Various Artists - US Festival 1983: Days 1-3 (DVD)
MVD
http://mvdb2b.com/s/USFestival1983Days13/MVD5946D

Rating: C+

I remember sitting in my bedroom, as a high school junior, watching all three days of this event, as it was broadcast on MTV.  This was my generations Woodstock, and looking back now, I wish I had defied my parents and taken a road trip to Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, California and became part of history on May 28, 2003.

Instead, I had my buddies over and we wasted time by getting wasted in my room and watching INXS, Stray Cats, English Beat, Stevie Nicks, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Triumph and others.  Man, those were the days…

Now, thanks to company MVD, you can relieve the festivities, complete with 23 songs, some interviews with the crowd, and band from back in the day, as well as some looking back now interviews with people who were there.

Unfortunately, there is no Van Halen, David Bowie or Joe Walsh, so that hurts the DVD.  However, there are plenty of great performances from a lot of the bands who were there including U2, The Clash, Judas Priest, Triumph, Quarterflash, Stray Cats, Men and Work and the Scorpions.

The Scorpions stole the show as Heavy Metal Day was attended, it is said, by over a half a million people.  Judas Priest and Triumph are also on this DVD from that day proving that despite what the charts, or MTV said, Heavy Metal ruled in America in 1983.

All in all, this is a great trip down memory lane.  It’s not all just the big names that make this such fun viewing either.  The Divinyls rock, Quarterflash are great and the English Beat show what a truly unique band they were.  Berlin bring out “Sex” and rock it up.  Of course, The Clash, U2, Men and Work and Stevie Nicks give the Metal Heads a run for their money making this collection pretty darn cool.

Despite the coolness of the DVD, until we get all three days, and all the artists, we can’t fully celebrate the US Festival like it was meant to be.  I am sure it is part band embarrassment, band contacts and business dealings, but one has to admit that it is ironic that, at the end of the day, the festival meant to bring us together is still unable to bring the show to all of us now.

Until that happens, this will have to suffice…and while it does good enough, we all know how much better it could be! 

US Festival 1983: Days 1-3 Tracklist:
01. INXS – “The One Thing”
02. Divinyls – “Boys in Town”
03. English Beat – “Jeanette”
04. Stray Cats – “Rock This Town”
05. Stray Cats – “Please Make Up Your Mind”
06. Men At Work – “It’s A Mistake”
07. Men At Work – “Who Can It Be Now”
08. The Clash – “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
09. Judas Priest – “Breaking The Law”
10. Judas Priest – “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”
11. Triumph – “Magic Power”
12. Triumph – “Fight The Good Fight”
13. Triumph – “Lay It On The Line”
14. Triumph – “A World Of Fantasy”
15. Scorpions – “The Zoo”
16. Scorpions – “Can’t Get Enough”
17. Berlin – “Sex”
18. Quarterflash – “Find Another Fool”
19. U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
20. U2 – “The Electric Co.”
21. Missing Persons – “Words”
22. Stevie Nicks – “Stand Back”
23. Stevie Nicks – “Outside The Rain”