Reviews

This shit is not new, at least most of it. The meat is a re-issue of H2O’s VHS home video from a while back. It tells the H2O family story from the very beginning. While interesting, it’s shot mostly with crappy video cameras making the audio hard to understand at times. But if you put that aside, you get a definitive history of the band, including the roots (don’t forget them), past members, first shows, weddings and life on the road before any kind of success.
 
I’m not going to get too into all that because there isn’t much to say.  Basically it’s a raw history lesson done the way bands used to do it when they wanted to give their fans a glimpse of their lives.  Nothing professional, just important moments from between 1994 and 1999 spliced together in a somewhat cohesive manner.  It’s a strong contrast to the way videos are done today with expensive equipment, proper storytelling, and what have you.
 
What makes this DVD worth the price is all the extras.  For starters, the complete 10 year anniversary show from The Knitting Factory in New York City is included.  The band play a whole bunch of songs they don’t normally play, including many from their first album.  I have a question though.  If there was more than one camera recording the show, why didn’t they use more than five minutes of video from the other cameras?  It seems like 99 percent is just a head on, still shot taken from the balcony.  The music is good and you can see the whole stage and the crowd going off, but you can imagine it would be easy for those with a short attention span to get bored.
 
Also included are every one of H2O’s short form music videos.  Be sure to notice the evolution and quality of the production from “Family Tree” right up on through “Role Model” and the Ice Cube’s “Today Was A Good Day.”  It always seemed like the band was trying to achieve mainstream success but just couldn’t break through to the other side.  They gave it a valiant shot but the music they were playing (and still play) wasn’t whiny and depressing, which is what the kids were mass marketed.
 
It’s hard to believe H2O has been around 12 years or so now.  There’s been a lull in their career as a band, but not in their lives.  Each are out doing their own thing and playing when they can to remind everyone they haven’t gone away.  This release is yet another reminder, something to hold the fans over until a new record eventually hits stores.  In the meantime, those same fans should be happy to know they can whet their appetites by hitting a few buttons on their DVD players and bring some old school H2O (which is what most want anyway) into their living rooms.
 
P.S.  Did you know frontman Toby Morse could skate?  I had no idea.  There’s a section on the DVD showing old man Toby 1 playing around on a mini-spine ramp in Los Angeles and he pulls some pretty impressive shit.  A lot of people can claim to know how to ride a skateboard, but a hell of a lot less of them can actually do it.  Respect.