Roadrunner have been responsible for promoting some of the best bands of recent years but, alas, they have also been responsible for some shameless rip-offs, not least with their endless re-issues and dodgy DVDs. If NIN’s And All That Could Have Been represents the top end of the spectrum, this truly represents the nadir. Transferred from the VHS of the same name, this DVD suckered fans in with two bonus songs (both excellent but which also appeared on The Least Worst Of… compilation that appeared later that year), a bonus video of Everything Dies, and a band commentary.
The feature itself follows a fairly typical metal-band-promotional format with interview footage, random back-stage malarkey, and promo videos all vying for attention. An instant niggle is there is no way to skip to the videos. Given that even at time of release (the year 2000), this was a standard DVD feature, this is annoying in the extreme. Furthermore the back-stage antics and interview footage, while engaging enough due to the natural charm and deadpan humour of the band, is really only worth watching once or twice.
The only thing that rescues this release somewhat is the band commentary, which is filled with biographical information and wit. It gains the DVD vital marks where it manages to lose just about everywhere else and there are moments that are genuinely hilarious (most notably Peter’s explanation of what he’s singing at the start of Everything Dies).
The biggest problem is the sheer lack of thought and care that has gone into the package. Failure to separate the chapters, offer decent special features, or even re-master the image significantly, renders it all rather pointless for anyone who bought the video and it’s impossible to recommend this to the merely curious.
I’m sure that fans will find plenty of interest, but honestly, most should keep their cash for the infinitely superior live DVD, Sympathy for the Devil (2006), which is far more worthy of your time and money. A squandered opportunity from a band, and a record label, who are capable of offering so much more.
This sounds like the kind of music DVD where the extras and archival feel matter as much as the main feature. I help with DVDWholesaleShop, so I always like reviews that explain whether a disc is worth keeping on the shelf.