Dead End Drive-In: Now Showing – Thunder – ‘All You Can Eat’
Sunday, 21 February 2016 04:00
Thunder – ‘All You Can Eat’ (earMUSIC)
‘All You Can Eat’ is a Dead End Drive-In experience with a bit of a twist because along with the DVD/Blu-ray that documents the story of ‘Wonder Days’, Thunder’s first studio album for 6 years, you also get a live album plus a live in-the-studio session album to make this a package to die for Thunder fans worldwide.
CD1 – ‘The Starter’ – ‘The RAK Session’
This session from November 2014 is captured so masterfully here, and all its style and musical elegance, but then again would you expect anything less from Thunder. It’s something of note in that the band set up and played songs 100% live, no stops, no breaks, no overdubs 14 songs in a row….and it’s so damn good for crying out loud. We get original Thunder material and thrown in for good measure some interesting covers including Frankie Miller’s ‘Be Good To Yourself’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, plus Creedence Clearwater Revival’s everlasting classic ‘Up Around The Bend’ amongst other notable cover renditions herein. Wow, so professional.
CD2 – ‘The Main Course’ – ‘Live From The Brooklyn Bowl London’
A show from November 2014, with tickets offered free to fans in association with Classic Rock magazine, here you get classic Thunder tunes both old and new sitting proudly alongside each other in addition a few covers are thrown in too such as ‘Up Around the Bend’ but most importantly throw in opener ‘Backstreet Symphony’, ‘Low Life In High Places’, `Love Walked In’ and the forever endearing ‘Dirty Love’ all pitched around some of the newer material, all stomping along in that unique Thunder groove which includes the awesome ‘Wonder Days’ and ‘The Thing I Want. This album on its own would be a nice little addition to any music fan’s collection and naturally it’s a “must have” for all Thunder fans around the globe.
DVD/Blu-ray – ‘Dessert’ – ‘The Wonder Days Documentary’
What this DVD/Blu-ray gives you is honesty, belief and an interest for the facts and tales, and you get it all here under the expert gaze of Tim Sidwell, candid and extensive band interviews, behind the scenes views, everything you and me the viewer want to sit down and enjoy and become enlightened and enthralled by. There’s also some very personal issues from within the group, a group which arguably have been the best and certainly most entertaining UK rock band over the last 25 years or so.
There’s also studio footage that you rarely get to see, every band seem to just release a live concert, but c’mon we`ve all seen the gig, if we spend our hard earned or not so hard earned cash in my case, we want the warts ‘n’ all element of the band and that is exactly what we get here, the band coming over so interesting and open. Incidentally the studio footage comes from Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, yeah that legendary one, and features the ever so talented producer Nick Brine and his dog Kenny working their magic with the guys in a unique laid back and bare bones approach.
Of course there is live footage and a look into the illness that Ben Matthews had a while back, such personal and beautiful stories behind the ‘Wonder Days’ album and it`s wondrous creation. And it’s yet again proven true that with Thunder what you get is what you see and hear, end of. The live footage is taken from around UK arenas back in March 2015, along with Japan and the aforementioned Brooklyn Bowl London and recording at RAK Studios. For me though the highlights are the Monmouth behind the scenes views plus the acoustic tour with all the band members talking candidly, making this a really special hour plus visual treat for any Thunder….no scratch that… ANY music fanatic out there.
All You Can Eat…..And More.
