Zebra - The DVD review

You can’t say that this band is forgotten, because you always hear their songs on various XM Radio and Music Choice channels, VH1 Classic played their videos in rotation (when they were a video channel), and a ‘Best Of’ compilation has been released – and yet it seems now, they are getting more notoriety as the days go by, and it’s well deserved.

Coined as the band that played ‘Zeppelin better than Zeppelin did,’ Zebra finally has unleashed a DVD that unfolds the mystique that was driven by the dynamic vocals and axe attack of Randy Jackson (man, did he have a falsetto), the bass and keyboards of Felix Hanemann (what a great sense of melody), and the percussive power of Guy Gelso. Featuring a full-length concert with all of the faves, the band plays a set at the House of Blues in their hometown, rocking through cuts such as “Tell Me What You Want,” “Bears,” “Wait Until The Summer’s Gone” and “As I Said Before;” even easing things back for acoustic numbers such as “But No More,” and everybody’s favorite, “Who’s Behind The Door,” covering all the bases – and the guys still hold up; it’s certainly a strong performance.

The one part of this DVD beside the show is the documentary, which is probably the first time we get to actually hear the stories from the band themselves about how all of this came together; the false starts to New York, the sold-out shows in large venues before even having a record deal, and finally being signed with Atlantic – you also hear all this from the people who were there – friends, the road crew, DJs, club owners, and so on…. The thing that really connects with viewers is that the band brings us to the streets of New Orleans where they practiced, and all the humor that goes along with it…you just can’t get more intimate than that.

The DVD almost has a home movie quality to it, shot in digital, but then again, doesn’t every concert and documentary have the same quality in this day and age – the thing about this is not so much any fancy editing or massive bonus features, it’s the whole experience that is captured in the first place, you are there with the band. Proving a fine testament to one of AOR, hard rock, and even metal’s most enticing bands, The DVD is a must for fans and those who seek further into the aura of Zebra’s melodic monstrosity. (Music Video Distributors) - Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the DVD cover to buy Zebra - The DVD from Amazon.com)