Barclay James Harvest - Live At The Town And Country Club (Wienerworld)

The date was February 16, 1992 at the Town And Country club in London. This was on Barclay James Harvest's tour for the Caught In The Light album. This DVD is just shy of an hour's worth of material from that gig.

The band were in superb form on this evening. Mockingbird and Medicine Man start things of very well indeed. John Lees' guitar is crisp. Play To The World and Life Is For Living present Les Holroyd's voice splendidly, and his bass playing is impeccable from the first note to the last. The late Mel Pritchard is a joy to see and hear. His percussion on every number is fresh and inventive. Great playing from Kevin McAlea and Colin Browne as well. Long standing live members of the ensemble.

There's a fab take of Rock 'N" Roll Lady with wonderful harmonies. Likewise the version here of Poor Man's Moody Blues is top notch. Barclay James Harvest were always about quality playing. Perhaps not as flashy as other acts, but clearly awesome players and writers. Stand Up and the ever-present Hymn close out the set here. Audio & video quality are first rate. My only complaint is that I want more! My highest recommendation.

Barclay James Harvest - Berlin - A Concert For The People (Eagle Vision)

What a pleasant surprise to see this DVD released in the United States! 2010 marks the 30 year anniversary of this concert held before 250,000 fans in Berlin. Barclay James Harvest were basically playing for an entire city! For this show, we see the five piece line up of Barclay James Harvest with John Lees, Les Holroyd, and Mel Pritchard joined by Kevin McAlea and Colin Browne.

The main program is about an hour of the concert: Berlin, Loving Is Easy, Mockingbird, Sip Of Wine, Nova Lepidoptera, In Memory Of The Martyrs, Life Is For Living, Child Of The Universe, Hymn. I love the vocal harmonies on Sip Of Wine and Life Is For Living. Musically, all is tight and note perfect as is expected from this ensemble.

As a bonus, the DVD includes five videos recorded by the classic four piece with Woolly Wolstenholme joining Lees, Holroyd, and Pritchard. They call it Time Honoured Tales and it was obviously made to promote 1975's Time Honoured Ghosts. The promo clips are for Jonathan, Titles, Moongirl, One Night, and Beyond The Grave. The guys look like kids, and Les Holroyd has an impossibly huge moustache! Tons of fun to see these promos. Berlin - A Concert For The People is a no-brainer must own!

The Beach Boys - Classic Albums: Pet Sounds (Eagle Vision / UMG)

Over the years I've seen tons of coverage on this seminal album. All has been interesting. This new Blu-Ray stands taller than the others. For those of you chained inside a cave for decades, Pet Sounds was a sixties Brian Wilson masterwork that Mike Love still takes way too much credit for.

Everyone knows Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, and God Only Knows, but Pet Sounds is just as much about Caroline, No, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, Let's Go Away For A While, or I Know There's An Answer (originally Hang On To Your Ego) than the hits. Thankfully, this new blu-ray is all about the big picture and the small details, so it's all there!

The disc has the 60 minute program as well as another 30 minutes of interviews. There are lots of fascinating insights I'd not heard before. Beach Boys fans as well as pop rock historians will drool with joy over this release!

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.

Black Sabbath - The End (Eagle Vision / Universal)

It's February 4, 2017 in Birmingham, England. A Brummie audience is anticipating what is purported to be the last ever Black Sabbath concert. Guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne are joined by drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman. The whole affair is being filmed so people like you and me can view what went down from the comfort of our homes. Good idea!

This was not a night of innovative surprises, nor was it ever intended to be. 100% meat and potatoes. Fairies Wear Boots, Snowblind, War Pigs, Hand Of Doom, Iron Man, Children Of The Grave, Paranoid. Many other usual suspects. All played absolutely spot on. You wouldn't want it any other way. If you get that Sabbath itch, this Blu-Ray will absolutely scratch it! This is a good place to mention that you should not confuse this with the concert airing on the Showtime channels. That is constantly interrupting songs with voice overs and banter to horrid effect. This set has every moment of the show uninterrupted by any distractions!

As a bonus this set includes the Angelic sessions - new in-studio takes of The Wizard, Wicked World, Sweet Leaf, Tomorrow's Dream, and Changes. The very last performances ever by Black Sabbath. Unless they change their minds. An outstanding job by all!

The Ritchie Blackmore Story (Eagle Vision)

4 guitarists have truly influenced how I look at the instrument: Jimi Hendrix, John Lees, Robert Fripp, and Ritchie Blackmore. For over 4 decades, Blackmore's work with Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Blackmore's Night has never failed to capture my imagination. Blackmore has never been afraid to go to the very edge and take the listener on a journey. Needless to say, I came into this bio/documentary with great interest.

The very first thing you notice is how much of the story here is told by Ritchie Blackmore himself. I found this fairly mind blowing as I've never seen Blackmore so open, honest, & relaxed. He is full of insight, anecdotes, and information about every stage of his musical career. This is not to say he is the only person telling the story. Ian Anderson, Gene Simmons, Jon Lord, Steve Vai, Brian May and many others fill the screen with interesting tales and observations.

Does it cover everything I wanted to know? Impossible, to be honest! That said, I came away well satisfied. Blackmore is incredibly forthcoming. Lots of interesting stories behind various songs and albums. The Blu-Ray has fascinating bonus interviews packed with even more information. The Ritchie Blackmore Story is essential for all Deep Purple, Rainbow, & Blackmore's Night fans. It's equally essential to guitar fans and rock historians. My highest possible recommendation!

Blackmore's Night - A Knight In York (UDR/EMI)

I do believe that this is my first CD/DVD/Blu-ray combo package. They say you never forget your first. A Knight In York is a live document of a Blackmore's Night gig from September of 2011, oddly enough in York! Who'd have thought?

A strong set list, skewed heavily toward recent material, with a smattering of older tunes as well. Locked Within The Crystal Ball, Journeyman, World Of Stone, Fires At Midnight, and All The Fun Of The Fayre are just a few of the highlights. A surprise cover of the Bee Gees classic First Of May brought a huge smile. An interesting tidbit: Candice Night recently told me that she was 5 months pregnant with son Rory when this show was recorded.

Performances are crisp, and Ritchie Blackmore is at the top of his game. Video is spot on - well directed and nicely capturing the feel of the event. A bit of bonus material completes the package. A Knight In York is an A+ effort in every regard. My highest recommendation.

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!

David Bowie - Glastonbury 2000 (BBC / Parlophone)

An interesting document from the later years of David Bowie's career. He'd already done it all and seen it all and truly had nothing to prove. He hit the stage at Glastonbury with a crack band: Gail Ann Dorsey - bass, Mark Plati - guitar, Earl Slick - guitar, Mike Garson - guitar & keyboards, Sterling Campbell - drums, Emm Gayner - vocals & keyboards, Holly Palmer - vocals & percussion. Quite an assemblage. Very solid energy and Bowie in great voice.

No Space Oddity here, but lots for fans of all periods. Early gems like Life On Mars?, Changes, The Man Who Sold The World, and Ziggy Stardust. Prime era pieces like Golden Years, Station To Station, Fame and Rebel Rebel. Later period numbers like Let's Dance, Little Wonder, Hello Spaceboy and I'm Afraid Of Americans. A well thought out set.

The package has the entire concert on DVD & 2 CDs. It also includes a fascinating booklet packed with Bowie's thoughts about the show at the time. It's all housed in a snug (at times too snug box. Sound & video are gorgeous. I cannot imagine a Bowie fan or pretty much any music fan not digging this. Excellent in every regard!

Sarah Brightman - Hymn In Concert (Eagle Vision)

I want you to do yourself and me a favor. When you pop this Blu-Ray in from this Blu-Ray / CD set, go immediately to the bonus features and watch the making of the album feature. You will see an everyday clothes, no fuss Sarah Brightman talk honestly and quite charmingly about this project. Brightman is relaxed, animated, and truly engaging as she discusses the music and the process. More than a bit humble. I smiled from open to close. Please do this. Thank you. On to the show!

The first act of the disc is basically a staged light operetta with dramatically lit sets and stagy performances. Pieces like Stranger In Paradise, Carpe Diem (with Mario Frangoulis), and a surprise cover of Queen's Who Wants To Live Forever are definite highlights.

Speaking of surprise covers - Act 2, which is a straight-up live set, begins with a cover of the Barclay James Harvest classic Hymn! You could've knocked me over with a feather. The band & backing voices are nothing short of superb. Sarah Brightman's voice is otherworldly. She hits those impossible notes in songs with a creamy ease. There For Me (with Vincent Niclo), Better Is One Day, Pie Jesu (with Narcis), Fly To Paradise, and Time To Say Goodbye are some of the highlights in this sumptuous set.

Hymn In Concert is at times not just over-the-top, but over even that! Bombastic, indulgent, huge. But it's Sarah Brightman. You expect a spectacular production. In the end, only 1 thing matters: she delivers the goods! For all my operatic / pop / rock / world / prog homies, this one's for you! Stellar!

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.

The Byrds - The Lost Broadcasts (Gonzo Multimedia)

If I need to explain to you who The Byrds were, please go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.00. Thank you. Having said that, here's the specific line up you'll see on this DVD: Roger McGuinn, Skipp Battin, Clarence White, Gene Parsons. Their road manager at the time - Jimmi Seiter - also guests on percussion. A strong, loose line up.

The performances on these sessions from 1971 are 2 takes of Chestnut Mare, Eight Miles High, Mr Tambourine Man, 3 takes of Black Mountain Rag, and 2 takes of So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star.

Check out the flying ducks on Battin's bass! Wild! There's an ultra-extended take of Eight Miles High that'll blow your mind. Everyone is in top form. Video is clean and clear. Fantastic snapshot of this highly influential band. A real beauty of a find here.

Caamora - She (Metal Mind Productions)

When I was a kid, I used to buy the Warren horror comics "Creepy" and "Eerie." They had art by some of the greats in the comics field, just fantastic illustrators. It was a joy to look at their work every month and I lapped it up for years. Having said that, the stories themselves often failed to meet the potential of the art. I left this DVD feeling the same way. Excellent musicians. Great singing and playing. But the writing... eh, not so much. The staging & "acting" (the DVD is a live performance of the double album) straight out of high school.

She is an ambitious prog opera adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's classic tale of the same name. Music & lyrics are by Arena / Pendragon mainstay Clive Nolan. In addition to vocals by Nolan and Caamora cohort Agnieszka Swita, Pallas vocalist Alan Reed and Magenta vocalist Christina Booth are prominently featured. All can certainly sing well, and turn in strong performances, although Swita's vocals sometimes betray her Polish roots with lines like Hi hknow you haff de powurr!, but otherwise clear and powerful. All the instrumentalists and orchestral players are pretty flawless, with drummer Scott Higham a real standout. The playing is not the problem.

The music itself is. She sounds like a 16 year old's Andrew Lloyd Webber pastiche. With endless dramatic crescendos and lots of "ominous" pieces, parts of the score could be the soundtrack to a Legend Of Zelda videogame. As for the staging of the performance, Nolan & Reed are dressed like they ran through a Banana Republic to grab clothes for auditions for Journey To The Center Of The Earth and look "important" and in awe most of the time. The rest are in faux Egyptian garb from a local Halloween costumer. It is painful at times. Well intentioned to be sure, but in the end, Spinal Tap come to life.

Camel - Total Pressure (Camel Productions)

Now then, this is what you're looking for! A 1984 concert filled with fantastic Camel material. The band is as follows: Andy Latimer - guitars, flute, vocals; Colin Bass - bass, vocals; Paul Burgess - drums; Chris Rainbow - vocals, keyboards; Ton Scherpenzeel - keyboards; Richie Close - keyboards. Throw in guest shots by Peter Bardens on keyboards and Mel Collins on saxophone. Need I even go on? Buy this before I finish the review!

The set covers lots of ground: Lies, Sasquatch, Vopos, Wait, Lady Fantasy, Unevensong, Rhayader, Drafted, West Berlin, and Never Let Go to name just a few. Performances by all are crisp and top notch as you'd expect from virtually all Camel ensembles.

Camera work is very much of the time (as are the hairdos). If you've ever seen the Pressure Points concert video with all the distracting "acting" interspersed, this is that concert minus the acting, adding the missing songs that complete the concert. A 1985 interview with Latimer is thrown in for good measure. Fantastic!

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.

Change Begins Within (Eagle Vision)

Subtitled A Benefit Concert For The David Lynch Foundation, This is a 2009 concert from Radio City Music Hall. The charity is an interesting one. It funds teaching transcendental meditation at schools in tough neighborhoods.

Performers include Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eddie Vedder, Moby, Sheryl Crow, Bettye LaVette, Ben Harper, Donovan, Jim James, Paul Horn, & Lynch co-hort Angelo Badalamonti. Jerry Seinfeld adds a bit of stand up. Laura Dern introduces several acts & adds Dernosity to the event.

Strong versions of Under Pressure, My Sweet Lord, Hurdy Gurdy Man, It Don't Come Easy, Drive My Car, Got To Get You Into My Life, With A Little Help From My Friends, and I Saw Her Standing There are just a few of the many highlights here. Earnest but fun is the order of the day here.

David Lynch chats with McCartney, Starr, Vedder, and Harper as a bonus feature. Change Begins Within is a unique feature for a unique cause. I found it to be charming, totally entertaining, and worthwhile. You will too!

Phil Collins - Live At Montreux 2004 (Eagle Eye Media)

Talk about a packed blu-ray! Not only does it contain the complete performance of Collins and his band from Montreux 2004, it also has 13 numbers from his 1996 "big band" gig at Montreux to boot! Just short of 4 hours of music here. The 2004 gig sees Phil Collins in good company. His band includes Chester Thompson on drums, Daryl Stuermer on guitar, and Collins' old Flaming Youth bandmate Ronnie Caryl on guitar as well! A nice nod to his past, I must say.

Between the 2 concerts, a broad range of Collins' material is represented. Big hits like Sussudio, In The Air Tonight, Another Day In Paradise, and Don't Lose My Number; collaborations such as Easy Lover and Separate Lives; plus a few nods to his days in Genesis - That's All, Invisible Touch, and Los Endos. The 1996 gig also features Quincy Jones as conductor and a guest vocal by Tony Bennett on There'll Be Some Changes Made.

Both performances are full of energy. The 2004 show has a friendly vibe and focuses more on Collins' AOR side, while the 1996 show is jazzier and showcases more of Collins' drumming chops. Video and sound quality are stellar on both. Nice lil booklet completes the package. If you have the itch for some Phil Collins music, this blu-ray will most definitely scratch it!

Curved Air - The Lost Broadcasts (Gonzo Multimedia)

Great concert here. Pulling rare live performances out of the vault. I love it. I need it. This particular DVD features Curved Air at their most potent. The sessions here are from German television circa March and September of 1971.

The March '71 numbers are Vivaldi, It Happened Today, and Propositions. The September '71 tunes are 2 versions of Back Street Luv and the epic Piece Of Mind. The first take of Back Street Luv has psychedelic backgrounds and Sonja Kristina's vocal is doubled. Version 2 has a blue background, the vocal is straight up, and the end plays out a bit longer. The star of the set if Piece Of Mind - 10:33 of wild prog fusion!

Video and sound quality are very nice, very enjoyable. Packaging is minimal. To get these performances is a rare gift to say the least. A fantastic peek at Curved Air delivering pure magic in their prime.

Deep Purple - Live At The NEC (Eagle Vision)

Here we have an emotional and historic souvenir from one of the most highly regarded rock acts ever. This 2002 show was keyboardist / co-founder Jon Lord's farewell to Deep Purple. Lord had already passed the torch to Don Airey (who Lord personally chose to replace him). I could see how this would have been a melancholy event, but in honesty it just flat-out rocks!

The Airey / Gillan / Glover / Morse / Paice line up tear through Fireball right out of the gate with Roger Glover and Ian Paice stealing the number, then burn through Woman From Tokyo. Next they delivered the biting Mary Long with a strong vocal by Ian Gillan and an off-the-rails Ted The Mechanic with lightning pluckage by Steve Morse.

Lazy blues rock's out and Morse is a naughty boy on The Well Dressed Guitar. A moody, deep When A Blind Man Cries leads to a celebratory Space Truckin'. Airey mounted a dazzling keyboard solo until the stage went dark...

...Airey had transformed into Jon Lord who led the band through Perfect Strangers. The crowd lost it. How could they not?!? The rest of the show blasts through Speed King, Smoke On The Water, Hush, Black Night, and Highway Star. Guitar solos, drum solos - it's all there! Bonus interviews are the icing on the cake. This is what hard rockin' is all about!

Deep Purple With Orchestra - Live In Verona (Eagle Vision)

I'll get into detail in just a moment, but I must let this out first: Just go buy this right now! Don't hesitate. OK? Good. I'll continue. Deep Purple With Orchestra - Live In Verona is from a July 18,2011 gig in, oddly enough, Verona. Purple are joined by the 38 piece Neue Philharmonie from Frankfurt, under the baton of Maestro Stephen Bentley-Klein.

This Blu-ray has a highlight-packed setlist with numbers like Hard Lovin' Man, No One Came, Maybe I'm A Leo and Black Night. They join more familiar fare like Smoke On The Water, Lazy, Hush, Knocking At Your Back Door, and Perfect Strangers. Having said that, even the well-worn songs are given new life courtesy of the orchestra and an incredibly fired-up Deep Purple!

All players are locked in and amped up, with keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Steve Morse hungrily gobbling up notes and soloing with a beautiful fury. Roger Glover and Ian Paice are terrorists on bass and drums. Ian Gillan's voice is a scud missile wrapped in leather and soaked with whiskey and vinegar. This is a band to be feared!

I've seen band/orchestra combinations that are slow or clunky or stiff. Not here. Everyone is flying. It's a crazy, off-the-wheels show that will flat out thrill your eyes and ears. Get off this screen and go buy this! You're welcome!

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!

Dio - Live In London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (Eagle)

I must admit, I've never seen a bad Dio concert. Ronnie James Dio always kept things up to a certain standard. It helps that he always had killer bands. This 1993 band is no exception. Vinnie Appice on drums; former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson; keyboardist Scott Warren; Tracy G on guitar. All top notch musicians.

Why we're all here is to hear Dio's voice. He's in brilliant form. Soaring, roaring, caressing - owning every vocal. Spot on phrasing. Great emotion with tight control. Lots of strong material on this blu-ray. The band was touring on the Strange Highways album at the time. It was Dio's first since the Black Sabbath reunion album and tour for Dehumanizer. In contrast to previous tours, this is an especially dark, heavy show. That's not a bad thing. With those thick slabs of sound, we hear Ronnie James Dio in a slightly different context. Even more badass than usual. High impact.

New songs like Hollywood Black and Evilution join classics like Stand Up And Shout, The Last In Line, and We Rock. Dio's Rainbow tenure is represented by Man On The Silver Mountain and the Sabbath days with The Mob Rules and Children Of The Sea. This is a very entertaining show and you can really see that the band are enjoying themselves. The crowd is off the chain!

There is a bonus featurette of the band hanging out and chatting both before and after the gig. It's a friendly glimpse into the band's unguarded moments and you see genuine affection for each other. Dio fans will just eat this one up. Most excellent!

Dio - Finding The Sacred Heart (Eagle Vision)

Years ago I used to have a truncated version of this 1986 show from Philly on VHS. Here it is at last on blu-ray all snazzed up visually and sonically. On top of that, the gig is also restored to its full length.

Joining Ronnie James Dio for this show were keyboardist Claude Schnell, drummer Vinny Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain, and guitarist Craig Goldy. They kick 193 kinds of ass (I counted!). King Of Rock And Roll, Hungry For Heaven, Holy Diver, Heaven And Hell, a medley of Rock 'N' Roll Children / Long Live Rock 'N' Roll / Man On The Silver Mountain, and a heapin' helpin' of Dio-sity are a feast for the ears and eyes. Not to mention a fire-breathing dragon and laser wielding knights!

Lots of bonuses - interviews from different eras, a live promo, backstage buffoonery, and a music video. Every Dio fan is rightly drooling over this one as we speak. Great stuff!

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.

The Doobie Brothers - Let The Music Play (Eagle Vision)

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Doobie Brothers but were afraid to ask. This documentary covers pretty much every moment of the Bros rise to fame from the earliest days to the present. Producer / director Barry Ehrmann presents their tale in an easygoing, friendly style without getting too fanboyish for the most part.

Doobies Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, Tiran Porter, producer Ted Templeman, and manager Bruce Cohn relate the bulk of the story with other members pitching in as needed. Pretty comprehensive and quite compelling. Interesting to hear bassist Porter grouse about going back to the Johnston led incarnation after the departure of Michael McDonald.

Lots of interview footage as well as live bits, with 9 live performances as bonus material. Let The Music Play is an honest look at the West coast hit machine. Well shot, well told, easy on the ears. Great job. Very much worth your time!

The Doors - Live At The Bowl '68 (Doors Property LLC / Eagle Vision)

It's been a very interesting time in terms of what has been unearthed and restored. If you're a music fan, this is the new golden age for vintage rock and pop. Look no further than this blu-ray. Here are the Doors in 16.9 with optional 5.1 sound. You've got to be kidding! No, they're not kidding at all. It's right here in my hands. The video looks stunningly contemporary and the sound is fantastic. 1968 is right in your lap. Jim Morrison is singing to you and the and are right there with him.

A good deal of this concert has seen the light of day in the past, but never with this clarity and loving attention to detail. Previously lost versions of Hello, I Love You, The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat) , and Spanish Caravan have been discovered, restored, and included in the set. This complete Hollywood Bowl concert from July 5, 1968 is the most fully realized document of the Doors in their prime. Ray Manzerek drives the bus; Robby Kreiger seems a bit distracted; John Densmore is solid and inventive. Jim Morrison just owns it, though. A boyish smile here and there. A twist of the hip, a poem, a nuanced vocal inflection. His performance lives up to the hype.

The blu-ray is packed with extras every bit as compelling as the concert. Great booklet, great disc, great package. If you're a Doors fan, you simply must have this. Some rock legends are legends for a reason.Live At The Bowl '68 reconfirms this.

Dream Theater - Live At Luna Park (Eagle Vision)

Dream Theater freaks can relax. Bangles drummer Debbie Peterson was thisclose to getting the gig as Mike Portnoy's replacement, but at the 11th hour the band chose to go with Mike Mangini. But it was close! Mangini hits a lot of things very fast and very well. Purists will surely not be offended nor disappointed. Mangini joins jovial James LaBrie, John Petrucci, John Myung, and Jordan Rudess in carrying on the Dream Theater tradition.

This set was filmed during 2012's A Dramatic Tour Of Events tour. Lots and lots of material here. War Inside My Head, The Root Of All Evil, Far From Heaven, Metropolis Pt. 1, The Dark Eternal Night, Caught In A Web - tons more!! The band is as tight as one has come to expect, the crowd suitably blown away. While Mangini's drumming has it's own character, he's faithful to Portnoy's parts on Portnoy-era pieces.

This is a seriously packed Blu-ray with some 5 hours of material! Whew! Lots of bonus stuff including a multi- angle version of Outcry from the set. Live it. Love it. Own it.

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!

Electric Daisy Carnival Experience (Ultra)

Electric Daisy Carnival Experience is director Kevin Kerslake's coverage of the 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival put on by Insomniac in Los Angeles. Still sound a bit alien to you? EDC is a 2 day festival of electronic dance bands, rides, dancers, entertainers, etc. A sort of Woodstock of electronica if you will.

Kerslake's documentary really does an excellent job of taking you inside the event. Yes, you get performances by everyone from Will.i.am and Deadmaus to David Guetta and Laidback Luke. It's the other stuff - interviews with dancers, production folk, fans - that bring this DVD to life. You see the genuine enthusiasm for this slice of youth culture.

Clocking in just shy of 2 hours, Electric Daisy Carnival Experience is packed with live music. If you've been curious about this sort of music, here is a visual / aural buffet for you to sample. If you want to see beautiful women dressed as bunnies in gas masks, that's here as well! Electric Daisy Carnival Experience is an engaging look into a fascinatingly creative subculture.

Electric Light Orchestra - Live - The Early Years (Eagle Vision)
 
My, what a fascinating DVD. As the title implies, this features footage from the early end of ELO's career. It's 3 performances: Brunel University 1973, Rockpalast 1974 and Fusion 1976. '73 & '74 have Mike De Albuquerque on bass and Mike Edwards on 2nd cello. '76 has Kelly Groucutt on bass and Melvyn Gale on 2nd cello. All 3 have, of course, Jeff Lynne on vox and guitar, Bev Bevan on drums, Richard Tandy on keys, Mik Kaminski on violin and Hugh McDowell on 1st cello.
 
Between the 3 shows, you get a passel of great ELO tunes: King Of The Universe, Daybreaker, Poker, Can't Get It Out of My Head, Strange Magic and 10538 Overture, to name a few. All 3 performances have a version of Ma-Ma-Ma Belle. It's interesting to see how quickly the band matures. You also see how Groucutt's bass and vocal talents were a key step in taking the band to a higher level.
 
A brief interview with the '73 / '74 lineup is included. Sound and picture are quite nice. Live - The Early Years is a most excellent DVD. A hot unit right on the verge of super-stardom. Amazing hair as well!

Caro Emerald - In Concert (Eagle Vision)

Imagine Portishead vocalist Beth Gibbons singing with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Add to that a touch of Shirley Bassey-ish songs and you get a rough idea of the territory Caro Emerald treads. Born Caroline Esmeralda van de Leeuw in Holland, Emerald plays a mix of swing, jazz, and Latin-tinged music with a bit of a modern underpinning thanks to DJ Git Hyper on turntables.

That Man, A Night Like This, Back It Up, and the Latin flavored Riviera Life boil and bubble with slick guitar and solid horns. Black Valentine and The Other Woman are smokier pieces in torch song territory. Emerald coos and caresses each vocal with style and confidence. The band is most excellent with guitarist / accordionist Wieger Hoogendorf a standout.

Amazing video quality on this blu-ray. As I was watching, I thought to myself "this is clearer than real life!" Audio is equally impressive. An interview and rehearsal performances serve as bonus footage. Caro Emerald proves to be quite the jazz / swing chanteuse. Lots of fun!

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert 2010 (MVD Visual)

Baseball fans know what I mean when I reference the Cubs here. The Cubs never get to the big one, but their fans still root for them out of sheer devotion. It's a beautiful thing. It applies to this DVD. I so wanted this ELP reunion show to blow me away. I've loved this band since my early teens. They are part of my progressive DNA. Well...

This performance is from the 2010 High Voltage Festival in the UK. The band seem to be in good spirits. The crowd is hot for every note. It's a great atmosphere. It's just, in truth, a bit clunky. Perhaps they were severely under-rehearsed. I don't know. Keith Emerson in particular seems to operate at a different pace than Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. If they are slow and low, Emerson is on occasion disjointed. If you all cannot connect on Touch And Go, I mean, well, you know. To be fair, there are nice moments here and there. They are the exception rather than the rule.

The sound is a bit muddy, but I wasn't expecting perfection from an outdoor festival gig. ELP fanatics own this anyway & have a sealed copy in a hermetically sealed, temperature controlled vault. The rest may want to look elsewhere for a better example of this trio.

Emerson Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition  (Special Edition) (Eagle Vision)
 
Oh, doesn't it just feel goooood? Emerson, Lake & Palmer circa 1970. Before Love Beach. Before In The Hot Seat. Bombastic, outrageous, overblown, pompous. All true! But, do not forget awesome. Breathtaking. Inspiring. Pioneering. Mind blowing. All of that and more are on this DVD.
 
Yes, there's the complete Pictures At An Exhibition, saddled with the cheesy camera effects that were plaguing every rock concert film of the time. Watching this, I totally forgot that the performance of Take A Pebble has bits of Tarkus, Hoedown and Tank. Everyone is so bloody young! Even back then, Carl Palmer still looks like Emerson and Lake's little kid brother Wally.
 
This special edition also includes a 1971 performance on Belgium's "Pop Shop" where they perform Rondo, Nutrocker, Take A Pebble, Knife Edge and a blues jam, going back into Nutrocker! A major improvement over the earlier version of this DVD. Quite a nice upgrade!

Evanescence - Synthesis (Eagle Vision)

Hey! I've been to this venue! It's part of Foxwoods here in lovely old Connecticut! It started out as the MGM Grand Theater and has evolved into the Grand Theater. A wonderful venue to see a concert at. Comfy seats, fantastic sound, and good sight-lines from every position. A fine choice for Amy Lee & Evanescence to bring an orchestra with them & put on a show!

A wide choice of material: Never Go Back, Hi-Lo, Swimming Home, My Immortal, Lacrymosa, Lithium, End Of The Dream and so many more. Lee's voice is spectacular as she swoops and emotes flawlessly. Her piano work is absolutely spot on. Jen Majura, Troy McLawhorn, Tim McCord, and Will Hunt are all at the very top of their respective games. The orchestra, under the baton of maestro Susie Seiter, is a fantastic fit. Evanescence fans will be frantic for this.

The DVD includes a CD as well as a bonus video for Hi-Lo. P.R. Brown's direction is smart and focused. The sound is absolutely astounding. Sorry if I sound like I'm gushing, but I'm being straight up! Evanescence fans, rejoice! This is the one you want!!

Fairport Convention - Beyond The Ledge (Wienerworld)

I seem to recall seeing this some years ago, likely on videotape. This is a DVD of Fairport's 1998 Cropredy Festival concert. Fairport were Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals; Dave Pegg on bass and vocals; Gerry Conway on drums; Ric Sanders on violin; Chris Leslie on violin, mandolin, and vocals. Quite a formidable ensemble and impossibly tight!

The setlist is a dream: The Lark In The Morning, Life's A Long Song, Woodworm Swing, Crazy Man Michael, Dangerous, The Flow, Close To You, The Naked Highwayman, The Hiring Fair, Jewel In The Crown, Cosmic Intermezzo, The Bowman's Retreat, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, Come Haste, Spanish Main, John Gaudie, Matty Groves, Meet On The Ledge.

Performances are nothing short of amazing. Every player in sync on incredibly demanding material. Nicol's voice is full and emotive. Every member gets their moment to shine. This fine concert with delight Fairport fanatics, folkies, and prog fans of all ages. Timeless.

Fall Out Boy - The Boys Of Zummer Tour: Live In Chicago (Eagle Vision / UMG)

ATTENTION ADULT READERS: This review is for your 14 year old daughter. The Boys Of Zummer Tour: Live In Chicago is exactly what you've been waiting for! It's a faithful document of the 2015 tour recorded in Chicago just for you! Fall Out Boy hit the stage in all their collective glory to rock the roof off of Chicago!

Patrick, Joe, Pete, and Andy give it their all as they tear through numbers like Sugar, We're Goin Down, Centuries, Immortals, Uma Thurman, and American Beauty / American Psycho. Lots of close ups of all 4 guys. Lots of crowd shots of people typing on their phones. An acoustic number or so.

Well directed, great sound, solid, tight performances. 3 bonus videos to boot. If you or anyone you know craves them some Fall Out Boy, this Blu -Ray is sure to satisfy! Ohhh Way Ohhh!

Jose Feliciano Band - The Paris Concert (Inakustik)

The term "Living Legend" applies here. Jose Feliciano is a true master of the guitar, be it acoustic or electric. For this concert, recorded in August of 2008, at the New Morning in Paris, Feliciano assembled a crack band: Greg Smith and Ty McHugh on keyboards, Johnny Mennonna on bass, Tyger MacNeal on drums and the great Bob Conti on percussion. The ensemble always compliments, but never overwhelms Feliciano. A very smart move, as he cooks from first note to last

Familiar material abounds - Chico And The Man, Billie Jean, I Got A Woman, Oye Como Va, Beyond The Sea, Sunshine Of Your Love, Bamboleo. Pop, jazz, flamenco, folk, Latin - Jose Feliciano covers all genres with a confident ease. His cover of If You Don't Know Me By Now is to die for. Who else could follow Purple Haze and Sunshine Of Your Love with Que Sera Sera? Then jump into Light My Fire?

Sound and camera work are gorgeous - all filmed in HD. Daniel Farhi's direction is smart and taut. By the by - look for super tasty percussion solo by Feliciano. He totally rocks out! If you like great playing and singing with a bit of that Latin flair, this DVD is a solid winner!

Bryan Ferry - Live In Lyon (Eagle Vision)

I often think we throw around the word "timeless" too flippantly. It can lose its meaning, its impact. In this case it truly fits. The voice of Bryan Ferry is timeless. Modern yet from another era. Classy. Suave. Dare I say debonair. Live In Lyon shows that voice in fine fettle and supported by a juggernaut of a band.

The show has a wealth of material. Bitter Sweet, If There Is Something, Let's Stick Together, Love Is The Drug, Avalon - just a sample of the goodies found here. All performed to perfection. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the inspired cover of Bob Dylan's Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - outstanding!

Joining Ferry on the stage were Andy Newmark & Tara Ferry on drums; Oliver Thompson & Neil Hubbard on guitars; Jeremy Meehan on bass; Colin Good on piano; Jorja Chalmers on keyboards and sax; Sewuese Abwa, Bridgette Amofah, Aleysha Gordon, & Shar White on vocals. Add to that dancers Marie Francis and Jade Sullivan and you have quite the ensemble. Thompson's guitar work in particular grabs the ear.

Fabien Raymond's direction is elegant and suits the material well. Sound is splendid. The blu-ray throws in a bonus feature on the making of Ferry's Olympia album. If you don't have this, get it. If you don't want it, get off my site!

FM - NEARFest 2006 (Esoteric Antenna)

I was there! What fond memories I have of this gig. Drummer Marty Deller has been a pal of mine for over 30 years at this point. We'd not met in person until that afternoon, so I'm a bit biased coming into this one. No matter. FM turned in a cracking good performance on that day. Monsters!

Sandwiched between Richard Leo Johnson and Ozric Tentacles, FM featured a new face on violin / mandolin named Claudio Vena. From the opening notes of a new composition called Planet Vega (also written by Vena) any doubts as to Vena's ability were instantly erased. A virtuoso. For Deller and Cameron Hawkins, it was an opportunity to show an attentive audience that they were still relevant. They succeeded. FM still played what I've come to term futurist prog rock. Vistas of vast space. Tales of planets, robots, spaceships.

Planet Vega, Phasors On Stun, One O'Clock Tomorrow, Journey, Slaughter In Robot Village, Aldebaran, Shapes Of Things, 7th Heaven, Sofa Back, Trial By Fire, Black Noise, Surface To Air.

Go back for a second. Read those song titles again. What a killer set list! Hawkins' playing was on point & his vocals were just wonderful. Deller was a beast. Add Vena to the mix and you get this huuuuuge sound. NEARFest 2006 is a CD/DVD combo so you can watch it on your huge screen TV, then pop it into your car's player as you make the townspeople envious of your fine taste in music. 100% guaranteed pleasure!

Peter Gabriel - Back To Front: Live In London (Real World / Eagle)

Directed by Hamish Hamilton, this blu-ray is a document of a 2 night stand at London's 02 in late October of 2013 by Peter Gabriel. It is from the tail end of a tour in support of the 25th anniversary of So. Joining Gabriel was the original band from that tour: Manu Katche on drums; David Sancious on keys; David Rhodes on guitar; Tony Levin on bass. New additions Linnea Olsson and Jennie Abrahamson on cello and vocals round out the ensemble.

Gabriel is in excellent voice. The show is broken down into 3 parts: a few acoustic numbers, an electric set, the complete So album. 2 recent numbers bookend the set: the unfinished Daddy Longlegs and the anthemic Show Yourself. Highlights of the electric set include No Self Control, Family Snapshot, The Family And The Fishing Net, Solsbury Hill, and Digging In The Dirt.

The So features a version of We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37) that is much stronger than the album version, but still pales compared to the frightening performances from the 3rd album tour. In Your Eyes is way too long for my liking. Mercy Street is a highlight of the So set. The Tower That Ate People and Biko are the encores. The band is tight and strong. Levin & Rhodes stand out - but we already knew that they would.

Hamilton's directing is artsy and at times distractingly jarring as he switches from the band to the backing screen cams. Sometimes the flow of the song is disturbed and the viewer is taken out of the performance. A short interview with Gabriel and Hamilton is the sole bonus. Minus the fiddling with shots, Back To Front is a fine, honest document of the ever inventive Peter Gabriel.

Peter Gabriel - Live In Athens 1987 (Eagle Vision)

The 1986/87 tour for So was the last time I saw Peter Gabriel. After that he ventured into territory I found to be far less interesting to my ears. I had vivid memories of photographing the Connecticut gig of the tour, as I had pink eye in my camera eye which severely hampered my abilities that night. This blu-ray has material that came out years ago in a much different form as POV. In this case we get the complete concert including the opening set from Youssou N'Dour and Le Super Etoile De Dakar.

For this tour, Gabriel's band was Tony Levin on bass, stick, and bass keyboards; David Rhodes on guitar; David Sancious on keys; Manu Katche on drums. A smokin' ensemble. The set has crowd pleasers like Shock The Monkey, Games Without Frontiers, Solsbury Hill, Sledgehammer, and In Your Eyes. They are well balanced by numbers such as No Self Control, San Jacinto, and a blistering Intruder.

Gabriel is focused, vibrant, animated, and in great voice. The theatrics on No Self Control, Lay Your Hands On Me, and Mercy Street are mesmerizing and effective. 26 years later, so much of this performance remains cutting edge. The blu-ray also adds a 1986 interview with Gabriel and a 5.1 audio version of the Sledgehammer video.

Wait! There's more! The blu-ray comes with a free DVD of Play, which features every Gabriel video from Modern Love to Father,Son and all points between. Live In Athens 1987 is a treasure trove of viewing pleasure for Peter Gabriel fans everywhere!

Peter Gabriel - So (Eagle Vision)

This DVD is another in the Classic Albums series. As we all know, So was the huge breakthrough record for Peter Gabriel. Sledgehammer, Big Time, In Your Eyes, and Don't Give Up brought the former Genesis frontman to new commercial heights. On a personal note, this is where I stepped off the Gabriel train. Thankfully for Gabriel, I am in the minority.

The story here focuses greatly on the Peter Gabriel / Daniel Lanois collaboration - Lanois smoothing the edginess out of Gabriel's material and directing his energies. In the main program, we hear all about Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don't Give Up, Mercy Street, This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds), and In Your Eyes. The bonus material includes a bit about Big Time. If you'd like to know about That Voice Again and We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37), you're out of luck, friend. Perhaps everyone involved forgot that those 2 numbers existed!

Lots of background on the numbers they do include. Interview footage of Lanois, Gabriel, Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin and others is fascinating and insightful. This DVD includes 35 min of footage not included on the broadcast version. If So is your cup of Gabriel, drink deep!

Melody Gardot - Live At The Olympia, Paris (Eagle Vision)

This set is a band thing for me. Drummer Chuck Staab is vicious. His drums propel you forward. Great snare work. His playing is revelatory. Edwin Livingston on bass is locked right in there with him, barking when he needs to, sitting in a slinky groove when it's called for. A total pocket man. Guitarist Mitchell Long and keyboardist Devin Greenwood ably complete the core ensemble. Strong players who elevate the compositions they are working with.

Flying over them are a fantastic horn section: Korey Riker on baritone and tenor saxes; Shareef Clayton on trumpet; and Irwin Hall on tenor sax / alto sax and bass clarinet. They soar high when afforded the opportunity and add character as well as color. Together these 7 players work a strong magic.

The staging is quite interesting, as is Thierry Villenueve's direction. He favors the lingering shot over the quick cut. The sound is totally immaculate. Instruments are lovingly placed in the mix. The result is an intimate feeling of being there. A very well produced effort.

Genesis - Sum Of The Parts (Eagle Vision)

This is the 2014 BBC documentary we've all heard about or seen. On blu-ray, many of us thought there'd be rectifying segments to fix the pitiful mess of a screwjob that the aired version was. There is extra footage. It's just longer bits of pieces we've seen. The screwjob remains.

Time to explain. Sum Of The Parts is the story of Genesis. Well, some of them. Chris Stewart, John Silver, John Mayhew, Nick D'Virgilio, Nir Z, and Ray Wilson are nowhere to be found, nor are they ever mentioned. Nor are live players Mick Barnard, Bill Bruford, and Anthony Drennan. According to director John Edginton none are worth a mention. The albums Wind & Wuthering and Calling All Stations do not exist. Selling England By The Pound barely gets a mention. Steve Hackett's entire solo career is ignored. Same with Anthony Phillips. I could go on. It's not a case of time constraints, as later albums are covered in greater depth.

In the end, this is a documentary about charts and money. The focus is monetary success. A shame, as it truly sells the band short. For every foolish Brit radio personality or journalist, they could have shown more of the band. The personalities are there to defend the pop stuff and lessen the importance of the prog stuff. Whatever. I'll never watch this disc again and neither should you. Hackett told me he was interviewed in depth and it was all cut out of the finished work. Even Banks & Rutherford are unhappy with it. Genesis for VH1 Pop Up Video fans. Ouch.

Genesis - Three Sides Live (Eagle Vision)

I remember this video well. I remember this tour well. Three Sides Live was drawn from shows from the 1981 Abacab tour. Looking back at this concert video filled me with fond memories. It was all about energy. Seeing them in Hartford on this tour, it just never seemed to stand still. New numbers, old faves, thrilling lights, goofy banter, awesome playing.

All of that is here. You know this already. We've all seen this video a zillion times. A genuine souvenir of the early 80s. Before we go any further, let's talk Phil Collins and Chester Thompson. Their drumming is off the scale crazy here. POW!!! It's Mike Tyson at his finest. Power. Punch. Impact. They are a brutal machine. OK, I feel better now. Mike Rutherford and Daryl Stuermer fit together like greased gloves. Sly playing, rarely overly flash. Tony Banks was, well, Tony Banks. Absolutely perfect. Don't even think about arguing that - you'll lose.

The material is mostly the newer numbers of the time. Dodo / Lurker, Duchess, and No Reply At All are very strong. Some tracks are interrupted, but you knew that as well. This blu-ray includes audio versions of 7 numbers. I do believe the original sources here were videotape, but it has been nicely restored and quite pleasantly viewable. Pick this up and revisit an old friend. I guarantee you'll enjoy every second of it.

Stan Getz Quartet - Live At Montreux 1972 (Eagle Eye Media)

Yow! What a band! Stan Getz on tenor sax; Chick Corea on keyboards; Stanley Clarke on bass; Tony Williams on drums. At this point in time - 1972 - Getz was beginning to explore fusion, moving sideways from his bossa nova and bebop jazz roots, but those roots show through nonetheless.

I'm hearing a lot of ideas flowing here. Williams drums in technicolor. His choices are as solid as they are adventurous. Clarke in many ways is his perfect foil. Incredibly melodic. In the pocket even as Williams' pocket morphs and flows. Corea is a show unto himself. Sitting back when the piece calls for it. Always expressing a chord in a fresh way. Solos that cook and excite. Getz dances over this all with grace and wonder. He picks his spots and delivers solid, melodic solos. His touch is emotional and unforgettable.

For all the virtuosity these 4 bring to the stage, it is all about the piece. Lush Life shines. Day Waves smokes. Windows is a most definite highlight. No dogs here. 7 pieces of gold, my friend. Sound quality is top notch. Video quality is crazily brilliant - like it was filmed yesterday!. An accurate capture of lightning in a bottle. You can also get this one on CD. Heartfelt booklet notes by Chick Corea. Getz as good as it gets!

Gong - Gong On French TV 1971 - 1973 (Gonzo Multimedia / Voiceprint)

Gong has always existed as a planet unto itself. Gong On French TV 1971 - 1973 offers proof positive of this. Hippie dippiness abounds. We see glimpses of communal living, interviews with Daevid Allen and Didier Malherbe, and a host of live and live in studio performances.

The longest piece here is a black and white documentary broadcast in September of 1973. Allen and Malherbe talk about the communal lifestyle and an average day in the life of Gong. Sandwiched in there are live-in-studio performances of I Never Glid Before and I Am Your Pussy. Look for a few sweet comments from the locals as well.

Next is a twelve minute segment featuring live versions of Never Fight Another War and A Perfect Mystery interspersed with brief comments from the band, including a sly Magma reference. A performance of Dreamin' It is next. The DVD concludes with a whacky outdoor miming of Dynamite (I Am Your Animal) and a live Fohat Digs Holes In Space. Wild weird fun you never knew you needed, yet cannot live without!

Steve Hackett - Selling England By The Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live At Hammersmith (InsideOut)

I saw this show when Steve & his merry band of vampirates last played the Ridgefield Playhouse. It was all smiles from end to end as both sets were absolutely smashing! This set recaptures that feel perfectly. I was able to immerse myself in the music and the front row experience it brings.

These were the shows to christen new drummer Craig Blundell (who also drums with Steven Wilson). Blundell brings in a different feel than the man he replaced - Gary O'Toole. Not better nor worse, just different. But a great, seamless fit it must be said! Set 1 here features, but is not limited to, numbers from Steve Hackett's monster release Spectral Mornings. Every Day, The Virgin And The Gypsy, The Red Flower Of Tai Chi Blooms Everywhere, Clocks - The Angel Of Mons, Tigermoth and Spectral Mornings are joined by a clutch of songs off At The Edge Of Light: Under The Eye Of The Sun, Fallen Walls And Pedestals and Beasts In Our Time. Great performances all! Brother John Hackett & Amanda Lehmann guested to add to the festivities!

Joining Hackett & Blundell were mainstays Nad Sylvan, Roger King, Rob Townsend and Jonas Reingold. Set 2 presented the entire Selling England By The Pound in order. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), Firth Of Fifth, More Fool Me, The Battle Of Epping Forest, After The Ordeal, The Cinema Show and Aisle Of Plenty. An added after dinner mint was the luscious Deja Vu. Encores were Dance On A Volcano and Los Endos.

Performances are pretty much sheer perfection. Camerawork is mighty fine, as is the audio. A backstage documentary rounds out another winning package! This one is not just for Hacketteers and Genesis freaks. It's for all lovers of great prog and rock music looking for a great investment of their precious time! Winner winner!

Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra Live At The Royal Festival Hall (InsideOut)

Steve Hackett, his band, and an orchestra. All performing Hackett & Genesis tunes. Seems like a totally organic idea. Indeed it is! This video and audio set is exactly that! Recorded on October the 5th, 2018 at The Royal Festival Hall in London. Hackett and band are accompanied by the 41-piece Heart Of England Orchestra under Bradley Thachuk's baton. John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann guest as well. This show is from the final tour with Gary O'Toole on drums and vocals. The rest of the band accompanying Hackett is Roger King on keyboards, Rob Townsend on saxes, percussion and keys, Nad Sylvan on vocals and percussion and Jonas Reingold on bass and guitars.

The 2 sets are nice mixes of different eras. Set 1 is Dance On A Volcano, Out of the Body, The Steppes, Firth Of Fifth, Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Blood On The Rooftops, Shadow Of The Hierophant. The Steppes, Blood On The Rooftops and Shadow Of The Hierophant were the highlights where it all meshed perfectly!

For set 2 we get In That Quiet Earth, Afterglow, Serpentine Song, El Nino, Supper's Ready, The Musical Box. Afterglow, Serpentine Song and The Musical Box standing out. Every member was in top form. A spectacular show!

Stellar bonuses on the blu-ray - a behind the scenes feature and 3 music videos from At The Edge Of Light: Beasts In Our Time, Under The Eye Of The Sun and Peace.A wonderful package that holds up to endless replays. Hackett & friends bring the goods!!

Steve Hackett - The Man, The Music (Wienerworld)

Simply put - most everything you'd like to know about the career of Steve Hackett. Director Matt Groom used quite a wise approach: let them talk. Don't impose or interfere. The result is a deliberately paced documentary that takes the time for detail. Not many corners cut here. I like that.

We learn about the early years. Pre-Genesis bands. Genesis, solo albums, other projects. Guitar techniques - a bit of everything, really. All illuminated by Hackett, his Mum, brother & wife. Roger King, Gary O'Toole, Nick Beggs, Amanda Lehmann, Steven Wilson, Chris Squire all chime in. Lots of revelations I'll not spoil by mentioning. Everything seems happy and forthcoming. This is a quiet but happy look into Hackett's life. He comes across as a devoted musician who is at piece with his place in the world and dedicated to moving his creativity ever forward.

Camera work is intimate and clear. Well directed with a natural feeling to it. Sound is fine. The DVD includes bonus interview footage with Chris Squire. Steve Hackett - The Man, The Music is the definitive look at this notable musician. Essential.

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?

Daryl Hall John Oates - Live In Dublin (Eagle Vision)

This performance was recorded in July of 2014 over in Dublin, Ireland. I've been on the fence about Hall & Oates from the get go. A few numbers that really grabbed me and a bunch that I felt tepid about. I even saw them in the mid Eighties and was full of respect for their polish, but unmoved by the show as a whole. A bit too slick for my tastes at the time. Hey, it happens.

This Blu-ray impresses the hell out of me, to be honest. Hall & Oates have got game. Slick has given way to seasoned. With the company machine no longer a factor, they just give you rock & soul in strong doses. Really as simple as that. Back Together Again just plain cooks. It's the real deal. The band are tight and full of funky soul. Excellent strong support that in no way intrude with 2 stars of the show.

Both Hall and Oates are in excellent voice & even more importantly, they have an undeniable chemistry & respect. It shows. 2 brothers of the road. Songs like Sara Smile and Las Vegas Turnaround just glow. You clearly see a band enjoying themselves and an eager crowd digging every moment. This show is that lightning in a bottle we hear of so often but see so very seldom. Song selection is smart. Lots of friendly material like Family Man, I Can't Go For That, Maneater, Rich Girl. Playful repartee and improv that never strays too far into indulgence.

Bonus interviews round out this very solid package. Live In Dublin is an overachiever. I can't imagine anyone not digging it. I can go for that!

Annie Haslam - 'Live' Studio Concert Philadelphia, PA, USA 1997 (White Dove)

This DVD arrived in my mailbox this afternoon. I couldn't wait to pop it into my player. Best known as the voice of the band Renaissance, Annie Haslam is joined here by drummer Joe Goldberger, keyboardist Rave Tesar, and keyboardist / guitarist Dave "Squiggy" Biglin. The show was filmed in front of an intimate but appreciative studio crowd.

The setlist is a great balance of solo and Renaissance numbers. Carpet Of The Sun, Pool Of Tears, Summon The Angels, Captive Heart, After The Oceans Are Gone, Seashell Eyes, Sleepless Mother, What He Seeks, The Young Prince And Princess.

Haslam is in fantastic voice and the band are both delicate and powerful. A huge sounding trio. Great camera work and strong audio. Funny bonus footage rounds out the DVD. This is such a truly lovely treat. A DVD full of smiles. A definite buy for Renaissance fans, but really, this disc reaches well beyond that. A warm, engaging set of well crafted songs performed by one of the finest voices you will ever hear. Buy 1 for yourself & more to share!

Justin Hayward - Spirits...Live (Eagle Vision)

The voice of the Moody Blues took the stage for a solo tour. This gig is from the lovely Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Supporting Hayward on this acoustic show were keyboardist Alan Hewitt, guitarist Mike Dawes, and keyboardist / percussionist Julie Ragins. Hewitt & Ragins also added backing vocals.

The first thing I noticed was that Justin Hayward was in great voice. Tuesday Afternoon worked great in the acoustic format of the evening. Hayward seemed totally at ease. He went back and forth between various acoustic 6 strings and 12 strings, playing with confidence. Dawes was a deft lead player and more than able backing guitarist - never moving the focus too far from Hayward. Hewitt was spot on with every mellotron part and Ragins was a whirlwind bouncing between keys, percussion, and vocals.

The set list was a good mix of new and old with classics like Question, It's Up To You / Lovely To See You, and Your Wildest Dreams juxtaposed with new numbers like In Your Blue Eyes and The Western Sky. Getting Forever Autumn from War Of The Worlds was especially welcome! Add to that New Horizons and Land Of Make Believe from Seventh Sojourn, and we're on to something, friends.

Camera and sound were great, the only distraction being a cam mounted on the headstock of Dawes' guitar showing slightly distracting POV shots. A very minor quibble. The blu-ray includes a bonus hour long documentary with several extra songs. Nicely done. Spirits...Live is a relaxing, comfortable evening full of fine tunes. Exactly what you need it to be.

Heart - Live In Atlantic City (Ear Music)

A blast from the recent past! This gig is from 2006 & recorded for Decades Rock Live. A rare show in that it features a bunch of guests. Dave Navarro, Gretchen Wilson, Rufus Wainright, Alice In Chains, Duff McKagan, and Carrie Underwood. At that point in time Heart were Ann & Nancy Wilson, Craig Bartock, Mike Inez, Ben Smith, & Debbie Shair. A precise, powerful unit with every musician at the top of their form.

Bebe Le Strange opens the show with Navarro adding a bit of extra bite to the groove. He stays on board for Straight On & Crazy On You and fits in very well indeed! A gorgeous Lost Angel is next. Ann's delivery is straight up awesome. An overlooked number that deserves your attention.

Gretchen Wilson joins the band for Even It Up and Rock 'N' Roll. She harmonizes well with everyone and you can clearly see that the sisters are pleased to have her on board! Wainright joins for Dog And Butterfly but is a bit of an odd fit on long notes.

Time for Alice In Chains with Duff McKagan. On the CD but not the video, we get a strong take of Would?. An impassioned, heavy Rooster is a great piece here. Kindred spirits. Underwood joins for Alone. Her vocal is pleasant, while Ann's is superwonderfulamazingperfect.

Magic Man, Misty Mountain Hop and Dreamboat Annie round out the main set with Navarro popping in in spots. Pretty much everyone comes on stage for Barracuda. It's a big, growling beast! One hell of a show! The camera work is just stunning. So clear & with thoughtful direction. Sound is awesome. Bonus interviews round out the package. Lots of fun! I loved this & you will too!

Heart - Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Eagle Vision / UMG)

Subtitled With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, this Blu-Ray presents Heart circa June 2016, on tour for the Beautiful Broken album. Ann & Nancy Wilson are joined here by guitarist Craig Bartok, drummer Ben Smith, bassist Dan Rothchild, and keyboardist Chris Joyner. Conducting the RPO is Nick Davies. I do not know the names of each and every audience member, but it is a packed hall and pretty loud!

The set nicely mixes old and new. Ann Wilson, her flute, and the orchestra are especially mesmerizing on a take of Dreamboat Annie. I'd even go so far as to call it the definitive live version. Two, Heaven, Sand, and a cover of Zep's No Quarter are just a few of the highlights here. The band and the orchestra fit together organically, seamlessly. Nothing feels stiff. Heart is captured at a fascinating career point: they have a maturity to their performances that experience brings, but the youthful exuberance is still there. More focused, I would say.

Great audio and video. James Russell's direction lets you view without too many quick cuts getting in the way. He lets the show breathe. Bonus interviews round out the disc. A most excellent live release. Well worth your hard-earned dough!

Heart - Night At Sky Church (Legacy)

Those wacky Wilson sisters are at it again! This time it's a gig from March 5, 2010 in support of the Red Velvet Car album. The band are having a hot night. Nancy is really on. Ann is just blazing. This all bodes very well.

I get stuff like Love Alive and Mistral Wind. Hey, they even throw in Back To Avalon and Kick It Out for good measure. Alison Krauss pops by for a few tunes and Heart responds by playing her tune Your Long Journey. Even former FM member Ben Mink adds a bit of violin.

Red Velvet Car is well represented by WTF, Hey You, the title track, Safronia's Mark, and a redo of Sand. You get all the hits as well, but you already knew that! This DVD absolutely kicks. Night At Sky Church should be a vital part of any collection. Abso-friggin'-awesome!

Heart - Dreamboat Annie Live (Shout Factory)

The back cover blurb reads: Your favorite bands. Their finest albums. Played live, from start to finish. What a fine idea! And who better than Heart to take a trip back to their debut album, Dreamboat Annie? Over 30 years later, could still cut it? Dreamboat Annie is no piece of cake to perform! Were they up to the task?

Silly rabbit! of course they were! Heart have just never stopped kicking ass. While I've heard songs like Magic Man, Crazy On You and the title track in many a live Heart set, this DVD is a great opportunity to see and hear many overlooked numbers. Soul Of The Sea, White Lightning And Wine, and How Deep It Goes are especially nice here.

In addition to the album in its entirety, Heart perform Mistral Wind, Goodbye Blue Sky, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, and Love Reign O'er Me. If this cool performance wasn't enough, the DVD also includes nice interview footage and a photo gallery. Ann and Nancy Wilson still rule the globe!

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!

h - Naked In The Chapel (Poison Apple)

It doesn't get much more intimate that this. Marillion's Steve Hogarth and a piano in Islington's Union Chapel. A man, some songs, and lots of stories. All for a wildly adoring crowd. And h knows it. This was a gig for the acolytes. A beautiful gig, at that.

In between personal stories, travel stories, anecdotes, and ramblings, h threw in some songs. Stripped down, emotional readings of Beyond You, House, When I meet God, Afraid Of Sunlight.His voice is in wonderful shape, hitting those long notes with power and ease. His piano playing is elegantly strident. His connection with the audience is what kicks it to another place. h has always been good at this - bringing an audience inside. Stripping away the surface. It's definitely an evening of sharing.

Camera work is simple. A bit dark, but honest to the gig. Sound is stellar. I mean, you are totally there, front row. Such clarity. 18 songs and lots of talking. No bells nor whistles. None needed. With a performer of this caliber, everything you need is there in his fingers and his voice. Do yourself a service and own this

Steve Howe's Remedy - Live (MVD Visual)

This DVD features an electric performance by Remedy and a solo acoustic set from Steve Howe - both from 2004. Joining Howe in Remedy are sons Virgil on keyboards and Dylan on drums, Derrick Taylor on bass, and Ray Fenwick on guitar. Remedy are an incredibly tight live unit and serve the music very well indeed.

Most of the selections are instrumental and span the history of Howe's solo career as well as touching down in Yes territory. I must make special mention of 2 personal favorites: The Nature Of The Sea and Lost Symphony. So satisfying to hear & see such fine versions of both! Other highlights of the band set include So Bad, Country Viper, Pennants, and the solo section from America.

In the solo set, Howe delivers a section of The Ancient, J's Theme, Mood For A Day, Second Initial, To Be Over, Intersection Blues, and Clap. The DVD also includes a fun documentary of the 2004 tour. The sound is most pleasing; camera work is fine and uncomplicated. Yes fans will love this. Steve Howe fans will love this. Guitar fans will love this. Everybody wins!

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 - Around The World Live (Eagle Vision)

It's Jethro Tull and they are going around the world, playing live! This 4 DVD set collects every episode of this popular children's show. For those who may not have seen it, Uncle Ian Anderson and his wacky pal Hare took children on fun and educational adventures from Dun Ringill to the Money Lenders' Temple to Beggar's Farm to the far off Orion and back. Sealion and One Brown Mouse watched everything with their magic friend Cross- eyed Mary. OK, maybe not

The 4 discs have a few previously released bits, but the majority have not seen official release until now. Tampa 1976, with Crazed Institution, Wond'ring Aloud, and others is a major treat. Munich 1980 offers a rare look into the Stormwatch tour with numbers like Dark Ages, Home, and Orion. Santiago 1996 highlights include Rare And Precious Chain and In The Money Lenders Temple. Hilversum 1997 is a lovely, relaxed in studio performance with stellar takes of Someday The Sun Won't Shine For You, The Secret Language Of Birds, and Fat Man. The most recent, Lugano 2005, is full of fire. Weathercock, Up To Me, For A Thousand Mothers, and Beggar's Farm are just a few of the show's highlights.

The box itself is nice. A great booklet features lots of photos and a comprehensive essay covering each gig in the set. Around The World Live testifies that no matter the line up, Tull innovate and entertain. An absolute must own for all collections.

Jethro Tull - Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 (Capitol/EMI)

A landmark, a legend, a bit of fun. This is the Tull show seen round the world back in 1978. October 9, 1978 to be exact. The same tour that gave us the Bursting Out live double album. This was the Heavy Horses tour. Tull was, at that time, Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, John Evan, David Palmer, Tony Williams, and Barriemore Barlow. On to the video!

There was no video shot for the first 3 songs, so we get some dandy audio and a gallery of stills for Sweet Dream, One Brown Mouse and Heavy Horses. Anderson is in fine voice and the band is brimming with energy. As the video starts (this was a television broadcast) Jethro Tull give us a nice hod full of Thick As A Brick, No Lullaby, Songs From The Wood, Quatrain, Aqualung, and Locomotive Breath. Tull were a sight to behold, with Anderson in this cap and colors, Evan in his ice cream suit, Barre a sartorial enigma.

Too Old To Rock And Roll, My God, Cross-Eyed Mary and a reprise of Locomotive Breath complete the DVD. A CD of the songs minus the banter is a welcome extra. A must for all Tull fans. A fine find for all prog fans. An utter mystery for Taylor Swift fans.

Jethro Tull - Jack In The Green (Eagle Vision)

Good things come to those who wait! Years ago I got a crap videotape dupe many generations down of Tull from 1982 in Germany on the Broadsword And The Beast tour. A few decades later, most of it has found its way to this marvelous DVD. Jack In The Green is made up of 5 different German TV performances from 1970 to 1993, with the bulk from 1982 & 86.

The 1982 songs feature the Ian Anderson / Martin Barre / Dave Pegg / Peter John Vetesse / Gerry Conway line up. 1986 is Anderson / Barre / Pegg / Vetesse / Doane Perry; 1993 is Anderson / Barre / Pegg / Perry / Perry / Andy Giddings; 1970/71 is Anderson / Barre / Glenn Cornick / John Evan / Clive Bunker.

A nice selection of tunes including seldom heard numbers like Fallen On Hard Times, Pussy Willow, Sweet Dream, Black Sunday, and So Much Trouble. Video & audio are quite spiffy and a nice booklet with pics and a few words from Ian Anderson round out the package. Perhaps my favorite Jethro Tull DVD to date! 90 someodd minutes of glory!

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!

KISS - KISS Rocks Vegas (Eagle Vision)

Let's start with complete honesty: if you are a big KISS fan, you already own 17 copies of this. At least 1 is framed and still in the shrink wrap. This review is for everyone else! As the title implies, this DVD / CD combo is a live KISS show from Las Vegas. The 2014 show features the current iteration of KISS: Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer on guitars, Gene Simmons on bass, and Eric Singer on drums.

High energy opening number: Detroit Rock City. The rabid crowd were immediately committed 100% to the evening. Creatures Of The Night followed. Whatever you may or may not think of this band, they sure are tight! Psycho Circus led to an early song: Parasite. The playing was pretty vicious and the visuals during the show just never let up! War Machine and Tears Are Falling kept the audience singing, pumping, and swaying. Deuce and Lick It Up confirmed what I already suspected: Thayer and Singer are much stronger players than those who originally wore their make up years ago.

The anthemic I Love It Loud brought us to Hell Or Hallelujah featuring a hot vocal from Stanley. God Of Thunder was full of blood. Do You Love Me and Love Gun showcased the strength of the quartet. A veritable jackhammer of sound. The classic Black Diamond closed the set as the crowd went insane! Shout It Out Loud and Rock And Roll All Nite were the encores. Lots of impressive visuals. A band that understands the importance of entertaining their fans. Video is crisp and well-directed. Audio sparkles.

The DVD includes a bonus intimate live acoustic performance in front of a small but fervent crowd. A strong take of Coming Home opens the set. Very solid. I interrupt this review to mention a very creepy moment. 7 &8 year old little girls watching the band launch into Plaster Caster. Eeeeeewwwwww! As solid a version of Hard Luck Woman as I've ever heard with a great vocal by Stanley. Simmons takes lead on a tongue-in-cheek Christine Sixteen and Goin' Blind. Strong playing by all on Love Her All I Can. Singer takes lead on the ballad Beth to close the acoustic set. High quality goods here. Classic rock with lots of precision and theatrical hijinks. Honestly - not a dull moment to be found here. Smiles galore!

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.

Nils Lofgren - Cry Tough (Eagle Vision)
 
This fine 2 DVD set is drawn from 3 separate episodes of Rockpalast: 1976, 1979 &1991. No matter the year, Nils Lofgren plays a meanass guitar. Backed by 3 different bands across the 2 DVDs, the only constant member being brother Tom Lofgren on guitars, keys and vox. All three bands are whip tight.
 
There are hours of Nils Lofgren classics to be found. Keith Don't Go, Cry Tough, Back It Up, Beggar's Day, Moon Tears, It's Not A Crime - all the ones you'd expect. Nils also digs deeper for Soft Fun, Sun Hasn't Set, Heart On Fire. A little bit of something for everyone!
 
The discs look and sound great. The 1976 is a bit on the dark side, but so what? Nice little booklet as well. I counted, and there are 7,963 amazing guitar riffs here. What in the hell are you waiting for Fred? Pick this DVD up now!!

Jon Lord - Concerto For Group And Orchestra (Eagle / Ear / Edel)

Jon Lord left this Earth on July 16, 2012. I lost one of my personal musical heroes on that day. For his final project, Lord revisited Concerto For Group And Orchestra - rather famously performed on September 24, 1969 and released as Deep Purple And The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I vividly recall Sally White in the record department of Klein's here in Westport, Connecticut opening the locked cabinet that contained the cassette of that album and eagerly bringing it back to my bedroom. On first listen, it confused my 14 year old mind. It was too sophisticated for me at that time. It struck many emotional chords in me nonetheless.

Cut to 2011/2012. Lord chose to revisit the piece one more time (he had done so in 1999 for the 30th anniversary of the piece) - this time in the studio. Look in Progsheet's CD review section for my review of the results. If you've not yet bought it, the CD is included with this Blu-ray. As there was no live performance to be filmed, the concerto is audio only on the Blu-ray, but in 5.1. What we get visually is lots of documentary footage on the making of the concerto.

Interviews with Jon Lord show his love and enthusiasm for the concerto. It's obviously very dear to his heart. Conductor Paul Mann, vocalist Bruce Dickinson and others show much love and respect for Lord and his work. What we have here is a fond farewell to a genius of a musician and a stellar, humble human being. A final celebration of the passion of Jon Lord.

Jeff Lynne's ELO - Live In Hyde Park (Eagle Vision)

It sure took a while! After years of live inactivity, Jeff Lynne put a new version of the Electric Light Orchestra back together in 2014 and headlined BBC Radio 2's Festival In A Day. Only Lynne and keyboardist Richard Tandy remain from those prime ELO days. Thankfully musicians like Mick Wilson and Lee Pomeroy are more than up to the task!

The set is well chosen and well paced. Ma Ma Ma Belle, Showdown, 10538 Overture, Steppin' Out, Rock 'N' Roll Is King, Mr Blue Sky, All Over The World and many more, including 1 non-ELO piece: The Traveling Wilburys hit Handle With Care. The performances are spot on & Lynne is in good voice. A very satisfying performance.

In addition to the concert, the Blu-Ray includes an interview with Lynne as well as the documentary Mr Blue Sky - The Story Of Jeff Lynne & ELO. All in all, this is a pretty packed set. Lots here for the ELO diehard as well as the casual listener. Well worth your time & your dime!

Marillion - Live At Cadogan Hall (Eagle Vision)

What makes for a good concert DVD? In many ways, the answer is simple. Capture the moment. Not always an easy task. Life through the lens is not necessarily life as it truly is. It's a view of life snatched up by the director, the cameramen, and their choices of the moment. Director Tim Sidwell and his crew chose well, as Live From Cadogan Hall brought me onstage, into the performance. It's an intimate document of December 7, 2009 - the finale of Marillion's Less Is More tour.

Over the course of 2 DVDs, Marillion re-imagine, re-work, re-invent 21 tunes from the H years. Interior Lulu, The Space, Quartz, No One Can, 80 Days, Gazpacho, and many more get acousticized, turned inside-out, lovingly tweaked.

The performance shows a band in sync with each other. Not just a unit, almost a family. The audience are a factor here - a sort of sixth member. Part sounding board, part receptacle for the band's emotion. As corny and cosmic as that may sound, it's true. The show is all about delivering emotion, love, thrills to fans and friends. Live From Cadogan Hall succeeds on all fronts.

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.

Brian May & Kerry Ellis - The Candlelight Concerts Live At Montreux 2013 (Eagle)

We all know who Brian May is. But here in America, we all say "who's this Kerry Ellis?" The short version is that she's the British Idina Menzel, queen of musical theatre in the UK. Two performers from very different spheres. I'm pleased to say that they meet in the middle quite nicely.

The material ranges from standards like I Who Have Nothing and Born Free to light pop rock numbers like Something and Dust In The Wind to a spate of Queen numbers. Love Of My Life, Somebody To Love, Tie Your Mother Down, We Will Rock You, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and '39 get slight reinventions in the mostly acoustic format. The results are consistently pleasing. Ellis & May's voices work very well together. They definitely compliment each other well. May is a sensitive acoustic player, but occasionally pulls out the electric and lets it rip. Joining in on keyboards and percussion is Jeff Leach, an expressive support player. May's playing is confident and fluid. Sometimes one forgets that he is truly a master of the guitar.

Video & audio quality are both phenomenal. Camera work is thoughtful. Also included in the package is a CD of a live gig from 2012. The set is much the same, with a few different numbers. The DVD also contains a video for the song Nothing Really Has Changed. You'll be all smiles watching this one. Dare I say it? A great set for the entire family! Just lovely.

John Mayall's Blues Breakers - Live At Iowa State University (Quantum Leap/MVD)

Recorded live at the Maintenance Shop at Iowa State University in the middle 80's, this is a bare bones, nothing fancy DVD in terms of camera work. Maybe 2 or 3 cameras, nothing high tech. Just some guys in a room playing the blues to a crowd in mostly bad shirts.

However, the guys playing happen to be John Mayall's Blues Breakers and, in addition to bassist Bobby Haynes and drummer Paul Hines, Mayall brought along Walter Trout and Coco Montoya - 2 guitarists who can raise the dead with their licks. They burn through songs like Little Girl, It Ain't Right and Stepping Out, like they're on the run from the law. This is dangerous stuff!

Blues can transcend and currently it can often blow the wet dog in the hands of hacks like John Mayer or the now shamefully bored Eric Clapton. Let this disc be a lesson to all players: The blues should make young women hide and old men weep. Mayall blows a hot harmonica. Trout and Montoya make Robert Johnson's mythic hellish pact make sense. This is pure, unfiltered hooch. Turn it up as loud as you dare!

Paul McCartney And Wings - Rockshow (MPL / Eagle Vision)

So much to talk about here. Let's start with hooray for film! Rockshow was shot on film back in 1976. Not on videotape. Such great character to film. Yes, I like that touch of grain. It feels organic. It feels right.

Rockshow on blu-ray at last. Restored to a complete show as well, with 7 songs we've not seen before: Call Me Back Again, Lady Madonna, The Long And Winding Road, Picasso's Last Words, Richard Cory, Blackbird, and My Love. Outstanding performances all.

Watching this film after so many years, one is struck with how very strong this ensemble was. Paul & Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, Joe English, and a 4 piece horn section. Impossibly gifted. Their takes of songs like Let Me Roll It, Hi Hi Hi, Maybe I'm Amazed, and Wings concert staple Soily are exuberant.

A minor correction to Paul Gambaccini's booklet notes: the drawing used as a backdrop to Magneto And Titanium Man was actually drawn by George Tuska, not Jack Kirby!

The blu-ray includes a fun bonus featurette of backstage wackiness. Booklet credits omit Denny Laine as co-writing all that great Wings stuff and credit Linda in his place. We all know better, yes? Fantastic disc! Get it now!!

Mike + The Mechanics + Paul Carrack - Live At Shepherds Bush London (Eagle Vision)

I've always had a sort of love/hate relationship with this band. Hate is perhaps the wrong word. Indifferent is more like it. A few exciting moments, but mostly bland. This blu-ray proved me wrong. Live At Shepherds Bush London is joyous, exuberant, celebratory - choose your own accolades. A great, tight band playing strong tunes.

It's lighthearted, breezy pop fun. Songs like Beggar On A Beach Of Gold and Another Cup Of Coffee tug at the heart while they throw you irresistible singalong hooks. Nothing gets heavier than The Living Years which still manages to bring a tear to the eye. Our Genesis boy Michael Rutherford is sharp on guitars and bass. Paul Carrack is...well...Paul Carrack. His voice is, as ever, flawless and soulful. The rest of the band are crisp and tight as you would expect from anyone working with Rutherford.

In addition to this 2004 concert, the blu-ray includes an interview with Rutherford and Carrack as well as 7 promo videos for songs that are in the set. If you've ever been on the fence about this band, I really do suggest you give this one a try. A great energy and strong songs. Smiles are guaranteed!

Joni Mitchell - Woman Of Heart & Mind & Painting With Words And Music (Eagle Vision)

Woman Of Heart & Mind was originally produced for PBS' American Masters series. I never had the pleasure of seeing it til now. Impressive. This is a fine look at the musical career and life of Joni Mitchell. Mitchell herself is extensively interviewed, as are Graham Nash, Larry Klein, and others. Insight into albums, players like Charles Mingus, and her evolution as a writer, painter, and musician.

What I came away with was a self-aware woman not satisfied to maintain. Always looking to move out of comfort zones and play with musical forms. I saw this in terms of her paintings as well. The facility and confidence of her canvases was impressive. Visual jazz in many ways.

The 2nd program here is Painting With Words And Music - a late nineties concert. We get Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock, Sex Kills, Hejira, Amelia, and many more in a career-spanning set that also features top notch playing from Larry Klein, Mark Isham, and others. A nice opportunity to see lots of Mitchell's paintings to boot. I know far too many folks who have far too little Joni Mitchell material. This enticing blu-ray is a good start for everyone out there. My-T-Fine!

Karen Mok - 1998 Taipei Concert (Rock Records)

As an actress, I've long admired Karen Mok's work in films like Black Mask, La Brassiere, God Of Cookery, and Shaolin Soccer. What most Westerners don't know is that she's also a superstar vocalist in Asia. This concert DVD is touted as a "karaoke" DVD, but it's not, per se. It's a straight up concert DVD that you can add subtitles to if you wish.

This concert in Taipei is from July 21, 1998 - very early in Mok's live career. She's clearly still learning how to breathe and pace at this stage & it shows in spots. She also has a few "pitchy" moments to be honest. Having said that, it's tons of fun & on occasion, quite emotional! Karen Mok has a great presence on that stage and really knows how to connect with her audience.

A beautiful cover of Sarah McLachlan's Angel joins Mok hits like Love Yourself, Silently, and I Say. The band is tight and she is joined by 3 special guests at different points in the set. As a bonus, there's an MTV-style music video after the credits. Great fun & a joy to see an artist at an early stage of her career. A fun document of a moment in time!

The Moody Blues - Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (Eagle Vision)

The subtitle here is Threshold Of A Dream. It's 1970 and the Moody Blues were at the height of their creative powers. A Question Of Balance had just come out. Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Ray Thomas, Michael Pinder, and Graeme Edge were firing on all pistons as they hit the stage at the Isle of Wight.

The DVD contains the following: Gypsy, Tuesday Afternoon, Never Comes The Day, Tortoise And The Hare, Question, The Sunset, Melancholy Man, Nights In White Satin, Legend Of A Mind, Ride My See Saw. Hayward could've used a bit of guitar tuning on a few numbers, but it's a minor quibble. Pinder sounds awesome. New interviews by all save Thomas add perspective to the set as well.

The bonus CD that comes with the set includes all of the above songs plus Minstrel's Song, Are You Sitting Comfortably?, The Dream, and Have You Heard (Parts 1 & 2). Subtly powerful and historic performances make this well worth your time.

The Move - The Lost Broadcasts (Gonzo Multimedia)

Every time I see or hear The Move, it reminds me how very wonderful they were indeed. In the present day, they are best known as the precursors of Electric Light Orchestra, as Roy Wood, Bev Bevan, and Jeff Lynne were members of both groups. This DVD makes a great case for The Move as its own entity as a killer diller pop / rock unit.

Blackberry Way and Curly are perfect servings of pure pop candyfloss. In contrast, Brontosaurus is about as heavy a stomper as you'll ever find. The live-in-studio take of The Words Of Aaron is totally mesmerizing. A unique slice of psychedelic art pop. Multiple takes of Ella James and Down On The Bay definitely foreshadow ELO, yet still have that unmistakable Move feel. When Alice Comes Back To The Farm is a murderous barn burner with wicked slide guitar from Wood. Mimes of Fire Brigade and Wild Tiger Woman are more power pop of the highest caliber.

Video quality is great, performances are fabulous, clothing is...well...often goofily outrageous. The Lost Broadcasts shows The Move at their finest. These are the real goods. You need this more than you can possibly know.

Nazareth - No Means Of Escape (Eagle Vision)

Since my mid-teens, I've been a massive fan of Nazareth. Albums like Hair Of The Dog, Razamanaz, and most especially Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll got endless spins. Dirty, greasy, whiskey-soaked heavy rock. A sonic jackhammer. Brilliant energy. When I was asked if I wanted to review this Blu-Ray, I jumped right on it.

The disc has a concert - Live At Metropolis and a documentary called Made In Scotland. Yeah! This will be flat-out awesome! I'm going to have my senses totally fried! Not so fast, Wilcox. This is not what you will witness. What came on my screen was a quartet gamely punching it in without enthusiasm to an oil painting of a crowd. No energy on either side of the stage. The only original member is Pete Agnew on bass. Sure, he hits the notes right. After decades, he'd better. But this concert has all the energy of a sound check. The drums sound like any average cover band drummer. The guitar is clipped and lazy, with a few decent licks but no dazzle. Vocals are mostly on key, but that is the best I can say. Tunes like Razamanaz, This Flight Tonight, and Expect No Mercy sound...dead. WTF has happened? This is not the band I signed on for.

The documentary fares no better. The highlight was seeing original vocalist Dan McCafferty reminisce about his tenure. Fittingly, a postscript mentioned that the current singer quit shortly after the Metropolis concert. If, like me, you hold a place in your heart for Nazareth, avoid this. It's like seeing your Dad's corpse in a body bag. A memory no one needs to carry with them.

Bill Nelson And The Gentlemen Rocketeers - Recorded Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios, London (Convexe Entertainment)

Well, as I live and breathe! I never thought I'd see a live Bill Nelson DVD, much less of a new performance. Yet, here it is. Recorded in March of 2011 in London's Metropolis studios, Nelson and his Gentlemen Rocketeers plug in and turn in quite a hot little set!

Wearing a hat, sunglasses, and sporting a goatee, Nelson and the band plunge into the following: The October Man, Night Creatures, God Man Slain, Contemplation, Lady You're A Strange Girl, Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape, Furniture Music, Do You Dream In Colour, Ships In The Night, Lovers Are Mortal, Maid In Heaven, Sister Seagull, Wonder Of The Moment, Panic In The World. Nelson also performs 4 solo pieces: Beyond These Clouds The Sweetest Dream, Golden Dream Of Circus Horses, A Dream For Ian, For Stuart.

The Gentlemen Rocketeers are Dave Standeven on guitar; Dave Sturt on bass; Jon Wallinger and Steve Cook on keys; Theo Travis on sax & flute; and Gavin Griffiths on drums. Quite a solid ensemble. The DVD also includes an interview with Nelson as well as the entire show on 2 CDs. An absolutely essential set for all you futurists out there!

Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective - The Definitive Edition (Think Tank Media)

If I was to pick a poster boy for symphonic progressive music, it would be Erik Norlander. Keyboard wizard; excellent composer; respectful of the past while helping chart the future. This 1 DVD, 2 CD set is basically a live in the studio resume.

Norlander takes us on an instrumental journey through his career. Rocket Scientists numbers, Lana Lane pieces, and solo works - they're all here and freshly recorded. From the signature Neurosaur, to Garden Of The Moon, to The Dark Water, one gets a full overview of Norlander as a player and a composer. Very impressive.

Joining him on the tracks are wife Lana Lane, John Payne, Mitch Perry, and a host of others. The DVD is quite fun. My only gripe is that the bonus feature of Norlander walking the viewer through his keyboard collection ends abruptly mid-sentence. Perhaps a glitch in my copy? The CDs replicate the DVD program, with several pieces extended & a bonus track or 2 thrown in for good measure. This is an excellent set and a cool introduction for those new to Erik Norlander's brand of madness.

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."

Carl Palmer - Drum Solos (MVD Visual)

That man sure can whack those skins! Seriously - Carl Palmer continues to be one hell of a drummer. This DVD is packed with drums and more drums and nothing else! If you're looking for songs - look elsewhere.

Drum Solos features three pieces: a drum solo from the 1974 California Jam; a solo from an Asia gig in 2008; and a solo from 2009 (also from an Asia gig). You can watch the solo "as is," but can also watch it with midi audio at 50%, 75%, & 100% speed. The DVD also includes full notation for each solo in PDF format on the DVD.

Nice bonus material as well. Bonus solo, photos, and scans of magazine articles and interviews. Drum Solos is a great resource for drummers everywhere.

Katy Perry - Prismatic World Tour Live (Eagle Vision / Capitol)

Here's a Blu-Ray for the younger folks in your family: it's frothy pop sensation Katy Perry. She's had fistfuls of chart hits. She had that Super Bowl performance with the shark dancers. Kids & teens adore her. Watching this live concert, I can see why!

In a word - energy. Katy Perry's show is just plain off-the-charts in terms of energy, production, and performance. She runs through her bag of tricks with numbers like Roar, I Kissed A Girl, Firework, and Walking On Air. Perry has a crack band supporting her, most notably keyboardist Max Hart. The choreography is tight and fluid. The sets are pretty darned dazzling. The costumes range from odd to cute to hot. There are some 7 costume changes in the course of the show. A nicely timed acoustic set in the middle of the show. Lots and lots of crying kids.

Sound is as good as it gets. Camera work is awesome. A lot of money was sunk into this disc and it shows. No corners cut. Lots of behind the scenes bonus footage. A treasure trove for the Katy Perry fan. A lot at why they adore her for the rest of us. She honestly is the real deal. A hard working, ass kicking popster.

Plasmatics - Live! Rod Swenson's Lost Tapes 1978 - 81 (MVD Visual)

I miss Wendy O Williams! There, I've said it! Her always outrageous antics and pioneering spirit made her one of the most unforgettable personas in rock/punk. This DVD is a series of live performances newly unearthed and cleaned up. The 16 numbers draw from gigs at CBGB's, Perkin's Palace, Calderone Theatre. Bond's Casino, and the Dr Pepper Festival and were recorded between 1978 and 1981.

We get songs like Tight Black Pants, Butcher Baby, Fast Food Service, Sex Junkie, and Black Leather Monster. Williams is even more outrageous than you remember, and the band do their very best to keep up with her.

As a bonus, there's a video for Monkey Suit recorded in Sunshine Park in New Jersey. The video and audio quality varies wildly from number to number, but everything is most certainly watchable. This DVD is a wonderful reminder of what all the fuss was about!

Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian - Live In Tokyo (Eagle Vision)

I'm not a fan of chopzilla stuff as a rule. It gets too thrashy, too non-melodic. I'm happy to say that Live In Tokyo avoids the cliches and is entertaining from start to finish. Director Chikara Tanaka filmed the set beautifully, capturing the important moments well, and moving the camera where you'd like it. Kudos to Tanaka & crew.

The other big key here is sense of humor. Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, and Sherinian keeps things bright and breezy. Clearly, they are having a ball playing together. There is an infectious energy to the show, and you cannot help but to be drawn in. Portnoy is the main clown, as one might expect. But Sheehan has his moments as well. This blu-ray is a genuine joy to watch.

What do they play? Oh, yeah - nearly forgot. Tons of stuff! I'll just point out Acid Rain, Birds Of Prey, The Pump, Hell's Kitchen, and the sole vocal piece - Shy Boy as a few of the many highlights. Blu-ray throws in a short behind the scenes as if you need another reason to buy this one. Many plays in the future for this disc. Brain bending, ass kicking fun.

Queen - Live At The Rainbow '74 (Eagle Vision)

When I think of Queen, I think of 8-track tapes. After I first heard Bohemian Rhapsody from A Night At The Opera, I suddenly needed their back catalogue urgently. Before long, I had Queen, Queen II, and Sheer Heart Attack in relatively short order. To this day, Sheer Heart Attack remains my favorite Queen release. That brings us to this new release.

Live At The Rainbow '74 is from a November date on the tour in support of Sheer Heart Attack. The band's fame was about to explode worldwide, but not quite yet at this point. This rabid UK audience could care less. They were there to rock to their heroes and Queen most assuredly delivered. Numbers like Ogre Battle, Flick Of The Wrist, Seven Seas Of Rhye, and Father To Son are pure rock. Theatrical as hell, bombastic and glam-tinged in places, the music here has an urgency and an edge. Pieces like Bring Back That Leroy Brown and a cover of Big Spender add a touch of humor to contrast the assault of Stone Cold Crazy and Keep Yourself Alive.

John Deacon is tight and solid on bass. Roger Taylor is on some sort of super speed crack stuff as he's a blur on drums. Brian May is fierce and elegant. Freddie Mercury just owns the DVD and the stage. It in no way slights the other 3. I'm sure they even agree. Mercury is that "it" factor. Brilliant voice. Brilliant stagecraft. Impossible to take your eyes off that stage. The DVD contains bonus tracks from the Queen II tour. Great print, great sound. Get this as soon as you humanly can.

Queen - On Fire Live At The Bowl (Eagle Vision)

Here we have a gig from Queen's 1982 Hot Space tour. Hot Space was easily one of my least favorite Queen albums. Having said that, this is a nuclear smoker of a show. Roger Taylor and John Deacon are solid and hot. Brian May soars on guitar. Freddie Mercury owns the stage. His vocals are superb. His piano playing phenomenal (on that front, former Mott The Hoople keyman Morgan Fisher lends his talents when Mercury leaves the piano to stalk the stage). Mercury is a superhero on the stage. Larger than life. Flying, jumping, seducing, caressing a phrase. A force of nature.

Despite it being a tour for Hot Space, we still get Dragon Attack, Tie Your Mother Down, Sheer Heart Attack, Under Pressure, Love Of My Life, Now I'm Here, and so very many more.

A second DVD includes a photo gallery, interviews, and bonus concert footage from Japan and Austria. On Fire is a packed-to-the-gills set. Quality. Quantity. Queen.

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.

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Memories In Rock - Live In Germany (Eagle / UMG)

In my heart and soul, I have a weakness: rock 'n' roll. Not metal, not hardcore whatever, not poodle faker stuff. Rock+roll. That stuff. Well, here it is. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore took a few days off from Blackmore's Night to be a bad boy again. This Blu-Ray / 2 CD set is the result.

Joining Blackmore were Ronnie Romero on vocals; David Keith on drums; Bob Nouveau on bass; Jens Johansson on keyboards; Candice Night and my future wife Lady Lynn on backing vocals. OK, she's not my future wife (as far as I know, anyway!). A man can dream after all! Back to the show. The set is about a 50/50 split between Rainbow and Deep Purple numbers. Highlights for this Wilcox are Catch The Rainbow, Stargazer, Mistreated, Child In Time (with a tease of Woman From Tokyo), and Difficult To Cure. That's just today. All 14 numbers rock out. The band are superb. The crowd are super-engaged. It feels like more than a concert - clearly an event.

Video & audio are great. Nice package. As a bonus there are 4 performances from a different night than the full show here. Blackmore & Night are back up to speed with Blackmore's Night writing and performing innovative modern renaissance folk pop rock prog. It's where their hearts are and we all benefit. This set is a tasty souvenir of another side. Most definitely a visit from a welcome friend!

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Black Masquerade (Eagle Vision)

I only ever got to see the Joe Lynn Turner fronted incarnations of Rainbow, so this 1995 line up with Doogie White on vocals eluded my attention. Quite a shame in retrospect. With Paul Morris on keys, Greg Smith on bass, Chuck Burgi (of Brand X fame) on drums, and Candice Night on backing vocals, this was one of the strongest bands our dear Ritchie Blackmore ever brought on the road. Maybe even the strongest!

The gig is from Germany, filmed for the mighty Rockpalast. The band roar through Rainbow classics like Spotlight Kid, Long Live Rock 'N' Roll, Man On The Silver Mountain and Temple Of The King. Deep Purple chestnuts like Burn, Perfect Strangers, and the ever-present Smoke On The Water get fine workouts as well. What this DVD truly showcases is the strength of the material from Stranger In Us All. Ariel is a monster. Too Late For Tears and Black Masquerade are formidable. Hunting Humans and Wolf To The Moon shine darkly.

White is a wonderful vocalist - full of charm and able to handle the Dio, Bonnet, and Turner stuff with ease (the Gillan as well!). Morris is a standout player and Blackmore is astounding from start to finish! A must for Rainbow, Purple, and Blackmore's Night fans. A must for all!

Rainbow - Live In Munich 1977 (Eagle Vision)

This performance is a full show from October 20, 1977. This Rainbow tour fit right between the Rising and Long Live Rock 'N' Roll studio albums. David Stone (from Symphonic Slam) on keyboards and Bob Daisley on bass joined Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, and Cozy Powell in this incarnation of Rainbow. The result was an efficient unit that packed a wallop.

The set for this is Kill The King, Mistreated, Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, Catch The Rainbow, an embryonic version of Long Live Rock 'N' Roll, Man On The Silver Mountain, Still I'm Sad, and Do You Close Your Eyes. Every member is in top form, with Blackmore positively ablaze. Absolutely a force of nature!

This DVD is packed to the gill with bonus content. 3 promo videos for the Long Live Rock 'N' Roll album. 2 revealing interviews. A 1976 Texas TV special. A photo gallery. The big one here though, is a slide show with commentary. It not only covers the set song by song, it also gives a detailed history of the band. Live In Munich 1977 is a treasure trove for any and all Rainbow fans. As good as it gets!

Lou Reed - Transformer & Live At Montreux 2000 (Eagle Vision)

Watching the Transformer portion of this fine blu-ray, there was a special moment. Lou Reed was sitting at the mixing console listening to a few isolated tracks of the song Perfect Day. The instrumental tracks clearly stop him cold and he is choked with emotion. He had never heard them isolated in that context, and the beauty of them clearly touched him. As a viewer and listener, you live for these moments.

As the documentary takes you behind each song on Reed's classic album, you gain quite a bit of insight into the sessions, the players, the time. Lots of footage of Reed, Ken Scott, David Bowie, Herbie Flowers, Mick Ronson, and others. Vintage footage of Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground round out the story, adding context to Walk On The Wild Side and other pieces. A detailed look at a very important album.

The Montreux concert from 2000 is a nice exclamation point here. Dirty Blvd., Romeo Had Juliette, Ecstasy, and lots more have lots of energy and show Reed still making a valid musical statement many decades into his career. Lots of extras. Great quality audio & video. A winner from start to finish!

Renaissance - Tour 2011 Live In Concert (Symphonic Rock Recordings)

What we have here is a 1 DVD, 2 CD set of Renaissance in concert on September 23 of 2011 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania. They are performing Turn Of The Cards and Scheherazade And Other Stories in their entirety, as well as a new number, The Mystic And The Muse. How cool is that?

The current incarnation of Renaissance consists of Mickey Dunford on guitars and Annie Haslam on vocals as well as Rave Tesar and Jason Hart on keyboards, David Keyes on bass, and Frank Pagano on drums. Everyone but Tesar also provide backing vocals. I saw this incarnation back in 2009, only with Tom Brislin in Hart's slot. Since that time, the band has way more energy and is sharp as a tack. How nice it is to hear stellar versions of songs like I Think Of You, Things I Don't Understand, Trip To The Fair, and Song Of Scheherazade. The performances are lush and warm. Tesar for the most part handles the piano work, while Hart takes care of the orchestrations. In that regard, time has allowed technology to catch up with the needs of this band, as Hart's samples are full and deep.

There a short interview with Dunford and Haslam as a bonus. The camera work is pretty basic, but I like that! The sound is just lovely, and I enjoy how the vocals are spread across the sound field - a great one for headphones! Do yourself a massive favor and go buy this right now. I unreservedly give this my highest possible recommendation.

Renaissance - Song Of Scheherazade (Cherry Red)

This DVD presents 2 rare Renaissance concerts: the first from the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ on May 21, 1976; the second a July 28, 1979 show from the Asbury Park Convention Hall, also in NJ. The video seems like old video tape - a slightly faded gray rather than saturated blacks - both sources are B&W. The images aren't perfect, but certainly very viewable. Audio isn't of current standards, but not bad at all given the vintage and available sources.

Both shows are the classic Camp / Dunford / Haslam / Sullivan / Taut line up. In both cases the band really seem to be "on." Ocean Gypsy and a complete Song Of Scheherazade (with no orchestra) shine brightly on the 1976 show. Likewise Forever Changing, A Song For All Seasons and The Flood At Lyons are standouts of the 1979 gig.

The band seem to be having tremendous fun. It's sometimes overlooked that Renaissance had a great sense of humor about themselves. Glimpses of that are evident in the breezy between song banter of Annie Haslam and Jon Camp. Song Of Scheherazade is a welcome postcard from over 30 years ago, when Renaissance were at full potency. You'll watch this one over and over.

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.

Cliff Richard - Still Reelin' And A-Rockin' Live In Sydney (Eagle Vision)

To many folks, Cliff Richard is a sort of kitschy icon revered and reviled in the classic Britcom The Young Ones. To others he is that guy they've kind of heard of maybe sorta. To others, he is a true rock superstar. On this DVD, as case can be made for all 3, but mostly the latter. A recent gig from Sydney's iconic Sydney Opera House, this concert shows a 73 year old rocker still performing with passion and power.

Richard has surrounded himself with a whip-tight band. I will single out the smokin' guitar of Andy Jones and incredible vocals of Suzie Furlonger (from The 411), but every single band member plays on the same stratospheric level. A dream band for any act! The sound is awesome. The light show is one of the most effective I have ever witnessed. As concert DVDs go, this one is another level. All of which wouldn't mean a thing if the music sucked. Thankfully, it doesn't.

Living Doll, The Young Ones, Wired For Sound, We Don't Talk Anymore, Some People, Summer Holiday, Devil Woman - I mean, c'mon! Rock & pop heaven. Richard throws in classic covers like Rip It Up, Willie And The Hand Jive, and Dream Lover to sweeten the pot. 35 songs in all. His voice is great, he still has the moves, and his between-song patter is engaging and informative. Throw in a behind the scenes bonus and you have a DVD you didn't know you needed, but you do! I rarely say this - one for the family to enjoy together. Talent that bridges generations.

Rush - 2112 - Moving Pictures (Eagle Vision)

This DVD is an expanded version of the Classic Albums show. It adds over 54 minutes of footage cut for broadcast. The new material adds even further background to both albums.

The difference in sound, energy and headspace between 2112 and Moving Pictures is just huge. The former has rougher edges, harder energy and, at times naive experimentation as Rush were spreading their wings to find ways to best express themselves.

By the time of Moving Pictures they were a tightly honed unit. The playing oozes confidence. The compositions are more finely crafted. The 5 years between 2 albums were years of experience that brought the trio to another level.

What I love about the interviews here is the total honesty, the candor. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart clearly love these albums as well as each other. Insightful perspectives on the music, a touch of humor and a love of what they do, make this DVD a winner!

Santana IV - Live At The House Of Blues Las Vegas (Eagle / UMG)

What we have here is a reunion of the original Santana band that brought us all the 1st 3 albums with a new player or 2 added into the mix. For this live album the ensemble is as follows: Carlos Santana - guitar, percussion, vocals; Greg Rolie - keyboards, vocals; Neal Schon - guitar, vocals; David K Matthews - keyboards; Benny Rietveld - bass; Michael Shrieve - drums; Michael Carabello - percussion, vocals; Karl Perazzo - percussion, vocals. Ronald Isley sits in as a guest vocalist on the encores as well.

Lots of numbers you'd want & expect from this iteration of Santana: Soul Sacrifice, Jingo, Evil Ways, Everybody's Everything, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen are all there as well as new material like Shake It and Yambu. The band is straight up on fire from start to finish. The chemistry is there.

This package has the complete concert on Blu-Ray & 2 CDs. The Blu-Ray also includes a very entertaining and insightful set of interviews with the band. Lots of ground gets covered in the interviews and I've no doubt you will find them enthralling! Live At The House Of Blues Las Vegas is a firecracker from start to finish. A sure thing for the music fan in your life as well as you!

Santana & McLaughlin - Invitation to Illumination: Live at Montreux 2011 (Eagle Vision)

Santana / McLaughlin / Montreux. Seems like a natural. In addition, they feature a big chunk of their 1973 collaboration Love Devotion Surrender, so the deck is stacked!

Joining them for the show were quite a band: Dennis Chambers and Cindy Blackman Santana on drums. Benny Rietveld and Etienne M'Bappe on bass. David K. Mathews on keys. Tommy Anthony on guitar. Raul Rekow on percussion. Tony Lindsay and Andy Vargas on vocals. Not a bad ensemble! But could it all work?

For the most part, yes. The early numbers like The Life Divine and a playful section of Stairway To Heaven find the players getting comfortable with each other and finding their respective grooves. By the time we get to Vuelta Abajo and Vashkar - 2 numbers from the Tony Williams' Lifetime catalogue - it all feels locked in. Nice acoustic numbers from our 2 bandleaders are another highlight. On the down side, some songs don't so much end as expire in a wheezing gasp. These are folks who should know by now when to end a number. Also, there's a bit of "almost" playing. A half of a phrase here. A jot of an idea there - never quite developed. If this were to come out on CD (perhaps it has, for all I know), I'd suggest judicial editing.

All caveats aside, this is a nice, warm concert. 2 friends sharing a stage on an all too rare occasion. Well intentioned, heart warming music.

Soft Machine Legacy - New Morning / The Paris Concert (Inakustik)

It is in the DNA of Soft Machine to always be in motion. Soft Machine Legacy keep the tradition alive on this fine DVD. The lineup is John Marshall on drums; Hugh Hopper on bass; John Etheridge on guitar; Elton Dean on reeds and keyboards. Quite a set of players.

The gig was at the New Morning in Paris. The crowd is laid back and attentive. The entire affair has a relaxed atmosphere to it - just 4 guys blowing hot improvisational jazz. Numbers such as Ash and Has Riff have some distinctly angular moments. Lots of exploration with the occasional stumped note or two. On numbers like Baker's Treat and Strange Comforts, the gents fly! Also of particular note is Sideburn - a wonderfully experimental drum solo from Marshall.

The DVD also includes bonus backstage conversations with all four players. For fans of off the wall European jazz, this is a must-have disc!

Spock's Beard - Live (InsideOut)

This is how it's done, folks. No foolin', no fuss, no gimmicks, no interviews cutting into a song, no sudden black & white moments mid-song. Performance captured clearly, well shot, with great, clear sound. Why isn't every concert DVD like this? The concert was shot in Holland in 2007, on a hot night for the band. The set starts with a shmokin' version of On A Perfect Day flying right into In The Mouth Of Madness with a grrrreat vocal by Nick D'Virgilio. Crack The Big Sky from  Day For Night follows, with muscular bass from Dave Meros. Next up were The Slow Crash Landing Man, Return To Whatever, and Surfing Down The Avalanche.

The boys show you they can harmonize like real muthas on Thoughts (Part 2), but then, we already knew that! D'Virgilio & Jimmy Keegan serve up a drum duet in hyperdrive that build into a take-no-prisoners Skeletons At The Feast, with wild guitar by Alan Morse and crowd surfing by Keegan. A beautiful Walking On The Wind leads to Ryo Okumoto's solo piece Hereafter. As Far As The Mind Can See and Rearranged close the set with an encore medley of The Water and Go The Way You Go. The energy is high from start to finish. Camera work is great, as is the sound. A nice extra or two round out the package. A must own.

Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band - Ringo At The Ryman (Universal)

Recorded on Ringo's birthday in Nashville, the DVD features the 2012 edition of the All Starr band. Quite an ensemble! Richard Page on bass; Gregg Bissonette on drums; Marc Rivera on saxes and percussion; Gregg Rolie on keys; Todd Rundgren & Steve Lukather on guitars. Everyone sings. Joe Walsh guests on 1 track and several surprise pals join in on the finale.

The Ringo material is as follows: Matchbox, It Don't Come Easy, Wings, Don't Pass Me By, Boys, Yellow Submarine, Anthem, I'm The Greatest, I Wanna Be Your Man, Photograph, Act Naturally, and a medley of With A Little Help With My Friends and Give Peace A Chance. The feature spots are: Evil Ways, Black Magic Woman, and Everybody's Everything from Gregg Rolie. Rosanna, Africa, and Hold The Line from Steve Lukather. Kyrie Eleison, Broken Wings, and a lovely new number titled You Are Mine from Richard Page. I Saw The Light, Bang The Drum All Day, and Love Is The Answer from Todd Rundgren. Joe Walsh adds Rocky Mountain Way to the set.

Lukather adds astounding guitar to everything. Vocals are all spot on. Ringo At The Ryman is two solid hours of can't-miss entertainment. Much to love here.

Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman Live (WienerWorld/MVD Visual)

Tea For The Tillerman Live is a very small production, filmed at the KCAT TV Studios in Los Angeles, in June of 1971. Accompanying Cat Stevens are Alun Davies on guitar and Larry Steele on bass and congas. It's a simple affair in front of a small crowd. Stevens was becoming an international star, but that was still just around the corner.

It's an 8 song set - Moonshadow, On The Road To Find Out, Where Do The Children Play?,Wild World, Miles From Nowhere, Longer Boats, Father And Son and Hard Headed Woman. The short animated film; Teaser And The Firecat is included as a pleasant little bonus.

The performance is simple but passionate. The camera work is pretty basic and all the better for it. Nothing fancy, just incredibly strong songs, well played. Stevens is in great voice (Has he ever not been?). Watching this, you understand why he became a star - he exudes a quiet charisma and his songs are sincere without venturing into cloying territory. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to own this charming DVD. Get off your computer and go buy this right now!

Styx - Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas (Eagle Vision / UMG)

What we have here is truly an odd duck of a Blu-Ray. It's 8 songs from a 12 song concert from 2014. The full concert has already been available for a while. The spin here is that the band are interviewed before each song.

The 8 songs included are Too Much Time On My Hands, Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), Light Up, Crystal Ball, Superstars, Blue Collar Man (Long Nights), Rockin' The Paradise, and Renegade. Why did the excise the 4 other songs? It's never explained.

In fairness, the interviews with the band and crew are quite interesting and often insightful, depending on the openness of the person being interviewed. Audio and video quality are perfection. My best guess is that Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas, as they say, plays to the base. Bonus stuff galore, but not the other 4 songs!

Styx - The Grand Illusion - Pieces Of Eight Live (Eagle Vision)

For the better part of a decade, bands have been poking into the ol' back catalogue and performing entire albums live. Recently Styx joined the fray as this DVD shows. 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces Of Eight played back-to-back in their entirety. For this particular show, the current line up of Styx: JY Young, Tommy Shaw, Lawrence Gowan, Ricky Phillips, and Todd Sucherman are joined on a few choiced numbers by Styx alumnus Chuck Panozzo on bass.

Lots of big songs in this set. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), Come Sail Away, Sing For The Day, Blue Collar Man (Long Nights), and Renegade. But it's pieces like Castle Walls, Queen Of Spades, and Aku-Aku that showcase the strengths of the band.

Performances are energetic and tight. Cameras and sound totally top notch. Bonus material is a very informative behind the scenes documentary. This DVD is a joy to watch. Definitely a "must own" that you won't soon tire of. Highest possible recommendation!

Tangerine Dream - 35th Phaedra Anniversary Concert (Voiceprint)

This Tangerine Dream show was filmed at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on June 11, 2005. The line up for this show was the ever present Edgar Froese along with Jerome Froese, Thorsten Quaeschning, Iris Camaa, Linda Spa, and Zlatko Perica. The set is a trip through much of the band's history. Choronzon, Logos, Force Majeure, Melrose, Ricochet, and Underwater Twilight are just a few of the pieces represented.

Lots of interesting lighting and visuals very crisply filmed. Edgar Froese is his usual hunched over, stoic self. The rest of the players are a bit more active. It may only be me, but I'm just not as into an expanded Tangerine Dream. Give me three keyboardists any day and keep the saxophone. I have nothing against a good sax player - just not in this band, sorry.

As I watched this DVD, I noticed these five little lights just between the top of the filmed image and the bottom edge of the top black letterbox band. They lasted through the entire 167 minutes and drove me nuts! I hope this was just a glitch in my review copy, as if it's a part of every commercially released copy, that'd really suck!

Tangerine Dream - Live At Coventry Cathedral 1975 (Zeit)

Live At Coventry Cathedral 1975 is a short but sweet DVD, clocking in at about 28 minutes, and offering no extras whatsoever, not even a booklet. Filmed by Tony Palmer, it is a live performance of music from the album Ricochet. The line up is as good as Tangerine Dream gets: Edgar Froese, Peter Baumann, and Chris Franke.

There are a few artsy semi psychedelic effect shots here and there, but nothing too distracting. Coventry Cathedral is a stunning setting for the trio, and the audience is clearly rapt and reverent. Lots of candles, statues, and high ceilings are quite a contrast to the big synths, endless knobs and dials, and flashing lights.

The performance itself is mesmerizing. Froese, Franke, and Baumann are studies in concentration. The music that comes out of their machines transcends the decades, Tan Dream fans will adore this, and the uninitiated will find this a great starting point for this fascinating band.

The Richard Thompson Band - Live At Celtic Connections (Eagle Vision)

In addition to Richard Thompson, the band on this DVD is Michael Jerome on drums; Taras Prodaniuk on bass; Pete Zorn on guitar, mandolin, flute & sax; and Joel Zifkin on violin and mandolin. Quite a gifted ensemble, but then I'd expect no less from Thompson. Thompson has a history of working with top players and this band is certainly no exception.

Burning Man, The Angels Took My Racehorse Away, Al Bowlly's In Heaven, Wall Of Death, and Tear Stained Letter are just a few of the songs in a set that balances new and vintage tunes from all points of Thompson's career. Zifkin turns in some very inspiring violin work and Prodaniuk stands out with some monster bass playing! The show is well filmed and has an intimate, organic feel to it.

There are 2 bonus tracks: Uninhabited Man and Johnny's Far Away that are just Thompson and his guitar. With a full band or solo, the man commands attention through fantastic playing and some of the best songs you are likely to hear anywhere. Live At Celtic Connections is a fine document of genius at work. Do your ears a favor and buy this one.

Toyah - Live At Drury Lane (Cherry Red)

Quite a personal fave. I used to have a poor-quality bootleg VHS of this concert & watched it constantly! A great period for the Toyah band creatively and in terms of performance. Joel Bogen on guitars, Phil Spalding on bass, Adrian Lee on keyboards, and Simon Phillips on drums all flying behind Toyah on vocals.

This DVD & CD set has all 13 songs from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane Christmas eve 1981 show, reinstating two songs (War Boys and Victims Of The Riddle) that were cut for the 1982 VHS release. The CD also adds 3 bonus tracks from a Milan gig on Toyah’s Winter Tour. Stand Proud, Urban Tribesmen and Pop Star are the numbers in question. Rarely played live, the source for them coming from Joel Bogen's personal copy of a sound desk concert recording.

It's all about energy. This gig is really the conclusion of a run of shows supporting Anthem and related singles & EP. The band are in monster form with Simon Phillips pushing them over the top and through the roof. The crowd are clearly part of the show and they spur Toyah on. Songs like Jungles Of Jupiter, Danced, and In The Fairground glow with a vibrant aura.

The video quality is the best I've seen. Certainly not perfect, but stunning for its vintage. What really blew me away was the CD. The audio quality is off-the-charts. The source is the BBC and they clearly put a lot of effort into recording it. Phillips' kit is mic-ed up splendidly as his toms pan the soundfield. The backing vocals are clearer in the mix - especially through headphones! Bass response is deep, crisp & solid. Every element shines!

The package includes a fine 24-page booklet featuring an introduction by Toyah and new sleeve notes by the ever-awesome Craig Astley. I cannot praise this stellar set enough! Buy it now!

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!

V A - Live At Knebworth (Eagle Vision)

I'll never forget not being at this event. I've never been to the UK. I've never eaten a live Squirrel. I've never eaten cheese made from bat milk. I never even saw this concert on TV. A shame really, as it's a corker of a show! Just look at that line-up: Tears For Fears; Cliff Richards & The Shadows; Phil Collins; Paul McCartney; Status Quo; Eric Clapton; Dire Straits; Elton John; Robert Plant; Genesis; Pink Floyd. Not too shabby, Louise! The show's from June 30, 1990 - 24 days after my 30th birthday - I know you wanted to know that. It was a benefit for Nordoff - Robbins Music Therapy & the Brit School For Performing Arts. 2 fine charities.

Lots of quality performances. Status Quo smoke on Whatever You Want / Rockin' All Over The World / Dirty Water / In The Army Now. A fantastic little Tears For Fears set - Change / Badman's Song / Everybody Wants To Rule The World. The Floyd give us Shine On You Crazy Diamond & Run Like Hell. You get the idea.

Sound is fine. Picture is fine. The Blu-Ray includes a nice reproduction of the event program. You already know you need to own this. Just buy it now. You'll feel so much better. You're welcome, Winthrop.

Van Der Graaf Generator - Recorded Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios, London (Convexe Entertainment)

If there was ever a good time party band, it's Van Der Graaf Generator. Their snappy, cheery tunes have captivated masses of folks for decades. Yeah, right. VDGG were and are caustic, disturbing, dark - the grandfather of all emo artists. As this late 2010 gig at London's Metropolis studios shows, time has not softened their edges, thank God.

This is the 3 piece Van Der Graaf Generator: Hugh Banton on keys; Guy Evans on drums; Peter Hammill on vocals, guitar, and keys. They are in fine fettle with Evans a downright percussive maniac. Banton's hands and feet are seemingly always in motion - an octopus of sound. Hammill is everything you need him to be - passionate vocals coupled with strong playing. Pieces like Lemmings, Over The Hill, Lifetime, and Man-Erg are like bleach and flies on your pizza - unsettling! You wouldn't want it any other way from these lads.

I'm especially fond of the camera work on this DVD - it manages to capture key facial expressions of all in addition to giving an intimate look at the performance. The DVD includes a fascinating and revealing interview with the band and the package comes with 2 CDs of the live performance. Brilliant, mesmerizing, necessary.

Rick Wakeman - Classical Wakeman Volume One - Live In Lugano (RSI / Estival)

Rick Wakeman is surely a man with a large catalogue of CDs and DVDs. Put this one in the "essential" category of Wakeman releases. It's Wakeman on grand piano playing with an orchestra in Lugano, Switzerland. No rock band. No vocals unless you count a choir. About as straightforward as it gets.

The set is as follows: The King Arthur Suite, Gone But Not Forgotten, Catherine Howard, Help! / Eleanor Rigby, After The Ball, Merlin The Magician, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, The Jig. It clocks in at about 90 minutes and quite simply contains the finest versions you are likely to hear of this material.

Camera and sound are both very nice. A simple package, but how flashy do you need it to be? That, in fact, is the great joy here. No ice shows, no capes.Just strong compositions played incredibly well. Most definitely worth your time.

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.

The Who - Tommy Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Eagle Vision)

A special concert for a very special and worthy cause - Teenage Cancer Trust. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend play Tommy complete end-to-end for the 1st time in Who history. OK, a few bits are slightly abbreviated, but slack can easily be cut! For the gig, they are joined by Simon Townshend on guitars and vocals, Zak Starkey on drums, Jon Button on bass, and a triple keyboard threat: John Corey, Loren Gold, and Frank Simes. Tight and fluid. Button brings a great tone to his playing. Impressive.

Highlights from the main set for this Wilcox would be Overture, 1921, Christmas, Go To The Mirror!, Smash The Mirror, Sensation, Sally Simpson, and a wowzer of a We're Not Gonna Take It.

The encore set is I Can't Explain, Join Together, I Can See For Miles, Who Are You, Love, Reign O'er Me, Baba O'Reilly, and Won't Get Fooled Again. Join Together grabbed me here. Most excellent!

There's a very interesting and revealing bonus interview with Daltrey, Townshend, and representatives of the Teen Cancer Trust. The animations that accompanied The Acid Queen and Pinball Wizard are also included. Tommy Live At The Royal Albert Hall is a glorious time spent for a wonderful cause. My highest recommendation!

The Who - Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2004 (Eagle Vision/UMG)

It's nice to come to this island and not be visiting someone in the nick! said Roger Daltrey after and acoustic take of Naked Eye midway through the set here. He is clearly enjoying this gig. Pete Townshend seems to be as well. They are joined on this 2004 show by Pete's brother Simon Townshend on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass, Rabbit Bundrick on keys, and Zak Starkey on drums. A super-tight ensemble.

Eminence Front, 5:15, You Better You Bet, Pinball Wizard, Magic Bus, Bargain and lots more to be found on this Blu-Ray and accompanying 2 CD set. Career spanning is the phrase that comes to mind. Roger Daltrey is in great voice and Pete Townshend is just fierce on guitar. No one here is slacking in any way. Everyone earns their applause!

No extras here. Just the concert. No artsy camera junk. Clean and clear presentation. Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2004 is a winner from start to finish!

The Who - Live At Shea Stadium 1982 (Eagle Vision)

This was the tour for the It's Hard album. The last Who studio album with John Entwhistle on bass. This was also the last tour with drummer Kenney Jones, who had the thankless task of taking over Keith Moon's slot. Entwhistle, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and Jones were also joined by Tim Gorman on keyboards. An interesting & in many ways overlooked time in Whoville.

Whatever tensions, drama, and cultural issues were being addressed at the time, it's all irrelevant in 2015. The Who quite simple rock their asses off on this blu-ray. They are, to use a popular current football term, in beast mode. Jones is pure dynamite on the drums. Any complaints are foolish. Precise and propulsive. A perfect match for Entwhistle. His bass is just huge. Spot on, in the pocket, unforgettably melodic. Daltrey's in fine voice - leather and iron - a vocal jackhammer. Fine on the harmonica and solid on 2nd guitar. Gorman is fairly transparent. Backing when he's needed. Unobtrusive otherwise. Townshend is having a great night. His solos kick - just listen to him on The Quiet One! Brutal! He wrings every ounce of power from that Telecaster. Fantastic!

Drowned, Tattoo, Eminence Front, Long Live Rock, Naked Eye, I Saw Her Standing There. Much, much more. 5 bonus tracks. Great sound & video. In terms of the sound - very interesting. The crowd is waaaaaaay down in the mix. Fine by me! I'm not here to listen to the fans at Shea, I'm here to get rocked by The Who! Success! You already know you need this.

The Who - Sensation - The Story Of Tommy (Eagle Vision)

Tommy was a huge influence on my early teens. Not just the music, but Mike McInnerney's album artwork as well. Both helped point me at my future. What we have here is a nice and informative look at the double album from inception to completion to reception to influence. Quite a task! New interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey as well as others really peel away the layers.

It changed the world. It changed music. It changed the Who. You just cannot stop watching as we move from the idea stage to the recording stage. Lots of interesting surprises revealed that I shall not spoil here. I came away with new knowledge and deeper respect for all involved.

As an added bonus, the blu-ray includes 30-someodd minutes of footage from Germany's Beat Club of the band miming songs from the album as well as interview footage with Townshend. From start to finish this disc's a winner. Watch and learn. Here comes Uncle Ernie to guide you to your very own machine!

The Who - Live In Texas '75 (Eagle Vision)

There was a time when the Who was a wild, loud brute of a band full of swagger and explosive power. This DVD is all of that and more. Captured in Houston, Texas on the tour supporting Who By Numbers, we get a raw, fist-in-your-face Who. How could one ever settle for anything less?

While you see a band that knows how good it is, you also see a band giving 100% to prove it on that particular night. Performances of songs like Dreaming From The Waist, I'm Free, Substitute, Summertime Blues, and an especially demented Fiddle About are crackling with electricity. Nice to see Naked Eye in the set as well.

Live In Texas '75 is one of the finest Who concert films I've seen. What it lacks in finesse and technical perfection, it more than makes up for in sheer energy and musicality. Oh, and total Keith Moon looniness! Absolutely essential.

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.

Ray Wilson - ZDF@Bauhaus (Jaggy D)

What we have here is an intimate concert from Ray Wilson live at ZDF@Bauhaus on May 20, 2018 in Dessau, Germany. Wilson is joined by brother Steve Wilson on guitars, Ali Ferguson on guitars, Kool Lyczek on keyboards, Mario Coszel on drums, Marcin Kajper on bass, saxophone & flute, Alicja Chrzaszcz on violin. A fierce ensemble!

The setlist features a nice balance of solo material & Genesis-related gems. Songs like Lemon Yellow Sun and Wait For Better Days shine so brightly. Inside and Sarah as well. Wilson does a spellbinding cover of Solsbury Hill that showcases the entire band well. Follow You Follow Me and Mama sound fresh and vibrant. All 14 tracks show an artist of note that still has much to say!

The concert is beautifully filmed. Excellent camera work that doesn't jump all over the place. It allows you to absorb the moment. The audio is superb. The DVD also includes a CD of the show. Ray Wilson - ZDF@Bauhaus is a show you'll enjoy over & over again. As good as it gets!!

Steven Wilson - Home Invasion (Eagle Vision)

Subtitled In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall and directed by James Russell, this video (mine is a DVD) / audio set chronicles Steven Wilson's 3 day run at the hall in March of 2018. Wilson is joined for the shows by quite a formidable band. Nick Beggs on bass & stick. Craig Blundell on drums. Adam Holzman on keyboards. Alex Hutchings on guitar. Ninet Tayeb on vocals. Everyone plays as flawlessly as one would hope as well as expect! The shows were in support of Wilson's To The Bone album. We get a very large chunk of it as well as a wide spectrum of material from all points of his past. The Creator Has A Mastertape, Lazarus, Even Less, Ancestral, People Who Eat Darkness, The Sound Of Muzak, Nowhere Now, Vermillioncore, and Detonation are just a few of the numbers here. Great visuals. Sonically charged. Everyone in top form. Wilson fans couldn't ask for more!

Nice extras. 3 rehearsal tracks and an interesting interview with Wilson. This is a most excellent package. Prog fans will rejoice. Wilson fans will cry a tear of joy & think about dancing (yet won't actually dance). Buy this one, you'll surely thank me! :)

Steven Wilson - Get All You Deserve (Kscope)

It's prog's busy bee poster boy Steven Wilson taking time away from remastering stuff and from fronting Porcupine Tree to put together a solo band, tour it, and give us all this lovely blu-ray as a souvenir. Long sentence! Get All You Deserve is a recording of a live gig in Mexico City on April 12 of 2012. The video is well directed by Lasse Hoile who understands how to pace his cuts, what the viewer needs to see, and what best serves the performance.

For this show, Wilson was joined by Niko Tsonev on guitar; Nick Beggs on bass & stick; Marco Minnemann on drums; Adam Holzman on keyboards; Theo Travis on winds and keyboards. as exceptional a band as I've ever seen. Every player is of the highest caliber and play with a deep, cool fire. Wilson turns in a strong performance on vocals, guitars, and keyboards. While Wilson clearly reigns, this is most definitely a unit rather than an aggregation of soloists.

Lots of high points here. Deform To Form A Star, Sectarian, Abandoner, Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye, and Raider II stick out in my head, but your faves may indeed vary. The blu-ray has extra stuff, but it's the concert that you will treasure most. Put on your lace and black lipstick, girls.

Yes - Songs From Tsongas (Eagle Vision)

Subtitled Yes 35th Anniversary Concert, this is certainly a nicely loaded Blu-ray. We get the Tsongas concert. We get a bonus performance of Ritual as well as an interview with Roger Dean. We even get a set from the Lugano Jazz Festival. What could be bad about that? This tour was the Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White iteration of Yes. They were firing on all pistons. Killer diller versions of Sweet Dreams, Turn Of The Century, Wonderous Stories (spot the onscreen typo!), and Every Little Thing to name just a few. Not a dull moment at Tsongas.

The same holds true for the Lugano show. If anything, the band are even more fired up! The Fish includes a bit of On The Silent Wings Of Freedom. I've Seen All Good People is fresh and muscular when the drums kick in. Even Roundabout is cool. The stage is dressed more simply, but the band are just gobbling notes as if they're playing for their lives!

The sound is impeccable. The video is stunningly clear. The bonuses as mentioned above take this over the top! Songs From Tsongas is one of the strongest live documents of Yes at their very best. Much love for this one!

Yes - Union Live (Gonzo)

This is what I call a deee-luxe package! 2 DVDs, 2 CDs, a repro of the original tour program, a laminate, and a crew pass - all housed in a Roger Dean illustrated box. Yeah, bay-bee! The main DVD features the final show of the Union tour - August 8, 1991 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The 2 CDs are the matching audio from this show.

DVD 2 has video from 2 other shows: April 9 in Pensacola and May 9 in Denver. Both gigs include songs not performed on the main DVD: City Of Love, Leaves Of Green, Concerto In D, And You And I, drum duet, Hold On, Shock To The System, Changes, Take The Water To The Mountain, Soon, Long Distance Runaround, Lift Me Up, Starship Trooper, and a Tony Kaye solo. It also includes 5.1 mixes of 3 Shoreline numbers not on the video as well as stereo audio from Wembley and Burgettstown.

Performances are sharp - everyone's in top form. Yes, the line up of Anderson, Squire, Howe, Rabin, Kaye, Wakeman, Bruford, and White threatens to sound ponderous, but they did manage to keep it all fresh. A massively enjoyable set!!

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!

Pete York's Super Drumming - Vol. 3 (Inakustik)

Rarely can I say that a title is somewhat of an understatement. Pete York's Super Drumming Vol. 3 would be more aptly titled Astounding Jaw-Dropping Drumming. This DVD is culled from a series of German TV shows York hosted in the late 80s - early 90s. All in the studio, with no audience, it's song after song after song for over two and a half hours. Brilliantly shot, great audio, great vibe.

So, who are the drummers? Among the many you'll find Bill Bruford, Simon Phillips, Louie Bellson, Cozy Powell, Dave Mattacks, Billy Cobham, and Jon Hiseman. Their backing musicians include Jon Lord, Brian Auger, Colin Hodgkinson, Eddie Hardin, and Wolfgang Schmid to name but a few. We're talking highest caliber here!

Highlights include the rare teaming of Bill Bruford and Jon Lord on Bouree from Lord's Sarabande album, a killer Up North - again with Bruford, and a piece called Pots And Pans featuring a drum and percussion duel between Cozy Powell and Pete York that must be seen to be believed! Also included is a bonus DVD with live performance and interview material. Superb!

Frank Zappa - Roxy: The Movie (Honker / Eagle Vision)

This is my favorite Frank Zappa/Mothers Of Invention line up with the Flo & Eddie line up a close second. Wicked musicians with a breezy jazz feel underneath it all. FZ, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ruth Underwood, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey, Bruce Fowler & Tom Fowler are the players in question. Wackiness guaranteed.

Penguin In Bondage, Inca Roads, Cheepnis, RDNZL, & I'm The Slime are among the numbers in the set. Lots of nice surprises I have no intention of ruining for you. Thompson/Humphrey/Underwood are a percussive terror squad. Brock adds so much character and spice both musically and visually. Duke is a maniac in a beautiful way.

Be sure to watch the bonus stuff - several splendid live performances. Every second here is worth your time. My Blu-Ray also came with a CD of a good portion of the tracks for separate listening pleasure. Roxy: The Movie is quite the amazing feature. Most definitely worth the wait. Strengthening the Zappa legacy! Go to the shelter!

Frank Zappa - A Token Of His Extreme (Eagle Vision / Zappa Family Trust)

This is one of those things you hear rumors about. A 1974 era Zappa show. It's 2013 and here it is at last. Recorded on August 27, 1974 (a Tuesday, to be exact!) at KCET studios, this concert special has never officially seen the light of day in the USA. Joining Frank Zappa for this live in the studio gig were Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Tom Fowler, and Chester Thompson. The ensemble were in crack form, cruising like beasts through the material. What fine material it is!

The Dog Breath Variations, Uncle Meat, Montana, Earl Of Duke, Florentine Pogen, Stink Foot, Pygmy Twylyte, Room Service (with a bit of The Idiot Bastard Son), Inca Roads, Oh No, Son Of Orange County, More Trouble Every Day and A Token Of My Extreme. Bruce Bickford adds a few bits of claymation. Brock is a natural for the camera and Underwood is as charming as she is talented. It's quite a treat to see this band in action!

Bonuses include a memorable spot on the Mike Douglas show promoting Zoot Allures and chatting with guests Jimmie (JJ) Walker and Kenny Rogers. How did I ever live without this incredible DVD?

Frank Zappa - The Torture Never Stops (Honker / Eagle Vision)

I miss Frank Zappa on pretty much a daily basis. If you wonder why, watch this DVD. Filmed on Halloween of 1981 at the Palladium in NYC, it captures FZ and his cohorts on a splendid night. Charlie's Enormous Mouth, Bamboozled By Love, Flakes, and Mudd Club all shine gloriously. Zappa's players for this show were Ed Mann, Tommy Mars, Bobby Martin, Scott Thunes, Steve Vai, Chad Wackerman, and Ray White. Quite a crack ensemble to say the least!

I've seen people remark over the years that Zappa lacked energy on this particular show. I just don't see it. He looks to be having a fun time, playing some killer solos, enjoying his conducting. Surely a highlight of this concert is the 1-2-3 punch of The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing / Dumb All Over / Heavenly Bank Account. It's a biting, witty jab at the Falwells and Osteens of our world and their quest for cash through religion.

Audio quality is nice. video is a bit on the red side, but reflective of the day and accurate to the source. Cute notes from Scott Thunes. A few bonus tracks as well. A wonderful addition to the Zappa video library. You'll play this one often.

Hans Zimmer - Live In Prague (Eagle Vision / Universal)

I hear what you're saying. Who? Hans Zimmer. Zimmer is a composer and you've heard tons of his music. Zimmer has scored films like Gladiator, Inception, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Driving Miss Daisy, The Lion King, Madagascar, and the Dark Knight trilogy. So, yeah, the man has credits. This Blu-Ray is a live performance of music from those films and many more.

Zimmer packed his roster of players with some talented folks! Among the players you will find guitarists Mike Einziger from Incubus and Guthrie Govan of Asia and Steven Wilson fame. Gryphon multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey. Drummer Satnam Ramgotra. Johnny Marr of The Smiths on guitar. Ann Marie Simpson Calhoun on violin who I saw years ago as a guest with Jethro Tull and more recently a player with little Steve Vai. Czarina Russell - an amazing vocalist and tubular bells player that I was unaware of until now. Tina Guo on electric upright bass - another player new to my ears. As is electric bassist Yolanda Charles who knocked me out! They are but a few of the multitude of musicians here. All first chair players. To call it an impressive ensemble is to downplay their staggering abilities!

Every player gets their spot and the 2 hours plus show is well paced. Zimmer is an engaging band leader, telling fascinating tidbits between numbers and relating interesting stories about many of the players. The audience is respectful during numbers and vocal in between. Sound is stellar. Video is crisp and clean and well directed by Tim Van Someren. Hans Zimmer - Live In Prague pushed a lot of good buttons for me. Very well done. 100% worth your time and money!

The Zombies - Recorded Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios, London (Convexe Entertainment)

I think it's safe for me to say that this DVD / CD set is a celebration of the Zombies and the enduring nature of their music. Recorded at Metropolis studios in London in January of 2011, this gig is from the tour that heavily featured tracks from Odessey & Oracle. The Zombies are firing on all pistons and the choice of material is A+.

The distinctive keyboards of Rod Argent and soaring vocals of Colin Blunstone are well supported by Jim Rodford on bass, Steve Rodford on drums, and Tom Toomey on guitar. The 19 songs here include kickin' takes of I Love You, Any Other Way, Time Of The Season, Tell Her No, Hold Your Head Up (a nod to Argent's other band), and lots more. There is a definite fire to this band - they play with lots of spirit to match their impeccable musicianship.

The camera is close and lingering - no OCD rapid cuts here. The DVD includes a bonus interview with Argent and Blunstone. Quite a nice package!