Went to see Martin Scorsese's new concert film Shine A Light with the Rolling Stones, and I have to admit the aged rockers put on a good show. Sure, Mick and Keith's life-long love affair with the blues is still going strong, but their music has become strangely soulless. They jump around, make faces, and the energy level is high, but I didn't care. I've seen it all before, better--the Rolling Stones are now just a machine, reveling in their own outlaw, devil-may-care ethos, a mere simulation of their former selves. Kinda makes me glad the Beatles never got back together, that band stays forever young. The Beatles' music remains fully intact, pure, and blemish free.
The Beatles' film catalog is uneven all right, but as musical documents, they're all pretty amazing. A Hard Days Night remains a light romp; the tunes come fast and furious, the Beatles are having a blast. Help hasn't aged as well as a film, but the song sequences are still fantastic, Yellow Submarine is still trippy as all get out, Magical Mystery Tour is mostly awful cinema, redeemed with strong tunes. Let It Be has yet to make it to DVD, but even in the Beatles' twilight, the magic was still there.
If you want to see the Stones at their peak, check out Gimme Shelter, a documentary film covering the last days of their 1969 tour. Scorsese's high-speed editing of Shine A Light doesn't help the film, it just fritters away the band's true grit. Scorsese spends way too much time dishing out close ups of Jagger, and rarely covers the complete band. They're mere backup musicians to the star. That's sad, because the Rolling Stones, even now, are much greater than the sum of its members.
The CD may be on its way out, but music and concert DVDs are doing just fine, thank you very much! Late last year I wrote a feature for Home Entertainment magazine running down some of my favorite music DVDs of all time. They were all "live" recordings--there wasn't a single MTV style "music video" in the bunch. This is an abridged version of the article, check the Home Entertainment website to check out the complete article. Oh, and I've added a few DVDs that didn't make the article.
Led Zeppelin
With a combined running time of five plus hours over this two-disc set, with shows ranging from Royal Albert Hall, 1970 to Knebworth, 1979, it's the mother lode of filmed 'Zeppelin concerts. Jimmy Page presided over the film transfers and audio mixes, and considering most of them are more than 30 years old the Dolby and DTS sound is truly awesome. Led Zeppelin is also one the rare DVDs I've seen that starts to play as soon as it's loaded! You don't have to slog through FBI warning, coming attractions or menus. Why can't all DVDs and Blu-rays work like that?
The Rolling Stones: Four Flicks
I haven't seen the new Martin Scorsese 'Stone film, Shine a Light, but this four-disc set features three complete concerts from the 2002/2003 tour. My favorite is my hometown show at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The band is in great shape and Jagger's vocals sound stronger than they had in decades. The DVD looks and sounds great.
Bruce Springsteen: Live in Dublin
These shows from late 2006 when Springsteen was touring to support his Seeger Sessions CD are a hoot! The Boss is clearly having a ball and his large band, fleshed out with strings and horns sound fabulous. Fans will be happy to hear the song list features a large helping of tunes from Springsteen's back catalog, and includes "Highway Patrolman," "Atlantic City," and "Growin Up."
The White Stripes: Under Blackpool Lights
If the 'Zep isn't your bag, maybe this White Stripes DVD will rock your world. Recorded in the Empress Ballroom in England in 2004 with 8mm cameras, the look perfectly mirrors the Stripes aesthetic. The duo's live sound is even more stripped down than their records, and the sound of this DVD captures the Jack and Meg's onstage synergy. The energy is astounding. Clearly, Jack White has studied at the feet of 'Zeppelin and learned his lessons well.
My Morning Jacket: Okonokos
If you dig their records, you love the DVD from 2006. Lead singer Jim James' vocals are outstanding. To me the guy sounds halfway between Neil Young and Roger Daltrey, which makes him the best of his generation. The band rocks plenty hard, and the extended jams have a nice jazzy feel. The sound is extremely dynamic, so on a great home theater it can approach the sound of a live concert.
James Brown: Live at Montreux 1981
If the sound of the Live at Montreux 1981 DVD doesn't get your mojo working, the sheer spectacle of a sweat soaked James Brown and his 14 piece funk band will. The DTS and Dolby 5.1 tracks' sound absolutely nails the music's "live" energy. The horns' sound is brassy and the rhythm section's heavyweight grooves will keep your subwoofer busy. I'm not sure why, but this one only sounds best fully cranked up. It's a remarkably punchy, powerful sounding recording, so if your system is lacking in the oomph department you're going to miss half the fun. The band is staggeringly tight and impeccably arranged, but it's Brown's vocal pleading on "Try Me" that elicits gasps from the audience. The DVD is packaged with a CD of the same show.
Larry Coryell: A Retrospective
Larry Coryell first grabbed my attention almost 40 years ago when he was the first jazz guitarist to use distortion and feedback like a rock musician. Coryall was clearly inspired my Miles Davis' In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, but possibly because Coryell's music was guitar based it was more accessible to rock audiences. The Jimi Hendrix comparisons are also obvious, and there were times watching this DVD where I imagined this is what Hendrix would have sounded like if he lived. On "Spaces" Larry's son Julian plays guitarist John McLaughlin part from the original 1970 Coryell recording.
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