Videos from the Cellar

I recently pre-ordered the new RATT DVD, Ratt - Videos From the Cellar: The Atlantic Years. My package arrived Tuesday and I watched the DVD last night while fighting a massive migraine.

The DVD is pretty good, but didn't meet my (overtly) high expectations. Still, watching Warren DeMartini shred his guitar made me smile - and as sick as I was - this was definitely a major accomplishment.

I guess I was expecting some *new* footage, but what I found was interviews from 1985. I like these old interviews, but I was hoping for a little juxtaposition from the old RATT to the new incarnation of the band.

The DVD includes all the video hits: "Round and Round," "Lay It Down" and "Wanted Man."

The package then shifts into Detonator mode, showing clips from a mini-RATT movie interspersed with videos to support singles. I'm not sure why "I Want a Woman" is included in this segment because that song is from Reach for the Sky (as is "Way Cool, Jr." and these songs are back to back on the DVD package. I would lump "Way Cool, Jr." in with the video hits portion of the release).

Some of the classic interviews are endearing, some are painful. There are times when it is evident that Robbin Crosby is clearly high as a kite. At one point, Robbin says "Well, Warren plays all the lead guitars...I mainly do the heavy, rhythm riffs." His eyes look so sad, it was pretty clear that his feeling of failure urged his addiction.

I really got a kick of seeing Juan Croucier's eye make-up. Good night, the man speaks with intelligence but his make-up makes him look like a television anchor!

There is also a section of so-called unreleased videos on the new DVD package. "Dance" is included as an unreleased video, but I've watched this on VH1 Metal Mania, so I'm not sure what the band means by "never before seen." Maybe the RATT gang mean never before on DVD...but I know the sticker on the shrink wrap said never released.

Another clip in this section of the DVD is "Slip of the Lip." A very cool video, this one was actually new for me. From the Dancing Undercover days, this video features a spy reporter! She takes photos of the band...and then is seduced by Stephen Pearcy.He then ruins all her spy shots. Classic!

If you're a die-hard RATT fan, spend the ten bucks and buy this new DVD. It's nice to have an entire video collection at hand, and the price makes the collection affordable to just about everyone.

Comments

[bob_vinyl]

I think you're probably in the minority on this one, because I suspect most people just want to see the old videos again rather than wait for them to run on VH1 or something. I don't know that I'd be too interested in the new material, but I sympathize with what you're saying, because I'm not a big fan of rehashing the past.

[Metal Mark]

My understanding was this dvd is just the material from the two old Ratt vhs tapes stuck on a dvd. The first one had material up to Invasion of your privacy. The second came out to promote Detonator in 1990 and had the Detonator videos and Reach for the sky videos plus itnerviews and behind the scenes stuff for makingthe videos. The "never released" statement for Dance just means it was never released on either of their two previous video tapes. It is misleading for them to phrase it that way. I still have the Detonator video on vhs, but maybe eventually I will pick this up.

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

I bought an unofficial DVD from my local rock shop a few months ago that had the Dance video, as well as the Slip of the Lip one. Interesting.

I still may pick this one up though. I saw it online for 10.00. Not bad for a RATT DVD IMO.

[aXe mAn]

I really want to get that DVD!

[Christian Graus]

Yeah, Metal Mark nailed it - that's exactly what I was going to say. A number of bands are doing this, but Dokken and Twisted Sister at least got it together to comment ( well, what's left of the original Dokken ). I guess the guys in Ratt are still not getting along well enough to risk filming an extras interview for the DVD.

I have several DVDs that are home made from the videos and have extras, it will be interesting to see what gaps there are between this one and the ones I have. I know I still kept my Dokken ones, as they had Lynch Mob and Don Dokken clips on them.

[Layla]

I'm not a huge Ratt fan but I did see them back in the day up in Hollywood. I can't even remember the details but I think I met one of them....kinda hard to remember the 80's!

[JOHN RUIZ]

well what can i say the dvd rocks RATT-N-ROLL the intrviews are great.. shure aint the same without the KING now he lives in our memories and in our hearts R.I.P KING