What music DVD are you currently enjoying

[bigburner]

Tonite...

Eels
With Strings
Live At Town Hall

Hmmm. I've done the research on this one and it looks very interesting. How highly do you rate it Vincent?

Nigel.

[David Meek]

After my extended Peter Gabriel CD session yesterday and since it's been a rainy foggy morning, I've got this one spinning:

Peter Gabriel - Growing Up Live

It's a single concert "in the round" recorded live in Milan, Italy in 2003.

Oh hey, I just saw that Vincent had this one up a while back. :T

[Chris D]

Is that a SD-DVD, David? DTS gave me a couple of demo discs, HD-DVD and BD, with DTS-MA demo material. "Come to Take You Home" from Peter is on there, in a live concert, and I'm wondering if it's the same performance.

[bigburner]

My musical voyage of discovery

In my musical voyage of discovery (boldly going where no one has gone before – well me at least) I sometimes visit opposite ends of the universe.

At the right hand end of the universe I discovered this one:

Robbie Williams - Live at the Albert (2002)

Robbie Williams is an English pop star. He is hugely successful everywhere except in the United States. I don’t own any of his music.

Robbie’s secret love is swing music from the 1940s and 50s. He therefore decided to take a big risk and perform a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London performing songs by his musical heroes Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior. I say he took a big risk because not only are all three of those guys legendary singers but this is essentially a one man show with the spotlight on him all night and nowhere to hide.

Well this is one risk that really paid off. The show is great. His performance is amazing. He has a big band and a bevy of beautiful dancing girls. I was hugely impressed and loved every minute of the show.

The key thing is that the songs are fantastic. I take my hat off to Robbie for resurrecting great songs that no-one plays these days.

At the left hand end of the universe I discovered this one:

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic - Live at Montreux 2004 (2005)

George Clinton has been the king of funk since the 1970s. I don’t do a lot of funk (except for the wonderful Little Feat, which is New Orleans funk rock) and I don’t own any of George’s music.

However I have to say that I enjoyed this DVD. The groove is absolutely infectious and the vocals are varied and interesting. The concert was so engaging that I missed half of the Jools Holland Show on TV, and I love that show.

I probably won’t go out and buy any more of George’s music but I’m glad that I’ve now experienced Mr Clinton and his merry men & women.

I’ve also picked up some great ideas from George on clothes to wear at work on casual Fridays.

Nigel.

[David Meek]

Is that a SD-DVD, David? DTS gave me a couple of demo discs, HD-DVD and BD, with DTS-MA demo material. "Come to Take You Home" from Peter is on there, in a live concert, and I'm wondering if it's the same performance.

Yes, unfortunately it's an SD-DVD. And no, that's not one of the tracks on the DVD. How does it sound? Fantastic, I'll bet.

[Chris D]

Yeah, sure does sound great. Not to give an unfair suggestion, but the clarity of the new lossless audios really is incredible.

[David Meek]

I’ve also picked up some great ideas from George on clothes to wear at work on casual Fridays.

Nigel, you've just GOT to post photos! 8O

[David Meek]

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - The Real Deal: Greatest Hits, Volume II



I'm at work at the moment, so I put on something everyone can listen to and enjoy.

[bigburner]

The Mavericks - "Live in Austin, Texas" (2004)

My favourite hobby is music DVDs. In the spirit of caring, sharing and devotion I'm always looking for DVDs that my wife will like too. I know that she likes The Mavericks so it wasn't too hard to choose this one as it's the only Mavericks DVD available.

We watched it on Friday night after getting home from a function. We'd already had a few glasses of wine and this concert was a great way to carry on the party. My wife really enjoyed the DVD and I thought it was pretty good too.

The Mavericks is a band that's built around one person - Raul Malo - who is a top performer. There are no virtuoso musicians in this 9-man band, but the songs are good and collectively they produce a very nice sound. The concert on this DVD is well over two hours long, and I never felt like fast forwarding.

If you are wondering what The Mavericks sound like then download their two best known songs which are party specials guaranteed to get people up and dancing. These songs are "Dance The Night Away" and "Here Comes My Baby". In my bigburner party disc making days I always included these two songs in my set.

The audio and video quality on this DVD are both excellent.

Nigel.

[gimpy]

Nigel, a year or so ago, a moderator (possibly owner?) of one of the other diy sites turned me/us on to a Raul Malo version of "Blue Moon" on YouTube. That caused me to find and buy an album with that song on it sung by Raul Malo. In fact, I just ordered another Raul Malo album this month from an internet source and was sent the wrong album about 2 weeks ago. I just returned it yesterday and hope that they will re-send me the correct album, "After Hours."

The album of theirs that I have is a 2004 output called "The Definitive Collection." I really like it. I can, in fact, I have listened to the one song "Blue Moon" over and over and over. Love it.

Frank

[bigburner]

Gillian Welch – “The Revelator Collection” (2002)

This very good DVD features singer-songwriter Gillian Welch and her guitarist husband David Rawlings. They play acoustic folk / roots / bluegrass music, some of it written by her and some by musicians like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and bluegrass founder Bill Monroe.

I have seen Gillian before on DVDs like The Chieftains “Down the Old Plank Road - The Nashville Sessions”, and I have always enjoyed her performances.

The DVD features 3 studio recordings and 9 live performances. My only (small) criticism is that the audience interplay between songs has been edited out of the concert, and this negatively impacts the atmosphere. When we do witness some of the interplay it is charming.

Interestingly we get to hear the title song "Revelator" twice – once in the studio and once at the concert.

This is only the second time I’ve watched this DVD in the two years I've owned it, which is surprising when I now reflect on how good it is. A surplus of DVD riches is the reason I suspect.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Not the greatest recording but man can Warren Hayes play the crap out of a guitar.

[bigburner]

Not the greatest recording but man can Warren Hayes play the crap out of a guitar.

Eric, I don't know where you found that DVD because I've been trying to get it for a while and it's currently unavailable at Amazon, CD Universe, and Newbury Comics, which is where I buy most of my DVDs.

I agree with you that Warren Haynes is a great guitarist. I really like his performance on the Allman Brothers "Live at the Beacon Theatre" DVD.

I've ordered the Gov't Mule "Deepest End" CD which includes a 2 hour bonus DVD. I'm buying it for the DVD mainly. It should arrive here in the next week or so.

The Eels DVD that Vincent posted above is in the same shipment.

Nigel.

[H.Donald]

Moved.....

[Thelonious Funk]

Eric, I don't know where you found that DVD because I've been trying to get it for a while and it's currently unavailable at Amazon, CD Universe, and Newbury Comics, which is where I buy most of my DVDs.

I agree with you that Warren Haynes is a great guitarist. I really like his performance on the Allman Brothers "Live at the Beacon Theatre" DVD.

I've ordered the Gov't Mule "Deepest End" CD which includes a 2 hour bonus DVD. I'm buying it for the DVD mainly. It should arrive here in the next week or so.

The Eels DVD that Vincent posted above is in the same shipment.

Nigel.

Nigel,

Order it from the Allman Brothers website and store, Hittin the Note.

http://www.hittinthenote.com/cart/c-51-dvds.aspx

this link might make you happy.

[Thelonious Funk]

of course I post that and it's not there anymore. Never fear, I will find it for you.

[Thelonious Funk]

http://www.homegrownmusic.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GovtDVD2&Category_Code=Jammy

I have purchased from this site before, so you should be ok with them, and they have the dvd in stock.

[bigburner]

Thanks Eric. I'll check out the "Deepest End" DVD first.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

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.

I got this DVD today in the mail from a friend... I watched it right away, and I am watching it again now. It's wonderful.

Thank you, friend!

[bigburner]

My wife is away this week so it’s been a bit of a music festival here.

Tonight I focussed on two highly regarded DVDs that I have played only once.

Down from the Mountain – The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Concert (DVD - 2001)

“Stop Making Sense” – Talking Heads (DVD - 1999)

Would I watch the “Down from the Mountain” concert again? Maybe, but not definitely. This is a film by director D.A. Pennebaker (and others) so it’s a well crafted film. I love Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch so I enjoyed quite a lot of the material but the whole thing is a bit wholesome for me (not that I’m anything other than a dedicated family man of course) and everyone looked a bit nervous. There are no soft shots in this film. If you’ve got a spot on your nose then the whole world will see it, and consequently Alison looked slightly less lovely than she does everywhere else (no spot though). On the positive side every note you hear is what’s played in the concert.

Would I watch “Stop Making Sense” again? Yes, if the circumstances were right. Those circumstances might be a Friday night with my wife (I’m always looking for DVDs that she will enjoy) or if a group of people come back to my place after the pub or dinner or a party and I want to put on music that they will recognise and perhaps dance to. This is a film by director Jonathan Demme so like the one above it’s a piece of work that deserves to be taken seriously. This time the music on the DVD has been seriously doctored in the studio. Fortunately they’ve blended the live stuff in well. This DVD is a good test for those of you who are wondering whether you need a subwoofer and are looking for an incentive to buy one.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Not the greatest recording but man can Warren Hayes play the crap out of a guitar.

With all this talk about Warren Haynes I had to pull this one out and have another look.

The Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Beacon Theatre (2003)

It's great. You could argue that Warren is the star of the show.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

The good and the bad

Two DVDs arrived in the mail last week and I watched them both over the weekend.

Gov't Mule - Deepest End (2003)

I had modest expectations about this DVD but my expectations were hugely exceeded. What a superb DVD! 3 hours and 5 minutes of rock. Great musicians and great playing. I loved every minute of it.

Eels with Strings - Live at Town Hall (2006)

I did the research on this DVD and it has received a lot of good reviews but I couldn't see what the reviewers saw. It just looked like amateur hour to me. I will give it another go but it won't be a top priority.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Solomon Burke - "Live in Nashville" (2006)

I watched this one last night with friends. What a great voice Solomon has. Combine that with a great backing band and great songs and you've got an excellent DVD.

Solomon has some wonderful guests on this DVD too including Buddy Miller (guitar), Jim Lauderdale (guitar), Sam Bush (mandolin, fiddle), and singers Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Gillian Welch. Those three women are stars in their own right.

Solomon may be better known as the King of Soul but he is right at home in Nashville.

Nigel.

[Ovation]

Genesis--When in Rome. A wonderful reminder of the great concert I attended last fall in Montreal. Not only is the concert a treat, but the behind the scenes material is both extensive and entertaining. If you're a fan, a must have.

[bigburner]

Roy Buchanan – “Live From Austin Texas” (2008 )

A friend gave me this DVD as a gift two days ago, and what a little gem it is. I’m not joking when I say “little” as it’s only 32 minutes long. I watched it last night and again for the second time tonight.

Roy Buchanan is a blues rock guitarist who has never received the recognition that he deserves. He was born in 1939 and grew up in California. He always played a Fender Telecaster, as he does at this concert. In 1988, Roy was arrested by the police for being drunk in public. Soon after being put in a cell the police discovered that he had hanged himself.

This DVD was recorded in 1976 and released a couple of months ago. I’ve got a few old music DVDs in my collection now and I can tell you that the sound and video quality on this DVD are the best that I have experienced for a recording of its age. Good old Austin City Limits.

Nigel.

[stlfdemt]

John Mayer: Where the light is.

Simply amazing

[bigburner]

John Mayer: Where the light is.

Simply amazing

That's good to hear because I've ordered it.

Which of the 3 sets made the biggest impression on you?

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Eric Johnson - "Live From Austin Tx" (2005)

I've owned this 1988 concert DVD for two years and earlier this evening was the first time that I've attempted to play it in full.

Knowing that it's an intensive concert I warmed up first with a couple of beers and half an hour of Buddy Guy at Montreux. I was definitely primed but I just couldn't get into the concert.

Eric Johnson is an amazing virtuoso guitarist. Some of you may remember him playing in his purple shirt on the Eric Clapton Crossroads 2004 DVD. I loved his playing on this Austin concert but I wasn't in the mood for his songs. After 36 minutes I took the DVD off. That's very unusual for me. Fortunately Solomon Burke was on hand to save the day.

Nigel.

[stlfdemt]

That's good to hear because I've ordered it.

Which of the 3 sets made the biggest impression on you?

Nigel.

The Trio. I can't wait for them to put out some studio albums.

[bigburner]

Joni Mitchell - "Shadows and Light" (1980)

What a great DVD!

I use to listen to Joni Mitchell albums back in the 70's but I haven't really listened to her since then.

Most people think of Joni as a folk singer but this 1979 concert sees her performing during her jazz phase. It includes songs from "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", "Hejira" and "Court and Spark", which are all great albums.

Her band includes Jaco Pastorius who is one of the best electric bass players ever and well known guitarist Pat Metheny. The other band members are Michael Brecker (sax), Don Alias (drums) and Lyle Mays (keyboards).

Joni is in superb form and her delivery of "Amelia" is stunning. I named my daughter Amelia after discovering Amelia Earhart through this song. Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928.

The concert was held at the Santa Barbara County Bowl on a beautiful warm day. The audience looks very relaxed and happy. Half the guys have their shirts off.

The audio on this DVD is very good for a 1979 recording. I needed to wind up the bass a bit on my preamp and on my subwoofer, but once this was done it had a nice full sound.

This DVD has been criticised in some quarters because there are a number of video inserts interspersed while the band is playing. Usually I hate seeing anything other than the band but on this occasion I didn't mind. It just helped to make the whole DVD a compelling experience.

Nigel.

[Alloroc]

Hmmm. I've done the research on this one and it looks very interesting. How highly do you rate it Vincent?

Nigel.

Hi Nigel,

Sorry, only seeing this one now... was away and what not.

Anyhow, it's a really interesting DVD. It's in black and white throughout. If you're an Eels fan you'll really like it. Having seen the Eels play Dublin a few times, you're always left guessing what you'll get. It could be synth and electronic or it could be trashy guitar rock. It also gives a good insight to the thoughts and mind of Mr.E or Mark Everett. If you don't know what he's all about, one could be left feeing bemused at best or even a little depressed at worst, but if you do get him and like what he does, you'll love it. I watch this one quite a bit.

This DVD is classically accoustic I suppose..... lap steel, guitar, upright bass, mandolin, saw, melodica, organ, piano and so on. PCM Stereo only, if I remember correctly.

[bigburner]

Hi Nigel,

Sorry, only seeing this one now... was away and what not.

Anyhow, it's a really interesting DVD. It's in black and white throughout. If you're an Eels fan you'll really like it. Having seen the Eels play Dublin a few times, you're always left guessing what you'll get. It could be synth and electronic or it could be trashy guitar rock. It also gives a good insight to the thoughts and mind of Mr.E or Mark Everett. If you don't know what he's all about, one could be left feeing bemused at best or even a little depressed at worst, but if you do get him and like what he does, you'll love it. I watch this one quite a bit.

This DVD is classically accoustic I suppose..... lap steel, guitar, upright bass, mandolin, saw, melodica, organ, piano and so on. PCM Stereo only, if I remember correctly.

Well Vincent, I did buy it and I thought it was the biggest load of crap I've seen for a while, and I like nearly everything! However, as I stated above in my brief review I will give it another go, but only after I have watched the 6 new DVDs that arrived in the mail on Saturday (and maybe some others lurking in the heap too).

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Reckless Kelly - "Reckless Kelly Was Here" (2006)

Outstanding!

Reckless Kelly may only be a tier-3* Texas band but in this DVD they lay down some exceptionally tight old fashioned country rock in front of an enthusiastic crowd that knows all the words.

This is the bonus DVD that comes with a live 2-disc CD. I bought the package purely for the DVD. That's how smart bands are selling their CDs these days to avoid being ripped off by illegal downloads. If you're a music DVD aficionado then you've got to check out CDs too.

My only criticism of this DVD is that I had trouble deciphering the words. Initially I thought that upgrading to 802D speakers was required but I checked out the reviews and lots of other punters had the same problem. That's saved me from having to sell one of my children. Phew!

Nigel.

* tier-3 means they carry their own gear, eat crap food from cheap restaurants, and get paid far less than they deserve.

[sokoban]

One I'm currently listening to is the 5.1 Zaireeka downmix by The Flaming Lips.

It's certainly easier than listening to it on 4 CD players as was intended.

[bigburner]

Muse - "Hullabaloo: Live at Zenith Paris" (2005)

Unwatchable!

The prat who directed this DVD obviously doesn't have a clue about what music DVD lovers want to see (well at least this music DVD lover). He comes from the school of music DVD directors that believes no camera shot should be longer than 2 seconds. Unfortunately this wally wants to exceed our expectations by ensuring that no camera shot exceeds 1 second. Half way through the first song I was ready to be sick. I suppose I should have turned the screen off and just listened to the concert but I didn't buy a DVD just for the audio track so I took it off. Bloody ridiculous. <END OF RANT>

I saw Muse on the wonderful Abbey Road series that screened on TV in New Zealand last year. They were excellent on that show, playing a couple of songs from their "Black Holes and Revelations" CD, which I own.

Oh well. Nobody died I suppose.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – ''Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade" (2006)

This two hour, 24 song concert was recorded at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2006.

Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint make an interesting combination – Costello the ex-punk rocker and Toussaint the New Orleans R&B maestro – but it does work well. They each bring their own bands to make a total of 10 musicians on stage. Costello brings his keyboards player, bassist and drummer, and Toussaint brings his guitarist and 4-man horn section. All of them are top performers.

Costello does most of the singing which is OK because he has a good voice but is a bit of a shame too because Toussaint has a soft melodic voice that I really like. Toussaint did most of the musical arrangements for the concert, in some cases breathing new life into old songs. There are new songs from both of them as well as old favourites like "Watching the Detectives," "Alison", "Pump It Up," and “I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea”. Toussaint plays beautifully on a Steinway grand piano.

The sound and picture quality are both very good. I read one review that said the recording sounded as if the microphones were at the back of the hall but that’s nonsense. Another reviewer said that the gain on Costello’s overdriven guitar ruined the sound from the other musicians but once again I didn’t have a problem with that (I listened to the DD 2.0 track). However, I would have liked guitarist Anthony Brown to have been a little more prominent in the mix because what I did hear from him was very tasty.

All in all this is a very good DVD that I will watch again.

Thelonious Funk, you put me onto this one. Where the f*ck are you?

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Eva Cassidy – “Eva Cassidy Sings” (2004)

Eva Cassidy was a wonderful singer who died from melanoma in 1996 at the tender age of 33. She might have lived a long and musically successful life if she had continued with the recommended check-ups after having a mole removed. She didn’t have the check-ups and the world was deprived of a wonderful artist.

Eva performed music from a wide variety of genres including soft rock, folk, gospel, soul, jazz and country. This broad spectrum probably resulted in her never gaining the popularity and recognition that she deserved. People like to stick labels on artists and there simply wasn’t a label you could stick on Eva.

This 45 minute DVD was filmed on 3rd January 1996 at Blues Alley on the same day that her “Live At Blues Alley” album was recorded. Blues Alley is a dinner and jazz nightclub in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighbourhood.

The song listing on the DVD is as follows. Just look at the range of genres.

1. What A Wonderful World
2. Cheek To Cheek
3. People Get Ready
4. You’ve Changed
5. Time After Time
6. Honeysuckle Rose
7. Autumn Leaves
8. Stormy Monday
9. Tall Trees In Georgia
10. Over The Rainbow

The entire DVD was filmed with only one camera by Bryan McCulley, a friend of Eva’s. The picture quality isn’t that good (a little grainy and over exposed) but the use of a single camera means that there are no annoying cutaways. The focus is on Eva for most of the concert.

If the video quality is flawed, it’s exactly the opposite for the audio quality, which is EXQUISITE (the DVD provides a sole LPCM track). Whoever recorded the audio on this DVD deserves a big vote of thanks. Eva’s vocals are crystal clear, and when you’ve got a voice as good as hers, that’s important. The instruments – comprising acoustic guitar (hers), piano, electric guitar and drums – are mixed perfectly.

My only criticism of the audio quality is the first track “What A Wonderful World” which is of a lesser quality and has a hum, but I can forgive them for that given the low budget of the production and the excellent quality of the other tracks. Interestingly “What A Wonderful World” was recorded on the previous day – 2nd January.

I thought hard about my favourite song on the DVD and it’s probably “Tall Trees In Georgia”, which was written by Buffy Sainte-Marie in 1968. That song possibly means more to Eva than any of the other songs in the set. Eva delivers the Curtis Mayfield song “People Get Ready” perfectly. “You’ve Changed” is intense and personal. Her version of “Over The Rainbow” is monumental.

The band comprises:

• Eva Cassidy – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Lenny Williams – piano
• Keith Grimes – electric guitar
• Chris Biondo – bass guitar
• Raice McLeod – drums

I really enjoyed Lenny Williams’ performance. He plays a couple of delightful solos.

I would love to have been at Blues Alley that night. Second prize is this treasured DVD that I will play for my wife (who loves it) and selected friends for many years to come.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – ''Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade" (2006)


Thelonious Funk, you put me onto this one. Where the f*ck are you?

Nigel.

I just got back from a Wilco concert.

Glad you liked this DVD.

I've not posted any reviews as I have no new DVD's. This will change soon, as the Wanee festival I attended has a DVD out now. I must have it.

[bigburner]

I just got back from a Wilco concert.

Glad you liked this DVD.

I've not posted any reviews as I have no new DVD's. This will change soon, as the Wanee festival I attended has a DVD out now. I must have it.

Welcome back Eric.

How were Wilco? I will never forget their performance at Byron Bay - it was riveting.

Enjoy the Wanee DVD. I might get to see it one day too.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Wilco was in a 2000 seat theater, and was hands down the best concert I have seen in a long time. Nels Cline was the highlight of the show for me.

I cannot wait until they put our a DVD. You'd think they would, right? ANyone know anything?

[bigburner]

Albert Collins – “Live From Austin Texas” (2008 )

What a cracking band!

This DVD was released a couple of months ago. The performance was filmed in October 1991 approximately two years before Albert died. He’s in good form and seems genuinely pleased to be playing on an Austin City Limits production. Being from Texas I presume his pleasure was due to receiving recognition and respect from a home-state audience. The audience really appreciates the show and gives him a standing ovation at the end.

As my initial comment indicates, Albert is supported by a fantastic backing band. Particular recognition should go to his organ player Reece Wynan (who used to play with Stevie Ray Vaughan), sax player Jon Smith (who performs a great solo), guitarist Derek O'Brien (who plays a lovely old Stratocaster) bassist Johnny Gayden (who had been playing with Albert since the 1970s), and drummer Soko Richardson (who used to play with John Mayall). Albert’s Telecaster sounds just excellent throughout the show.

I own another Albert Collins DVD – “In Concert” – which was filmed in Baden-Baden, Germany in 1988 under the Musik Pur label. It’s interesting comparing and contrasting the two performances. I think that the band is better at the Austin concert, even if Duke Robillard guests on the Baden-Baden show.

A noticeable difference between the two shows is the final track on both DVDs, which is the song that made Albert famous – “Frosty”. Albert does an audience walkabout at both concerts, using a guitar lead that must be 100 yards long. In Germany he wanders through an alternative looking standing audience, dodging the smokers and the full ashtrays as he goes. In Austin the seated audience looks like it’s been hand picked from the League of Middle Class White Folk (I’m one of those by the way). There is a token black couple in the front row though (phew). It’s funny the things that stick in your mind!

The audio and video quality on both DVDs is very good, as long as you remember the vintage of the recordings.

Anyway, the Austin Texas DVD is a most worthy addition to my collection and it will be played again.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Joe Bonamassa - "Live at Rockpalast" (2006)

See review below.

Nigel.

[brendon]

Hi All,
For those of you with a blu-ray player you might like to check out "Queen-Rock Montreal and Live Aid. "
The picture quality and sound quality is fabulous for an early 1980's concert as it was filmed on a full 35mm motion picture format as it was made to be shown in arena's as a puesdo live concert with full concert sound.
Queen bought the rights to the film back and had it fully restored and remastered for Blu-ray .
Excellent transfer PQ and SQ.

Show cases what a great act they were live .
They rip through the songs though as the commentry track points out the Producer/ film crew had driven them mad .
The live AID footage is very poor quality in comparison with some very ordinary AQ in places but is well worth a watch for the performance and Freddie interacting with the massive Wembly Stadium crowd.

I have to agree with bigburners positve reviews on the Costello/toussaint DVD and the Zappa classic albums disc as well.
And Stop Making sense has been may favorite concert film for years.
Brendon

[bigburner]

A Tale of Three Power Trios

The first power trio is the one found on the new and highly acclaimed John Mayer DVD - "Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles " (2008 ). I think I'm the only person in the world who thinks that this power trio is a load of old codswallop. If John Mayer is a bluesman you can call me Gertrude. I think he'd like to be a bluesman (Eric Clapton is probably his idol) but basically he's a talented pop star and a pretty immature one too based on his cringeworthy comments on the DVD. OK, the big band set at the end of the DVD is alright as long as you can cope with the content which is comprised mostly of very ordinary songs. To summarise, this DVD is a big disappointment after all the pre-release hype. I've now watched it twice.

The second power trio is to be found on the Joe Bonamassa DVD - "Live at Rockpalast" (2006). This one is the real oil. Excellent blues rock. As soon as it finished I was planning the next viewing. In between I was researching whether Joe has another DVD out. Joe may have been performing to an audience one hundredth the size of John Mayer's but he's ten times the blues rock musician in my opinion. I've now watched this DVD four times.

If both bands turn up at the Byron Bay music festival next Easter and play at the same time I will walk past John's tent and head for Joe's tent even if it's a good distance away. OK, they won't play at the same time, so OK, I'll see them both, and OK, I'll probably quite enjoy John, but hey I'm not changing a word above. Oh no.

The third power trio is Cream, and I'm referring to the wonderful DVD "Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005" (2005). Cream defines the term power trio. I watched this one for about the seventh time the other night after having not viewed it for at least a year. It's just amazing in every respect - songs, musicianship, audio quality, camera work - everything. A true masterpiece.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash (2007)

This DVD is a superb piece of music history. It will surely be a collector’s item one day. If you are a music lover then this DVD would be a good investment now.

The Johnny Cash TV Show was broadcast on American television from 1969 to 1971. During this period Johnny hosted some of the biggest names in music, across a wide range of musical genres.

From Ray Charles to Eric Clapton to Louis Armstrong to Tammy Wynette to Bob Dylan to Roy Orbison to Neil Young to James Taylor – they’re all there on this remarkable 2-disc set.

My favourite clip is probably Linda Ronstadt. Not only is the discussion about her participation on the show very amusing (she apparently rehearsed with no panties on) she is also one of the loveliest creatures I have ever laid eyes on – filmed just 3 weeks before her 23rd birthday. Did I mention that she has a beautiful voice too?

You also learn from this DVD what a special man Johnny Cash was – a man of principle with a lot of love for his fellow man.

The full list of artists and songs is as follows:

01 Johnny Cash: "Ring of Fire"
02 Bob Dylan: "I Threw It All Away"
03 Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan: "Girl From the North Country"
04 Kris Kristofferson: "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)"
05 Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash: "Blue Yodel #9"
06 Stevie Wonder: "Heaven Help Us All"
07 Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Bad Moon Rising"
08 Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash: "I Will Never Marry"
09 George Jones and Johnny Cash: "White Lightning"
10 George Jones: "Medley: She Thinks I Still Care / The Love Bug / The Race Is On"
11 Johnny Cash: "Hey Porter"
12 Waylon Jennings: "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line"
13 Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash: "The Singing Star's Queen"
14 Waylon Jennings: "Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
15 Tammy Wynette: "Stand by Your Man"
16 Marty Robbins: "Medley: Big Iron / Running Gun / El Paso"
17 Johnny Cash: "Ride This Train"
18 Johnny Cash: "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow"
19 Johnny Cash: "Man in Black"
20 James Taylor: "Sweet Baby James"
21 Pete Seeger: "Cripple Creek"
22 Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash: "Worried Man Blues"
23 Johnny Cash: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"
24 Johnny Cash: "Old Time Religion"
25 Johnny Cash: "A Wonderful Time Up There"
26 Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three: "Daddy Sang Bass"
27 Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters: "Wildwood Flower"
28 Neil Young: "The Needle and the Damage Done"
29 Johnny Cash: "Tennessee Flat Top Box"
30 Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash: "Long Black Veil"
31 Johnny Cash: "Big River"
32 Johnny Cash: "I Walk the Line"
33 June Carter Cash: "A Good Man"
34 Derek and the Dominoes: "It's Too Late"
35 Derek and the Dominoes With Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins: "Matchbox"
36 Charley Pride: "Able Bodied Man"
37 Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys: "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
38 Loretta Lynn: "I Know How"
39 Jerry Lee Lewis: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
40 Johnny Cash: "Ride This Train (America the Beautiful, This Land Is Your Land)"
41 The Everly Brothers With Ike Everly and Johnny Cash: "Silver Haired Daddy of Mine"
42 Ray Charles: "Ring of Fire"
43 Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"
44 Conway Twitty: "Hello Darlin'"
45 Mother Maybelle Carter: "Black Mountain Rag"
46 Neil Diamond: "Cracklin' Rosie"
47 Ray Price: "For the Good Times"
48 Roy Orbison: "Crying"
49 Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash: "Oh, Pretty Woman"
50 Johnny Cash: "Wanted Man"
51 Chet Atkins: "Medley: Country Gentleman / Mister Sandman / Wildwood Flower / Freight Train"
52 June Carter Cash With Homer and Jethro: "Baby It's Cold Outside"
53 Merle Haggard: "No Hard Time Blues"
54 Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash: "Sing Me Back Home"
55 Carl Perkins: "Blue Suede Shoes"
56 Johnny Cash, the Carter Family and Carl Perkins: "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago"
57 The Statler Brothers: "Flowers on the Wall"
58 Roy Clark: "Medley: In the Summertime / 12th Street Rag"
59 Johnny Cash: "Working Man Blues"
60 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: "Jackson"
61 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: "Turn Around"
62 Johnny Cash: "I Love You Because"
63 Hank Williams, Jr.: "Medley: You Win Again / Cold Cold Heart / I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You / Half As Much"
64 Johnny Cash: "Folsom Prison Blues"

Nigel.