What music DVD are you currently enjoying

[Russ L]

Informative Post about a great show. I mean: 34 Derek and the Dominoes: "It's Too Late"
35 Derek and the Dominoes With Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins: "Matchbox"
Can you beat that?

[bigburner]

Little Feat - "Rockpalast Live"

I finally got my hands on this DVD after a two year search. It currently sells for about US$120 on the secondhand market so you will understand why it has taken me a while. Was it worth the wait? Well it is Little Feat – one of the coolest rock bands ever.

Little Feat were an eclectic group, bringing together the blues, R&B, country, jazz, funk and rock & roll. They are responsible for one of the greatest live albums ever – “Waiting for Columbus” – which was released in 1978.

This rare live television performance, broadcast from Essen, Germany on 23 July 1977, captures one of songwriter/guitarist Lowell George's last appearances with the band before his death on 29 June 1979. By the time of this concert George had stepped back to allow his fellow band members Bill Payne (keyboards) and Paul Barrere (second guitar) to take over much of the writing.

I have now watched this DVD three times. Compared to the modern acts that I watch today this performance was a bit of a shambles. The mix was originally recorded in Mono, and you can tell. The vocals are frequently out of balance with each other and with the instruments. I have watched other DVDs from this era and the audio could have been a lot better. The DVD has two music tracks – Dolby Digital 5.1 and the original Mono – plus a commentary from Bill Payne and Paul Barrere.

The video has its problems too. It suffers from focus and colour saturation issues, and looks pretty washed out. How inferior video from that era is compared to film! The camera work is a bit amateurish by today’s standards too.

The band comprises:

Lowell George – vocals, guitar, harmonica
Bill Payne – vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere – vocals, guitar
Kenny Gradney – bass
Richie Hayward – drums, backing vocals
Sam Clayton – congas, vocals, percussion

The set list comprises:

1. Skin It Back
2. Fat Man In The Bathtub
3. Oh Atlanta
4. Day At The Dog Races
5. All That You Dream
6. Old Folks Boogie
7. Dixie Chicken
8. Tripe Face Boogie
9. Feats Don't Fail Me Now
10. Willin’
11. Rocket In My Pocket
Bonus Track: Cold, Cold, Cold (recorded in Geleen, Holland, 7 June 1976)

My favourite song was probably “All That You Dream”. It was great seeing Lowell George in full flight. It was tragic when he died at the tender age of 34. George didn’t like the jazz direction that Little Feat were heading and I noticed that he actually left the stage during “Day At The Dog Races”.

Richie Hayward is an excellent drummer. He seems to cover his drum set completely. Kenny Gradney was great on 4-string electric bass. He’s a very cool musician. Paul Barrere’s singing and guitar were a little under par in my rather unqualified opinion. I think he plays much better these days, for example on the “High Wire Act Live in St. Louis” DVD recorded in 2003.

So was this DVD really worth the wait? I have never seen Little Feat in the flesh and the late 70s incarnation of the band is legendary, so of course it was worth the wait. This DVD is a collector’s item and I’m rapidly becoming a collector – well a hoarder at least.

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Just bought Nine Inch Nails - Beside You in Time on Blu-Ray



Now, I am NOT a NIN or industrial music fan. But I like to broaden my music tastes, and I can appreciate quality music of many different genres. I really don't like most of NIN stuff, but there's a few songs that I think are VERY well done.

This disc, particularly on Blu-Ray, is EXCELLENT!!!! Both the PQ and SQ are simply stunning--really top notch, and reference quality. Audio is Dolby TrueHD. I'm going to add a couple tracks to my theater demo repertoire, it's that good.

If you're an industrial music fan at all, this is a MUST. For all others, it simply depends on the ability to appreciate/tolerate the music, while you marvel at the PQ and SQ. Me, I think Trent Reznor is amazingly talented, to singlehandedly write, create, and sing all the songs, if nothing else.

[bigburner]

Drive By Truckers – "Dirty South - Live at the 40 Watt" (2005)

I watched this one for the second time a few nights ago. Like the first time I watched it I was pretty disappointed and took it off half way through. No-one in the band except for Jason Isbell can sing in tune, the songs are mostly unremarkable, the musicianship is pretty average, the audio is muddy, and the concert is shot in near darkness. I've got nothing against tier-3 bands like Drive By Truckers. My recent review of Reckless Kelly proves this. Whereas Reckless are tight the Truckers sound like a garage band.

Game, set and match to Mr Bummer.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Patty Griffin - "Live From the Artists Den" (2007)

I saw Patty Griffin earlier this year at the Byron Bay festival and really enjoyed her performance, but she definitely steps it up a few notches for this DVD. The main reason - apart from being filmed of course - is that she's performing in a magnificent synagogue in New York City, and she's clearly very pleased and honoured to be there. She's also performing for an audience of sophisticated New Yorkers instead of a bunch of yobbish Aussies and Kiwis standing around in shorts and tee-shirts. Having said that I'm sure that I cut a dashing figure in my shorts and tee-shirt.

The audio and video quality are both very good. The camera work is excellent.

Patty's music mightn't give me tingles up my spine but I'll definitely watch this DVD again, probably with my wife whom I'm sure will enjoy it.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Thank you Nigel for the recent mail I received introducing me to Joe Bonamassa. The Rockpalast DVD is hot burning blues lava.

What a great guitarist!

[Blindamood]

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.

Hey Nigel, while I have no idea what "old codswallop" is, I think your review of this disc is spot on. I'm watching the blu-ray version right now. While the video and audio (Dolby TrueHD) presentation are both excellent, I can't help but think that most of the songs are nothing but decent covers of Jimmy Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn. Funny that you also mention his commentary...I think he thinks a bit too much of himself. I will probably play this again, but it will not get heavy rotation.

OTOH, I also agree comletely with your Cream review. This is definitely one of my favorites and I've already watch at least a half dozen times. Definitely recommended!

[bigburner]

I have no idea what "old codswallop" is

Hi Brad,

Codswallop is an English term meaning nonsense or rubbish. It came into common use in England during the 1960s although its origins are thought to be from Northern England in the 1930s.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

hot burning blues lava

That's cool!

[Thelonious Funk]

Hi Brad,

Codswallop is an English term meaning nonsense or rubbish. It came into common use in England during the 1960s although its origins are thought to be from Northern England in the 1930s.

Nigel.

Someone has the OED.

[bigburner]

Imperial Crowns - "Preachin' the Blues Live!" (2005)

Outstanding entertainment! Great music and a great show. If you've got a jaded palate from too much music and you need something to revive your appetite then this DVD is the answer.

The Imperial Crowns are a 4-piece band that hails from Los Angeles. They do rock'n'roll and blues based material, but with a real edge - which you would understand if you saw their show. The band features one of the tastiest guitarists I've heard for a while, an impressive bass player, and one of the most entertaining singers/frontmen in Jimmie Wood that you'll ever come across. If you're easily offended then beware because Jimmie does deliver the occasional sexual and religious profanity (I just covered my ears).

I saw these guys at Byron Bay 2007. They came on at 4pm and performed before a crowd of 200 people in a tent that held 4000. That didn't worry them though. They gave us a full-on, highly energetic show. I admire their professionalism. My reliable sources tell me that they were paid $1500 for each of their two shows at Byron Bay, and they had to pay for their own accommodation. You do the maths. Is it any wonder that I keep telling my 18 year old guitarist son to get a good degree at university, get a good job, and treat the music as a hobby? $1500 per performance from a band this good is a travesty. Sheesh. That's what you get if you're a tier-3 band, or should that be tier-4 perhaps? They did win "best LA bar band" a few years ago.

Nigel.

[Grant Fidelity]

Dark Side of the Moon. DVD-Audio. Quadraphonic Mix by Alan Parsons. 4.1 system setup.

Cheers,
Ian

[fishhead64]

Just joined, love these threads, helps me find new music.

Right now, Derek Trucks Songlines.
Now that guy can slide like no other.....

http://media.musictoday.com/store/ba.../D6AM01DVD.JPG

[bigburner]

Just joined, love these threads, helps me find new music.

Right now, Derek Trucks Songlines.
Now that guy can slide like no other.....

http://media.musictoday.com/store/ba.../D6AM01DVD.JPG

I agree fishhead64. This is a very good DVD.

The bass player Todd Smallie smiles all the way through the concert. Did you notice why he stops smiling in track 11?

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Sheryl Crow - "Wildflower Tour: Live from New York" (2006)

This is a pretty nice concert featuring a more sophisticated and less raunchy Sheryl than I'm used to. She is accompanied by a 10 piece orchestra, which is another new angle on Sheryl for me. It worked pretty well though. She plays a mixture of new material and old favourites.

This DVD will will appeal to people who like DVDs such as the Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris "Real Live Roadrunning" concert. High quality content and musicianship but all fairly polite, particularly if you've been dipping your toe into seering blues rock recently.

Sound quality, picture quality and camera work are all excellent.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – New York Concert (2008 )

This is a bootleg recording of the concert held at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 10th June 2008. Robert and Alison were on the road in support of their “Raising Sand” album.

The DVD was produced using 2 video cameras by that well known company NYC Bitch Committee Productions. By bootleg standards the audio and video quality are acceptable but by modern DVD standards they are poor. However, there is nothing sub-standard about the songs, the musicianship and the chemistry, which are all excellent!

Robert Plant – vocals
Alison Krauss – vocals, fiddle
Dennis Crouch – upright bass
Stuart Duncan – vocals, fiddle, mandolin and guitar
Jay Bellerose – drums
Buddy Miller – pedal steel, guitar and vocals
T-Bone Burnett – guitar

01. Rich Woman
02. Leave My Woman Alone
03. Black Dog
04. Sister Rosetta
05. Through the Morning
06. So Long Goodbye to You
07. Fortune Teller
08. In the Mood
09. Black Country Woman
10. Shut It Tight
11. Bon Temps Roule
12. Trampled Rose
13. Green Pastures
14. Down to the River
15. Killing the Blues
16. Nothing
17. Battle of Evermore
18. Please Read the Letter
19. Gone Gone Gone
20. Don't Knock
21. One Woman Man
22. Your Long Journey

As much as I enjoyed watching this concert the poor audio quality got me down after a while. I found myself wishing that they'd release a proper DVD, which they haven't done yet, hence my interest in this bootleg.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

One Night with Blue Note



Via Netflix, some V good performances, calm camera work and decent audio quality.

Quoted from Netflix:
This historic all-star reunion concert (recorded on February 22, 1985) features top Blue Note label artists, live from New York's Town Hall. Includes footage of Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Bobby Hutcherson, Grover Washington Jr., Kenny Burrell, Reggie Workman, Grady Tate, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Jackie McLean, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine and Cecil Taylor.

[bigburner]

Jeff Beck - "Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scott's"

This concert is an absolute gem. I watch a lot of ordinary stuff to find the gems, and when I do, all that effort is worthwhile (the other stuff is quite fun too).

Jeff Beck is a true rock legend - one who is admired by other guitarists as much as by his fans. In November and December 2007 he performed a series of concerts over five nights at Ronnie Scott's club in London. This is a recording of a BBC4 television show that features performances from those different concerts. The one hour show was broadcast in Britain three times in October 2008.

Jeff Beck - guitar
Tal Wilkenfeld - bass
Jason Rebello - keyboards
Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
Guest artists: Joss Stone, Imogen Heap, and Eric Clapton

01. Eternity’s Breath
02. Stratus
03. Behind The veil
04. Nadia
05. Space Boogie
06. Angel (Footsteps)
07. People Get Ready (with Joss Stone)
08. Good Bye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With The Blues
09. Blanket (with Imogen Heap)
10. A Day In The Life
11. Little Brown Bird (with Eric Clapton)
12. Jeff band intro
13. Where Were You

The amazing thing about this recording is that it is a DivX. For those of you who are not familiar with the DivX format it is the video equivalent of an MP3. It should look and sound very ordinary. It doesn't. The picture quality (played through my OPPO) is better than half of my DVDs and the sound quality is more than acceptable. The camera work is excellent.

Video: XVID 640x384 25.00fps 1325Kbps [Video 0]
Audio: MPEG Audio Layer 3 48000Hz stereo 320Kbps [Audio 1]

The DVD of this concert will be released some time this month. It will feature some additional songs. It is at the top of my Wish List.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Steve Earle & the Dukes - "Transcendental Blues Live" (2002)

I watched this DVD when I got home from work earlier this evening. This is Steve the alt-country musician rather than Steve the country artist. I have mixed feelings about the concert but it's definitely good enough to watch again. I don’t know Steve Earle very well but I thought that he looked tired at the end of a long tour and needed a raucous audience to pep him up (and it wasn’t).

I learnt that Steve is a campaigner for the abolition of capital punishment. In the DVD extras the studio version of the song "Transcendental Blues" is played while the photographs of 140 people executed in Texas from 1995 - 2000 were displayed on the screen. I usually associate judicial killing with countries like Libya, Somalia, China, North Korea and Iran. The last execution in New Zealand was in February 1957. That's nearly 52 years ago.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

The Allman Brothers Band - "Live at Great Woods" (1998 )

This 1991 recording is a great concert but partly spoiled by interviews inserted in the middle. The worst thing about these inserts - which are just trivial chit chat - is that they are played on top of the music. Three songs at least are ruined because of this.

Director Martin Pitts, if you're reading this post, you are a complete prat who does not deserve to be entrusted with a great band like The Allman Brothers. Please leave directing music DVDs to people who actually like music.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Susan Tedeschi - Live from Austin, Tx (2004)

This 2003 concert is a real nightclub sort of show – a blend of blues, jazz, soul, ballads and rock’n’roll – with songs from songwriters that Susan rates highly. It deserves a second look, which is the true test these days.

Susan plays guitar and sings. She has a very good distinctive voice. She is the only guitarist on this DVD, even though she is not a virtuoso guitarist or even close to it. She has an excellent band for this concert, including two very good keyboard players.

For those of you who don't know Susan Tedeschi she is married to guitarist Derek Trucks who has his own band when he's not touring with Eric Clapton or The Allman Brothers.

Susan and Derek both come across on their respective DVDs as lovely people. I bet they make sweet music together at home. They would be welcome guests in my home any day.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Freddie King - "The!!!!Beat 1966" (2001)

I bought this for myself for Xmas.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

J.J. Cale - "Live in Session" (2006)

This 80-minute session was recorded with Leon Russell at Leon's Paradise Studios in Los Angeles in 1979. The recording was virtually unseen until 2001 when the tape was discovered in Nashville.

There is virtually no video available of J.J. Cale performing live apart from a few guest appearances on other people's shows, so this is a wonderful find.

I put this DVD on one evening recently for musically minded friends who were talking about going home. They watched the whole 80 minutes, on their feet, trapped by the unique groove that JJ produces.

1. T-Bone Shuffle
2. Nowhere to Run
3. Cocaine
4. Ten Easy Lessons
5. Sensitive Kind
6. Hands Off Her
7. Lou-Easy-Ann
8. Going Down
9. Corine Corina
10. Roll On
11. No Sweat
12. Crazy Mama
13. Fate of a Fool
14. Boilin' Pot
15. After Midnight
16. T-Bone Shuffle
17. T-Bone Backwards
18. Same Ole Blues
19. Don't Cry Sister
20. Set Your Soul Free (Tell Me Who You Are)
21. 24 Hours A Day

Nigel.

[ShadowZA]

J.J. Cale - "Live in Session" (2006)...

Nigel.

JJ Cale brings back some amazing memories. During my student years, I had a beat-up '69 VW Beetle. Had a pair of speakers (with whizzer cones) in the "dogbox" at the back, wired to a 15 watt x 15 watt stereo amp (booster) & a Pioneer tape deck (with auto-reverse, the whole toot). Used to play JJ's "Boilin' Pot", "Friday" [from the album "5"] & "Mama don't" [can't recall which album this was from] tracks at full tilt. I played those cassettes until they stretched & broke (talk about wow & flutter) ... and then I simply went out and bought them again.

What great memories! :T

[Thelonious Funk]

Ok boys and girls, (though mostly boys it seems)


I have here a handy dandy reference guide to three DVD's you may or may not find yourself watching in the near future.

Let us start with the Ben Folds with WASO DVD.

Ben Folds may be an acquired taste and he might even annoy some of you, but when you pair him with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra at an outdoor amphitheater in Perth, he's pretty damn great. (If still a little chatty between songs.) All the songs are arranged by members of WASO and as Ben points out to the crowd, it's pretty cool that people who know how to do that are walking around everyday in their town.

The highlight of this DVD though may be when he discards the Orchestra and uses the crowd instead. Teaching the high, low and mids before he begins, the crowd seems to know just where to come in, and my god, they all seem to have perfect pitch.

This DVD is a must, boys and girl(s?)

Next we waltz on over to the Warren Haynes Benefit Concert, Volume 8.

The title leads me to believe there are at least 7 more of these DVD's, but I have looked and found not one other.

So Warren Haynes, Dave Matthews, Branford Marsalis, John Popper, Marty Stuart and Taj Mahal get together with a lot of other great musicians and they put on this concert. Luckily there are a few cameras and a great sound engineer. What we get is a great DVD. I'm not normally a huge fan of the Mix Tape DVD feel, but this one, because of Warren Haynes, as with Eric Clapton in his Guitar Festival DVD's, is cohesive.

Highlights include Cortez the Killer, All Along the Watchtower, Shape I'm In and I Shall Be Released.

(wow, those are all covers.)

The only complaint i have about this DVD is that you cannot skip from song to song using the next buttons on your remote. It skips chunks, not songs.

If you don't have a friend nice enough to mail it to you, you should order this DVD. It has my stamp of approval. (Which looks like the ring a glass with bourbon and ice leaves on a table when you put it down next to the coaster because the DVD you are watching is too good to look away for the half second it would take to put the glass down correctly.)


And now we come to Umphrey's Mcgee - Wrapped Around Chicago.

Like some pills that say you should not ingest without eating a full meal, this DVD, unless you already know the band, should not be ingested without a side of intoxication.

Don't get me wrong. This is the tightest band I have ever seen, often both guitarists and bassist solo at the same time, the exact same solo in different octaves. Umphrey's Mcgee is an AMAZING band.

But they play a lot of different types of music and often build on repetitive rhythms to sneak you off to a place you never knew exisited, but when you leave it, you miss it.

What I mean to say is, they are different, challenging, and wonderful. I recommend starting off with the second DVD in this set, as it has covers you will know and therefore not be as challenged by.

Not that I don't think you are up to the challenge, whoever you are. Disc Two is like dipping your toe into the water, is all.

Give them more than one chance. The more you listen to it, the more you hear.


And..... I'm done.

[bigburner]

Beth Hart - "Live at Paradiso" (2005)

This is probably the most intense performance that I have seen by any musician ever.

That’s a big call I know. So what do I mean by intense? I mean that Beth Hart is either so high on life or amphetamines that she delivers the performance of her life. In the process she holds her devoted audience in the palm of her hand.

There are numerous examples that I could give you of her extreme behaviour, but this is a family forum folks so you’ll have to use your imagination.

The important thing about this concert is that the music – in particular her singing – is of the very highest quality. Her behaviour just makes her musical performance all the more amazing.

In case you are wondering, I loved the concert and I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about the non-music aspects that I have mentioned above.

The concert was recorded in May 2004 at the Paradiso, which is one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful concert halls.

The band comprises:

Beth Hart – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Tom Lilly – Bass
John M Nichols – Guitar
John Nyman – Drums

The sound quality, picture quality and camerawork are all excellent.

One tiny criticism: if I was the mixing guy I would have raised the lead guitar slightly higher in the mix. I presume that this was done deliberately in order to highlight the main instrument, which is Beth’s voice. Fair enough.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Let It Be

Let It Be is a 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the Let It Be album in January 1969. It also shows them rehearsing some of the songs from the Abbey Road album. The film was released 12 days after the Let It Be album and was the last original Beatles release.

The premise of the film shows The Beatles rehearsing and eventually performing a live concert. However, the band members had begun to drift apart for some time, and the project documents some of the aspects leading to the band's eventual break-up.

The Beatles assembled at Twickenham Film Studios on January 2, 1969, accompanied by the film crew, and began recording. There were tensions and disagreements among them and they disliked the conditions at the studio and the working schedule. They started work in the morning rather than working late into the night as they had been used to doing at Abbey Road Studios, where they usually recorded their songs.

The film continues at Apple's headquarters in Saville Row, London where Harrison brought in keyboardist Billy Preston to play electric piano/organ. The film ends with a concert atop Apple's headquarters on January 30, 1969 in which they play most of the Let It Be album. The film closes with the police arriving and shutting the concert down. It is the final public performance by The Beatles.

The Let It Be film has been out of circulation since being released on VHS video, videodisc, and laserdisc in the early 1980s. These early copies were considerably poorer quality than the original theatrical release of the film because of rough conversion from 8-millimetre and 16-millimetre prints. DVD bootlegs of the film are usually derived from VHS or superior laserdisc versions, although there are very few laserdiscs that are in pristine condition as a result of laser rot. The copy of the film that I watched is a transfer from the Japanese 1985 laserdisc edition.

As you might expect, the sound and picture quality are pretty ordinary. However, observing the creative process and the interaction between the band members was fascinating.

In February 2007 Neil Aspinall was interviewed regarding the remastering of the film for DVD release. [Aspinall was originally The Beatles’ road manager and personal assistant who later went on to head The Beatles' company Apple Corps.] Aspinall stated "The film was so controversial when it first came out. When we got halfway through restoring it, we looked at the outtakes and realized this stuff is still controversial. It raised a lot of old issues”. This indicates that it may be a very long time before Let It Be is ever reissued on DVD.

Nigel.

[Russ L]

Let It Be

Let It Be is a 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the Let It Be album in January 1969. It also shows them rehearsing some of the songs from the Abbey Road album. The film was released 12 days after the Let It Be album and was the last original Beatles release.

The premise of the film shows The Beatles rehearsing and eventually performing a live concert. However, the band members had begun to drift apart for some time, and the project documents some of the aspects leading to the band's eventual break-up.

Aspinall stated "The film was so controversial when it first came out. When we got halfway through restoring it, we looked at the outtakes and realized this stuff is still controversial. It raised a lot of old issues”. This indicates that it may be a very long time before Let It Be is ever reissued on DVD.

Nigel.

When "Let It Be" was released amid the drawn out breakup of the Beatles it was poorly received. I remember my friends and others refused to listen to it because it was the "break-up album". Many believed The Beatles had no right to disband. They reasoned that the group was the best band ever assembled and it would be a betrayal to fans worldwide and to music in general. They acted as if The Beatles did not just belong to themselves but to everyone. Most were so upset that they ended up blaming it all on Yoko Ono. Maybe its time that fans can see something positive in this last work.

[planitismetal]

QUEENSRYCHE FOR EVER!!! MAYBE THE BEST LIVE EVER!!

[Thelonious Funk]

May I just say that I am SUPER GEEKED UP HAPPY that Wilco is set to release a concert DVD this month or next. My wife is pre-ordering it because they usually send you all sorts of other cool stuff when you do.

It's called Ashes of American Flags.

That is all.

[bigburner]

May I just say that I am SUPER GEEKED UP HAPPY that Wilco is set to release a concert DVD this month or next. My wife is pre-ordering it because they usually send you all sorts of other cool stuff when you do.

It's called Ashes of American Flags.

That is all.

You're super geeked up happy Eric? That doesn't begin to describe how happy I am.

Wilco at Byron Bay was the best concert I've been to.

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

Dude, super geeked up happy is pretty happy. I'm not sure if there is a higher level of happiness.

I mean, geeks bite the heads of chickens. That's extreme happiness.

[Alloroc]

Bought a stack of blurays recently and this was one of them....

Jethro Tull, Live at Montreux.

I should say first that I love Jethro Tull - I bought Aqualung when I was 14 so I'm a long time fan and am perhaps a little biased.

How and ever, it sounds great and has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 & LPCM. I listened in 2 channel LPCM. Picture quality is great too and is well shot.

Other than that, if you like a bit of 70's hardish rock and heavyish metal with the flute as a lead instrument, you'll like this!

[bigburner]

Dude, super geeked up happy is pretty happy. I'm not sure if there is a higher level of happiness.

I mean, geeks bite the heads of chickens. That's extreme happiness.

Mate, where I come from we can't claim to be really happy unless we're chomping on the neck of a Moa.

[Thelonious Funk]

You win this time, nemesis! *Shakes fist*

[Thelonious Funk]

Beth Hart - "Live at Paradiso" (2005)

This is probably the most intense performance that I have seen by any musician ever.

That’s a big call I know. So what do I mean by intense? I mean that Beth Hart is either so high on life or amphetamines that she delivers the performance of her life. In the process she holds her devoted audience in the palm of her hand.

There are numerous examples that I could give you of her extreme behaviour, but this is a family forum folks so you’ll have to use your imagination.

The important thing about this concert is that the music – in particular her singing – is of the very highest quality. Her behaviour just makes her musical performance all the more amazing.

In case you are wondering, I loved the concert and I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about the non-music aspects that I have mentioned above.

The concert was recorded in May 2004 at the Paradiso, which is one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful concert halls.

The band comprises:

Beth Hart – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Tom Lilly – Bass
John M Nichols – Guitar
John Nyman – Drums

The sound quality, picture quality and camerawork are all excellent.

One tiny criticism: if I was the mixing guy I would have raised the lead guitar slightly higher in the mix. I presume that this was done deliberately in order to highlight the main instrument, which is Beth’s voice. Fair enough.

Nigel.

Nigel,

She's manic. I lived woman just like her (dropped out of high school, drug addictions and full blown nuts. Looked a lot like this girl too.)


It works for her though.

What a fantastic voice. Good call on this one.

4 out of 5 stars. (I've decided to rate things now as I tend to be exuberant about everything I find worthy of talkinga bout here.)

[bigburner]

Warren Haynes Presents The Benefit Concert Volume 8 (2008 )

I have to thank Thelonious Funk for putting me onto this excellent DVD, which I watched with friends last night. My friends thoroughly enjoyed it, as did I. Some of the musicians were new to us, which made the concert all the more interesting.

The DVD was recorded live at Warren Haynes’ 18th Annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC on 16th December 2006 at the Asheville Civic Center. The Benefit Concert Volume 8 is the third release in an on-going series documenting the annual concerts.

As with each previous benefit, all proceeds from this series of concerts and CD and DVD releases benefit Habitat For Humanity, an international non-profit organization dedicated to building housing for those in need of shelter.

This 2006 concert saw Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule and Allman Brothers Band) put together a stellar line-up of musicians featuring Gov’t Mule, Dave Matthews, The New Orleans Social Club, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, The Taj Mahal Trio, and The John Popper Project featuring DJ Logic. Warren Haynes also welcomed special guests Randall Bramblett, Taylor Hicks, Branford Marsalis, Mike Barnes, Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson & Family), Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey’s McGee), Kevin Kinney (Drivin’n’Cryin), Robert Kearns (The Bottle Rockets) and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic).

The genres of music played by these various musicians ranged from blues to bluegrass to jazz funk to jazz rock to rock to... etc. Something for everyone - well not everyone perhaps, but everyone who likes full-on music from top musicians.

There were too many good musicians for me to pick a favourite, but as you're twisting my arm I'd have to say Branford Marsalis (sax). He was fabulous.

This one will definitely be played again.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Umphrey’s McGee Wrapped Around Chicago – New Years Eve at the Riviera Theater in Chicago (2005)

Umphrey’s McGee is a completely new band for me so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. All I knew was that if Thelonious Funk likes them then they must be good. Well I’m pleased to say that this DVD is not just good, it also stretched me, which is something I really enjoy.

Umphrey’s McGee play music from an unusual assortment of genres including progressive rock (Yes) and jazz rock (Frank Zappa) with a bit of swing (Frank Sinatra) thrown in. The greatest of these influences is probably Frank Zappa. As a devout follower of Mr Zappa this influence didn’t worry me at all.

Umphrey’s McGee could also be described as a jam band too, possibly influenced by Gov’t Mule. I noticed that guitarist Brendan Bayliss was a guest on the Gov’t Mule “Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert Volume 8” concert DVD that Thelonious Funk and I reviewed recently. They may be jam band but they are definitely a tight jam band.

The DVD was recorded on New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2004. It’s a long performance (over 3 hours) so the concert is split across two discs. On Thelonious Funk’s recommendation I watched disc 2 first. Disc 2 includes the moment that 2005 arrives, which is celebrated with acrobats and dwarves wearing Kiss makeup.

The sound quality on this DVD is very good. I listened to the LPCM stereo track although the DD 5.1 track sounded just as good. The mix is excellent. All of the instruments and the vocals come through clearly and distinctly. The bass guitar sounded particularly good on my speakers which I sometimes criticise for being bass-shy. They certainly weren’t bass-shy with this recording. I thought that the bass player Ryan Stasik was particularly good.

The picture quality is reasonably poor compared to many other music DVDs. I had to use the zoom button on my OPPO to fill the screen and this produced a rather grainy picture. The camera work is good, with relatively few vomit-inducing cutaways.

Last night was my first viewing of this DVD, and I watched it on my own. It passed the audition so I’ll definitely play it for my friends on the next music evening at my house.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

As we are in the middle of a recession I can only afford to post brief reviews of these recently viewed DVDs.

Jeff Tweedy – “Sunken Treasure - Live in the Pacific Northwest” (2006)

Jeff Tweedy is front man and founder of the exceptionally good band Wilco. On this tour he is doing his singer/songwriter thing, solo mostly. The man is a troubled genius. His interaction with the audience was fascinating, particularly during one concert when he told some people to stop f&cking talking while he's playing. That’s exactly how I feel about those ignorant yobs.

Frank Zappa – “Live in Paris 1980” (2009)

The Zappa family seems to be releasing some material from the vault at last. The recession must hitting them in the pocket too. This little beauty of a DVD is only 34 minutes long – and it has very ordinary sound and picture quality – but I really enjoyed it. Being a Zappa fanboy I would, wouldn’t I?

Stan Chicken Shack Webb – “I'd Rather Go Live” (2004)

Chicken Shack are best known for their superb version of the Etta James song “I’d Rather Go Blind”. Well this concert is nothing like that song. This is good British blues rock with a hard edge played in front of about 70 people in a small seaside English town. Stan Webb may be in his sixties but he can still belt out the songs and play a mean guitar.

Arctic Monkeys – “At the Apollo” (2008 )

British band Arctic Monkeys are probably an acquired taste for some people, and there’s a sameness to quite a lot of their songs, but I really enjoyed this concert. These four guys look about the same age as my teenage son but they all exhibit a high standard of musicianship. The audio is well mixed and mastered.

Nigel.

[dknightd]

Jethro Tull, Live at Montreux.

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Jethro Tull - Nothing Is Easy- Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (released 2004)

Good show with some interesting commentary by Ian

[Thelonious Funk]

Last night was my first viewing of this DVD, and I watched it on my own. It passed the audition so I’ll definitely play it for my friends on the next music evening at my house.

Nigel.

WHEW! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[bigburner]

WHEW! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Eric,

I've watched it a couple more times since then and it's always good. However I have to say that the Warren Haynes Benefit Concert Volume 8 is EXCEPTIONALLY good. It's the sort of DVD I save for special occasions when I want a hit. After work tonight I watched a warm-up DVD and then followed it with Marty Stuart's set on the Warren Haynes DVD. Just excellent. If Marty Stuart ever puts a DVD out I'll be first in line to get it. Next time I'll probably do the New Orleans Social Club's set.

Nigel.

PS I haven't watched Disc 1 yet.

[bigburner]

Rufus Wainwright - "All I Want" (2005)

Rufus Wainwright (born 22 July 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. He has recorded five albums of original music, several EPs, and numerous tracks included on compilations and film soundtracks. He is the son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright, all of whom are musicians.

Wainwright came out as gay while still a teenager. In 1999, he told Rolling Stone that his father recognized his son's homosexuality early on. "We'd drive around in the car, he'd play 'Heart of Glass' and I'd sort of mouth the words, pretend to be Blondie. Just a sign of many other things to come as well."

Wainwright became interested in opera during his adolescent years, and the genre strongly influences his music. These days, in addition to his baritone singing voice, he plays both piano and the guitar, often switching between the two instruments when performing live. While some songs feature just Wainwright and his piano, his later work is often accompanied by rock instrumentation or a symphony orchestra, displaying complex layering and harmonies with an operatic feel.

Wainwright became addicted to crystal meth in the early 2000s. His friend Elton John persuaded him to check in to rehab and he detoxed and underwent therapy at the facility, which he has stated in several interviews gave him "a second chance". He now adamantly opposes crystal meth use.

Anyway, onto the DVD…

On 2 May 2005 Wainwright released his first ever DVD, "All I Want", hot on the heels of his successful "Want Two" CD.

The DVD includes the "All I Want" documentary that was first aired on the C4 British television station on 12 March 2005, a new track "The Maker Makes", 6 live session tracks from Studio Frission, 4 live tracks from Cambridge Corn Exchange, 3 live tracks from Central Park Summerstage, and 4 music videos. This is followed by a series of interviews in the Bonus Material section.

The contents of the DVD are as follows:

1. All I Want documentary
2. Maker Makes
3. Gay Messiah [Studio Frission Sessions]
4. Crumb by Crumb [Studio Frission Sessions]
5. Rebel Prince [Studio Frission Sessions]
6. Art Teacher [Studio Frission Sessions]
7. This Love Affair [Studio Frission Sessions]
8. Poses [Studio Frission Sessions]
9. Movies of Myself [Cambridge Corn Exchange]
10. Go or Go Ahead [Cambridge Corn Exchange]
11. I Don't Know What It Is [Cambridge Corn Exchange]
12. Beautiful Child [Cambridge Corn Exchange]
13. Beauty Mark [Central Park Summerstage]
14. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk [Central Park Summerstage]
15. Dinner at Eight [Central Park Summerstage]
16. One You Love [video]
17. California [video]
18. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk [video]
19. April Fools [video]
20. Bonus Material

This DVD is a gem that I had to buy after first renting it. I knew nothing about Rufus Wainwright before I watched this DVD. He is a real find.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Iggy and the Stooges - "Live in Detroit" (2004)

Iggy Pop is an animal. He's 56 years old and he's stripped to the waist for the whole performance. I'm 55 years old and I'd do the same. Yeah right.

And by the way, I quite enjoyed the DVD.

Nigel.

[gimpy]

My wife and I just purchased us a Sony HD tv and Sony Blu Ray. Along with the purchase, she also bought a Blu ray disc of "Seal" from Sound Stage. It's a very good video disc of him singing some older songs ("Knock on Wood", "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and more). We both really like it.