Showing posts with label rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rock. Show all posts

aMotion Review

aMotion
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Following up just two weeks after A Perfect Circle's election day release, "eMOTIVe," another release, "aMOTION" comes our way. Basically what this set consists of is almost every scrap of extra APC material. The disc is nine tracks full of remixes, some old, some new. The DVD consists of all of the band's music videos up to now, some we've seen a million times, and others that either didn't air, or were never released. First off, the remix CD. Great choice, as A Perfect Circle seem to have some of the most tasteful remixes of any band out there. A great bulk of the songs were remixed by Danny Lohner and some have either appeared on various soundtracks or on import CD-singles. Probably one of the most note-worthy moments is the "Constantly Consuming" remix of "The Hollow," which isn't so much a remix, as it is a reinterpretation, as done by former bassist (who is still working with the band) Paz Lenchantin. That's right folks. She provides all of the music on this version and even sings it herself. The "Tilling My Own Grave" remix of "Weak & Powerless" is another great one. It definitely "rocks" up the original version (don't get me wrong, the original is untouchable) with some help by Lohner and born-again Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland (you may remember it from the "Underworld" soundtrack). The DVD portion is quite a treat as well. Not only are all the music videos here, but we get a live performance of "The Noose" (my favorite song from "Thirteenth Step") which is very entertaining (they need to put out a live DVD, hint hint), plus four different versions of the video "Blue," all fan-made. Both versions of "The Outsider" video are present, edited and unedited. Don't get too excited though, as the unedited cut doesn't feature nudity, just a long intro to the video -- although, everyone seems to hate the Bikini Bandits idea so much, so who cares, right? Well, they make another appearance in "Thinking Of You," so get used to it. "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums" is an all animated video that contains some very strong anti-Bush imagery, that I haven't seen (probably for many good reasons) aired anywhere. Maynard and Billy each have their own commentary for the videos. Maynard comments on all of them, and gets into the more intellectual side of the meaning of each song and video, while Billy gives us the more straight-forward story, and sadly, only appears on a handful of the videos. So overall, it's a great package. You have to really appreciate the band and what they do to appreciate this. To those who love to scream "Sell-out," I ask you this question: If they are selling out, why are you buying? Get over yourselves. They make incredible music, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters. And good for them for giving us so much material to tide us over until the next album, which will probably be a long time coming.

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H.I.M.: Born Again Romantic Review

H.I.M.: Born Again Romantic
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Although this DVD is very good, it is the exact same one as Poison Arrow, just a different cover and title. If you don't have either, then I would recommend this.

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The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95 Review

The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95
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The final tour of the Grateful Dead was fated in many ways. It was a dark tour that forshadowed The End. This documentary accurately captures that mood of the final tour. There were some great moments, but overall, it was very sad because it focuses on probably the most negative period of the Dead's 30 year trip. The movie left me depressed. Personally, I'm glad I saw it but would rather spend my time watching some of the better moments of the Dead, like the new Grateful Dead Movie DVD that has some amazing bonus song footage. Many of us like to celebrate the Dead and the final tour does not have much for us to celebrate. On the other hand, it accurately follows what has become history and there are many great moments. My favorite part was the bonus footage of the Jerry Garcia Memorial Service. That, alone, makes this a worthy purchase for a Deadhead. But if you are unfamiliar with the Grateful Dead, this is not a good place to start.

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Music by Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia, appearances by Babatunde Olatunji, Merl Saunders, Wavy Gravy, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill KreutzmannWritten & Directed By: Brent MeeskeFor 30 years, Jerry Garcia played guitar and sang for the Grateful Dead, and by doing so, inspired a modern cultural phenomenon – the legions of nomadic fans that made a communal way of life out of following Jerry and the Dead – the Deadheads."The End of the Road" began shooting just 3 months before Garcia's Death in 1995 – documenting ‘life on the road' with this family of bohemian wanderers – on what would be the final tour with Jerry and the Dead.That summer the road came to an end back where it all began – in San Francisco – where thousands gathered one last time for eulogies from bandmates, friends and family at the memorial for Jerry Garcia.DVD Features: Uncut Memorial Ceremony, Extended Merl Saunders Interview, Follow-up Interviews, Deleted/Extended Scenes, Original Press Kit

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Brian Wilson presents Smile (2004) Review

Brian Wilson presents Smile (2004)
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This set consists of two DVDs-- the first is the documentary, "Beautiful Dreamer", written and directed by David Leaf, the second is a live Smile show. I'll approach the discs out of order, as that's how I watched them.
The live set is fantastic-- I rarely find much interest in DVD music performances because they rarely capture the energy and power of the live shows, but this one did-- all of the power and energy of the live Smile shows I witnessed came back to me, something I feel is nearly impossible to capture. For those of you who didn't sit around anticipating these shows from the moment they were announced, its probably a bit hard to describe, but it really was an overwhelming thing to bear witness to. Some of this comes out nicely in the DVD.
The camera work is superb-- there were obviously several of them, and there was an eye to showing not just Brian Wilson, but his fantastic band as well. Its also clear the camera work was done by people familiar with the material as they would often focus on a particular musician during a moment when their work was featured. Sonically, this recording is also without parallel-- it sounds so good it could have been recorded in a studio.
The performance itself is what we've come to expect from the Brian Wilson band. Brian's group is approaches the music with a reverence and each of them is a superb musician in their own right (it would behoove any fan of Brian's material to check out Jeff Foskett, Scott Bennett, and Wondermint releases-- Brian's influence is all over them). What is probably most amazing is the effect this music has on Brian-- Nick Walusko points this out during the documentary-- Brian hasn't sounded this good in a long time. While his voice isn't what it used to be, he sings well and presents the material with a strength and a stage presence he previoulsy lacked. (for those of us who have followed Brian's career over the years, its even nicer to see the big smile on his face during these numbers)
David Leaf's documentary on the other disc is well assembled, full of great interviews and some superb performances of Brian at the piano (occasionally with Darian Sahanaja or Carol Kaye accompanying). Much of this material is added as bonus material as well. Its clear a lot of trouble was gone through to dig up any number of folks associated with Brian at the time. Leaf states the documentary is presented in three acts-- the Beach Boys formation through the Smile recording sessions, the intervening 37 years, and the new performances.
The background information has been rehashed thousands of times, there's not much new or revelatory in here. But one thing that bothered me is the somewhat flippant nature with which Brian's drug problems are presented-- there's almost a forgiving nature to the sort of attitude of the '60s as a time of mind expanding, and in discussing various drug-induced insanity from Brian (locking himself in a bedroom for hours, building a teepee in his living room), there's a sense of laughter with this. Given that Brian was an undiagnosed depressive, its likely the drugs did little but contribute to this, and while I realize the people interviewed all have pretty fond memories of this time in their life, you'd think this would have been approached in a different manner.
Also somewhat annoying is that none of the original Beach Boys music is used in the film-- its not that I dislike the new material (on the contrary, I love it), its just that it'd've been nice to hear period-appropriate music.
Leaf also stated he didn't want too much of a drag in the middle, so he kept the story of the intervening period to a minimum, this I can respect, although he did fail to indicate that the Beach Boys milked Smile for all its worth in those years-- the next several Beach Boys album all featured Smile material to great effect (its also important to note that none of the other living Beach Boys participated in the documentary-- evidentally they were approached and declined).
The last act, the rebirth of Smile, is the best part. It shows intimate details we'd never be privy to otherwise-- Brian, Van Dyke Parks, and Darian Sahanaja going through the new material, rehearsals, excitement, energy, Brian's coming and going interest, you name it. This half hour alone makes the flaws of the early section easy to overlook. Its fantastic, and the love and reverence of Brian's band comes through nicely.
All in all, its likely any Beach Boys fans already has this-- if you're more casual, there's a lot to get from this as well, its probably worth checking out, even with its flaws. Recommended.

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This essential two-disc package features nearly four hours of material, including the Showtime documentary Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile, as well as an exclusive performance of Smile in its entirety. The collection also includes nearly two hours of bonus footage including never-before-seen interviews, performances, and recording session footage.Track Listing and Content: Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and The Story of Smile Trailer for Beautiful Dreamer (Bonus Material) Interview Highlights Our Prayer Gee Heroes and Villains Roll Plymouth Rock Barnyard Old Master Painter You Are My Sunshine Cabin Essence Wonderful Song for Children Child Is the Father of the Man Surf's Up I'm In Great Shape I Wanna Be Around Workshop Vega-tables On A Holiday Wind Chimes Mrs. O'Leary's Cow In Blue Hawaii Good Vibrations Outakes (bonus material) Brian Wilson Photo Gallery Brian Wilson at the Piano Brian Wilson Presents Smile featurette Heroes and Villains Fan Video

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Attack of the 80s (2007) Review

Attack of the 80s (2007)
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I ordered this DVD for my 80's party and it was a hit. I never thought people would notice it since there was so much going on at this party, but everyone always asks me where did I get that dvd. I wish I could find one for the 70's and one for blaxploitation films.....

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