THRESHOLD OF A DREAM - LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970

This DVD finally charmed me to appreciate the classic progressive rock material of this group. I have always been fascinated to see vintage performance films, giving a deeper impression of the musicians and the age of their time. First part of the film focuses to later time interviews of the group members, but skipping forward in tracks the real treasure is revealed, an uninterrupted document of the Isle of Wight concert, enhanced with nice footage from the festival area. Gig opens dynamically, introducing immediately the key strengths of the band's late 1960's & early 1970's creative phase; Strong melancholic and catching melodies, professional song writing abilities, deeply emotional approach and the Mellotrons fighting desperately to stay in tune. The song selection fitted very well to my own taste, and the romantic approach manifested in their group name and their early 1960's rhythm & blues style, had developed in these times neatly as thoughtful and warm-hearted hippie art rock. The film editor has had really good insight in my opinion, there are some very beautiful sequences focusing to the audience included. In the wonderful song "The Sunset" there are pretty poetic visions of that time generation, witnessed by the sun as they together walk towards the yesterday's tomorrow. Their most appreciated tune from the end of "Days of Future Passed" LP is given here a neat treatment, along with "Tuesday Afternoon", "Melancholy Man" and also the curious Timothy Leary song "Legend of A Mind". Like said in somewhat this manner at the interviews; "...Searching some kind of enlightenment, it's a worthy occupation of a young man". I also noted that the releaser has distributed official material from this film to YouTube. I find it pleasing that instead of banning unofficial clips they deliver fine quality promotion available from this fine and recommendable concert film to the potential purchasers.