Starring multiplatinum artist Josh Groban, Tony-winning Idina Menzel (Wicked) and Tony nominated Adam Pascal (RENT), Chess In Concert revives the eclectic yet wonderfully pop 1984 concept album featuring the music of ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and lyrics of Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Evita). Recorded at London’s Royal Albert Hall in May 2008, this spectacular Chess In Concert - introduced by Rice and with the 50- piece City of London Philharmonic and 100-voice West End Chorus - finally fulfills the promise of the popular cult musical.
Made for hard-core Deadheads only, this two-and-a-half-hour-long concert video (released after the death of leader Jerry Garcia) captures an entire live show by the psychedelic pioneers. Shot in the summer of 1989 at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin, the Dead are caught during one of their latter-day musical peaks. Appearing jovial (Garcia actually moves during several tunes!), the band provides numerous patented extended jams during a two-set, 23-song performance. Lively highlights include Garcia’s blistering solos during “Deal” and “China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider”; the spacey pairing of “Uncle John’s Band” with “Playing in the Band”; and the tender ballad “Standing on the Moon.” The motionless Dead were never a visually compelling live act, so viewers shouldn’t expect anything more than close-ups of the sextet’s faces and hands. However, such a conventional approach is preferred over the cheesy kaleidoscope of video effects that mar numerous songs here. –Dave McCoy
In 1970 The Moody Blues were at their creative and commercial peak. After reinventing themselves from their RB roots to a much more sophisticated sound, between 1967 and 1970 they released five albums, four of which hit the Top 5 in the UK with two of them going to No.1. They enjoyed similar success in the USA where four of the albums hit the Top 20 and the other was just outside. At the end of August 1970, shortly after the release of their album “A Question Of Balance”, The Moody Blues took to the stage of the Isle Of Wight Festival in front of an audience estimated at over half a million. This DVD makes that performance available to be seen for the first time.
Midway through Sarah Pirozek’s concert documentary, Free Tibet, about the 1997 two-day benefit show in San Francisco, Smashing Pumpkin guitarist James Iha clearly summarizes the proceedings. “It’s hard to expect real serious intentions with a rock concert with millions of kids.” Indeed. Most of the thousands in attendance over the weekend didn’t know squat, much less care, about the situation in Tibet. As long as they got to see Rage Against the Machine hammer home their political fury or A Tribe Called Quest kick out the jams, everything would be fine. This documentary, which mixes concert footage with backstage and crowd interviews, political lectures, and archival footage of Tibet’s downtrodden history, successfully captures both the good intentions of the festival organizers and the ignorant audience reception, i.e., kids more interested in moshing and partying than world peace. As one kids puts it, “I care, ya know, but short attention span.” The same unfortunately can be said of Pirozek’s approach to all of this. She directs the film like she has ants in her pants, and then cuts it together with a blender. If you want the film to catch live moments by your favorite bands, you’ll be disappointed. Pirozek rarely keeps the camera onstage long enough to enjoy the bands. Only Bjork’s mesmerizing performance of “Hyper-Ballad” and Sonic Youth’s “Bull in the Heather” are played in their entirety; otherwise, bands are interrupted by interviews, speeches, and random bits of Tibetan history. While it’s admirable for the documentary to teach its audience along with entertaining with music, its approach is halfhearted on both accounts. –Dave McCoy
Austrian composers are spotlighted in these performances by the London Symphony presented for the first time in stunning six-channel surround sound. This volume includes works by Mozart, Haydn and Schubert.
Special Features include: -Beautiful presentation of Program Notes and photographic stills -Plays on ALL DVD players -Supports Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 formats -Stunning six-channel “surround sound” audio -More than twice the quality of today’s CD whether played through stereo or six-channel surround -Can be enjoyed as an audio experience alone or in conjunction with a TV to access the visual content
Legendary producer George Martin assembled some of the world’s greatest music stars in this benefit concert for the island of Montserrat. Performing their hits in this all-star show are Elton John, Sting, Paul McCartney, Arrow, Jimmy Buffett, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Carl Perkins in one of his final appearances. 112 minutes.
This combination of two MusikLaden Extra live shows from 1976 and 1977 features their hit songs Rich Girl, Sara Smile, Do What You Want-Be What You Are, and Back Together Again among others.
This concert was filmed in early 2005 at Vienna’s famous jazz club “Porgy Bess,” and features the incredibly talented Miroslav Vitous performing on bass. Interwoven with the footage is insightful artist interviews. Vitous arrived in New York in 1967 w
Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 10/03/2006
An exciting concert, performed by Joseph and Anthony Paratore on two pianos, features four groundbreaking works by twentieth century composers. One of which caused a riot, two became immediately popular and endearing to concert audiences and one remains important as an exploration of the future in music. Igor Stravinsky’s ground breaking piece the “The Rite of Spring” is considered the most famous and groundbreaking composition of the early twentieth century. George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Concerto in F” are two of the most popular pieces by an American composer for Orchestra, and are one of the first classical compositions to be influenced by jazz. Charles Ives is a uniquely individualistic American composer. His iconoclastic and rarely performed work “Three Quarter Tone Pieces” is featured as a tribute to Ives and his musical vision. This DVD also includes the option of viewing running commentaries on the pieces as they are performed as well as liner notes, a glossary of music terms, historical markers for the pieces, and performer profiles. Audio playback options are 5.1 dolby digital and non-compressed stereo.