The starchy American narration annoys first; a disembodied voice with lacklustre delivery that sounds depressingly like a post-war public information film about nutrition, as opposed to the “story” of one of the most exciting and influential pop groups of all time. The DVD market is swamped with cut-and- paste quickies such as this, destined for eBay and charity shops when punters realise they’ve been had.
Made for American cable television in 2006, this documentary is a hodge-podge of poor quality archive footage held together by the most basic of biographical voiceovers. A quick look at the running times of the clips is a good indication of the makeshift nature of the enterprise (Dead End Street: 47 seconds; Waterloo Sunset: 33 seconds), though a full-length I’m A Lover Not A Fighter, with Dave Davies on lead vocals, offers a rare three minutes of unadulterated joy.
Historical compilations don’t have to be so lame, as the conscientious Reelin’ In The Years team have proved with their series on Motown legends and, more recently, British Invasion titles. If anyone from RITY is reading this, we urge you to turn your talents towards the Muswell Hillbillies.
