Then And Now

‘’Then and Now’’ consists of two parts. The first is a look-back at how Ray Benson and friends started a hippy-cowboy-swing band and put it on the road for 40 continuous years (as of 2010). The second part showcases 6 tunes from the 40th anniversary concert of which 5 are band standards available on other dvd's in the marketplace. The mini documentary is interesting, but you probably won't watch it more than once or twice, and the 5 standards from the set list are well done by a reunion of veteran and current band members who are clearly enjoying themselves, but again this material (absent Lucky's dance moves) is available on other concert video’s.The real reason to buy this dvd is for that 6th song, the often overlooked Hank Williams chestnut, ''I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive'' from the band’s 1973 debut album. It’s a spare, bluesy rendition sung by Leroy Preston backed by original members Ray Benson, Lucky Oceans and Gene Dobkin who offer up a heaping plate of aural honky-tonk soul food not likely to pass your way again. My only complaint is that I just wish they had included more of the concert footage (including the full performance of Preston's ''Help Wanted Man'') and less Paw Paw redux.

If you are a fan of Asleep at the Wheel this might be for you.Most of the members from the original members joined thecurrent band for a reunion show.The first part is interviews and some clips.The second part is concert footage with the old membersplaying with the band.High energy and a treat.

Have really enjoyed this DVD which I have not been able to buy here in New Zealand. I Look forward to finding more hard to get items. Regards Don..

NEVER GOT TO PLAY OR HEAR. BAD CD, TAKES A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO LOAD AND THEN CD PLAYER SAYS "BAD DISC"

This was a surprise for my husband. He loves it!

I enjoyed it.

Perfect!

BOTH and entertaining (and informative) film on the history of Asleep at the Wheel and some great performances at the 40th reunion concertThe official title of this DVD is "Asleep at the Wheel: Then and Now - Forty Years on Film and in Concert" but Amazon seems to have "edited" the title.The (now) Austin-based western swing band, Asleep at the Wheel, has been producing great music and touring as many as 300 days a year for the last 44 years! The original line up of five members first grw by adding two fiddle players and then when disco music came n their hits stopped coming and all the originals left except for founding member Ray Benson. Benson has kept the band alive through good times and bad and, though there have been 90 different members of AATW, Benson is still there. I got to see the band open for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (another group from the 1970s that is still going with at least three original members) last year near Philly and they were great. Benson still plays guitar and sings lead but he’s brough a new y9ounger generation into the fold too.Last month Benson was involved in two new releases on the AATW label – Bismeaux Records. One is Benson’s first “solo” record – outside of the band. I’ll be reviewing that shortly. The other is this great DVD which, I feel, is a must for AATW fans, whether new or long-term. The hour-long DVD is divided into two programs. First is a wonderful 34-minute documentary which tells the history of the band’s founding in 1970 in Paw Paw, WV. Yep, the town was as rural as it sounds and Benson describes the original band members as “counter culture kids who liked western Swing music”. In the film Benson goes back to Paw Paw in 2013 and finds the original shack still standing. Using comments and interviews with a few of the other band founder plus Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Bill Kirchen, George Strait, Director Dan Karlok inserts some great archival TV footage (including appearances on German television) and a few quick moments from the 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert held at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin in 2010. Another highlight is a tour of the AATW tour bus. If you’ve ever wondered how 7 musicians can live in a bus, this will answer that question. The documentary alone would be worth seeing, but, since it is so short, Executive Producer Benson added six full performances from the 2010 reunion concert to add another 23 minutes to the DVD. I’m sure the full concert was recorded, so I’m not sure why we only get six songs. But I’ll certainly settle for that as it’s great stuff.The DVD is packed in long digipak and inside is a list of each and every performer who played on each of the six concert songs. There’s also a list of “thank you”s and some black and white photos of the babnd in their early days.I’ve really enjoyed watching this DVD and can highly recommend it to all AATW fans and anyone who is a fan of the western swing style of Bob Wills.I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.Steve Ramm“Anything Phonographic”