Search - Iona on DVD

Good, but too short.

R. Murphey | Canton, Georgia | 07/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know if I'm like most Iona fans...their stuff is so good that I just can't seem to find enough of it. If you're a long-time Iona fan, you'll really like this DVD, but you'll also be disappointed at how short it is (about 30 minutes), and that there's not a whole lot of footage of the band playing. The interviews are good, but at best, for someone who loves Iona, this is just a teaser. And it's especially disappointing considering the price.
My recommendation would be to get ahold of the "Live in London" DVD, a much more recent recording with tons of great concert footage, great renditions of some Iona favorites, a few new Iona songs, and good interviews with the band members."

Imperfect DVD, phenominal music

Craig | Usually on the East coast, USA | 09/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer who said it's too short is seriously right. I'd say this was especially a problem for the interviews. They were great, to be sure, which was just the problem. It left one wishing there was more of them!

The video quality wasn't great, but it wasn't enough of a problem to take away from the content too badly. The audio, on the other hand, seemed excellent. Perhaps it was just my expectations, but I think it really sounded better than the CD version.

The band's performance was fantastic! For that alone the DVD would certainly be worth the price.
Fans of Iona will certainly want this DVD; it gives a lot of interesting background on the band, and lets one watch a particularly stunning performance of the original lineup. I suspect those new to the band will thouroughly enjoy it as well--if for nothing else than the remarkable quality of Ms. Hogg's singing."

A Valuable Look at the Band in Its Early Stages

Chip Webb | Fairfax Station, VA | 03/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Iona, the first DVD released under Iona band leader Dave Bainbridge's Open Sky label, is a treasure for long-time fans of the band. If you want to see what Iona looked like just a year to year-and-a-half after forming and only a few months after its self-titled debut was released, this one's for you.

This Dutch Christian television program from 1990 may only be a half-hour long, but it packs a lot into a short period of time. We see complete live versions of "Flight of the Wild Goose" and "The Island" from one of their early concerts. We get concert clips mixed with footage of the island Iona during a full rendition of "Here I Stand" and partial renditions of "Turning Tide," "A'hmachar," "Beijing," "Iona," and "Trilogy." It's hard to tell whether the studio or a live version of "Columcille" is played during an island footage/interview segment; I'm betting it's the studio version. In other words, partial or whole concert versions of 8 out of 12 of the first album's tracks are here. The live band at this point included Nick Beggs and Frank Van Essen (before Terl Bryant became a permanent member of the band).

Most valuable, to this reviewer at least, is the footage of then official band members Joanne Hogg, Dave Bainbridge, and David Fitzgerald on Iona. The three of them talk about their Christian backgrounds in greater detail than I've read in any print interview. And if you've been following the band since their early days (as I have, beginning with the band's second album, The Book of Kells), the youth of the band members will remind you of just how long it's been since you first fell in love with the band!

There are a few negatives. It may just be my copy, but the colors are off kilter, and if you select the songs individually from the main menu, the first two tracks are off. A less important point is that the back cover contains a very obvious gaffe with one song missing from the track list.

If you're new to Iona, don't start here; either pick up their new album, The Circling Hour, or buy the band's Live in London DVD. That video shows you some of Iona's considerable live power; you can see a little of that here, but the band was new in 1990 and grew more accomplished with each new album. Come back to this DVD after you've fallen in love with the band. (One exception regarding the purchasing advice: If you're unfamiliar with the band but knowledgeable of the Christian history of the island and really want to see island footage, this DVD might be for you.)"