Hullabaloo, Vols. 9-12
Back in the mid-'60s, television'sHullabaloowas a show that gave music-hungry baby boomers a rare chance to see some of their heroes in action. But it was far from perfect, as the six episodes (plus 17 bonus performances) contained on this four-and-a-half-hour disc make abundantly clear. The shows are in black and white; the quality of the images is poor, especially by today's digital standards, and the sound mixing is generally atrocious. The performances mostly consist of live vocals set to prerecorded tracks. And as for the overall tone... well, suffice to say that in 1965-66, whenHullabaloooriginally aired, Hollywood and the TV industry were utterly clueless when it came to youth culture and the burgeoning rock & roll scene, resulting in a hokey quality--ridiculous sets and props, go-go dancers galore--that was laughably square then, let alone now.Still, mixed in with the horrible Beatle medleys (the Supremes doing "I Feel Fine"? Oy!) and predictably disposable pop hits of the era (by Nancy Sinatra, Peter & Gordon, Freddie & the Dreamers, Herman's Hermits, etc.) are the Byrds, the Animals, the Hollies, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Young Rascals, and other significant mid-'60s rockers, as well as the likes of Marvin Gaye, the Everly Brothers, and the Impressions. And the beauty of selectable DVD menus is that you don't have to wade through the tripe in order to locate the several gems that can be found here. Recommended... with reservations.--Sam Graham