Whew…
That, in a word, sums up the amazing onslaught of superb new video releases over the past couple of months as the music biz sharpens its sights on new DVD releases and probes more obscure artists for both vintage footage and original offerings. Consequently, even the most dedicated collector is served with a plethora of new releases that are beginning to rival their CD counterparts in terms of quantity and variety.
Take the Pixies, for example. The band’s recent reuniting has spurred no less than three releases in the past couple of months, including Live At the Paradise (Eagle Vision), a show performed at an intimate venue shortly after their regrouping in 2004. Like the two releases that came before – the Acoustic: Live In Newport and the vintage LoudQUIETloud -- it features a generous assortment of classic Pixies titles from all phases of the band’s storied career. Not surprisingly, the current Pixies are less oppressive and intimidating than they seemed in their youth, the effects of aging and personal crisis having mellowed them considerably. Consequently, Live At The Paradise spans the generational gap on classic cuts like “Monkey Goes To Heaven,� “Wave Of Mutilation,� “Bone Machine� and “Debaser.� It also offers bonus vintage material from a Boston show recorded in 1986. The contrast is striking; while the reconstituted outfit is clearly still formidable, the new music has taken on a new accessibility that’s more evident now than ever before.
It’s the baby boomers and ‘60s survivors who will find themselves salivating over Blind Faith’s London Hyde Park 1969 (Sanctuary). Some may consider it the holy grail –while bootlegs copies of the audio component have been circulating for years, the opportunity to actually watch this legendary outfit, considered by most the first to claim the so-called “super group� mantle, is indeed a revelatory experience. The Hyde Park concert marked the legendary band’s official bow and the loose ends show – short on original material, they borrow the Stones’ “Under My Thumb� and Winwood’s Traffic chestnut “Means To An End,� but still only manage a nine song set. The tension is palatable – the musicians don’t seem as if they’re actually enjoying themselves and the only smiles in evidence are planted on the faces of their audience. Bonus promos clips from Cream, Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group add historical perspective, but none is needed. This vintage video is a collector’s godsend.
Fairport Convention are another band etched into Brit rock history, although their four decades of music-making haven’t garnered them much more than a cult following...although it’s a rabid following at that. The 35th Anniversary Concert (MVD/Secret Films) provides an apt catch-up for the uninitiated, but it will almost certainly be the band’s true fans that will especially enjoy this eighteen-song synopsis of their career accomplishments. The Fairport chronology is littered with personnel changes (their alumni include Richard Thompson, Iain Matthews and the late great Sandy Denny), but the group’s steadfast devotion to British folk tradition with a modern rock sensibility has made them a singular institution. This is especially true in live performance where their self-effacing humor and ability to wring both smiles and sentiment makes the Fairports a singular presence in the annals of British rock. The 35th Anniversary Concert brings those qualities to the fore with the inclusion of classics like “Matty Groves� and “Meet On the Ledge� and ample doses of the band’s onstage affability. A bonus interview with principals Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and relative newcomer Chris Leslie provides a discourse on the band’s evolution and could be considered a primer for anyone looking for a quick catch-up.
Fairport fans will also appreciate Sandy Denny Under Review (Sexy Intellectual), a rare video analysis focusing on the woman most consider the queen of British folk rock. Denny’s brilliance as a singer was underscored by personal turmoil, ultimately resulting in a life cut short by tragic circumstance. Nevertheless, this disc is a celebration of Denny’s accomplishments, featuring precious glimpses of live performances and snippets from classic recordings. Considering the scarcity of archival Denny material, this disc becomes something of a holy grail for any true connoisseur of the British folk rock genre.
The Under Review series expands in more predictable, but no less illuminating, directions with discs devoted to several seminal bands. Led Zeppelin: The Origin of the Species (Sexy Intellectual) is a fascinating look at the band’s formative years, including an expansive look at Jimmy Page’s early apprenticeship in the Yardbirds (who get their own retelling in a special bonus feature) and even earlier endeavors (including a clip of a 15-year old Jimmy being interviewed on British television). The Zeppelin story has been recounted countless times, but the Under Review penchant for critical analysis – accompanied by the appearance of numerous talking heads (including Brit rock veterans Chris Dreja of the Yardbirds and renowned vocalist Chris Farlowe) adds a new dimension to this critical dissection. An in-depth analysis of the band’s early music gets special emphasis, thanks to several clips from the group’s first performances.
Queen Under Review 1980 – 1991 (Chrome) follows the same tact, taking up the Queen story at a time when the band were clearly in their creative prime. As always, there’s a plethora of dazzling live footage – Queen were nothing if not a spectacular concert act – but the views of some of Britain’s leading critics – journalists Paul Gambaccini and Chris Welch among them – add a depth to the discussion that cuts beneath the glitz and glamour that became so much a part of the group’s reputation.
Likewise, The Rolling Stones Under Review 1962 – 1966 (Sexy Intellectual) retraces one of the most familiar trajectories in rock ‘n’ roll, although this look at the band’s early period, from their founding as a strict blues band to what many consider their creative peak in the mid ‘60s as they freely expanded their sound to a new level of artistic ambition, is especially well crafted. Like its companion sets, there is a plethora of intriguing historical footage, making this disc an essential acquisition even for those who have managed to acquire every other Rolling Stones offering that’s come down the pike over the years.
Speaking of essential, Eagle Vision’s Classic Albums series has been one of the most lauded DVD series to emerge over the past several years, and no wonder. As the title implies, each offering takes an in-depth look at a classic album and, utilizing classic archival footage, interviews with the principles and dramatic track by track analysis of each song, they explore the story behind each creation. Several new titles have been reintroduced in recent months, among them Who’s Next, Bat Out of Hell, The Joshua Tree, Aja and Catch a Fire. A glance at the titles confirms the fact hat these are indeed pivotal albums – crucial to their respective artist’s career -- but aside from the fact that the reissues are timely (in the case of the Who and Meatloaf they coincide with much-anticipated current comebacks), they also uncover little known facts about their making. For example, the reclusive Steely Dan discusses their obsession with perfection. U2 talk about how a master recording was nearly lost. Todd Rundgren, the man behind the boards for Bat Out OF Hell, speaks candidly about why the album was labeled a white elephant from the get-go. Having the benefit of this kind of inside knowledge propels these DVDs to extraordinary heights, and the ample historical footage that’s included provides a historical perspective that easily competes with any other retrospective series found on store shelves these days.
Live performances are an integral reason why DVDs continue to gain popularity, and not surprisingly the number of classic concert discs has grown substantially. Returning to the Who, Eagle Rock’s reissue of Live At the Isle of Wight Festival (Eagle Vision) captures the essence of the Who’s what, when and wherefore. While Townshend and Daltrey cling to the Who banner – somewhat dubiously in light of the unfortunate absence of John Entwistle and Keith Moon – the landmark Isle of Wight performance finds the band at their most incendiary. Following on the heels of Woodstock, it saw them lingering in Tommy’s afterglow, with the whole of that album wedged into their set. A pair of bonus tracks and Townshend’s reflective commentary make this disc all the more enlightening.
Another historical documentary of note comes via the Cars’ Unlocked (Giant/NewVideo), a DVD/CD set that captures the Cars of old… when Ric Ocasek and the late Ben Orr were still willing passengers. Bearing all the old Cars classics, it’s an apt reminder of that band was the real deal, making the New Cars incarnation fronted by Todd Rundgren seem like an ill-advised retooling in comparison. While observers often dismissed the band for their postured commercial pop sound, this rare look at the group in peak performance confirms the fact that as a live act, the Cars had plenty of traction.
Van Morrison is spotlighted with two landmark concerts in the double disc set Live At Montreux 1980/1974 (Eagle Eye Media). The ‘80 performance bears the highest quotient of hits – “Wild Night� “Tupelo Honey “Wavelength� and “And It Stoned Me� among the highlights – but any prolonged glimpse of the somewhat taciturn singer in live performance becomes a treat unto itself. Indeed, Morrison is at the peak of his powers, and with outstanding musicians providing his back up, these two shows are a must-have.
Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation’s Sound Stage (Zoe) is a similarly straightforward document, and one that provides an apt showcase for another of rock’s most formidable performers. While the Strange Sensations are an able backing band, the set list is dominated – not surprisingly – by Zeppelin classics, with a cover of “Hey Joe� and a Dylan favorite, “Girl From the North Country,� added as encores. Despite a prolific solo career, Plant is destined to forever reside beneath the Led Zep mantle, but Sound Stage demonstrates that, if anything, he’s a more than willing to rest his reputation on that impressive portfolio.
Roger Chapman finds himself in a similar situation, although his notoriety obviously can’t compare with Plant’s. Archivists will recognize him as the front man for Family, a late ‘60s British outfit whose chief claim to fame rests on the fact that they contributed bassist Ric Grech to the ranks of Blind Faith, and that Dave Mason produced their first LP. Still, Family deserved far more notoriety than that for which they were credited. Chapman’s coarse billygoat vocals and the group’s melodic invention combined for some of the most intriguing songs of the psychedelic era. Several of those tunes (“Burlesque� “My Friend The Sun� “The Weaver’s Answer�) are reprised on Family and Friends (Angel Air), a 2002 performance that provides a tidy compilation of the singer’s repertoire -- with the band and without. An in-depth interview and Family history segment further illuminate a career that’s as intriguing as it was ignored.
Other recent live offerings of note include a CD/DVD disc from Philadelphia roots rock outfit Marah, Sooner Or Later In Spain (Yep Roc), recorded last November. Led by brothers David and Serge Bielanko, Marah’s been making a steadfast impression for the past few years thanks to a gritty, blue collar sound that draws favorable comparison with such street-savvy rockers as Bruce Springsteen John Mellencamp and Willie Nile. Documenting a series of solo shows, Jeff Tweedy’s Sunken Treasure Live In The Pacific Northwest (Nonesuch) finds Wilco’s erstwhile mastermind shedding the band’s esoteric ambiance in favor of an acoustic outing that’s refreshingly intimate and surprisingly engaging. The legendary Green On Red reunites after a nearly two-decade absence with a show that took place last year in their hometown environs of Tucson Arizona. It’s well documented on Valley Fever/Live At The Rialto (Brinkfilm), possibly the only live Green On Red DVD in existence. Speaking of esoteric offerings, 1966 World Tour (The Home Movies) (Highway Entertainment) takes an unusual backstage view of Bob Dylan’s landmark UK visit, an occasion that found him shedding his acoustic guitar in deference to all-out rock ‘n’ roll revelry. Drummer Micky Jones documents it all via his 8mm color movie camera, providing previously unseen footage that takes the viewer into the limos and the dressing rooms for a candid, behind-the scenes perspective. Interviews with Charlie Daniels, Johnny Rivers and Trini Lopez (!) more or less pad the proceedings, but there’s real revelation in the narrative that uncovers Dylan’s taunting exhortation to “Play fucking loud!� A Dylan cover band supplies the music, but nevertheless, the bard’s barbs suggest this will become a much sought-after souvenir.
~ Lee Zimmerman
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