What music DVD are you currently enjoying

[bigburner]

Tell you what, if Ireland play and beat the kiwis in September, it's yours!

Looks like I'll be buying it then.

We're playing the Aussies in four hours time, in Auckland. I'm feeling a bit nervous about it to tell you the truth. Anyone who thinks that this Aussie team is a bunch of hasbeens is in for a nasty surprise.

[bigburner]

Mountain Stage - An Evening With Buddy Guy, The Holmes Brothers And Pinetop Perkins (DVD - 2006)

Finding guitarist Buddy Guy anywhere on DVD is as rare as hen's teeth so it was a real treat to get 40 minutes of him in this made-for-TV concert recorded in 2001.

I enjoyed old Pinetop Perkins (piano/vocals) too.

[wkhanna]

Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser

From Netflix; great look at the artist before he became lost the rest of us.
You could almost say he was the Vincent van Gogh of Jazz. Credit to his wife, who unconditionally devoted her life to keeping him able to compose and perform for as long as he did. A wonderful and bittersweet look at the price genius can extract from mere mortals as they transcend to true gods.

BTW, produced by Clint Eastwood.

[bigburner]

Freddie is the king!

Freddie King - Live at the Sugarbowl: Sept. 22, 1972

If Freddie King isn't just about the best electric blues guitarist who ever lived then you can call me Aunt Gladys.

This is my second Freddie King DVD and there are only two more to buy. The sound quality on this DVD isn't bad considering it's 1972. There are a few moments of inattention from the guy on the sound desk (stoking his chillum possibly) but the tone on Freddie's lovely Gibson 355 is captured well and the mixing is generally good.

Freddie died in 1976 aged just 42, which is such a shame. If he was alive today he'd be Eric Clapton's first guest at Crossroads. Just read the tribute to him on the cover of the DVD.

If you appreciate electric blues guitar, then a Freddie King CD or DVD is an essential addition to your collection.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

I must whole heartedly agree, Freddie King does electric blues with the best of them.

[Thelonious Funk]

I'm very happy to say that both of these are terrific.

[wkhanna]

T-Funk!
Your back!
I have missed your wonderful and insightful contributions.
Please stop back more often!

[bigburner]

Welcome back Eric.

I've watched Crossroads 2007 three times now and I agree that it's terrific. I've posted a review of the DVD here: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=25400

Nigel.

[PewterTA]

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Radio City Music Hall.

I know this isn't a "DVD" of sorts, but it's available in DVD format. I have to say the PCM audio track on this absolutely blew me away. I watched the entire thing start to finish and don't think I moved. The picture on this thing is pretty darn good to. If you like an "intimate" type of setting with two people playing guitars (Tim Reynolds is amazing) and can stand a lot of Dave Matthews music. This is a must pick up.

[bigburner]

Eric Bibb - Live at the Basement

Eric Bibb sings his own compositions and plays acoustic guitar (with pickups). Dave Bronze plays electric bass. Together they make lovely music, on this occasion at Sydney's Basement night club. I was enchanted and uplifted by the well crafted and meaningful songs.

Some of you will know Dave Bronze from other DVDs like "Concert for George" and Eric Clapton's "Live in Hyde Park" where he also plays his 5-string electric bass.

This is a fine DVD which I picked up in Melbourne last week at Basement Discs (no connection with the night club). I hope you Melbournites support Basement Discs because it's a great music shop.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

I was at a wine tasting in the Mornington Peninsula (Australia) recently. At one tasting one of my friends said “this Pinot tastes better than the last one”. Another friend in our group, who owns a winery, said “better isn’t relevant – they both have their good points and it’s more important to compare and contrast the wines.”

I completely understand his point of view and suggest that the same applies to music and probably hi-fi equipment too…

…which brings me to the David Gilmour “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” DVD.

I watched this DVD after work for the first time this evening. After about half an hour I took it off because it wasn’t giving me the lift that I wanted.

The DVD starts with two songs from the “Dark Side of the Moon” album, which made me wonder whether it was a re-release of the “Pulse” DVD. David Gilmour then launched into songs from his last CD “On An Island”.

Now some of the songs from “On An Island” are so mellow that they’re almost Smooth Jazz (God forbid). That sort of music is OK for late night listening, but not when I’m wide awake and looking for action.

So I took David Gilmour off and put on Disc 2 from the “Crossroads 2007” DVD.

What a fantastic concert! This was the fourth time I’ve watched this DVD and it’s been a wonderful experience each time. I see new things each time.

Like wine tasting, finding the best guitarist isn’t relevant. They all have their good points and it’s more important to compare and contrast the guitarists than determine who is best…

…which brings me to David Gilmour and a guitarist such as Derek Trucks on the “Crossroads 2007” DVD.

David Gilmour is a legend from his days with Pink Floyd so of course is beyond criticism. On the other hand Derek is a relative new boy. How could Derek Trucks be mentioned in the same sentence as David Gilmour?

The answer can be found by putting on the David Gilmour “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” DVD and then replacing it after half an hour with Disc 2 from “Crossroads 2007”.

Long before Derek Trucks even appears you will have been so amazed by John Mayer and Jeff Beck that you will have completely forgotten why you changed discs. When Derek , Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Doyle Bramhall II and company have finished their set you will have completely forgotten that the David Gilmour “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” DVD ever existed...

...until you remember it and put it on before you go to bed (and probably thoroughly enjoy it).

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

Great insight, Bigburner!

It is sort of like having two, three or six versions of the same classical work by different orchestras and conductors. One may not necessarily be ‘better’ than the other, but display either minor nuances of interpretation, etc., or major differences in things such as the hall acoustics, recording quality or ‘feeling’ delivered by the performance, and so on.

[Chris D]

Just got this for my birthday, have been listening in multichannel SACD:

[wkhanna]

Well.....then a 'Happy Birthday' is in order for you, our good and great friend! arty:

[Chris D]

ah, whoops! Realized I posted this in the "music DVD" thread, and not "CD" thread.

Oh, well... where are ya gonna put a multichannel SACD, anyway?

Thanks for the b-day wishes!

[bigburner]

And now something from the Really Obscure Department...


Robin Trower - "Victims Of The Fury Live 1980 London DVD"

This is a rare live recording of a show from Robin Trower's 1980 "Victims Of The Fury" tour. It features Robin Trower, James Dewar and Bill Lordan.

The concert includes older numbers such as Bridge Of Sighs, Day Of The Eagle, Too Rolling Stoned, Daydream, plus rarer tracks such as Hannah, The Shout and Victims Of the Fury.

It looks like a homemade DVD with menus and may originally have been a VHS or boot release.

Fortunately it's not available in hi rez, hi def or hi anything else.

Strictly for the enthusiast.

Nigel.

[ShadowZA]

Diana Krall - Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival (2004)

I received this as a present from my bud in Abbotsford, Canada. Accompanying Diana are Anthony Wilson on guitar, Robert Hurst on bass and Peter Erskine on drums. A superb show this is, in my opinion. The improvisations that Diana & Anthony create are simply awesome. :T

[bigburner]

Crowded House - "Farewell to the World Live"

As the titles suggests, this 1996 concert is the last time that Crowded House performed before they split up, and what a concert it is!

The venue is the plaza outside the Sydney Opera House, the audience numbers about 120,000 people, and it's a warm Sydney evening under a full moon. I've got a lot of concert DVDs but I don't think I've ever seen a more enthusiast crowd than this one. The concert was broadcast live across Australia and New Zealand.

As you would expect the band plays all of the old favourites. The sound quality and picture quality on the DVD are both excellent.

Being their final performance, this concert has real meaning. It's not just musicians going through the motions. Real meaning differentiates excellent concerts from ones that are just good.

Paul Hester - the drummer in the band - committed suicide a few years ago. It was really interesting watching his interaction with frontman and songwriter Neil Finn. It's pretty clear that they have a love/hate relationship.

Older brother Tim Finn makes an appearance for one song, which leads to an amusing moment. The two Finns are having a bit of trouble getting their guitars in tune until Neil leans over and tweaks Tim's guitar for him. There's nothing like being shown up by your younger brother in front of millions of people!

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Frank Zappa: Apostrophe / Over-Nite Sensation (2007)

A little bit of heaven here on Earth...

Here's a review from Amazon.com:

History will show that Frank Zappa (1940-1993) was one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century in any musical form, and this superb episode of the Classic Albums series offers ample proof of Zappa's genius. As Zappa's reverent son and musical heir Dweezil Zappa rightly points out, Over-Nite Sensation (1973) and Apostrophe (') (1974) are the albums that epitomize Zappa's masterful jazz/rock fusion, virtually defining a unique musical genre that can only be called "Zappa." The recording of both albums is chronicled here not simply because they best represent the dazzling complexity of Zappa's music, but also because they were recorded simultaneously in a burst of creativity, proving beyond any doubt that Zappa was more than simply a mischievous provocateur. While the world may know Zappa from his mainstream novelty hit "Valley Girl" (with daughter Moon on vocals), any devoted Zappaphile will tell you that this is the real Zappa, in full musical bloom, working miracles in the studio with The Mothers of Invention and a stellar variety of topnotch musicians who cite their time with Zappa as the most rewarding period of their careers.

The Classic Albums series strives to be definitive, and this must-have DVD is fully authorized in the scope of its coverage. With complete cooperation and participation from the remaining Zappa family (sons Dweezil and Ahmet, daughter Moon, and widow Gail are all extensively interviewed) and additional interviews with Billy Bob Thornton, Alice Cooper, guitarist Steve Vai, veteran Rolling Stone critic David Fricke, and many of Zappa's closest associates and collaborators, this 97-minute documentary is packed with highlights and fascinating revelations, like the pristine precision of Zappa's hand-written compositions, Zappa's childhood fascination with the compositions of Edgard Varèse, and his diligent, prolific, and disciplined, drug-free approach to recording and touring. Zappa's studio process is amazingly revealed when Dweezil and Zappa "Vaultmeister" Joe Travers sit down at a mixing table to analyze the master tapes of classic Zappa tracks like the hilariously controversial "Dyna-Moe Humm." In addition to vintage archival clips of Zappa discussing his music and career, and home movies of Zappa's band on tour during the mid-1970s, this DVD also includes the complete video of Zappa performing "I'm the Slime" on Saturday Night Live in 1976, live footage of a 1973 performance of "Montana," and a new performance of "Camarillo Brillo" by Dweezil's tribute band, Zappa Plays Zappa (with Dweezil playing one of his father's favorite Gibson guitars). Bonus features also include a Travers-hosted trip into the massive Zappa archives, and further deconstruction of Zappa tracks "Dirty Love" and "Nanook Rubs It." If you're a casual Zappa fan, this DVD will turn you into a passionate convert. For those who've loved Zappa all along, it's a little bit of heaven here on Earth. --Jeff Shannon

[KRC]

Roger Hodgson (co-founder of Supertramp) - Take The Long Way Home, live in Montreal. It is an excellent recording.

Kevin

[Denton]

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Live From Gatorville"

[bigburner]

Dusty Springfield - "Her Very Best"

Dusty was a 1960s English female vocalist who was born way before her time. She had a powerful, raunchy voice that made many listeners think that she was black. This DVD is a collection of 17 songs taken from various television programs.

I bought this DVD for my wife who loves Dusty. We watched it together on the evening of Valentine's Day. I even enjoyed the lip synched numbers because the songs are so good.

A highlight of the DVD was a live duet with Engelbert Humperdinck where they sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Male/female duets are notoriously difficult to arrange and deliver, but those two really nailed that song.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Re-evaluating My Value System

Last night I watched John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers – “Jammin' With the Blues Greats” at a friend’s place. Mick Taylor, Albert King, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were all stunningly good – in fact the best performances I’ve seen from all four of them.

So why am I re-evaluating my value system? Because I’ve had this DVD in my Wish List at Amazon for well over a year and I haven’t pressed the buy button. This DVD costs $9.98. I spend twice that amount on a bottle of wine without thinking. I give my kids that sort of money all the time to buy whatever teenagers buy. I spend ten times that amount at the supermarket every week without batting an eyelid. Yet I didn’t press the button to buy a slice of musical genius for $9.98. That’s worrying.

Reeling from the shock of that oversight I was further shocked when we then watched Lucinda Williams – “Live from Austin, TX”.

Why? Because I had decided that I don’t like Lucinda Williams but I was so wrong. I didn’t enjoy her latest album “West” and I’ve never really liked her widely acclaimed album “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”. Well this DVD is a wonderful concert full of great songs including many songs from the Car Wheels album. Lucinda is as focussed as any artist I’ve ever seen (she didn’t acknowledge anyone in the band for eight songs) and her band is as tight and talented as any backing band you’ll ever hear. How wrong could I be?

We live and learn I guess.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Nigel,

Could it be that the bottle of wine helped?

[David Meek]

…which brings me to the David Gilmour “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” DVD.

I watched this DVD after work for the first time this evening. After about half an hour I took it off because it wasn’t giving me the lift that I wanted.

The DVD starts with two songs from the “Dark Side of the Moon” album, which made me wonder whether it was a re-release of the “Pulse” DVD. David Gilmour then launched into songs from his last CD “On An Island”.

Now some of the songs from “On An Island” are so mellow that they’re almost Smooth Jazz (God forbid). That sort of music is OK for late night listening, but not when I’m wide awake and looking for action.

So I took David Gilmour off

Nigel, that's just when things start getting good. Mr. Gilmour moves into material from Wish You Were Here and The Division Bell along with a few songs with guest artists. I haven't seen the first 30-45 minutes of the performance as I keep catching it in progress on the HDNet channel from my satellite dish. I did order the DVD and I hope it gets here tomorrow or Tuesday.

Now, I'm an admitted Pink Floyd fan-boy and to be able to watch David Gilmour just sit (or stand) and play simply enthralls me. He looks like an older accountant or shop-keeper - who'd know the extent of the talent hiding behind that facade! Also, each time I've caught this on TV it's been late in the evening when I was ready to settle down and groove with some "old friends" like these songs. :T

Give the DVD another shot, skip the first parts that don't hold your interest and see if the latter portion works better for you.

[bigburner]

Nigel,

Could it be that the bottle of wine helped?

Yes it did help Eric. A couple of bevvies usually puts me in a receptive mood for music.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Give the DVD another shot, skip the first parts that don't hold your interest and see if the latter portion works better for you.

I wrote that post on 18 December so I've had a chance to watch the whole DVD again (without any fast forwarding). I enjoyed it. However I think his earlier DVD "David Gilmour in Concert" (2002) is possibly the better concert because of its more intimate setting.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

My wife went to have drinks with her girlfriends earlier this evening so I had time to watch two DVDs - some jazz rock fusion with "Does Humor Belong in Music?" - Frank Zappa (1991) and 18 blues tracks from different artists on "Best of Blues - Live USA". Both were very worthwhile.

Quote of the evening:

Interviewer: "Many people believe that with your musical skills you would have been a great commercial success".

Frank Zappa: "Why would I want to live with a small nose and a single black glove?"

Nigel.

[gimpy]

Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou Harris "Real Live Roadrunning". It is a dvd/cd set.

Frank

[H.T.C]

Nazareth "homecoming" live.

contemplating getting "deep purple live in switzerland"

[bigburner]

A couple of Alberts

I've got a hankering for the blues at the moment so I watched two blues artists earlier this evening. Both are Alberts and both are black but they're really quite different in style and tone.

Albert Collins - "In Concert"

This concert was recorded in Baden-Baden, Germany in 1988. Albert is in fine form and he has a great backing band. He's playing his usual Telecaster and it has a nice fat sound. Guitarist Duke Robillard joins him for the last song "Frosty" and they dual nicely. This is a great DVD.

Albert King - "Live in Sweden"

This concert was recorded in 1980. Albert is playing his usual Gibson Flying V but the quality of the recording isn't great. The bass and treble controls on my preamp were useful for this DVD. The backing band isn't that good and Albert is a little bit low on energy but his guitar and vocals are of a high standard. There isn't much video of Albert King out there so I'm happy to own this one.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

Well done, bigburner!
If you dig down and get past the BB King kind of blues guitar, this where the callouses are hard as rocks and fingers still bleed. Two of my favorites along with Robert Cray.

[bigburner]

wkhanna, it's interesting you should make that comment about BB King because I recently bought a BB King DVD that might make you change your mind. It's called "Sweet 16". It's an identical DVD to BB's "Live in Africa" DVD but it's a lot cheaper. I'm a bargain hunter for DVDs and I found this one at Movie Mars for $7.67 http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Mov...97?sck=3547209

Anyway, I like this one because BB is young and full of energy. By young I mean it's recorded in 1974 and I think he's about 48. That's a lot younger than most of the BB recordings that we get to see.

The concert took place in Kinshasa, Zaire, to celebrate the "rumble in the jungle" boxing match between George Foreman and Mohammed Ali. There's actually a great shot of Muhammad Ali in the audience. The audio and video quality are both exceptionally good for 1974.

Anyhow it's great to have a fellow blues fan on this forum. Of all the Kings I think that Freddie King is my favourite. I reviewed his fabulous "Sugarbowl" DVD a few weeks ago in this thread.

Nigel.

Edit: Since I wrote this post the prices at Movie Mars have gone up. The link I provided above no longer works. I get the feeling that Movie Mars has been sold to another company. Does anyone know?

[wkhanna]

wkhanna, it's interesting you should make that comment about BB King..............

I just knew that comment would be mis-construed without further explanation.
Most who are not familiar with a lot blues still know BB King, and most of what is heard generally is of the more sedate, dare I say, pop variety. BB has some wonderful stuff out there, if you dig for it.

Do you have Drink Small's cd on the Mapleshade label?

BTW, BB King is playing in Pittsburgh next week at Heinz Hall, the same venue used by the PSO, known for its V good acoustics, and my wife and I planning on going.

[bigburner]

Do you have Drink Small's cd on the Mapleshade label?

I don't have any Drink Small albums at all, but now that you've mentioned him I'll have to do some research. Is there a particular album that you would recommend?

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Buddy Guy - "Live: The Real Deal" (1996)

I watched this one when I got home from work. It's a very good DVD and would be a great DVD if some of the songs weren't interrupted by brief interviews. Buddy will be in the middle of a solo when the volume goes down and there he is on the screen rabbiting on about some event in his past. It's all very interesting but DVD producers out there PLEASE put this material at the end of the concert or in the extras. Do NOT interrupt the music. Anyway I've had my whinge...

The choice of songs is excellent, Buddy plays very well, the backing band is fabulous, and as a real bonus piano player Johnnie Johnson makes an appearance and plays beautifully. I've only seen Johnnie on his "Live at the Basement" DVD where he isn't at his best and his backing band is pub standard only, so to hear him solo as well as he did was a real treat.

The video quality isn't that good. It's shot in sepia for some reason, perhaps to give it atmosphere or maybe because the lighting was so low. However the audio quality is really good and that's much more important to me.

This DVD is a great addition to my collection.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

Is there a particular album that you would recommend?

Nigel.

Link to Mapleshade site for info on Drink Small.

[Alloroc]

Tonite...

Eels
With Strings
Live At Town Hall



And,

Peter Gabriel
Growing Up

[chrisn]

Bad Brains: Live at CBGB's 1982. As the title suggests and shot over 3 nights. Most of it was filmed with the cameraman standing very near the bass player (Darryl Jenifer), whom you never see. The recording exceeded my expectations, although the bass is a little strong on the reggae and dub tracks. I'm a big Bad Brains fan and really enjoyed this DVD, though I wish they it included Sailn' On. Perhaps they didn't perform it or it wasn't DVD worthy. It runs about an hour.

Before that it was No Doubt: Live in the Tragic Kingdom. Recorded in Orange County in 1997 (I think). Ironically, I think they did perform Sailin' On, though it may have been backstage or a brief porion. I guess that means I get to watch it again. I enjoy No Doubt and how they interact on stage. Surely, I can look at Gwen Stefani for at least a few minutes

I have a few Bob Marley and the Wailer's DVD coming from Netflix which I will most assuredly enjoy.

[gimpy]

Lowen and Navarro

"Lowen and Navarro". I've been playing this one a couple of weeks now. Sounds super. These guys are pretty smooth, I think.

[bigburner]

After being totally overwhelmed by Wilco playing live at Byron Bay (see my review: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=29589) the first DVD I played when I got home was this one:

Wilco - "Shake It Off" (2007)

This is the bonus DVD that accompanies the "Sky Blue Sky" CD. The DVD features 8 songs recorded during rehearsals in Wilco's loft studio.

On Friday night when my wife and I got home from dinner we watched this DVD:

Amy Winehouse - "I Told You I Was Trouble" (2007)

I obtained this DVD to watch with my wife who is an Amy Winehouse fan. At first I thought I was going to witness an embarrassment because Amy appears to be drunk and/or stoned. However as the concert progressed I came to the conclusion that her slurred and rambling speech between songs was just part of her act. She never missed a cue throughout the concert and she was in control of her backing band (who were pretty handy) at all times. Amy sings difficult songs well. I don't believe that this would be possible if she was completely smashed.

Anyway, I enjoyed the DVD a lot and now consider that Amy is genuinely talented.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

I've now watched the Ben Folds Five West 54th DVD for the second time. The first viewing was at my parent’s house, where the DTS 5.1 is. The second listening was at my home, where the Magnepans live in a stereo environment.

I have to say, without hesitation, this DVD SINGS in a stereo setting. A lot may have to do with my setup compared to theirs, but I have found other DVD's that sound much better at their place.

If you are even mildly interested in Ben Folds, check this one out. Great songs from his earlier albums, and a cover of the Flaming Lips Vaseline to boot.

(I've always thought he was better when he had this trio and did not play all the instruments himself in a studio.)

[bigburner]

Best DVD of 2008?

Cowboy Junkies - "Trinity Revisited" (2008 )

Yes I know it's only April, but I know for sure that this DVD will be a contender for Best DVD of 2008. I watched it last night and I was spellbound, as were my guests. Everything about it is exquisite. If you buy it you have to watch the documentary too.

It's late and I want to go to sleep, so I'll just post the description from Amazon...

On November 27, 1987 the Cowboy Junkies set up a single microphone inside The Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, Ontario and in one day recorded what would become The Trinity Session, a landmark album of originals and covers grounded in traditional country, blues, and folk, with a clear nod to The Velvet Underground. The album would go on to sell millions of copies worldwide and establish the Cowboy Junkies as one of the most influential bands of the alternative era.

Now, 20 years later, the Cowboy Junkies have returned to The Church of the Holy Trinity to celebrate their most famous work with the help of special guests Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant, Vic Chesnutt, and Jeff Bird. This time around, the band brought some extra mics and a camera crew along, and the result is a very special 2-disc set (1 CD & 1 DVD), filmed in high-definition video and mixed in stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound which captures the essence of the Cowboy Junkies and their landmark album as never before. A bonus documentary about the making of the album is also included.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Yep, I want the ever lovin' heck out of this one. Thanks Nigel, for the heads up.

[bigburner]

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Abattoir Blues Tour" (2004)

I struggled with this DVD. It was lent to me by a friend with a strong recommendation. Basically I just don't like Nick Cave's vocals. His style is to sing slightly off key. IMO he sings out of tune. I couldn't wait for it to end.

Singing slightly off key is OK, as demonstrated by the Lou Reed - "A Night with Lou Reed" (1983) DVD that I watched a few nights ago. The audio on the DVD was very ordinary but the songs are good and delivered well.

After the disappointment of Nick Cave I watched "Hans Theessink Live In Concert – A Blues & Roots Revue" (2004) which is a wonderful concert full of good songs and fine musicianship.

Nigel.