall sound and visual quality aren't any better than they are. I mean, my 15 year old dubbed COPY of the original VHS is almost as good as this!!!!

Now I'm no fool. Indeed I do understand that these are nearly 25 year old video footages, but does someone not have an original master tape somewhere? Truthfully, all Bauhaus fans should own this, but be ready to accept a few pops and crackles and slight fade outs in the sound now and then. Grainy video is par for the course here, but what Bauhaus videos weren't a little grainy anyway? You will no doubt relish and delight in every second of this footage since it is very much Bauhaus in their prime. You will not, however, gain one little thing in video or sound quality from that of the original VHS."

A true tresure

Dman | 01/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bauhaus, the pioneers of goth-rock, began thier career with a single issued on the Welsh indie label Small Wonder in 1979, "Bela Lugosi's Dead". with it's dub-reggae drumstick-taps & skeletal basslines combined w/ lead singer Peter Murphy's menacing David Bowie impression, the single defined a new postpunk music. Thier first promo video, 1980's T-Rex cover "Telegram Sam" was just as dark, since the clip was shot in a sewage-treatment plant w/ Peter strutting & flailing on a large sewer pipe, squeezing between 2 brick walls (just to lets us know how skinny he is) & swinging from a steel hook.
"Mask" casts Peter as Nosferatu half-naked caked in dust & tied down to a table eventually breaking free, & unlike "Sam" this one's shot in a castle.
"Spirit" was shot at a theatre & involves the band w/ a dressed-up Peter & a bunch of ghost clowns.
This clip is a bit confusing, but it was thier first video to be played on American MTV when A&M issued "The Sky's Gone Out" here in 1982.
"Ziggy Stardust" a true video masterpiece, in which they return to the sewage-treatment plant that the 1980 "Sam" clip was shot at, & it contains that classic scene involving Peter in a cage.
Released in early 1983 as a single only on A&M, "Ziggy" was yet another early-MTV fave.
"She's in Parties", the last Bauhaus video clip, shows a female chauffer, her car, broken glass, broken teacups & a dangling lightbulb.
The concert footage, which appears in portions on "Shadow of Light" & intrecut within a short film involving an old man & some youths called "Archive" is first-rate.
A true treasur"