View from the Vault, Volume Two (or View from the Vault II) is the second entry in the "View from the Vault" series by the Grateful Dead. It was released simultaneously as a three-disk CD and a one-disk DVD. This volume features the June 14, 1991 concert at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C., and bonus material from a show at the same venue on July 12, 1990. It is the only Grateful Dead video release featuring Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby.
June 14,1991 was one of the high points in an exceptional summer tour. The performance is excellent - it is obvious that the band is having a very good time and that they are all listening very closely to one another. The set list is also exceptional, with rare favorites like "Help on the Way" and "Dark Star" giving the band plenty of room for their inspiration to take hold. Any Grateful Dead fan should be happy with this video just for the performance. The video work itself, however, is less than stellar. The focus often seems misguided, with closeups of drummers during a heated guitar jam, or of a keyboardist taking a smoke break during the final crescendos of "Dark Star." The camera operators also seemed to have some technical difficulties on this night, and some shots that start off tightly focused end up careening all over the stage as if the cameraman were tripped. Finally, the excessive use of "psychedelic imagery" or whatever it's supposed to be is just downright annoying - especially on the filler. It seems to come at the worst times: right when the band starts to loosen up and jam, the display turns into something resembling an early "Windows" screensaver. This type of imagery sometimes persists for several minutes at a time, which is maddening for those of us who would like to actually watch the band. All in all, I have enjoyed the video and would recommend it to anyone who simply loves the Grateful Dead and treasures their performances. To the "uninitiated," I would recommend starting with "The Grateful Dead Movie," "Dead Ahead" or "Downhill From Here" before purchasing this one. As this is only the second in the View From the Vault series, it is understandable that some of the other reviewers don't seem to understand the origins of this concert video. All of the View From The Vault series were filmed at shows in the late 80's and early 90's when the Dead were playing large stadiums and needed video screens at the shows for fans seated far from the stage to view the players. Thus, all of those shows with the large video screens have been fortunately recorded for posterity, although they were initially intended only as a much-needed aid for concert goers in large venues. Accordingly, these dvd's were not created with the home viewer in mind, but rather the concert goer who is enveloped in the rest of the trappings of the live show. These video screen projections supplied a view of the members playing for all in the back to see. They were not filmed with the intention of releasing them as a complete picture of the concert experience. With that in mind, this show is fantastic. One of the highlights of the summer 91 run. If you listen and watch the DVD imagining that you are at the show and the images you see are simply the images that are normally projected on the large video screens above the audience, then you will love this disc. Do not expect a professionally produced, made for resale to the DVD viewing audience, concert experience. We are very fortunate to have these shows preserved both on audio and video formats. Any live music lover should appreciate the View From The Vault series for what it is, a portrait, be it a moving one, of the band in action.
Three from the Vault comes from an intriguing time in the Grateful Dead's history. .. The 2-CD package also contains a lively historical essay by Gary Lambert, ..
Album Cover, View from the Vault II Soundtrack. X. Get latest news on Grateful Dead releases and more straight to your inbox. By submitting your email address ..
View from the Vault, Volume Two