Interpolations Cut From Europe CD/DVD
The Europe CD/DVD Box Set has now been officially released and is starting to trickle into stores and in the hands of DMB fans. While there has been plenty of excitement for this release there are a few underlying issues that some fans have vocally complained about.
One of the most glaring differences with the release is the fact that some of the interpolations were cut from the DVD as well as the CD.
Cut from the DVD were Led Zeppelins "Heartbreaker" and "Stairway to Heaven" interpolations as well as the partial rendition of Jackson 5 "I'll Be There" which was played in memory of Michael Jackson, who died the previous day of the show.
"Sexy MF", a song by Prince was omitted from the end of Jimi Thing as well. All of these songs are fun at a show, but when it comes down to officially releasing material for profit, copyright and royalty issues come into play, and ultimately forces changes to be made.
For the casual fan, this may be a non-issue and may even go unnoticed, but for the more active fan base this cut from the show is upsetting to some.
The lack of a Blu-ray release is also on people minds especially since they filmed in HD, but again things don't always go as planned. We can only hope for another show to blu-ray debut in the future much like the Radio City show.
Sam Erickson whom directed the DVD commented on the licencing issues which forced these cuts.
Thanks to everybody who enjoyed the DVD regardless of the issues with licensing that prevented the Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson tunes to be used. As the director of the DVD I am very pleased with the way it came out visually and am sorry that these other issues are clouding people's perceptions of the release. I look forward to other constructive reviews and opinions.
I am not sure its true that other bands with less money released Zepellin covers. Led Zeppelin is the single toughest band to get licensing rights from. I am not in a position to comment on what exactly was attempted in re negotiations for those songs but I know that it just wasn't possible. Frustration is totally understood though and I don't take those kinds of criticisms personally. I just hope that folks can enjoy the creative work that went into the shooting and editing.
Despite these minor edits, don't let that persuade your opinion of the shows. This is a stellar release and a stunning DVD not to mention the 60-page book of photographs by C. Taylor Crothers chronicling the entire Dave Matthews Band 2009 tour.
The Warehouse mentioned "Please note that due to production limitations, extremely limited quantities will be available at retail on December 22nd" and you can still always order it at the DMB store.