DVD Reviews

Tori Amos - a sorta fairytale (Epic)

This is one of those DVD singles & a pretty packed one at that. You get the bizarre little video for "a sorta fairytale" that features Amos as a human leg and Oscar winner Adrien Brody as a human arm. It's a twistedly interesting visual. In addition, there is a short interview with Amos, biographical material, and a "making of the video" featurette. Well worth it for Tori Amos fans everywhere.

Arena - Caught In The Act (MVD / Metal Mind)

I'd always heard that Arena were a dreadful live band with zero stagecraft. If that is so, why is this DVD so very good? "Caught In The Act" is a great document of Arena's 2003 shows. Vocalist Rob Sowden has an almost futuristic look about him - he commands the stage well & his voice is powerful without ever being shrill.

The band is in top form on pieces like "Double Vision" and "Salamander." The camera work is great and image & audio are first rate. Lots of bonuses as well. Mick Pointer and the lads have a real winner here!

 Asia - Fantasia: Live In Tokyo (Eagle Vision)

This is one of those DVDs where they got everything right. Great camera work with crisp images and well saturated color. Great sound. Caught the band on a hot night. No songs are interrupted. Nice bonus footage. The DVD captures the original Asia in March 2007, on their 25th anniversary tour. John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, & Geoff Downes have never been in better form.

Downes lays down some cool keyboard work on Cutting It Fine. Wetton is in fine voice on Here Comes The Feeling. Howe plays a mean acoustic on Intersection Blues. Palmer runs the kit on a dizzying solo during The Heat Goes On. It's a treat to see these guys enjoying themselves - you'll never see Steve Howe grin more than he does on this DVD!

As a bonus there's a fascinating set of interviews with all four members, taking the viewer from the inception of the band to the current reunion. Sweet booklet, nice package overall. A DVD you'll treasure.

The Bears - Live At Club Cafe (Merging Media)

Attention all bands! THIS is how a live DVD is supposed to be! None of the songs are interrupted by patter, backstage interviews, conceptual video, black & white crap, slow motion footage, or any of the other traps far too many live DVDs fall into. "Live At Cafe Club" does a daring thing: it shows the band in concert uninterrupted. It has all the bonus footage as a separate entity. How very cool!

The Bears are in the groove on this DVD. Drummer Chris Arduser is on some sort of supercrack to pull off the things he does. Bassist Bob Nyswonger is solid and melodic - not to mention fun. Adrian Belew and Rob Fetters are frethounds with their twin guitar attack. The set covers material from all 3 Bears studio albums. "Superboy," "Safe In Hell," "Caveman," and "Complicated Potatoes" are bursting with energy, and grins abound. The sole cover tune is an energetic version of King Crimson's "Red." The camera work is solid, the bonus features are relaxed and informative, and Arduser plays a mean mandolin on top of it all! This is the reference standard for all live DVDs.

The Beatles - HELP! (Capitol / Apple)

Oh, shocking! Monstrous! This is so! For years, we have endured the absence of the 2nd Beatles feature film from our DVD collections. Yes, there was a long out of print version from MPI, but it was fairly washed out and looked like it came off a decent videotape. We need wait no more. HELP! is here - looking spiffy and sounding fab!

The print is gorgeous and presented in its proper 16.9 aspect ratio. Colors are vibrant and crisp. The sound is much improved, and on numbers like You're Going To Lose That Girl and I Need You there is a depth much greater than their current CD counterparts. The standard version has a second disc with trailers, documentaries, and behind the scenes stuff. It includes a nice booklet with notes from director Richard Lester and an interesting little essay by Martin Scorcese as well. There is also a deluxe version with a poster, lobby cards, script, and more.

So very nice to have one of my favorite films so lovingly restored. Thrill once again to Ringo on the run from Clang, Foot, and their respective minions as they seek to part the sacrificial ring given to him by an "Eastern Bird" from his right hand! Give it the gun, Algernon!

Blackmore's Night - Castles & Dreams (SPV)

Grab your codpiece and rock, mate. Blackmore's Night is Ritchie Blackmore's renaissancy post Deep Purple, post Rainbow band that pairs the guitar legend with former Rainbow backing vocalist Candice Night. Amazingly, they've been around the bigger slice of a decade yet still under the radar of much of the public. It's a shame, as this is some quality music, folks. Castles & Dreams is a jam packed 2 DVD set. Disc 1 features an entire concert from 2004 plus a behind the scenes feature. As I was watching the behind the scenes feature, I heard a tantalizing cover of Jethro Tull's Rainbow Blues. I hope a full live version of this surfaces on video some day! Disc 2 has an acoustic set, promo videos, documentaries, and other bonus stuff.

The main concert has fine versions of Minstrel Hall, The Clock Ticks On, Cartouche, and Village On The Sand. Purple fans will enjoy Soldier Of Fortune, Black Night, and a chunk of Child In Time. Blackmore in inspired & inspiring. Every solo is memorable. Night has a soft, lovely voice well suited to the material. The crack band playing with them are flawless. I have seldom seen a DVD set with so much bonus material on it. This is a great set for a steal of a price!

Bruford - Borstlap - In Concert In Holland (Summerfold)

Bill Bruford & a keyboard player - sounds familiar! Only this one's Dutch, not Swiss. Michiel Borstlap is his name and he sure knows his way around those 88s! The music on this DVD is hard to define, so I'll call it experimental jazz rock for the moment. Where Moraz/Bruford had a melodic delicacy to it, Bruford & Borstlap are a bit more aggressive.

Bruford is a firecracker, playing as if the Devil is on his kit and only amazing percussives will keep Old Scratch at bay. Borstlap combines confident piano with gurgling, swooping synths. All the audience can do is look on in awe as the duo explore each others' limits and find none. The 2 instruments create a very full sound in the hands of Borstlap & Bruford.

The disc has a few nice extras as well as a free audio CD of the performances to sweeten the deal even further. For Bruford freaks and jazzters of all shapes and sizes, man!

Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Footloose In NYC (Discipline Global Mobile)

Recorded at the Bottom Line in NYC in 2001, this DVD finds Earthworks in fine fettle. The quartet here is Bill Bruford on drums, Steve Hamilton on keys, Mark Hodgson on bass & Patrick Clahar on horns. "Triplicity," "Original Sin," "Bridge of Inhibition" and 9 others are well represented here. The band are cookin'!

The DVD includes a nice little backstage interview with Bruford & co. as icing on the cake. Audio is immaculate, video is sharp, packaging is fab with bio & discography. The Bruford name has come to represent class and quality in musicianship and presentation, and this DVD furthers that ideal.

Kate Bush - Under Review (Sexy Intellectual)

A hardcore Kate Bush fan will ask "will I learn anything new here?" The answer is - yes! Not a ton of new info, but certainly some. Under Review is a well assembled chronological program taking the viewer from The Kick Inside to Aerial. History & views come mostly from Paul Gambaccini & Mojo's Phil Sutcliffe with addition perspectives from writer Lucy O'Brien and Bush percussionist Morris Pert as well as words from Bush herself. Lots of performance clips as well, including a chunk of a different video for Babooska that I had never seen.

The tone is serious without getting too too reverent. Gambaccini & Sutcliffe in particular are informative and well rounded in their assessments. If there is a complaint, it's a small one - The Red Shoes and Aerial get considerably less coverage than the earlier albums. In all fairness, there's just less to report as Kate Bush has moved further & further out of the public eye as the years go on. An opinion here & there to disagree with, but no big deal there. As with most critical pieces, this is "unauthorized," but it's quality goods from end to end. Definitely worth a spot in your collection.

Caravan - The 35th Anniversary Concert (Chrome Dreams)

Here is a thought for you. In the music business of today, if you are older than your mid 20s, you are considered too old to offer a recording deal to. They breed young artists to be snapped up like popcorn chicken, gobbled up & extruded. Youth is everything. No one wants to hear old geezers play songs. Yet, here we are. Caravan are a bunch of middle age to older guys who could easily join the AARP were they not Brits. This is their 35th anniversary concert. 35th. Caravan have been playing longer than most contemporary artists have been alive. I say all this because these guys rock. They kick major colon. They play with vitality, aggression, passion, and a level of skill most only dream of.

The concert is a Caravan fan's wet dream, piled high with the cream of the Caravan songbook. Golf Girl, For Richard, Nine Feet Underground, If I could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You, and Hello Hello are just a few of the numbers you'll find here. A second bonus disc has a nice little acoustic set, interviews, and the original 70s video for The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again. A must have.

Deep Purple - Live At Montreux 2006 (Eagle Eye Media)

Could there be a more perfect fit? The band that all came down to Montreux live in Montreux. The band is sharp and powerful, with keyboardist Don Airey and bassist Roger Glover shining especially bright. Ian Gillan's voice is rough in spots, but his energy carries the day. Pictures Of Home, Rapture Of The Deep, When A Blind Man Cries, Black Night, Wrong Man all sound fabulous.

As great as the Montreux gig is, the bonus disc from the London Hard Rock Cafe is even more fierce. Fireball, Lazy, Perfect Strangers, Strange Kind Of Woman are crisp and dynamic. Steve Morse & Ian Paice are on fire. This is a rough & dangerous Deep Purple - a band to keep the kids locked indoors for safety.

Simple but great camera work and flawless sound. This is a top quality package in every respect. Bonus interview section. Nice to see that, rather than interview clips interrupting songs like too many other DVDs. Exceptional in every way.

Deep Purple - In Concert With The London Symphony Orchestra (Image)

Recorded in 1999, this is one pip of a performance! The Purple line-up is Ian Gillan / Roger Glover / Jon Lord / Steve Morse / Ian Paice. There are guest musicians galore, including Ronnie James Dio, Sam Brown & Steve Morris. In addition to DP classics like Pictures of Home, Smoke On The Water, and a surprise version of Wring That Neck, the DVD features tunes from various DP member solo efforts like Roger Glover's Sitting in a Dream (from The Butterfly Ball & The Grasshopper's Feast)and Jon Lord's Wait A While (from Pictured Within).

A good chunk of the disc is devoted to a beautiful version of the Jon Lord composition Concerto For Group And Orchestra, originally performed & recorded by Purple in 1970. Band & orchestra mesh well throughout, and the video & audio are both superb! A "can't miss" DVD for all Deep Purple fans!

DEVO - Live 1980 (MVD)

This is one of those dual disc deals with a DVD on one side & a CD on the other. I hate the format as you have to handle the disc extra carefully to not ruin either side! That aside, let's get to the meat of it. DEVO were odd. Very odd. DEVO were fun. Tons of fun. This DVD shows their energy, their lunacy, and their prowess. No slouches as musicians, DEVO also kicked devolution colon!  Mongoloid, Jocko Homo, and Gates Of Steel are packed with dry humor and high energy. Looking at this vintage performance, you can see the influence DEVO had on bands like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and many of the current RIO bands out there.

The video quality is very decent for the time. Obviously, there's no way you'd confuse it for the ultra clear & at times sterile technology of today. The audio is somewhere between pro & bootleg. Who cares? Put it on & smile. Not many things today offer that guarantee!

Al DiMeola - Speak A Volcano (Inakustik)

Speak A Volcano sees Al DiMeola playing the electric guitar live once again in a concert from November 2006. Joining him are Mike Pope on bass, Mario Parmisano on keyboards, Joel Taylor on drums, and old DiMeola stalwart Gumbi Ortiz on percussion.

DiMeola compositions like One Night Last June, Rhapsody Of Fire, and Red Moon blaze along with pieces by current DiMeola muse Astor Piazzolla. Mi Longa Del Angel, Tangata, and Fugata are just a few of the Piazzolla numbers here. A Chick Corea composition from the Return To Forever days - Senor Mouse - is thrown in for good measure. The electric pieces bookend the concert with the central numbers featuring acoustic and classical guitar from DiMeola.

The band are just unbelievably hot. The feel of the show is intimate and friendly. Bonus material consists of a thoughtful interview with DiMeola as well as a guitar freak's dream - picking and playing tips from DiMeola himself. A total wow!

Al DiMeola - One Of These Nights (Inakustik)

A simple setting: Al DiMeola, keyboardist Mario Parmisano, drummer Ernie Adams, percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, and a string quartet in an auditorium in Germany. Just a small evening of classical jazz world fusion. The players elevate it to event status by turning in magnificent performances.

Orient Blue, This Way Before, and the gorgeous Azzurra all simply dazzle. Ortiz is mesmerizing on Rhapsody Of Fire as DiMeola eats the fretboard like a hungry tiger. One Night Last June is a tour-de-force of percussive jazz - speedy, breezy, & romantic.

Audio & video are as fine as can be. One Of These Nights is a swell DVD in innovative packaging as well. This one was a very pleasant surprise from top to bottom!

Donovan - The Donovan Concert Live In L.A. (Raven Productions / MVD Visuals)

This concert was originally filmed for PBS, and I know this because the PBS sponsor bumpers are at the start of the program. Donovan is then introduced by filmmaker David (Lost Highway) Lynch, followed by a short history of Donovan video montage. Supported by bassist Tom Mansi and percussionist Stewart Lawrence, Donovan is in great voice and solid on acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica. The set, from January 2007, opens with the reggae-tinged There Is A Mountain. The video and audio are immaculate - clear as a bell in both respects.

A good chunk of Donovan classics are performed - Catch The Wind, Happiness Runs, Jenifer Juniper, Sunshine Superman, Season Of The Witch, and Hurdy Gurdy Man are among the many songs here. Daughter Astrella Celeste joins him for a few numbers, and Beach Boy Mike Love adds his voice to Mellow Yellow. It's Donovan who sells the show, though. Utterly engaging and unpretentious, he bonds well with the crowd. A happy hippie still spreading songs of love and tuneful joy.

The DVD includes a few bonus numbers - most notably the delightful Lalena. If you are a Donovan fan, or just appreciate great songwriting, this DVD is guaranteed to satisfy.

Dream Theater - Live At Budokan (Atlantic)

1,129,947 notes per minute. More time signatures than humans thought it possible to work in. Outlawed on Hawkman's home planet Thanagar, it's Dream Theater! Live At Budokan shows DT in top form on their 2004 world tour. From the opener "As I Am" to the encore "In The Name Of God" the band touches on a good portion of their catalog. As expected, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, & Jordan Rudess are a flurry of notes on drums, guitar, & keyboards respectively. James LaBrie's voice soars & swoops. Yet the secret weapon, often overlooked, is the bass & stick work of John Myung. Myung's playing has a melodic sensibility that at times smooths as it anchors.

The camerawork is just gorgeous - crisp with great saturation and with a nice flow of images. There is a second bonus disc that's pretty darned packed. For any Dream Theater fan, it doesn't get much better!

Echolyn - Stars And Gardens (MM3 Records)

I was searching for the right word. It's friendly. Echolyn live are a very friendly band. They play difficult, slightly jazzy, jammy prog rock and draw you in like they're the guys from just down the block. This show, from May 2003, is an intimate affair. The camera stays close and captures a "front row" feeling.

The band are tight in a loose way with smooth, almost hippyish vocals - bridging the gap between Spock's Beard and Phish. The show opens with an impressive take of "Texas Dust" and journeys through "The Cheese Stands Alone," "As The World," "Mei," and a bunch more. Lots of between song laughs. Just a great lil concert, I must say.

There is a second disc that's loaded with interviews and stuff. A maniac's dream!

Steve Hackett - Once Above A Time (Eagle Vision)

When you read about the history of Genesis as told by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, & Mike Rutherford, they place little importance on the contributions of Steve Hackett to the band. How ironic that Hackett carries both the progressive torch and the Genesis torch so much more than his former bandmates.

Recorded on April 3 of '04 in Budapest, Once Above A Time is a pretty much complete show (missing Hackett's acoustic set) from Hackett's To Watch The Storms tour. That fine album is well represented, as well as 4 Genesis tunes (most notably a splendid version of "Blood On The Rooftops") and a big dip into Hackett's solo catalog.

The band are in great form, the camerawork & audio are awesome. A backstage bonus featurette is icing on the cake. A total "WOW!" from top to bottom.

Steve Hackett - Hungarian Horizons: Live In Budapest (InsideOut/Camino)

Well, have a seat. The show's about to begin. Quite a beautiful show it is. Steve Hackett live and acoustic, joined by brother John Hackett on flute and Roger King on keyboards. This DVD was recorded in Budapest, Hungary in 2002 before an enthusiastic & respectful crowd. The video is well shot and crystal clear with an immaculate audio track.

Most of Hackett's catalog gets explored, from "Firth Of Fifth" to "Hands Of The Priestess" to "Walking Away From Rainbows" and all points between. Steve Hackett is a cool fire on guitar - passively passionate. The interaction between the trio is downright psychic - 30 fingers on 2 hands it would seem at times. The DVD I was sent also included the audio of the show on 2 CDs. Nice to be able to take such a stellar concert on the road on occasion. Do I even need to tell you to buy this one?

Heart - Soundstage (HD Ready)

You can't get this one in stores as far as I can determine. This 2 DVD set is sold through PBS stations, as it is from the fine PBS series Soundstage. Filmed in 2005, it finds the Wilson sisters in great form and with a fine support band - the same band that accompanied them on the tour for Jupiter's Darling.

The discs together form a complete show & really would have fit on 1 DVD. My guess is that these are pretty much copies of the discs sent to stations - no problem at all with that, really. The viewer gets a decent chunk of the JD album & a ton of classics and covers. As I write this, I gravitate towards Kick It Out, Make Me, Alone, and the Zep covers of Black Dog and Misty Mountain Hop. Honestly, there's not a weak track among the 23.

Nancy turns in great guitar work and Ann still has the best pipes of any human on the planet. Camera is simple but effective. Sound is superb. I can't think of a better way to support your public television than to call in & buy this DVD set.

Roger Hodgson - Take The Long Way Home : Live In Montreal (Eagle Vision)

I want to start out by mentioning that the Supertramp album Crime Of The Century had a huge influence on my youth and remains a favorite to this day. Roger Hodgson's unmistakable voice & signature electric piano sound are deeply ingrained into my psyche. What a joy it was to find this DVD in the mail! It is a live performance from June 6 (my birthday!) 2006. Hodgson sings & plays keyboards and guitar, well accompanied by Aaron MacDonald on saxes, vocals, and occasional keyboards.

The show is a mixture of solo material and Supertramp classics. Hide In Your Shell, Sister Moonshine, School, Take The Long Way Home, and 2 versions of Give A Little Bit are just a few of the many highlights. Hodgson is in great voice and his playing is delightful. He has a warm, friendly, engaging personality that shines through on the DVD.

The DVD is packed with lots of bonus stuff - several interviews, bonus cuts, & more. Take The Long Way Home is a DVD you'll play over & over. Well filmed, great sound, great spirit to it. Push play and sing along!

Iron Maiden - Raising Hell (BMG)

"Here's a good idea! Let's combine a great concert with second-rate stage magic!" That must have been the rationale behind this DVD. Recorded live in London, 1993, Iron Maiden are in stellar form. Sadly, some genius decided that they needed to add "horror illusionist" Simon Drake , a midget, and a few scantily clad women to the mix. Why? Iron Maiden have no need to add holiday on ice to be visually exciting. An average IM show is full of explosions, stage props, and a giant Eddie running around the stage. Isn't that enough?

Iron Maiden are on fire - machine-gunning through "The Clairvoyant," "Two Minutes to Midnight," "Run to the Hills," and a host of others with wonderful audio and ultra-crisp video. The DVD has neat animated menus and is chapter encoded so you can skip the magic and enjoy the performance. Keep the guitars but toss the midget!

Jethro Tull - Live At Montreux 2003 (Eagle Eye Media)

2003 was a very good year for Jethro Tull. Solid set list, nice energy in the band. In many respects, this is the Tull DVD fans have been waiting for. No songs are cut off or interrupted. It's just the band playing through their set. Did it ever need to be more than that? No songs cut into by comments, not artsy additions.

Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You, Life Is A Long Song, With You There To Help Me, Hunting Girl, Budapest to name a few - a great catalog spanning set. This is the Ian Anderson / Martin Barre / Doane Perry / Andy Giddings / Jonathan Noyce line up at their absolute finest. Anderson's flute & acoustic work is top notch. Barre is tasteful & powerful as ever. Giddings is a total 10 finger orchestra. Perry is a timesignature flipping octopus, and Noyce almost poetically draws it all together on bass.

I'm just tickled by this one. Every Tull fan has been frustrated by previous DVDs, they are almost a "how not to do a live DVD." Live At Montreux 2003 sets things right. Great sound, great audio, nice liner notes by Anderson. Don't hesitate on this one.

King Crimson - deja VROOOM (Discipline Global Mobile)

"deja VROOOM" is one heck of a wild & occasionally confusing lil DVD. Taken from two shows in Japan, it features numbers such as "Red," "Talking Drum," "THRAK," and "Matte Kudasai." The "double trio" of Robert Fripp / Adrian Belew / Tony Levin / Trey Gunn / Bill Bruford / Pat Mastelotto are in terrifying form.

The 2-sided DVD is full of features. The viewer is able to choose the camera angles on certain songs to focus on any given band member. There are home movies from Levin, text from Fripp, paintings by P J Crook, a band history, and an audio "game" that allows you to create a line-up of various Crimson members from different eras to perform "21st Century Schizoid Man." The menus are a bit challenging to navigate, but worth the effort. A fine, fine DVD.

King Crimson - Neal And Jack And Me (DGM)

Two trusty old friends have come back home. The 1982 "The Noise" and 1984 "Three Of A Perfect Pair" concert videos are both on one DVD for your consumption. The video on both is a bit dark, but then that's how they were back in the day. The audio is nice and clean - nothing too fancy, but again, of the time.

Ah, but the songs! "Industry," "The Sheltering Sky," "Waiting Man," "Sartori In Tangier" - the list goes on. Watching these shows again, I noticed how much Belew, Bruford, Fripp, & Levin smiled. 4 guys having a great time playing together. It really comes down to that. Music living and breathing live, caught in a gossamer moment on film. This incarnation of King Crimson, despite what message boards would have you believe, were a fun little combo. Grab this snack and see why. As a bonus - Fripp's hair looks just splendid!

Knebworth 1978 - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Voiceprint)

Interesting DVD. It contains the 1978 Genesis at Knebworth documentary you can find on the recent Genesis And Then There Were Three remaster, but with the front and back titles clipped off either end. The audio and video quality are about the same - a bit washed out but most certainly viewable.

The selling points of this package are a lovely reproduction of the 1978 Knebworth concert program and a fascinating new interview with Knebworth promoter Freddy Bannister. Bannister is full of amusing, insightful stories and is a treasure trove of information on putting together an event, dealing with talent, etc.

If you're just looking for the Genesis documentary, the And Then There Were Three remaster will suit you well. If you're in the mood for a charming souvenir of the 1978 event, this DVD package delivers nicely.

Marillion - Recital Of The Script (EMI)

21+ years on, this is still just a fantastic show. This incarnation of Marillion with both Fish and Mick Pointer in the fold had a totally unique energy. They were the little band who could - a bunch of fans who started a band that people just happened to embrace. At this point in 1983, they were far from being veterans of the stage, although they had a decent command of it at the Hammersmith Odeon on the evening this was filmed.

This is the stuff of Marillion fans' wet dreams: "The Web," "Forgotten Sons," "Market Square Heroes," and the near-legendary "Grendel" in all their untarnished glory. The video and audio are perfunctory - no flaws, but certainly not to be mistaken for contemporary. It doesn't matter. This still gave the chills. A few nice extras thrown in for the fans. Own it. Love it.

Mike Oldfield - Live At Montreux 1981 (Eagle Eye Media)

Mr Perfectionist himself, live at the 1981 Montreux International Jazz Festival. Mike Oldfield is backed by a crack band that includes percussionist Morris Pert (of Brand X & Kate Bush fame) & guitarist/bassist Rick Fenn (best known for his work with 10cc & Nick Mason). The set touches upon much of Oldfield's career to that point with numbers from QE2, Platinum, Tubular Bells, & Ommadawn among others.

Performances are breathtaking - it's a joy to see how the sounds are created, almost like an on stage sound lab. Oldfield plays a bunch of instruments, but is especially impressive on guitar, just searing that neck to shreds. The video seems sourced from tape, but is well transferred. The sound is swell - deep & clear. The word is insightful. Mike Oldfield is not a performer we ever see much of, managing to travel slightly below the radar. This DVD is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of genius at work. A "must own."

Queen - Under Review 1973 - 1980 (Chrome Dreams)

This is an interesting little item. Off the top of my head, I'd equate it to an episode of VH1: Behind The Music, only with actual depth & with real music journalists as opposed to the VH1 fools. The DVD is a sort of history & analysis of Queen's output from the 1st album through 1980's The Game. Paul Gambaccini and Chris Welch add an air of authenticity to the disc.

There are nice bits of seldom seen footage, though, frustratingly, none are complete. Also included are a few comments by the late Freddie Mercury, but the bulk of the comments are by journalists. Writer / guitarist Simon Bradley adds a nice dimension by playing Brian May's riffs on guitar and explaining the construction of them as he plays. This DVD is a nice view for all Queen fans and an engaging, informative disc for the casual viewer. Nicely done.

The Residents - Icky Flix (MVD)

Welcome to the dungeon of the eternally obtuse. The Residents are infamous for their bizarre live shows and boundary-pushing music. This DVD collects a good portion of their video output and it's a pretty wild ride! If you are easily disturbed, do not buy this DVD, as it will mess up your mind.

I remember seeing the video for "Hello Skinny" once on cable ages ago and it creeped me out. Years later, on this DVD collection of videos, it still does. "The Third Reich 'N' Roll," "Where Is She?," and the frightening "Songs For Swinging Larvae" are all here as well as a 17:38 min distillation of the "Vileness Fats" movie that hurt my brain. The Residents recorded new music for every track on here & the menu gives you the choice of the new music, or the original versions. A truly amazing DVD that you need to own.

Robin Trower - Living Out Of Time (Ruf / Inakustik)

Play what you know. Stick to what you do best. Don't lose your focus. Robin Trower has evidently learned all these lessons well. The DVD is a solid live performance by Trower and his band packed with absolutely blazing guitar. From the opening notes of Too Rolling Stoned to the closing beat of Little Bit Of Sympathy, Trower tears up the frets. Vocalist Davey Pattison is fantastic, bassist Dave Bronze is cool and precise, and drummer Pete Thomson is a powerhouse. In the end, it comes down to Trower.

Robin Trower plays with a command and a joyous explosion that only a handful of players possess. Known for his Hendrix-like feel, his fingers make love to the fretboard. Bridge Of Sighs,Day Of The Eagle, Rise Up Like The Sun all confirm his mastery. The sound is superb, the camerawork amongst the finest I have ever seen on a DVD. This 2005 concert is an essential to any music fan and indispensable to all guitarists. On a scale of 1-10, this would be an 11.

21st Century Schizoid Band - Live In Japan (21st Century Schizoid Band)

Just a few guys having fun. In Japan. With some cameras around. In essence, it's just that simple. OK, the guys happen to be Mel Collins, Jakko Jakszyk, Michael Giles, Pete Giles, & Ian McDonald. They happened to play mind-blowing versions of classic King Crimson tunes. But other than that, pretty simple.

"Cat Food," "Formentera Lady," "I Talk To The Wind" - all are performed with demonic precision and in loving, glorious detail. If that wasn't enough, the hardcore Crim fans even get a few tracks like "Birdman" from the "McDonald Giles" album. The show, from 2002 in Tokyo, is well shot & the audio is impeccable. As Michael Giles has left the band to be replaced by the womderful Ian Wallace, it's great to have a document of this lineup. Worth hunting down!

Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (Classic Pictures)

Rick Wakeman - Live In Concert 2000 (Classic Pictures)

2 very interesting releases from this keyboard virtuouso. The "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth " DVD is from a 1975 show in Melbourne Australia. It features The Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra & Melbourne Chamber Choir as well as Wakeman's rock ensemble at the time & narrator Terry Taplin. Some of the camerawork is a bit cheeseball as most in the 70s was, but the print is truly great and the sound is fabulous! In addition to the complete "Journey," they perform 3 of the 6 Wives & 2 bits from "King Arthur." Everyone is in fine form, and the show passes all to quickly.

"Live In Concert 2000" is just Wakeman & a bunch of keyboards. In between numbers, he tells many very funny stories, including a memorable view of Yes-mate Jon Anderson: "He wants to save the planet while living on another one!" Wakeman runs through solo pieces that span his career, Yes numbers, classical pieces, even a pair of Beatles tunes! It's all in an intimate setting with wonderful camera work and stellar sound. Both DVDs are packed with extras & each comes with a bonus CD of musical selections from each DVD. Classic Pictures have set a very high standard in quality and value with these 2 outstanding DVDs.

Brian Wilson - Smile (Rhino Home Video)

A bit of background here. Flash back to the psychedelic 60s. After the groundbreaking Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson was inspired to push his creativity to new heights. The next album would be his masterpiece, a visionary work called Smile. The public got a preview with the brilliant Good Vibrations. Sadly, instead of a masterwork, we got a breakdown. Brian fell apart and drew into himself during the sessions. Instead of the home run of Smile, we got the bunt of Smiley Smile. Smiley Smile had less lush versions of Smile tracks Heroes & Villains, Vegetables, Wonderful, and Wind Chimes. Subsequent albums had other Smile bits like Cabinessence, Our Prayer, & Surf's Up. They were pieces of an incomplete puzzle, a few courses of a banquet.

In 2004, Wilson finished his masterpiece. The result was a glorious cohesive CD combining old tracks with new overdubs seamlessly. The impossible had happened. What more could there be? This DVD. A live performance of Smile played end to end. Bursting with technicolor sound. Ice cream for your ears and eyes. Blissful magnificence. DVD 1 is the story behind the resurrection of Wilson and the hesitant reviving of old ghosts to complete the project. It is an engrossing view. DVD 2 is the performance. It is a triumph, a celebration. It will thrill your heart. I cried. Maybe you will too. Imagine seeing the Venus De Milo with arms intact. A work of art has been restored for the ages.

Yes - House of Yes Live from House of Blues (BMG)

This live set is taken from the Las Vegas show in 1999 in support of "The Ladder." Yes is in fine form running through classics like "Perpetual Change," "Awaken," and "And You And I" as well as new pieces such as "Lightning Strikes" and "Homeworld." The concert seems to be presented in its entirety, though I seem to recall a nice version of "Hearts" on this tour which is nowhere to be found here.

Amazing audio and lots of extras to make this a well-packed DVD. There's a "virtual tourbook" with lots of live shots of the band. A computer generated video with a slightly different mix of the studio version of "Homeworld." Interviews with Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Billy Sherwood, Igor Khoroshev, and producer Bruce Fairbairn; and some spiffed up HTML stuff for your computer. As DVDs go, this one's well worth the investment.

Yes - Live In Philadelphia 1979 (Image)

How best to describe this DVD? If you were given this show on a bootleg VHS tape, you would think it was decent, but not spectacular. As a DVD, it is borderline humorous! The video quality is dark & blurry, the audio in slightly muffled mono. This was evidently a cable TV special back in 1979. It has cheesy announcing & weak production values reminiscent of a high school A/V club student. Oh, and Yes play on it!

Tracks are as follows:
Siberian Khatru
Circus of Heaven
Starship Trooper
Drum Solo
Excerpt From The Ancient
Your Move / All Good People
Roundabout
The line-up is Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White. The performance is nice but not especially inspired. Even the staunchest Yes fans will be disappointed by this one!

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku (ADV Films)

Sure, you've seen this premise a zillion times: a whacky scientist puts the brain of his sons' pet cat into the body of an experimental android. OK, maybe you haven't. All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku is surely an odd duck of an anime concept. This spiffy DVD collects all 6 OVA episodes on one disc.

The video quality is stellar: the animation looks clean, crisp & clear with fine audio. Originally in Japanese, you can watch each episode either dubbed or subtitled in English (I always choose sub over dub!). The disc also has a few nice bonus features to boot.

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku is a funny series with alot of heart underneath the humor. If you are new to anime, this is a great disc to start with, as it is very self-contained. Perhaps ADV will bring us the 14 TV episodes of Nuku Nuku next. Hint hint.

Colorful (ADV Films)

I could beat around the bush and say this anime reveals the obsessive nature of animators and society and their fascination with soft fabrics. But I won't. "Colorful" is about panties. Nearly 2 hours of vignettes about panties.

The vignettes are in different visual styles with semi-recurrent characters. Here's the general scenario: a guy is frustrated and stares at a glimpse of a woman's panties. I believe I just covered it all in terms of plot. If you're into animated Japanese panties, here's your holy grail. For the rest of us, "Colorful" is cute in small doses.

K.O.Beast - Volume 1: Password To Treasure (The Right Stuf International)

Take 4 creative folks who worked on everything from "Maze" to "Blue Seed" to "Outlaw Star" to "Burn Up W" and stir. You end up with a very wacky series called "K.O.Beast." It's bright and brilliant and totally engaging piece of anime.

The lead characters morph back and forth between human and animal forms and the bad guys are, well, humans. The story is a sort of futuristic treasure hunt with Earth shattering consequences. Transfer if awesome. English dub is palatable, subtitles are clean & clear. "K.O.Beast" is full of action and humor and you warm up to the leads very quickly. Very highly recommended!

The Prodigal Son (Universe Laser & Video Co., Ltd.)

A transitional Chinese martial arts film circa 1981 with roots in the traditional, but clearly showing humor and stuntwork that more contemporary films feature. Directed by "Marshal Law" star Sammo Hung (who also has a small role) it stars Yuen Biao and the late Lam Ching Ying. "The Prodigal Son" is the tale of a spoiled brat (Biao) who must humble himself to learn the martial arts from a true master (Ying).

A crisp letterbox transfer with slightly trebly audio. This DVD features multilingual subtitling, profiles of Biao and Hung, and several trailers. A classic of the genre.

Project A-Ko (Image/U.S.Manga Corps)

An old favorite beautifully transferred to DVD. Released in Japan in 1986, this odd slice of anime is quirky good fun! It tells the story of three teenage girls: A-Ko, B-Ko & C-Ko. A-Ko is the daughter of Superman & Wonder Woman; B-Ko is the daughter of Tony Stark a/k/a Iron Man, and C-Ko is cute & whiny. It's a humorous sci-fi lesbian triangle action/adventure feature cartoon. Plenty of goofy gags, wild robots, anime in-jokes,and smelly underwear.

The DVD presents "Project A-Ko" in it's theatrical letterbox format. Options include chapter encoding and 3 choices of language: Japanese, English, & Japanese with English subtitles. The English dub is ok, but lacks the flair of the Japanese voice actors. Towards the end of the film, the subtitles start appearing a bit ahead of the dialogue but is otherwise very nice. Excellent print transfer and deep, clear audio make this a winner on every front. If you're new to anime, this film is a great way to dip your toe into the waters.

Urusei Yatsura - TV 50 (AnimEigo)

This DVD features the final 2 television episodes of this beloved Japanese animated series based on the popular manga by Rumiko Takahashi. The penultimate episode is a top 10 countdown of the public's favorites, with the #1 being shown in its entirety. A lovely sentimental episode. The season finale is a sort of "let's throw in a ton of characters" episode leading up to a cute moment between series leads Ataru & Lum. By no means a perfect ending, but nice.

Lots of bonus material including a yearbook feature, opening & closing animations from the entire series, karaoke, & an interview (as well as a lil Easter egg). A wonderful package, as to be expected from AnimEigo. If you've never seen UY, you're missing out on the very best that anime has to offer. Hop on board!

Urusei Yatsura - Movie 1: Only You (AnimEigo)

Urusei Yatsura is perhaps the greatest creation of Japanese artist/writer Rumiko Takahashi (best known in the US for her series "Inu Yasha"). Urusei Yatsura revolves around Lum - a beautiful bikini clad alien, and Ataru - an unlucky lech. A richly nuanced cast surrounds them in the comic book, TV, motion picture, and OVA series.

This film was originally released theatrically in Japan in 1983 and involves the Urusei Yatsura cast mixing it up with an alien Princess and her "love freezer." Animeigo's transfer is gorgeous - clear with richly saturated color and solid audio. The story is funny and engaging, and even those new to the characters will understand the hijinks. There is a decent English dubbed track, but I head straight to the subtitles and original language track every time to enjoy anime as it was intended. "Only You" is a wonderful and wacky piece of anime that stands up viewing after viewing!

You're Under Arrest - DVD Collector's Box 1 (AnimEigo)

OK - this is how to do it! This boxed set gets everything right. "You're Under Arrest" is a police action adventure comedy/drama anime that's high octane from start to finish. "Oh My Goddess!" fans will happily embrace this series as it's by OMG creator Kousuke Fujishima.

The boxed set collects the first 12 episodes of the series with a 4th disc of bonus material. Great packaging, tons of bonuses, and a clever surprise or two make this a great buy. Great stories, interesting characters, and cool direction make it a great series. If you like your action laced with humor and sexy women, look no further. Thank you AnimEigo!

Book Reviews

 Eric Bischoff (with Jeremy Roberts) - Controversy Creates Cash 389 pg. (Pocket Books / WWE)

In the late 90s, WCW not only competed with the WWE, it flat out kicked its butt! The man behind the scenes as well as on camera, was Eric Bischoff. This book gives a good deal of industry insight on a level rarely seen. What separates this book from others is the amount of detail Bischoff gives about running a business. Marketing strategies. Thinking not just months, but years ahead in terms of planning . Dealing with talent, etc. Fascinating and revealing. He is also very honest about himself. Bischoff is open about his flaws and failures and this only strengthens the narrative.

The only sore spot as a reader is his vocal disdain for fans of promotions that are not the ones he is working for. Another part of being brutally honest. Controversy Creates Cash is not afraid to name names, and there's plenty of "dirt" on many performers and execs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Hulk Hogan, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Goldberg, are seen through a different lens. Bischoff's views on running the wrestling business easily apply to most any other business & are quite inspiring. The book is a gripping, solid read sure to please wrestling fans and people looking for a peek behind the doors of the Ted Turner empire.

Geoff Emerick (and Howard Massey) - Here, There And Everywhere 388 pg. (Gotham Books)

There are enough Beatles related books to fill a small library. As a life long Beatlefan, I certainly have my share. Here, There And Everywhere by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick stands as one of the best out there.

Emerick takes you right inside the studio with the Fab Four. The approach is more practical than starry eyed here, and the reader benefits. How did they get that small percussion sound on Blackbird? How did Sgt. Pepper come together? So many insights from temperament to technical in this tome. Emerick's pride in his work is evident. Working out challenges, say, John Lennon threw him, Emerick details his techniques lovingly. Emerick strips away the glamor and presents us four young men hard at work. That the work in question helped redefine popularmusic is almost irrelevant here.

Beatles fans will find a trove of information in the pages of Here, There And Everywhere. Budding engineers can learn more than a few tips as well. Fascinating on so many levels. A must own for your music library.

Mick Foley - The Hardcore Diaries 372 pg. (Pocket Books / WWE)

The second time I talked to Mick Foley was at a Jethro Tull gig in Stamford, CT. (Foley even throws in a mention of Tull's Songs From The Wood in this book.) He regaled me with great stories about Al Snow, comic books, writing, wrestling, politics, you name it. I mention this because that's the feel of The Hardcore Diaries. It's not just Foley telling engaging stories about his life. It's him telling them to you.

Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Dee Snider, Christy Canyon, WWE divas, and lots of the wrestler known as Test. The book is an inside look into the operation and politics of the wrestling biz. It's a look into a wrestler's mind. It's also a look into a father's heart. The Hardcore Diaries succeeds on a multitude of levels.

Best known as Dude Love, Cactus Jack, and Mankind, Mick Foley writes with passion and clarity. You walk away from this book with a great sense of what Foley is all about. This is one of those impossible to put down books that turn up far too infrequently. One you'll not soon forget.

Furi Furi Company - What A Happy Life & Death! - 176 pg (Die Gestalten Verlag)

Furi Furi Company design all sorts of stuff - from CD booklets to advertisements to CDROM packaging. This book is bursting with their innovative, inspiring illustrations. The pieces vary in complexity but all have a breezy, whimsical underpinning to them. The use of color and design sense are impeccable. This book is a feast for the senses and gets my highest possible recommendation as an essential addition to any library of contemporary art or pop culture!

Ron Goulart - Comic Book Encyclopedia - 380 pg. (Harper Collins)

Trying to cover such an expansive medium as comic books is no easy task. New titles spring up every day, it seems. Ron Goulart, a known expert on the subject of comics, gives a great overview of the medium in this encyclopedia. Superstar characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-man sit side by side with lesser known heroes like Madam Fatal and Detective Dan. The book is packed with information and color art - much of which I've never seen in my life. The layout is visually dazzling with color on all 380 pages - the publisher clearly put a nice amount of effort into every aspect of the package.

As a long time comic fanboy, I found many bits of information I just never knew. I was very impressed by the breadth of information here - too often books on comics neglect the early days in favor of more than you could ever need to know about Sandman. If you're an old time fan like me, you'll love this book. If you're new to comic books, you'll treasure this hardcover encyclopedia as a source of information and a compass pointing you toward the gems the comic book industry has to offer. A win/win situation! Absolutely fabulous!

Tim Lasiuta - Brush Strokes With Greatness: The Life & Art Of Joe Sinnott 136 pg. (TwoMorrows)

When I was a kid, I was fascinated with comic books. The Avengers, Dr Strange, Metal Men, Daredevil, and my favorite book of all - The Fantastic Four. Reed Richards, Sue Storm (eventually Sue Richards), Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm. I loved the supporting cast - Wyatt Wingfoot, the Yancy Street Gang, Crystal & the Inhumans, Agatha Harkness, Willie Lumpkin, & Ben Grimm's never seen Aunt Petunia. Their adventures were written by Stan Lee & lovingly penciled and inked by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott, respectively. That Kirby / Sinnott art wowed me as a kid and still does to this day. In the years since, Sinnott's inks have graced everything from Captain America to Thor, from the Avengers to the Defenders and back again. Kirby, Steranko, Neal Adams, John & Sal Buscema, Werner Roth, Gene Colan - all these pencilers & more have been graced by Sinnott's inks.

Brush Strokes With Greatness is packed from cover to cover with Joe Sinnott art - much of it previously unpublished. Covers, splashes, interior pages, strips, pin ups, ads, panels, sketches (crisply reproduced by the TwoMorrows folks) - all giving a fine overview of Sinnott's career. Lasiuta's text takes you through Sinnott's life and career and is drawn largely from interviews with the man himself.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Joe Sinnott for over 25 years and this book has nuggets that even I had no clue about! Informative, chatty, friendly - Lasiuta's text is conversational and breezy - well researched without seeming dry. With a great testimonial by Stan Lee, this book is a winner for all comic book fans.

Ian Shirley - Meet The Residents - 192 pg (SAF Publishing LTD)

Surely one of the most unusual bands in the history of recorded music, The Residents are a bit of an enigma. Preferring to let the music speak for itself, The Residents remain totally anonymous - cloaked in giant eyeballs and skulls. Ian Shirley sheds light on their past, present, & future in "Meet The Residents."

Shirley's style is chatty yet clear and informative, easing the reader into the oddly fascinating world of The Residents. The book is packed with interesting tales, wild photos, and a comprehensive discography. Highly recommended.

Various - Blood Orange #3 48 pg. (Fantagraphics Books)

Anthology style comics can be a mixed bag and Blood Orange is no exception. Some of the contributions look like the editor just plain accepted anything sent to him. One piece, an 11 page autobiographical story by Jeffrey Brown, is captivating. A few are nice in a graphic sense. I so wanted to like this more than I did. At $5.95 it's a very expensive 11 pages with 37 pages of filler on nice paper. Print better stuff on it next time, please!

Various - Coast To Coast - 224 pg (Die Gestalten Verlag)

This book is a veritable who's who of contemporary graphic design. From the comic book influenced work of Coop to the delicate Oriental studies of Michael Spoljaric this sumptuous hardcover presents a wide spectrum of styles - each more visually arresting than the last.

The plates are deeply saturated, looking like fine lithographs - Die Gestalten Verlag clearly cut no corners in presentation. Art and music have always maintained close ties. There is much inspiration to be found in the images in "Coast To Coast" for art lovers & music fans alike. An energizing collection.



A Note From The Publisher

20 Essential CDs Your Mother Warned You About
Everything You Wanted To Know About 20 Essential CDs, But Were Afraid To Ask!
20 Essential Live CDs
Return Of The Son Of 20 Essential CDs
Another 20 Essential CDs
20 Essential CDs

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Track By Track: Oblivion Sun - Oblivion Sun

Dennis Coffey Interview
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Fluff Interview
Joey Eppard Interview
Hunter Ginn Interview
Joe Deninzon Interview
Alan Morse Interview
Jon Courtney Interview
cHaMs Interview
Frank Wyatt Interview
Carl Palmer Interview
Ian Gillan Interview
Jonathan Noyce Interview
John Novello Interview
Ray Wilson Interview
Toyah Willcox Interview Part 1
Kerry Minnear Interview
Doane Perry Interview
Trevor Williams Interview
Frank Cox Interview
Roine Stolt Interview #2
Dik Cadbury Interview
Malcolm Mortimore Interview
Lynn Meredith Interview
Pat Mastelotto Interview
Mark Robertson Interview
Rob Fetters Interview
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Roine Stolt Interview
Derek Sherinian Interview

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