Wednesday, April 27 2011
‘The Lucksmiths: Unfamiliar Stars’ Is a Fun and Fitting Sendoff for this Hardworking Band
The Lucksmiths might remain unfamiliar stars, but this DVD more than makes the case for renewed appreciation.
Wednesday, April 13 2011
‘Heaven 17 Live at Scala’ Gives Us Those Chilly-Cum-Funky Electronic Tunes
In the early '80s, it was possible for England's postpunk pioneers -- New Romantics, Rude Boys, and assorted other malcontents -- to imagine themselves the center of the media universe.
Tuesday, April 12 2011
‘Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm’ Doesn’t Swing, It Blasts!
A super-informative look at a great jazz bandleader, arranger, composer and educator. I was surprised by how ferocious and dynamic Stan Kenton's music is, both in the sense of a dynamo and in its rhythmic structure.
Thursday, March 31 2011
‘Steve Reich: Phase to Face’ Suffers from Restraint
Do you hear that? It's the sound of the surface barely being scratched over Steve Reich's career.
Tuesday, March 22 2011
‘Heart: Night At Sky Church’: Praise the Rock ‘n’ Roll Goddesses
I love it when a famous band kicks into a famous song live. No matter how many times I’ve heard the song before, when that first familiar beat, note or riff rings out, I feel an indescribable sense of elation.
Tuesday, March 15 2011
Depeche Mode Rewind: 30 Years at the Edge’ Succeeds Only in Misleading
A documentary about one of the most compelling bands of the '80s is unworthy of its purported subject.
Monday, February 21 2011
Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Session
While blues fans will rejoice at the prospect of being owning legitimate CD quality versions of the In Session tracks, actually laying eyes on the two masters as they trade licks is an even more compelling proposition
Wednesday, February 9 2011
The Real McCoy of Rock: ‘Graham Parker & The Figgs Live at the FTC’
Graham Parker & The Figgs Live at the FTC may not be an essential performance, but Parker himself is one of the indispensable performers of the rock era.
Tuesday, February 8 2011
Monday, January 24 2011
‘INXS: Mystify’: A Last Gasp of the ‘80s Oz Invasion
INXS' sound has always straddled a line between grungy arena bombastic Eurotrash disco slinkiness.
Monday, January 10 2011
‘Michael Jackson’s Vision’ Into the Future
The Moonwalker's short films are brought together here in a single collection. Are you still down with Michael? Are you down? Are you bad?!
Thursday, December 16 2010
‘Michael Nyman: Composer in Progress and Michael Nyman in Concert’ Might Make You Po-go
Interviews with Michael Nyman and his band members reflect a passion for constantly pushing the limits of composition and performance.
Monday, December 6 2010
‘R.E.M.: Live from Austin, TX’ May Not Be History in the Making, but It’s Certainly Entertaining
R.E.M. made their Austin City Limits debut less than a month before the release of Accelerate. It's clear that they were excited about the album.
Tuesday, November 30 2010
‘Ladies and Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones’: If I Had Panties, I’d Toss Them at the TV
In 1972 the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world released the greatest rock 'n' roll record the world has ever known and then went on tour to prove it. Some of the results are here.
Friday, November 19 2010
‘Frank Sinatra: Concert Collection’ The Master at Work, Captured Here
These live performances demonstrate Frank Sinatra's constant transformation; from the Jersey wiseguy monologues to singing that lays bare his soul, as though he’s shining a spotlight down a well.
‘The Pixies: Acoustic & Electric Live’: Having the Time of Their Lives
Starting in the mid-’80s, the Pixies laid the foundation for indie/alternative/Britpop/grunge music for decades to come. See two incredible live performances on one Blu-ray with this set.
Friday, November 12 2010
Laugh While You Weep with ‘Bill Hicks: The Essential Collection’
If Hicks succeeded at anything, his special gift was in delineating the prurience —and profit-seeking— that has always hidden in plain view beneath the puritanical façade our politicians, priests and TV producers obligingly maintain.
Friday, November 5 2010
The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts
The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts documents two nights of star-studded shows at Madison Square Garden celebrated the silver anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a three-disc DVD set.
Wednesday, November 3 2010
‘Until the Light Takes Us’ is Grim and Frostbitten
As much as the filmmakers should be credited for accessing the most relevant players and revealing their impulses, the approach to storytelling is out of balance and prone to tangents of association and rationalization.
Monday, October 25 2010
‘Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums’: The Album Rush was Meant to Make (Both of Them)
Rush finally found their sound on 2112 at the same time disco, punk and new wave were ascendant; to the band's considerable credit, they were not only aware of these new developments, but eager to incorporate them into their ever-evolving repertoire.
