What music DVD are you currently enjoying

[bigburner]

Is that mostly 50's rock?

John, yes they are mostly 50's songs – a mixture of rock-and-roll, rockabilly, swing and even a bit of jazz courtesy of Trombone Shorty (who incidentally I'll be seeing at the Byron Bay festival in a fortnight's time).

And yes again, Les Paul is credited with inventing the electric guitar. Les played regularly at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, which is why Jeff Beck wanted this tribute concert to be performed there.

I should mention that the Extras on this DVD are about the best I've seen on a music DVD – interviews, behind the scenes footage, and some historic footage of Jeff Beck and Les Paul jamming together.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Ten Years After - "Live at Fiesta City" (2010)

Hard core Ten Years After fans won't like this DVD because legendary guitarist Alvin Lee has been replaced by a young upstart called Joe Gooch. However I take every band on its merits and this one doesn't disappoint one bit. Joe Gooch is a very good guitarist, the old Ten Years After band is as hot as they've ever been, and they have a good catalogue of Ten Years After songs to choose from.

Highly recommended.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Joe Louis Walker – “Live at On Broadway” (2001)

At the recent Byron Bay Bluesfest I left Buffy Sainte-Marie to listen to Joe Louis Walker.

Joe Louis Walker is a potential successor to Buddy Guy, BB King, Freddie King, Albert King, Albert Collins and Luther Allison – all of whom are blues guitarists and singers, and all of whom are deceased or advanced in age – so I really want to see younger guys like Joe Louis Walker succeed.

Joe was sharp at Byron Bay and his performance made my evening, but I thought that his guitar skills weren’t as slick in this 2001 DVD. That didn’t stop me thoroughly enjoying the DVD, particularly the electric second half of the concert (in the first half he plays acoustic guitar).

PQ (4:3) and SQ (DD 2.0 and 5.1, both at 48 KHz / 448 Kbps) both score 6.5 out of 10.

By the way, I also saw BB King at Byron Bay. He was the second biggest disappointment of my five days at the festival. Whilst his voice is still strong he has completely lost his guitar skills. I also detected disharmony in the band. That’s all I’ll say about it because I love BB and his career has been a musical highlight of my life.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

Hi Nigel.

Similar thing happened to my Mom a few years ago. She was attending a Ray Charles concert at a V nice small hall here in Western Pennsylvania. He arrived one hour late, played nearly that long & the chemistry between him and rest of the performers was toxic.

Sad that such icons are expected to perform at their best all the time, but in the December of their career I have to often wonder if they continue to perform because if they did not, they would feel they have no purpose in life, or they simply can’t afford not to.

Off topic, but what was the assessment on the structural integrity of your home? I truly hope things have returned to some semblance of normalcy in your daily life after such a horrific natural disaster that you have had to endure.

Kindest Regards,

[bigburner]

Off topic, but what was the assessment on the structural integrity of your home? I truly hope things have returned to some semblance of normalcy in your daily life after such a horrific natural disaster that you have had to endure.

Hi Bill,

Thank you for asking.

Our old house stood up well to the last big earthquake on 22 February even though the degree of plaster cracking is much higher than the quake of 4 September 2010. I have taped over most of the cracks, which has reduced the plaster dust and improved the visual impact. We had liquefaction this time, producing perhaps 12 - 15 wheel barrows of silt. Some of the Eastern suburbs were covered in a foot of silt, often inside their homes too. I live in the Western suburbs fortunately. Both of my brick chimneys fractured and have been taken down by a builder, so that's the end of the open fires that made my house unique in my circle of friends. The mains water pipe into our house broke which required a section of our concrete drive to be dug up to find the break. A storm water drain was blocked by silt but this was quickly cleared by a drain layer. A few of the leadlight windows in our family room broke. I have covered those windows with polycarbonate. A window in my big room (where the hi-fi is) came apart at the corner letting in an unacceptable level of fresh air. This was fixed by a friend and a neighbour working together, which took them about three hours. The solution was quite complex and beyond my capabilities. All the doors in our house open and close OK, even if one now half closes on its own due to the foundations having slumped. The windows in our bedroom upstairs were very hard to close so I have no plans to open them any time soon. The concrete portico at our front door is badly cracked but the brick columns look OK. We have had an opinion from a structural engineer who has advised that the columns are OK but the concrete platform and beams will need to be replaced. The degree of breakages inside the house was actually relatively small this time - lots of food stored in glass, kitchenware, a few glasses, a vase, a lamp, picture frames and a few objets d′art (which particularly upset my wife). My new B&W 803D speakers took a tumble and are a bit scratched but working just fine.

The damage in Christchurch is so extensive that I think it will take them 10 years to fix it up. Where my house fits into that timeline is anybody's guess.

All of this could be quite upsetting if you aren't careful. I find that by turning down the lights in the evening, putting on a good CD and opening a nice bottle of Pinot Noir you can almost forget that your home is looking a bit broken and your city's center has been devastated by an earthquake.

Here are some recent photos of the central business district if you're interested.

https://picasaweb.google.com/RossBeckerNZ/2011April27IntoTheChristchurchRedZone#slideshow/5602376597050171794

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Wow, Nigel. I can't even imagine. You stay safe, man.

[bigburner]

Miller Anderson Band – Live at Rockpalast 2010 (2011)

The Miller Anderson Band comes close to winning the prize for the best band that no-one has ever heard of. I hadn’t heard of them until a month ago. Over that month I’ve watched this excellent DVD 5 times, which is 4 times more than I watch most DVDs.

Miller Anderson is a Scottish guitarist and vocalist. He is 65 years old in this DVD. He has a music résumé that’s as long as your arm. It includes the Keef Hartley Band, Savoy Brown, T. Rex, Mountain, the Spencer Davis Group, the Donovan Band, a band led by Deep Purple's Jon Lord, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. He has never spent a long time with any one band, which means he’s either very particular about his fellow band members or just a difficult bastard to work with.

His current band comprises a keyboard player, bassist and drummer. They are all very good musicians but the keyboard player and drummer are exceptionally good. I would describe the genre of music as blues/rock. The tone that Miller Anderson gets out of his Hofner Thin President guitar, particularly on the bridge pick-up, is just wonderful.

The SQ on this DVD is very good – full and rich (PCM 2-channel, 1,536Kbps, 48KHz). The PQ and camerawork are both excellent.

This is a highly recommended DVD.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

From the Sublime to the Mundane

I’ll start with the mundane because it’s good to finish on a positive note.

Friends and acquaintances sometimes lend me DVDs because they know that I’m a music DVD enthusiast. Such is the case with the following DVD, which was supplied to me by someone who couldn’t believe that I didn’t own anything by this band:

Deep Purple – “Around the World Live” (2008 )

This DVD has 4 discs, which represents about 8 hours of viewing, so I had to be selective because that’s about 7 hours too much for me. I did some research and selected disc 3 – “Live at the NEC, England” (2002). Reviews of the whole DVD were very positive. The NEC concert is particularly well regarded because it was also an emotionally important occasion as it was the farewell concert for long-time keyboard player Jon Lord.

In the early 70s I used to like Deep Purple. Who hasn’t hummed or sung along to “Smoke on the Water” at some time in their life? However when watching this DVD I struggled to find anything that I really enjoyed. Whilst the musicianship of bass player Roger Glover, keyboard players Don Airey and Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice was quite high the standard of the music was poor. I listened to every song on the disc but couldn’t justify playing any song all the way through.

I know that music is a very personal thing. However with all those really good bands out there and all the wonderful concerts that are available on DVD it is hard to understand why anyone would want to spend their hard-earned money on this DVD.

Jon Lord, if you happen to be reading this, I loved your “Live at the Basement” DVD with the Hoochie Coochie Men. That DVD demonstrates why it was a good idea for you to escape from Deep Purple.

Now onto the sublime.

I watched the following DVD last night and what a delightful concert it is:

Larry Carlton & The Sapphire Blues Band – “The Paris Concert” (2011)

I have known about Larry Carlton since the early 70s when he was the guitarist with The Crusaders who were one of my favourite bands at that time. I haven’t followed Larry’s career very closely because he’s primarily a jazz guitarist and I’m not really into jazz. However as the title of this DVD suggests, he plays blues on this DVD, even if his playing does incorporate jazz sensibilities.

Larry is an excellent guitarist. His touch is exquisite and his rhythm is superb. The tone that he extracts from his Gibson ES-335 guitar is beautiful. What a contrast there is between Larry Carlton and Steve Morse who plays guitar on the Deep Purple DVD. Steve is a hack in comparison. It’s a gaping chasm between the two rather than a gap.

Larry is supported at this Paris nightclub 2004 concert by a 4-man brass section, a drummer, and his son on electric bass. The music on this DVD was simply of a much higher standard than on the other DVD.

The PQ and SQ on the two DVDs were about the same – both had good SQ and both had rather ordinary PQ. Good PQ and SQ (especially) can make a big difference to my level of enjoyment when watching a music DVD, but as they were equivalent they had no bearing on my review.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Warren Haynes - "Man In Motion" bonus DVD (2011)

This is another magnificent DVD that grows on me every time I watch it. It's the bonus DVD for pre-ordering Warren Haynes' "Man In Motion" CD, which was released about two months ago. The DVD features the wonderful Ruthie Foster on backing vocals and Ivan Neville on organ. It's only 42 minutes long. I could easily handle another hour.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - BBC Four Sessions LSO St Lukes London (2004)

This DVD is another gem that is only available through the not-for-sale network. I bought her new CD "The Harrow and the Harvest" after watching this DVD, demonstrating that the network is positive for the musicians. You don't need to be Einstein to find it so go out there and get it you music lovers. PQ and SQ are both very good.

Nigel.

[Glen B]

Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010

Lots of great sets on this DVD. Performers include BB King, Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, ZZ Top, Keb Mo', Jeff Beck, Earl Klugh, Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band, Steve Winwood, regular E.C. band member Steve Gadd on drums, etc. Trucks and Tedeschi stepped in as a replacement for Allman Brothers Band, who cancelled due to Gregg's liver transplant surgery.

[bigburner]

I featured an Amy Winehouse bracket on Friday evening comprising her CD "Frank" (2003) followed by her DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London" (2007). It was my first experience with the CD and my third viewing of the DVD. Both are excellent.

Needless to say I'm very saddened by her death.

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Some may be already familar with this group and/or performance from PBS, but I was not. Following an online suggestion, I got this from Netflix and gave it a watch on BD. Very good! Those who know me may know that I'm a fan of Celtic culture. All the leading ladies are quite excellent as vocalists and instrumentalists, and the music is beautiful. Music that is largely centered on female vocals have a few pitfalls, IMHO, especially with with sopranos. Sometimes the vocalist is consistently powerful and overwhelming, which can be draining over time. Other times, (and I've found this to be true on a LOT of jazz albums, even those viewed as "reference" by the A/V community) they are very reserved, and even though the sound isn't thin, I feel like I can't really move or make any sound, or it will break the fragility of the experience. Voices are often overly "breathy". Not my cup of tea. Well, these ladies do a great job of staying in the middle. Their voices are pristine and crystal clear, without being overwhelming or deliberately cautious with every sound. Unisons are amazingly tight. And yes, the girls are quite pretty, too.

A/V quality isn't the best for a BD, but the audio's pretty good. one of my few complaints about the performance is that this type of music is very good, and enjoyable, but without larger variations in music, it's not something I desire to sit and listen to for very extended periods.

Glad I watched it, but I don't think it's going to be a purchase for me. I may check out their other stuff as well.

[bigburner]

Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues (2011)

Eric looked like a fish out of water for the whole of this concert. Normally he is the master of his stage. He always looks in control and in charge, and every other musician on stage defers to him. In this concert Eric looked like the new boy. He grinned nervously throughout and ran his hands through his long greying hair constantly.

Wynton and his band are always impeccably dressed in suits and ties. For this concert Eric also dressed in a smart suit and tie, which is most unusual for him these days, and he looked uncomfortable. A shave and a haircut may have helped him feel more at home.

The title of this DVD strongly suggests that the blues is the primary genre of music being played, but it isn’t. What we actually get is some lovely old blues songs being given a jazz makeover. Does it work? Not in my book. I must disclose that I struggle with jazz most of the time so this DVD was perhaps always going to be a challenge for me. Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed a similar concert where Willie Nelson played with Wynton and his band. Wynton’s jazz treatment of Willie’s country songs worked well. The blues and jazz in this concert do not mix well together. They are oil and water.

The musicianship of Wynton and his band members on this DVD is exceptional. They all ooze talent. Sadly Eric’s performance is not in the same league. His guitar is turned down so low in the mix that it is inconsequential. His main job is to sing the songs, which he does adequately, but we all know Eric’s primary strength is the guitar. If that’s not working well then Eric isn’t delivering.

The audio on this DVD isn’t the best. On the first few songs it sounds as if the microphones aren’t positioned properly. The sound improves later, or perhaps I just got used to it.

The end result of this oil and water emulsion was that I fast forwarded constantly throughout the DVD and I am unlikely to watch it again.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Led Zeppelin (2003)

It's been a couple of years since I last gave this DVD a spin and right now I'm wondering why. I pulled it out last Saturday night for friends and couldn't believe how good it was. With 600 music DVDs to choose from these days some old classics tend to be overlooked in favour of other bands, many of which are much lesser beasts than Led Zep. That's cool though as variety is the spice of life... well that's what my mother used to tell me.

There are over four hours of music on this double disc DVD so you have to be selective unless you're a fanatic, which my guests were not. There are also four concerts to choose from ranging from 1970 to 1979. I started with the acoustic set on the Earl's Court concert (1975), which is a cunning way to get the ladies involved because they're very approachable songs unlike some of Led Zep's music. After that introduction it was feasible to play some of the less approachable songs and avoid a walkout. I gave my guests about 50 minutes of the DVD, finishing with "Kashmir" played at a very high volume. My guests were buzzing.

One reason that you can get away with high volume on this DVD is that the audio quality is so good. The person to thank for this is Led Zep's guitarist Jimmy Page who oversaw the remixing and re-mastering of the DVD, taking a few years to do it I'm told. I listened to the LPCM track. The video was more problematic for Mr Page given the age of the four recordings but the end result of all the hard work is very acceptable.

Not many DVDs in my collection deserve the tag 'masterpiece' but this one is definitely a contender.

By the way, I was at the Earl's Court concert. The DVD brought back no memories of the concert at all, but 1975 was a long time ago...

Nigel.

[Johnloudb]

Damn, I had that Zeppelin DVD and I gave it away to a friend and never looked at it. Shame on me!!!

[bigburner]

Flight to quality

Robin Trower - "Living Out of Time" (2006)

'Flight to quality' is a term used by investors when they move their capital away from risky investments to less risky investments. The same phrase applies when you dig out a wonderful DVD like this one in preference to your most recent purchasing mistake.

Robin Trower is a magnificent rock guitarist who has been a notable absentee from Eric Clapton's last three Crossroads Guitar Festivals. He possibly drinks wine or doesn't believe in God, and of course His Royal Ericness can't be doing with that sort of behaviour.

Don't let Robin's shocking behaviour put you off buying this fabulous DVD!

Nigel.

[bigburner]

A Bryan Ferry binge

A couple of Friday nights ago my wife asked me if we had any Bryan Ferry DVDs. I dragged this one out of the collection, dusted it off, and popped it into the OPPO.

Roxy Music – “Live at the Apollo” (2003)

I like Bryan Ferry a bit but not enough to waste half my precious Friday night. Wrong! What a great concert!

I mentioned this event to a musically minded friend and he lent me this one:

Bryan Ferry – “Dylanesque Live - The London Sessions” (2007)

Even better! What a wonderful singer Bryan is. He plays a mean harp too. He has a great supporting band, including four female backing singers, and of course there are Bob Dylan’s fabulous songs too.

I went out the next day and bought it. While I was there I bought this one too:

Bryan Ferry – “In Concert (Live in Paris at Le Grand Rex)” (2001)

I plan to watch it tomorrow night with my wife. After that I hope she will be interested in watching the new Adele - “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” (2011) DVD. I love Adele’s last CD “21” and I can’t wait to see her in concert on this DVD. My wife and I have been out a lot recently so a Friday night at home is a blissful prospect.

What a great hobby we have!

Nigel.

[impala454]

Hey I was just about to post this link and noticed Nigel already posted it. Here's the same one "Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall" but in bluray!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z271Y6/ref=s9_newr_gw_g74_ir04?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1KQQGW8SHMPFW6RA57VT&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

I was wondering if anyone had it and had any impressions on it yet?

[madmac]

Got the DVD of Peter Gabriel's "New Blood" concert and I must say, it's quite impressive. He basically sings his songs with a full Orchestra. There are no guitars or bass guitars. For those that like Gabriel's rockier side, this might disappoint but if you want to hear his songs done in a different way, then check this out. Starts slow but finishes BIG!!.

The sound and picture of this concert is superb !! Audio in DTS is available and the sound is BIG!!. This is accomplished because the entire orchestra is miked, so the sound is VERY large and impressive.

[bigburner]

Hey I was just about to post this link and noticed Nigel already posted it. Here's the same one "Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall" but in bluray!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z271Y6/ref=s9_newr_gw_g74_ir04?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1KQQGW8SHMPFW6RA57VT&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

I was wondering if anyone had it and had any impressions on it yet?

It's a very good DVD Chuck. Adele has a great voice, is totally committed to her art and her audience, and has an impressive catalogue of material given her tender age.

No regrets buying this one.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

OT to Nigel

Hi Nigel!

Heard where you guys had another ‘Event’ down there.
Hope all is well and your holidays are grand.
All the best, my good friend!

Bill

[bigburner]

Hi Nigel!

Heard where you guys had another ‘Event’ down there.
Hope all is well and your holidays are grand.
All the best, my good friend!

Bill

Thanks Bill. Fortunately the quake on the 23rd did very little damage to my house or contents. In contrast my mother who lives only three or four miles away sustained quite a lot of contents damage (again).

This latest quake did have a positive aspect for me. A local liquor shop was selling all their label damaged wines for $10 a bottle. I picked up two dozen beauties, some of which normally sell for $30 to $40 each. That's perfect timing because I'm hosting friends on NYE.

Nigel.

[Chris D]

Seriously? Man, I hadn't heard about you guys getting another hit. You stay safe, buddy!

I'm still dying to go down and tour the country sometime. Might be a while before I get another big vacation, but I really want to do Australia/NZ/South Pacific next time.

[mpauline]

Listening to U2's 360 tour live at the Rosebowl on bluray. It is almost like being there. Will go out and find a copy of Adele's DVD or bluray after reading the reviews on here.

[Chris D]

Ooooh, cool. My favorite group, and I like that one. I think that's the one that Bono sings a love song directly to the young girl. Parts are awesome.

[madmac]

Some may be already familar with this group and/or performance from PBS, but I was not. Following an online suggestion, I got this from Netflix and gave it a watch on BD. Very good! Those who know me may know that I'm a fan of Celtic culture. All the leading ladies are quite excellent as vocalists and instrumentalists, and the music is beautiful. Music that is largely centered on female vocals have a few pitfalls, IMHO, especially with with sopranos. Sometimes the vocalist is consistently powerful and overwhelming, which can be draining over time. Other times, (and I've found this to be true on a LOT of jazz albums, even those viewed as "reference" by the A/V community) they are very reserved, and even though the sound isn't thin, I feel like I can't really move or make any sound, or it will break the fragility of the experience. Voices are often overly "breathy". Not my cup of tea. Well, these ladies do a great job of staying in the middle. Their voices are pristine and crystal clear, without being overwhelming or deliberately cautious with every sound. Unisons are amazingly tight. And yes, the girls are quite pretty, too.

A/V quality isn't the best for a BD, but the audio's pretty good. one of my few complaints about the performance is that this type of music is very good, and enjoyable, but without larger variations in music, it's not something I desire to sit and listen to for very extended periods.

Glad I watched it, but I don't think it's going to be a purchase for me. I may check out their other stuff as well.

Saw this concert on PBS awhile ago. It's the eye candy that makes you stick around for "extended periods" !! hehehe :P

[impala454]

Ran through Chris Botti Live in Boston last night. One of my favorites so far since I've built a decent system (from the recommendations here!):

[bigburner]

Calvin Russell - "Contrabendo" (2010)

What a find! This DVD is another contender for 'the best band you've never heard of' award. I hadn't heard of Calvin Russell until a month ago.

You can read about Calvin Russell here: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/calvi...1338/biography

The audio on this DVD is good but not great, and the video is a bit dark, but the music is wonderful.

Nigel.

[madmac]

Ran through Chris Botti Live in Boston last night. One of my favorites so far since I've built a decent system (from the recommendations here!):

This one is my 'Reference' BD for picture and sound. It has the whole package, including the great performances. My favorite is Sting's "seven days" :T

[Chris D]

Hey, I'm just curious, for you guys with the Chris Botti Boston BD. When you use full DTS-MA lossless audio, do you get a buzz/distortion in your right rear surround channel?

[madmac]

Hey, I'm just curious, for you guys with the Chris Botti Boston BD. When you use full DTS-MA lossless audio, do you get a buzz/distortion in your right rear surround channel?

I cannot answer that question because my Rotel is older and does not decode the new hi rez formats. I do however, set my PS3 to output PCM lossless in 2 channel via optical and put my Rotel into 5ch Stereo to get the Hi Rez sound that way. I have not experienced any distortion and the sound off this disc is sweet.......like analog sweet but with all the detail of Hi Rez digital! :T

Now, if I can only figure out what I did with the Rotel and PS3 to make that happen, and how to undo it because now, my PS3 is playing EVERYTHING in 2ch stereo now!! Bollocks!!! :roll:

[impala454]

Hey, I'm just curious, for you guys with the Chris Botti Boston BD. When you use full DTS-MA lossless audio, do you get a buzz/distortion in your right rear surround channel?

Sorry Chris I just now saw this. Mine is actually two different options, 2 channel LPCM or Dolby TrueHD. I just played through it and the TrueHD track does not produce any distortion that I can tell.

I just picked this one up recently too and it's awesome as well! Anyone have more good bluray concert discs I should try?

[impala454]

This one looks like it'd be right up my alley... anyone have this? Only $10!

http://www.amazon.com/B-B-King-Live-Blu-ray/dp/B004USUOX6/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1326674341&sr=1-8

[bigburner]

This one looks like it'd be right up my alley... anyone have this? Only $10!

http://www.amazon.com/B-B-King-Live-Blu-ray/dp/B004USUOX6/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1326674341&sr=1-8

What did you think of BB's guitar work on this recording impala454?

It's a re-release of the "Soundstage: B.B. King - Live" (2009) concert: http://www.amazon.com/Soundstage-B-B...6701480&sr=1-2

If you like the Soundstage one then make sure you try his "Live at Montreux 1993" concert: http://www.amazon.com/B-B-King-Live-...6702135&sr=1-1. Perhaps you have it already? If not then don't be put off by the 1993 recording date. It's excellent quality.

Because the Montreux concert was filmed in 1993 BB was in far better shape then. I saw him in March 2011 at Byron Bay and it was probably the biggest music disappointment in my life. BB was embarrassingly bad and out of harmony mentally and musically with his excellent band.

The Soundstage concert was recorded in 2008 or 2009 so BB was certainly in better shape than when I saw him in 2011. I know this from the Crossroads Guitar Festival (2010) DVD where he was still vaguely competent.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

k.d. lang - "Live in London with the BBC Concert Orchestra" (2009)

This is a superb concert DVD in every way.

k.d. lang is one of the best female singers I've ever heard. She sings with such enjoyment and sincerity.

Nigel.

[impala454]

What did you think of BB's guitar work on this recording impala454?

It's a re-release of the "Soundstage: B.B. King - Live" (2009) concert: http://www.amazon.com/Soundstage-B-B...6701480&sr=1-2

If you like the Soundstage one then make sure you try his "Live at Montreux 1993" concert: http://www.amazon.com/B-B-King-Live-...6702135&sr=1-1. Perhaps you have it already? If not then don't be put off by the 1993 recording date. It's excellent quality.

Because the Montreux concert was filmed in 1993 BB was in far better shape then. I saw him in March 2011 at Byron Bay and it was probably the biggest music disappointment in my life. BB was embarrassingly bad and out of harmony mentally and musically with his excellent band.

The Soundstage concert was recorded in 2008 or 2009 so BB was certainly in better shape than when I saw him in 2011. I know this from the Crossroads Guitar Festival (2010) DVD where he was still vaguely competent.

Nigel.

This is the one I ended up with, as I saw it while perusing at Fry's.

http://www.amazon.com/B-B-King-Live-Blu-ray/dp/B001G9LV84/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1327757808&sr=1-1

It was recorded in one of his night clubs. Probably not as high quality as you'd have gotten from the concert hall, but it was still very good. I've only listened to it once so far but it was very entertaining. I liked his little monologues between songs as well. I'd love to have seen it in person.

[bigburner]

The John Entwistle Band – “Live” (2004)

John Entwistle was the bass player in the British rock group The Who. He is widely regarded as one of the finest exponents of the electric bass guitar ever. His performance certainly doesn’t disappoint in this 45 minute concert where he and his new band play mainly Who songs.

You need to be into heavy music to like this DVD. The rhythm section (drums and bass) is full on. I watched it early yesterday evening (Friday) after having a few beers with an old friend. The combination of alcohol and the end of the working week definitely put me in the mood for some high energy music. Had it been Sunday morning it would have lasted one track.

Entwistle died aged 57 in 2002 from a heart attack, in bed with a stripper after taking cocaine. Rock and roll. This DVD was produced by his long-time friend drummer Steve Luongo as a tribute to him.

SQ and PQ are both more than acceptable, though the guitar was a little low in the mix for my liking.

Later in the evening I watched this one with my wife:

Tony Bennett – “MTV Unplugged: The Video” (1997)

I bought this DVD on the recommendation of fellow HTG member wkhanna, and I’m glad that I did. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a contrast with the Entwistle DVD I watched earlier in the evening. This is definitely late night, relaxed mode listening.

Bennett crooned his way through a raft of old favourites and appeared to enjoy himself immensely. The setting was quite intimate so it was almost as if he was performing in my living room. His pianist Ralph Sharon was superb. k.d. lang and Elvis Costello each guested for one song, and both did a fine job.

SQ and PQ are both good.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

I am truly glad that you and wife both enjoyed Anthony's croonings :T

[bigburner]

I am truly glad that you and wife both enjoyed Anthony's croonings :T

And his scat wasn't bad too!

[wkhanna]

Just don’t sniff under his toupee. :W

[hwkn]

Last night I watched Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton At Madison Square Garden on Blu ray.

[bigburner]

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder: Soldier of the Cross - The Concert (2003)

From time to time I get a hankering for bluegrass music because the songs are often good and the musicianship is frequently of an exceptionally high standard.

I think Ricky Skaggs is a wonderful musician so when this one popped up I just had to press the 'buy' button. I knew from my research that I'd get a dose of Christianity with the music but I didn't appreciate just how much.

I love gospel music, and Christian musicians are fine by me, but when the concert is interrupted with interview sections where Ricky proselytizes to me then that's a step too far. Off went the DVD and it won't go on again.

Well perhaps it will be played again because the music was quite good, but the remote will be in my hand.

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Santana Greatest Hits – Live at Montreux 2011 [Blu-ray] (2012)

Ever since Carlos Santana walked onto the stage at Woodstock in 1969 I’ve been a big supporter of his. I’m therefore delighted to report that this is one of the best concerts I’ve watched for a long time.

Normally I start to lose interest in a music DVD after about an hour, but not this one. Apart from the opening songs, which were delivered in a rap style I think, the rest of this 2 hour 20 minute concert held my attention throughout with no thoughts of fast forwarding.

The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous sound. I listened to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and it is stunningly good. I’m a stereo guy, so I had to listen to the 2-channel mix courtesy of my OPPO BDP-95, but it is as good as any stereo LPCM track I’ve heard. The bass guitar is punchy and totally appropriate for this genre of music, which features a wide range of percussion instruments and has hypnotic Latin rhythms. Santana’s guitar slices through the dominant rhythm section and is crystal clear. The tone of his Paul Reed Smith guitar is exquisite. Carlos may be 64 years old but he hasn’t lost one ounce of his ability or feel. The vocals are as clear as the guitar and in balance with the other instruments at all times. Given that there are 10 or 11 musicians in the band that’s quite an accomplishment. There is excellent separation between all the instruments.

I’m not used to watching Blu-ray quality video but to my inexperienced eyes the picture quality is excellent. There is so much detail to see and all of it is clearly visible. I’m starting to think that my standard DVDs look a little blurry in comparison. Damn. I can’t afford to replace them, not to mention finding even more storage space for the cases.

All the old favourite songs are included in this concert, plus a selection of his more recent ones, which I found quite acceptable. I didn’t mind that Santana’s lead breaks were largely the same as the original versions. I also didn’t mind that brass instruments were featured on some songs that didn’t have them in the original versions. I know that this aspect of the concert has been the source of some criticism.

One of the highlights of the show was the guest appearance of husband and wife team Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. I love Derek’s guitar work and I think that Susan is one of the best singers on the circuit today. Derek fitted into the concert easily but Susan looked slightly out of her comfort zone on guitar. It’s just not her style of playing. She was definitely in her comfort zone on vocals but never got the full opportunity that she deserved. Their segment of the show looked under-rehearsed to me. Susan looked unsure whether she should be singing and didn’t want to intrude on Santana’s party. Don’t get me wrong though; their participation was a lovely addition.

Another highlight of the show was Santana’s second wife, 53 year old Cindy Blackman, whom he married in 2010. Not only is she attractive and engaging but she also played a stunning drum solo. Carlos looks like a very contented man these days, at peace with himself, and I think that Cindy deserves some of the credit for that. They must make sweet music together at home, just like Derek and Susan.

When you get Carlos Santana you get his spiritualism too. Those of you who follow my reviews know that I don’t appreciate being preached to during a concert (or ever in fact). At least Carlos doesn’t push any particular brand of religion, just a general peace-and-love theme, which is a little bit charming in an old fashioned way I suppose. I suspect that that the live audience got a much bigger dose of it than I did due to time constraints on the recording.

I have watched this Blu-ray disc twice now. It’s a top concert that will get more spins and be used at appropriate times to demonstrate my AV system.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

I have always loved that guy.
Glad to hear he is stil holding forth and delivering the goods. :T