What music DVD are you currently enjoying

[bigburner]

Little Feat - "Skin It Back" (2009)

This DVD is a remastered version of the Little Feat "Rockpalast Live" DVD released in 2000. The concert was recorded in Essen, Germany in 1977.

I watched "Skin It Back" last night. It's a HUGE improvement over the original Rockpalast release. OK, it may not be the same quality as Bonamassa at the Royal Albert, but the old Rockpalast version was like watching the concert through a pea soup listening to a transistor radio. In contrast the remastered "Skin It Back" is visually brighter and clearer, and the sound is full and well balanced. I turned the volume up and got right into the concert. My only criticism is some tape hiss, but that's nothing to worry about. The old Rockpalast version was so poor that you would never turn it up enough to hear the hiss.

So, all you Little Feat fans out there, this is a must buy DVD in my opinion. You will definitely appreciate why the "Waiting For Columbus" album released the following year in 1978 is regarded as one of the best live recordings ever.

Nigel.

[Isaac]

Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour

This Blu-ray disk looks and sounds amazing. Recorded in 1080/24p and audio in multiple variations, 2 channel and surround sound. If you are a fan of Shakira, this is the disk for you.

[bigburner]

Paul McCartney - "Good Evening New York City" (2009)

So why should you buy this one? What makes it different to Macca's other DVDs?

The main difference is that this DVD has been properly filmed. By that I mean it hasn't been ruined with interview segments between songs. Also the endless shots of adoring fans have been reduced to a bearable level.

The concert was recorded in July 2009 in front of nearly 110,000 people to celebrate the opening of the new Citi Field stadium in New York city.

The band is excellent and the PQ and SQ are of the high standard that you would expect from a Tier 1 musician. Macca looks great for a 68 year old man even if he is clearly very weary at the end of the 2 hour 30 minute concert (hell, I'd be too).

The set is a good mix of The Beatles, Wings, solo Paul and The Fireman. I only fast forwarded once (how many times can you listen to "Back In The USSR" in one lifetime?) and there were some new songs that don't appear on any other of his DVDs. One of The Fireman songs I'd never heard before (it was good too).

Here's the set list:

1. Intro
2. Drive My Car
3. Jet
4. Only Mama Knows
5. Flaming Pie
6. Got To Get You Into My Life
7. Let Me Roll It
8. Highway
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. My Love
11. Blackbird
12. Here Today
13. Dance Tonight
14. Calico Skies
15. Mrs Vandebilt
16. Eleanor Rigby
17. Sing The Changes
18. Band On The Run
19. Back In The USSR
20. I'm Down
21. Something
22. I've Got A Feeling
23. Paperback Writer
24. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
25. Let It Be
26. Live And Let Die
27. Hey Jude
28. Day Tripper
29. Lady Madonna
30. I Saw Her Standing There
31. Yesterday
32. Helter Skelter
33. Get Back
34. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

Buy this DVD if you've ever liked The Beatles. Paul is a living legend, he puts on a great show, and he won't be doing this forever.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Mick Fleetwood's Blues Band - "Blue Again" (2009)

This is a very good DVD. Mick Fleetwood's drumming is a particular highlight. Rick Vito's guitar - particularly slide - is another highlight. I had never seen Vito before this DVD. He is most accomplished. He played with Fleetwood Mac for a while in the 80s I think.

"Blues" is a bit of a misnomer for the DVD title and the band's name too because there's a fair amount of old fashioned rock'n'roll here, but it's a good blend, even if I did enjoy the blues songs more.

PQ is OK but not great, and SQ is very good but not excellent. I found the audio mix inconsistent - for example, Vito's guitar was way too low in one song. Perhaps that was the director's intention? I don't know.

Anyway, this concert definitely deserves more than one outing.

Nigel.

[Burke Strickland]

By that I mean it hasn't been ruined with interview segments between songs.

Amen! I hate it when a music video is chopped up that way. Especially when chapter divisions (scene selections) do not take you cleanly to the beginning of the next song so you can skip the interview segments and just hear/watch the entire concert performance of the song.

Even worse is when the song is truncated, and only serves as a lead-in to some boring recitation of trivia by the band members or of even less interest, by business associates, surviving family members or party scene hangers-on, whose memory of the event is fogged by excessive use of drugs or alcohol (either when the event being recounted occurred, or at the time the reminisce is filmed).

Seems like just about every other video since "The Last Waltz" has mimicked that tiresome pattern. Glad to know about one (by an artist whom I also have an interest in watching perform) that does not.

[bigburner]

Amen! I hate it when a music video is chopped up that way. Especially when chapter divisions (scene selections) do not take you cleanly to the beginning of the next song so you can skip the interview segments and just hear/watch the entire concert performance of the song.

Even worse is when the song is truncated, and only serves as a lead-in to some boring recitation of trivia by the band members or of even less interest, by business associates, surviving family members or party scene hangers-on, whose memory of the event is fogged by excessive use of drugs or alcohol (either when the event being recounted occurred, or at the time the reminisce is filmed).

Seems like just about every other video since "The Last Waltz" has mimicked that tiresome pattern. Glad to know about one (by an artist whom I also have an interest in watching perform) that does not.

That is exactly what happened when I watched this DVD the other day:

The Legends Of New Orleans - The Music of Fats Domino (2003)

Fats is a living legend and he doesn't need puff pieces inserted between songs to convince us that he's the real oil.

I waited over a year to get this DVD so this was quite a disappointment. I should have read the reviews on Amazon more closely. Whilst nearly every reviewer gave it 5 stars one of them did mention the inserts travesty.

Having said that it was good seeing Fats at age 73 belting out those great songs. He performed like a man 10 years younger.

Nigel.

[ShadowZA]

The Pretenders - "Live in London" (2010)[Blu-ray]

To me, Chrissie Hynde is the ultimate rock chic. Joining Chrissie on guitar & vocals are original drummer Martin Chambers on drums, Nick Wilson on bass, James Walbourne on guitar and Eric Heywood on pedal steel guitar. Comes in 1080p as an AVC encode, audio choices are PCM 2.0 or DTS-HDMA, the latter rocks when the volume is cranked up.

"Don't Get Me Wrong" & "I'll Stand By You", my favourite 2 Pretenders songs are present. "I'll Stand By You" & "Brass In Pocket" are categorized as bonus material though.

Three songs in to the set, Chrissie's eyeliner starts to run. To me, this adds to the amazing show. I love this disc & it's getting a whole lot of playtime right now.

[bigburner]

The Pretenders - "Live in London" (2010)[Blu-ray]

To me, Chrissie Hynde is the ultimate rock chic. Joining Chrissie on guitar & vocals are original drummer Martin Chambers on drums, Nick Wilson on bass, James Walbourne on guitar and Eric Heywood on pedal steel guitar. Comes in 1080p as an AVC encode, audio choices are PCM 2.0 or DTS-HDMA, the latter rocks when the volume is cranked up.

"Don't Get Me Wrong" & "I'll Stand By You", my favourite 2 Pretenders songs are present. "I'll Stand By You" & "Brass In Pocket" are categorized as bonus material though.

Three songs in to the set, Chrissie's eyeliner starts to run. To me, this adds to the amazing show. I love this disc & it's getting a whole lot of playtime right now.

Hmmm, that looks interesting ShadowZA. It's on my 'to get' list but there are 297 other titles on that list too!

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Sound Stage Presents Lyle Lovett: Live In Concert (2004)

I bought this DVD a year ago. After 2 tracks I put it back on the shelf because it was so awful.

Two weeks ago I saw Lyle Lovett in Byron Bay and loved his performance. So last Friday night I revisited the DVD. I can now thoroughly recommend it as long as you start at track 12 (or track 10 if you like Randy Newman, which I do). The first 8 tracks are songs from movies and it's a genre to which Lyle is ill-suited. He stands in front of a 29-piece orchestra and simply doesn't have the voice or personality to carry it off. From track 12 onwards he sings country and gospel with backing singers (and the orchestra too) and is right in his comfort zone. It's worth buying this DVD for the tracks "If I Had A Boat" and "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)" alone.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Tom Waits - "Austin City Limits 1978 December 05"

Tom Waits is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has a most unusual voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car".

I thoroughly enjoyed his eccentric performance on this DVD. The audience clearly weren't used to this sort of performance and giggled nervously throughout, demonstrating a lack of sophistication that you won't find in Austin audiences today I hope.

Waits is one of the great American songwriter poets, in the same league as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. If you are a collector of American music then this DVD will be an excellent addition to your collection.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Natalie Merchant - "VH1 Storytellers" (2005)

Natalie Merchant used to be the lead singer for a band called 10,000 Maniacs. These days she is a singer-songwriter who writes and delivers beautiful music, and this DVD captures that beautiful music beautifully. SQ and PQ are excellent, particularly the SQ. Usually I can't stand talking between tracks but on this DVD it fitted in very well. The title "Storytellers" warns you that you are going to receive an explanation of why each song was written, and I appreciated the explanations as did the sophisticated audience, which I would guess were New Yorkers.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Dave Mason - "Live at Sunrise" (2002)

Dave Mason was a founding member of the band Traffic which he quit in 1969 after arguing with Steve Winwood. He has played with Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. For a while in the 90s he played with Fleetwood Mac, so as you can see he's been around the traps and ain't no spring chicken.

This DVD came as a pleasant surprise because Mr Mason sings as well as he ever did, he plays guitar as well as he ever did (or even better - the concert is a guitar fest), the songs are great and the recording is excellent quality. What more could a man want? That's a rhetorical question by the way.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Carole King & James Taylor - "Live At The Troubadour" (2010)

What a wonderful DVD this is - great songs, great musicianship and great atmosphere. If you are a child of the 60s then you will love this intimate 2007 concert. Carole and James are both in fine form and fine voice too. The chemistry between the two is excellent.

The DVD comes as a bonus disc with the CD of the same name, so if you want to buy this one then look in the CD section.

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Thanks for the recommendation, I'm checking it out now!

[bigburner]

Chickenfoot – "Get Your Buzz On Live" (2010)

Chickenfoot is a modern day supergroup in the same mould as Them Crooked Vultures whom I reviewed a few weeks ago. The band comprises:

• Joe Satriani – Guitar/Vocals (solo guitar virtuoso)
• Sammy Hagar – Vocals/Guitar (Van Halen)
• Michael Anthony – Bass/Vocals (Van Halen)
• Chad Smith – Drums/Vocals (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Chickenfoot released their first album last year and it has sold amazingly well – about 750,000 copies I believe. This DVD features most of the songs from that album.

I went into this DVD with no expectations having never heard any of their songs. It didn’t take long for disappointment to set in.

The first thing I noticed was the PQ. It was supposed to be recorded in HD but it was grainy and washed out. The second thing I noticed was the SQ. All three tracks (DTS 5.1, DD 5.1, DD 2.0) sounded compressed to me, i.e. uniformly loud with no dynamic range. The third thing I noticed, and this took a while, was the quality of the songs. They basically all sounded the same, i.e. full-on rock with very few changes of tempo or quiet passages.

I can live with crappy PQ on a music DVD but average songs and compressed sound are a turn-off. In case you think I’m completely negative I did appreciate the musicianship of every band member, particularly Joe Satriani.

I’ve watched this DVD twice now. The first time I lasted about 40 minutes before taking it off and the second time another 40 minutes. As the DVD is over two hours long there’s still about 50 minutes I haven’t seen. Based on my first two viewings I may never see that last section.

Nigel.

[Alloroc]

I have not posted in this thread for such a long time. Amazingly that's because I've not spun a music DVD for such a long time.

Shame on me.....

However that was recitfied last weekend - late on Saturday night I stuck on one of my favourites....

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense. I've seen it a million times now and never tire of it.



I have the BD on preorder and can't wait for that....

[1oldguy]

http://www.amazon.com/Performing-This-Week-Ronnie-Blu-ray/dp/B001NP8PRG

[bigburner]

Camel - "Coming of Age" (2002)

What melodic, engaging, intelligent music! What excellent musicians!

I bought this DVD as a birthday present for a friend and decided to have a little look at it first (just to make sure the disc wasn't faulty you understand). I was expecting my interest to last about 10 minutes but two hours later I was still watching it.

Until three weeks ago I had never heard of Camel. They are a British progressive rock band that performed mainly during the 70s and 80s. This concert was recorded in 1997.

I wonder how many other amazing unknown bands are out there waiting for me?

Nigel.

PS. The DD 5.1 audio track was stunningly good. It sounded like a high quality studio recording. It made me wish I owned a 5.1 system because the music lent itself to surround sound.

[2gumby2]

Just put in The Weavers DVD-A. It's amazing how well recoded this was for its age.

[ShadowZA]

Dire Straits - "Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition)" [Blu-ray] (2010)

Today, in the midst of the Soccer World Cup excitement (which is at fever pitch here - with vuvuzela horns honking like sick cows everywhere :P ), I could not wait to take the wrapping off this "just-landed" Blu-ray disc and drown myself in nostalgia. Dire Straits was (is) my favourite band during my early 80's student days and this album was literally played to death especially for it's crackingly superb and lengthy, live version of "Sultans of Swing" demonstrating Mark Knopfler's amazing guitar work - the sound of which I crave and enjoy with total satisfaction still today.

Considering that this concert was filmed in 1983 on 16mm film at a time when even the best consumer video format (Laserdisc) had a smaller resolution than today's standard definition DVD, I am altogether satisfied with the video and surround sound mix on this Blu-Ray disc. Video encoding is 4:3 structured into a 16:9 format (1080p). PQ is grainy, noisy and it must be noted that the concert was filmed in low-light conditions. That is how it is - not a problem for me. AQ is superb, imho, considering the above. Choices are DTS-HD Master Audio and PCM uncompressed stereo - remixed by Chuch Ainlay - remastered by Mazen Murad.

Now, please excuse me while I go give this disc another spin ..... (I'll catch up with the soccer tomorrow) :T

[Chris D]

Thanks so much for the scoop! I'm also a fan, so I'll pick this one up as a blind purchase for sure.

BTW, you must be in heaven right now, with the World Cup, Shadow!

[ShadowZA]

Thanks so much for the scoop! I'm also a fan, so I'll pick this one up as a blind purchase for sure.

BTW, you must be in heaven right now, with the World Cup, Shadow!

You bet, Chris!

5 Matches have been played already (averaging 3 matches played per day). Have managed to catch all of them so far on TV. My daughter is keeping a score-card - the aim being to watch as many as possible. Cars are decorated in flags eveywhere. Flags are eveywhere. The festive sound of vuvuzela's is eveywhere. Folk who know nothing about soccer have been swept up in the fever. Public arena's are set up for those who can't get to the matches. Schools prepared themselves for an extra-long winter holiday and put on soccer themes. Every goal scored results in a cacophany of sound, excitement and color ... everywhere. It's madness. Fantastic madness!

Hope that you're doing ok, Chris. Hope that you might have a moment or two to enjoy a visual of some of the "buzzing" games.

[Chris D]

Dire Straits - "Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition)" [Blu-ray] (2010)

Shadow, I just ordered the disc from Amazon. For us Yanks, it isn't released until June 24th, apparently. Looking forward to it!

My compliments to South Africa. Such a wonderful time for the country, region, and continent.

[ShadowZA]

Thanks for your kind "ZA" words, Chris! You're spot on! This country is rockin'! :T

I ordered my disc from Amazon UK on 30 May. It arrived yesterday. I would have pre-ordered it but I needed to first read a few reviews to find out what the AQ was like. Methinks that I would have ordered it anyway as it's a must-have, imho.

[bigburner]

B.B. King – "Live at Montreux 1993" (2009)

I have never heard BB King play better than on this DVD. At times he is in a trance-like state, so focussed is he on playing his beloved Lucille. His guitar solo on “When It All Comes Down” was so good that I transcended into that state of musical shock & awe that I spend a reasonable proportion of my spare time searching for. That song comes very close to “Sweet Sixteen” off the “Live in Africa” DVD which is probably the best live piece of BB film that exists. Not a lot of music does this for me, in case you’re wondering.

At the very end of “When It All Comes Down” BB breaks his bottom (high) E string. Instead of changing guitar like every other guitarist would do he launches straight into the next song “Chains of Love” with 5 strings and replaces the broken string during the song. It takes him a while because his first attempt fails – and he needs to dial up a couple of solos from band members – but he finishes the job in time to play another stunning solo. I have never seen any guitarist do that before.

I mentioned the band, and what a cracker 8-piece band it is too. They are real pros. The band leader (and saxophonist) is BB’s nephew Walter Raleigh King who assists his uncle throughout the concert. For example, he did the initial threading of the new string for BB. There is only one white guy in the band – the bass player – but he is very good and is rewarded by being given a couple of extended solos.

BB was 67 years old when this concert was recorded. He is standing for the first half of the concert and is seated for the second half. His energy level is high and he clearly relishes the appreciative and respectful Montreux audience. Unlike American and British audiences the Montreux audience doesn’t make a noise all the way through the performance. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was watching a concert where the audience doesn’t talk amongst themselves or yell out requesting songs (why do idiots do that?). Did I mention that I’m the founder and current president of the Shut The F&ck Up At Concerts movement?

Although this DVD was filmed in 1993 the picture quality is outstanding. It looks like a 2010 production. This has allowed them to release this concert on Blu-ray too. The audio quality is very good, with a rich sound and all the instruments clearly defined. It is also beautifully filmed with none of the vomit-inducing rapid changes so favoured by directors who never watch music DVDs themselves.

As this DVD was released quite recently (in 2009) it makes you wonder how many other treasures are out there waiting for the right moment to be released for obsessionalists like me.

If you love the Blues then buy this DVD. If I was equipped with Blu-ray gear I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute buying the Blu-ray version.

Nigel.

[ShadowZA]

Mylène Farmer - "Stade de France" [Blu-ray] (2010)

This was a difficult blu-ray to get hold of. It is a rare limited edition and expensive but I was lucky to be able to score one of only two that were in stock at an Amazon UK reseller at the time of ordering. It must be noted that this blu-ray disc is region-free, but it is recorded in PAL. So, it should play on a BD player made for the US which has a PAL->NTSC converter.

This show was recorded on 12 September 2009 (Mylène's 48th birthday) and is fantastic. Both PQ & AQ are worth 5 stars, imho, the subsonics from the DTS-HD Master Audio track keeping my sub continuously occupied.

The details:

MYLÈNE FARMER Stade De France (2010 French exclusive limited edition 2-disc All Region PAL Blu-Ray set, capturing the celebrated singer live at the Stade de France, Paris, on 12th September 2009, plus bonus disc featuring behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, extensive photo gallery and more; presented in sealed & stickered hardback card slipcase, approx total running time 4 hours).

Tracklisting:

Disc 1
1. Avant la lumière
2. D'entre les morts
3. Paradis inanimé
4. L'Âme-stram-gram
5. Je m'ennuie
6. Outro Haka Je m'ennuie
7. Appelle mon numéro
8. XXL
9. California
10. Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
11. Point de Suture
12. Nous souviendrons-nous
13. Rêver
14. Laisse le vent emporter tout
15. Ainsi soit je...
16. Interlude Avant que l'ombre...
17. Libertine
18. Sans contrefaçon
19. L'Instant X
20. F*ck Them All
21. Dégénération
22. C'est dans l'air
23. Désenchantée

Disc 2
1. Ecorchée vive - Création des costumes, interview with Jean-Paul Gaultier — 11:20
2. Body Art - Préparation physique, interview with Hervé Lewis — 4:33
3. Le rayon vert - Création des lumières, interview with Dimitri Vassiliu — 10:13
4. Derrière les fenêtres - Création des images de scène, interview with Alain Escalle — 14:18
5. L'espirit du pas - Chorégraphies et danseurs, interview with Christophe Danchaud and Nataly Aveillan — 24:10
6. Ondes de choc - Musique et son, interview with Yvan Cassar, Stéphane Plission, 7. Jérôme Devoise and Karen Nimereala — 19:24
8. Time laps - Les coulisses du Stade de France — 12:00



Catch a preview glimpse here:

http://www.mylenefarmer-stadedefrance.com/

[bigburner]

Jeff Beck - "Emotion & Commotion" bonus DVD (2010)

The deluxe two disc release of Jeff Beck's latest CD "Emotion & Commotion" includes a bonus DVD that features 6 songs from the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival.

I have already reviewed the CD elsewhere on this forum and I rate it very highly. This bonus DVD, although only 30 minutes long, is fantastic and makes it really worthwhile buying the deluxe version.

If you've watched the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD you will know how good the audio and picture are. You will also know that the two Jeff Beck songs on that double disc DVD are close to being the highlight of the whole concert.

I listened to the 2-channel LPCM track on the DVD which is recorded at 1536 Kbps, 48.0 KHz. It is reference quality.

If you don't know Jeff Beck very well and are thinking about dipping your toe into his work then the deluxe version of "Emotion & Commotion" is a perfect buy. The CD is probably the most accessible album Jeff Beck has released and to get 6 songs from the Crossroads 2007 concert is a gift from heaven.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Louis Armstrong - "Good Evening Ev'rybody" (2010)

This wonderful DVD captures Louis Armstrong’s 70th birthday party at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival. The DVD includes extensive live concert footage as well as interview material with Louis and insightful commentary on the various musicians by Louis as well.

George Wein, the creator of the Newport Jazz Festival, organised the birthday party and arranged to have it professionally filmed, so the quality of the film is excellent. The sound quality is also very good. The film was never released and the material on this DVD has never been seen before as far as I am aware.

George Wein lined up some serious guests for the party including Mahalia Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett, Wild Bill Davison, Ray Nance and Jimmy Owens. Mahalia Jackson’s singing of “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” was stunning and just one of many highlights.

Music documentaries don’t get much better than this. I don’t listen to much jazz but that doesn’t matter. The music is wonderful, the film is beautifully made, and that’s all that counts.

If you see this in your local DVD shop then snap it up quickly. You will get 90 minutes of top entertainment.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Bonus DVDs

Some of the best DVDs I have watched over the past few months have been the bonus DVDs that accompany CDs. Here are two examples.

Crowded House – “Intriguer” bonus DVD (2010)

“Intriguer” is Crowded House’s most recent album. The CD didn’t make a huge impression on me – solid songs but no real standouts – but the bonus DVD definitely made a big impression on me.

The DVD has 3 sections:

Section 1. The bulk of the DVD shows Crowded House performing 8 of the 10 songs from their CD live in the studio in Neil Finn’s home. Everything about this recording is excellent. The song versions on the DVD are better than those on the CD in my opinion – more vibrant. The production values – sound, picture and filming – are all excellent too. This is a recording for musicians. There is no unnecessary crap. For those of you who know the bonus DVD that accompanies Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky” CD, this Crowded House bonus DVD is very similar to that one. What a coincidence I thought. Then I read that the producer of “Intriguer” is the same guy who produced Wilco’s last two albums. I think there’s a Neil Finn / Jeff Tweedy love affair going on there.

Section 2. This shows Crowded House performing 2 songs from their CD live in the Auckland Town Hall. The lighting and stage show behind the band (a male and a female flamenco dancer) are very well done.

Section 3. This is the music video distributed to TV stations for playing on the air. It’s interesting but a one-time watch only.

If it wasn’t for the bonus DVD I wouldn’t have bought the CD.

Luther Allison – “Songs from the Road” bonus DVD (2010)

This DVD captures Luther Allison's last recorded performance, filmed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on 4 July 1997. A week later he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and four weeks after that he died aged 57. If you can see that Luther is only five weeks away from dying of a debilitating disease then you are a very observant person. He put on a blisteringly high-energy performance that held my attention for the full 60 minutes.

For those of you who don’t know Luther Allison’s work, he is an electric blues guitarist and singer influenced by B.B King, Freddie King and Elmore James. I wouldn’t describe him as a virtuoso guitarist but he’s pretty handy. Throughout his career he was known for his high energy shows, which frequently included performing for three hours non-stop.

The picture quality, sound quality and filming on this DVD are all of a high standard.

The DVD has an extras section that includes an extended interview with Luther. I learnt some interesting things about him and other musicians from that interview. It was also interesting to note that Luther always refers to himself in the third person.

Nigel.

PS. Remember, if you want to buy either of these DVDs, then look in the CD section.

[bigburner]

Robert Plant - "Dreamland" bonus DVD (2002)

I have just finished watching this DVD. It's an excellent one hour concert recorded at Austin City Limits in front of an adoring audience. Unfortunately the sound quality is patchy, which probably explains why it's a bonus DVD and not a full release DVD. I can only presume that there were some technical issues on the night. The audio on some tracks seems to phase in and out, like it's being played through a Leslie speaker*. On "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" - the song made famous by Led Zep - the drums sound like they're in the next room.

Will the dodgy audio stop me from watching this DVD again? Absolutely not. It's a fabulous performance and it's the music that counts.

Nigel.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_speaker

[bigburner]

Philip Sayce – "Innerevolution" Limited Edition (bonus DVD) (2010)

Is anyone else out there looking for the new Joe Bonamassa? How about just another guitar hero who stands out from the crowd? If you are then Philip Sayce could be just what you're looking for. He's definitely the most exciting discovery that I've made in the last month or two.

The bonus DVD that comes with this CD has only four songs on it lasting about 25 minutes in total but it gives you a really good idea what this chap can do – and he can do a lot.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Runnin' Down A Dream" (2007)

This is an excellent DVD of a concert recorded in Gainesville, Florida in 2006 to commemorate Tom Petty's thirtieth anniversary in music. Gainesville is Tom's home town and his commitment to the concert is evident from the opening bars. Tom and his top band play all the old favourites plus a few from the Wilburys catalogue plus a couple of songs from his very good 2006 CD "Highway Companion". Stevie Nicks guests for a couple of songs, and she does a great job. The SQ and PQ on the DVD are both top notch.

The concert is disc 3 of a four disc box set. The first two discs are a Peter Bogdanovich directed documentary DVD about Tom's life and career. Disc 4 is a CD of previously unreleased songs. I've only watched the disc 3 concert so far, which is not surprising since that's why I acquired this rather expensive package. All of the reviews I have read indicate that the documentary is excellent too so that's something to look forward to.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Leonard Cohen - "Songs From The Road" (2010)

This is another superb concert DVD. It is a collection of songs from Cohen's 2008/09 world tour.

As this is the same tour from which his excellent 2009 "Live In London" DVD was recorded, why would anyone want to buy this DVD?

Pros

* It's in 16:9 aspect. For some unknown reason "Live in London" was released in 4:3.
* Cohen was presumably able to select which songs he wanted. For me this DVD is darker, more poetic and more intense than the London concert.
* There is very little overlap in songs between this one and "Live in London", which is a testament to Cohen's substantial catalogue.
* The sound and picture quality are very good.

Cons

* Good concerts have a life of their own. It's hard to enjoy the benefits of continuity when you're chopping and changing between venues.
* There is a small variation in picture quality between venues.

If you like Leonard Cohen then buy this DVD. When it finished I was in awe of the man (again).

Nigel.

[Johnloudb]

Nigel, Thanks for that critique! That Cohen DVD sounds like something I'd really enjoy.

[bigburner]

Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt & Joe Ely - "Songwriters Circle" (2010)

You can't buy this one unfortunately but it is readily available through the not-for-sale-network. It is a wonderful concert that is well worth tracking down. The quality is remarkably good because it has been recorded well.

Lyle Lovett is fabulous. As much as I like Joe Ely he is not in the same league as Lyle and John Hiatt - in terms of both song writing and musicianship - and it shows.

Source: DVB-T > TV Card > Mpeg - Hard Drive > TMPGEnc DVD Authoring Works 4 > Video TS
Video: MPEG2 PAL 16:9 (720x576) VBR, Auto Letterboxed 25.00fps 3370kbps
Audio: MPEG Audio 48000Hz stereo 256kbps (MPEG1, 2 ch)

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Dire Straits - "Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition)" [Blu-ray] (2010)

Today, in the midst of the Soccer World Cup excitement (which is at fever pitch here - with vuvuzela horns honking like sick cows everywhere :P ), I could not wait to take the wrapping off this "just-landed" Blu-ray disc and drown myself in nostalgia. Dire Straits was (is) my favourite band during my early 80's student days and this album was literally played to death especially for it's crackingly superb and lengthy, live version of "Sultans of Swing" demonstrating Mark Knopfler's amazing guitar work - the sound of which I crave and enjoy with total satisfaction still today.

Considering that this concert was filmed in 1983 on 16mm film at a time when even the best consumer video format (Laserdisc) had a smaller resolution than today's standard definition DVD, I am altogether satisfied with the video and surround sound mix on this Blu-Ray disc. Video encoding is 4:3 structured into a 16:9 format (1080p). PQ is grainy, noisy and it must be noted that the concert was filmed in low-light conditions. That is how it is - not a problem for me. AQ is superb, imho, considering the above. Choices are DTS-HD Master Audio and PCM uncompressed stereo - remixed by Chuch Ainlay - remastered by Mazen Murad.

Now, please excuse me while I go give this disc another spin ..... (I'll catch up with the soccer tomorrow) :T

I've had this one sitting around my room for several months now, and finally got around to watching it. Wow! Fantastic show. Would only be better if it had been filmed in HD to begin with. I agree with Shadow, the intense jam session on "Sultans of Swing" is not to be missed. :T:T:T:T:T

[Burke Strickland]

Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock



Can't mistake this for something recorded last week! (Actually that's a compliment. I'm glad the producers resisted the urge to "digitally enhance" the concert footage.)

Imitators have had 40 years to try, but there will never be another show quite like Woodstock, and no act quite like Jimi Hendrix.

[bigburner]

Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Session (2010)

“It’s been a magic day”. That’s the comment made by the narrator at the end of this DVD and I have to agree. If you are a lover of the blues, in particular electric blues, then this is a must-have DVD.

The DVD captures a studio recording session on 6 December 1983 of the legendary blues guitarist Albert King accompanied by a young Stevie Ray Vaughan. They play a mix of songs made famous by both men. They are supported by an electric bass player who sits to the far left of them and a drummer who sits in an adjacent glass walled sound room.

The interaction between the two men is charming. The older Albert King is clearly impressed by his young protégé and Stevie Ray Vaughan is clearly respectful of his older mentor. There’s obvious affection and mutual respect between the two of them. This friendly atmosphere and the low key setting make for some excellent guitar work from both men. I watch a lot of music DVDs and this sort of interaction is rare.

The CD of this recording has been available since 1983 but the video was only released on DVD a few weeks ago. The collaboration between these two guitarists was originally broadcast live on Canadian television in a truncated form in order to accommodate advertisements.

The sound quality on the DVD is pretty good. It should be because it was recorded in a studio. The audio is presented on the DVD as 224 Kbps, 48.0 KHz, 2-channel, AC-3. The 4:3 picture is what you would expect from a 1983 television broadcast, i.e. it is acceptable but far from hi-def.

Blues enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for this DVD. It will be Christmas soon so go and buy yourself a small treat. You deserve it!

Nigel.

[Johnloudb]

It Might Get Loud

This is mostly a recommendation from my dad. He's really been enjoying this Blu-ray disc called "It might get loud." It is a documentary movie featuring three top guitarists Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge (David Evans).

My dad was particularly impressed with Jack White - his personality as well as his guitar playing. I've enjoyed listing in the room above our listening room when my dad has watched it. I should really check it out, and will soon.



I also purchased the "The White Stripes: Under the White Northern Lights" after looking up this Jack White, who plays guitar for the band. Can't comment since I haven't seen it yet - bought it on the recommendation of amazon.com reviews.

[bigburner]

Eric Clapton – “Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010” (2010)

If I was a school teacher I would write “has great potential but could do better” on the report card for this 2-disc DVD.

Reviewing so many artists and so many songs (40 to be precise) is too hard and would take too much space so here are some brief notes in random order…

Eric Clapton introduces Sonny Landreth as “my hero” which may explain why his new hairstyle is similar to Sonny’s (see photo below). I didn’t mind their haircuts because their collaboration on ‘Promised Land’ and Sonny’s solo song were possibly the highlights of the DVD.

ZZ Top is not a band that I would usually make an effort to see but their two songs sizzled.

Robert Cray is a man I would always make an effort to see but he spends so much time mothering a very elderly Hubert Sumlin and a very ordinary Jimmie Vaughan that you barely get to hear him play.

Doyle Bramhall II’s choice of songs was horrendous. They sounded like bad grunge. I couldn’t wait for both of them to end. The guitarist in his band Gary Clark Jr then played a great song which completely upstaged DBII (unintentionally).

Joe Bonamassa is a star but he gets about two minutes of soloing in total. Given the number of weak performances on this DVD his absence is a travesty.

Albert Lee is another guitarist that I rate highly but he too gets minimal air time and not a single solo as far as I can remember.

Buddy Guy is one of my all-time favourite guitarists but you barely get to hear anything from him. When he is on stage the limelight is hogged by Ron Wood (from the Rolling Stones) who is a beginner compared to Buddy. Just when Buddy looked ready to play a solo he broke a string and the song ended.

It was interesting hearing Earl Klugh but his jazz sensibilities seemed somewhat incongruous with Crossroads.

Bert Jansch’s participation was also incongruous but for different reasons; his set was just too low key.

I just can’t take John Mayer. I think he is hugely overrated. His bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan were fantastic.

Warren Haynes played along with a number of artists and shone every time. He is a most underrated guitarist.

Husband & wife team Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi are such accomplished musicians. It is always a pleasure listening to them either separately or together. They got a fair amount of air time on this DVD and thoroughly deserved it.

The Eric Clapton / Steve Winwood set underwhelmed me. It’s not that their playing was bad. They just didn’t have the same spark that they had at Crossroads 2007 where their set was an absolute highlight. A similar comment applies to Jeff Beck.

Tears welled up in my eyes when BB King came on in a wheelchair to play the final song ‘The Thrill Is Gone’. It is clear to me that BB probably won’t be playing for us much longer. I am due to see him at Byron Bay next Easter but it will be a miracle if he makes it there.

As usual the sound and picture quality on this DVD are superb, as is the camera work.

I don’t think that Eric will do another Crossroads. Compared to Crossroads 2004 and Crossroads 2007 this one just wasn’t in the same league. If he does another one I predict it will have a different format and some new guests. Some of my friends think he should do the next one in England. Time will tell.

Forgive my curmudgeonliness folks. Some of the best musicians in the world gather and make wonderful music together, and I criticise them. Where will it all end?

Nigel.

[Chris D]

John, "You Might Get Loud" really is a good one. We talked about it quite a bit in another thread here. It's on my Amazon wish list for sure.

Yesterday, I watched this one:



I'm a big U2 fan, and they're my favorite group, so I have almost all their video discs. This one is very good quality, including DTS-MA sound. Good performance, and certain parts really had me overwhelmed emotionally, like the start of "Streets" and "One". Man, they have some good works. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see this tour--the last (and only one) actually that I've been able to see live was "Elevation". Maybe I'll get a chance to attend this next one around, though.

I don't know that any of these U2 videos are really quantumly better than the others, other than Rattle and Hum, IMHO. But I still enjoy them.

[ShadowZA]

...
I'm a big U2 fan, and they're my favorite group, ...

Chris, this is their biggest show to date. Although I prefer their older tunes, I've tried to keep up with their latest stuff. I have tickets to see U2's 360º concert here in Cape Town on Feb 18, 2011. Will be my first U2 concert - In 1998 U2 were here on their Popmart tour. I missed this as my wife was heavily pregnant at the time. We actually drove to a spot close to the stadium & listened for a while just to take in some of the songs.

You'll be in my thoughts come Feb 18, Chris.

[Chris D]

Sweeeeeeeet.... color me jealous.

[bigburner]

I haven't posted in this thread for a while but I have been watching lots of music DVDs...

...and the best DVD for a while is this one:

Jeff Beck - "Rock'n'Roll Party Honoring Les Paul" (2011)

It features wonderful old songs given a modern treatment by a band that includes arguably the best electric guitarist alive today supported by one of the best female vocalists - Imelda May.

George, (if you are reading this), how many of these songs do you know?

1 Baby Let's Play House
2 Double Talkin’ Baby
3 Cruisin’
4 Train Kept a Rollin’
5 Poor Boy
6 Cry Me a River
7 My Baby Left Me
8 How High the Moon
9 Sitting On Top of the World
10 Bye Bye Blues
11 The World is Waiting for the Sunrise
12 Vaya Con Dios
13 Mockin’ Bird Hill
14 I'm a Fool To Care
15 Tiger Rag
16 Peter Gunn
17 Rocking is Our Business
18 Apache
19 Sleep Walk
20 New Orleans
21 Walking In the Sand
22 Please Mr Jailer
23 Casting My Spell On You
24 Twenty Flight Rock
25 The Girl Can’t Help It
26 Rock Around the Clock
27 Shake, Rattle & Roll

Don't be put off by Jeff's strange clothes!

Nigel.

[Johnloudb]

Looks interesting Nigel; may get that one. Is that mostly 50's rock? I like the song "Please Mr. Jailer" but can't say I know much of the music there. Not familiar with Les Paul but wikipedia says he invented the electric guitar and did the Less Paul show in the 1950's and more ...