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TPV RECOMMENDS:
MUSIC ON DVD
Bob Gendron, Robert Harley, Shane Buettner, and Wayne Garcia

You asked for it, you got it! Here is the first of a series
in which TPV staff writers recommend the best in music
videos, past and present.
The American Blues Folk Festival 1962-1969, Volume Three (2004). Fullsceen (1.33:1), B&W, PCM mono. Hip-O. Buy DVD
To most, Skip James, Bukka White, and Son House are legends in name only, musicians whose songs are cherished but whose concerts few witnessed in person. A compilation of footage taped in European television studios in the ’60s, American Blues Folk Festival, Volume Three, contains 18 performances that have remained unseen for nearly 40 years. Among the highlights: a white-hot “Out of Sight” from an impossibly young Buddy Guy; Koko Taylor wailing “Wang Dang Doodle” with Little Walker; and an aging Muddy Waters laying down his signature mojo. While the picture quality is slightly grainy, seeing the weather-beaten faces of folks like Big Mama Thornton as they belt out their trademark numbers is surreal—the stuff you expect to encounter only in a rock Hall of Fame. The award-winning Volume One and Two are also recommended. Bob Gendron
 
Mary J. Blige: Live From Los Angeles (2004). J. Kevin Swain, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby 5.1. Sanctuary Urban. Buy DVD
In an age when most R&B stars are primped to look like runway models and picked to sound like the latest trend, Mary J. Blige stands head and shoulders above her peers. Blige’s albums have their own appeal, but to appreciate the 34-year-old’s ardor and unshakable confidence, one must experience her live, where the personal becomes public and the event becomes a spiritual affair, a testimonial to music’s healing power. While it doesn’t substitute for the real experience, this DVD shows the uninitiated what they’re missing. For nearly two hours, the reigning queen of hip-hop soul rides a rollercoaster of emotion and sings with a gritty, no-holds-barred passion that combines personal exorcism, street-tough attitude, and unflinching honesty. Featuring excellent stage choreography and vivid color, it’s the only place to get Blige’s gut-wrenching cover of “Children of the Ghetto.” BG
 
Jeff Buckley: Live in Chicago (2000). Fullscreen (1.33:1), Dolby Digital 5.1. CMV. Buy DVD
A brilliant vocalist, guitar player, and songwriter, the late Jeff Buckley was a rare rock talent, kissed by the kind of genius that all too frequently seems doomed before it reaches fullest flower. He brought a vast range of influences to his work, in both the songs he wrote as well as those he covered, including Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and the Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His voice could purr, shriek, sing sweetly, and moan low, as could his guitar, which allowed him to bring a much wider dynamic scale to rock than we’re used to hearing. This 1995 concert of Buckley and his band nicely showcases his breathtaking talent and slightly goofy stage personality, and features many songs from his album Grace, as well as several covers—from the MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams” to Leonard Cohen’s “Halle-lujah,” which became Buckley’s signature song, played solo and with great tenderness. Keeping the production simple and relatively uncut gives us a wonderful sense of being at a Jeff Buckley performance. The sound (I listened only in PCM stereo) is good if not great. A terrific short documentary/interview and two in-the-studio acoustic cuts round out the package. Wayne Garcia
 
Concert for George (2003). David Leland, director. Widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1), Color, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. 2-disc. WSM. Buy DVD
Tributes are usually vapid affairs, full of self-congratulatory puffery and famous names but little in the way of inspiration or chemistry. Along with Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Celebration (still not on DVD), Concert for George breaks the mold. Filmed at London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 29, 2002, this double-disc set finds the “quiet” Beatle’s close friends and associates celebrating his finest material. The usual suspects—Paul McCartney, Billy Preston, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne—turn in wonderful readings of “My Sweet Lord,” “Photograph” and others, but the surprises come from Musical Director Eric Clapton, who finally shows why he’s so idolized despite having phoned it in for the better part of the last three decades. Moved by his buddy’s passing, a humbled Clapton and show-stealing Anoushka Shakar make clear this is about more than Harrison’s music. A second disc houses the theatrical version, augmented with rehearsals and interviews. BG
 
DeJohnnette, Hancock, Holland, Metheny in Concert (1991). Widescreen anamorphic (1.78:1), PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Pioneer Artists. Buy DVD
This disc is a not only a showcase for the talents of these extraordinary musicians, it’s a model of how concert DVDs should be made. Filmed in 1991 during a world tour, DHHM in Concert brings together drummer Jack DeJohnnette, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Dave Holland, and guitarist Pat Metheny in an ensemble in which every musician is equally leader and supporting player. Each contributed compositions, arranged here with plenty of space for everyone to stretch out in extended solos. The set is chock full of inspired improvisation, near-telepathic ensemble interplay, and an energy and enthusiasm that only a video performance can adequately convey. Technically, the DVD is first-rate in every respect. The video presentation is anamorphic, and the disc offers the listener the option of superior-sounding linear PCM tracks as an alternative to Dolby Digital (see sidebar). The recording quality is terrific; DeJohnnette’s powerful drum work has explosive dynamics and real punch in the bass; every wonderful note Holland plays is clearly articulated; and Hancock’s piano is full-bodied, without the thin and glassy character so often heard on live recordings. Robert Harley
 
Depeche Mode 101 (1989). D.A. Pennebaker, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo. 2-disc. Rhino/Reprise. Buy DVD
The director of Don’t Look Back and Monterey Pop does here for the late Eighties what he previously did for the mid-Sixties—preserving the look, feel, style, and sound of a brief albeit culturally important era. On the surface, 101 chronicles the events leading up to the final concert of Depeche Mode’s globe-trotting tour. Pennebaker depicts the band sensitively, showing each of them as real people with everyday worries and anxieties. In addition to spotlighting the effeminate new-wave goth-synth group’s music (and period images of white pants, big hair, stonewashed skirts, and ripped jeans), the film focuses on contest winners who bus across the country to see their favorite band. The message isn’t one of obsession, greed, and excess—though these elements are here in abundance—but of the magnetism of pop music and the events and personalities that inspire its creation. The second disc contains Depeche Mode’s 1988 Rose Bowl concert in its entirety. BG
 
Steve Earle: Live From Austin, Texas (2004). Gary Menotti, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital 5.1. New West. Buy DVD
In its heyday, the “Austin City Limits” television series exposed America to dozens of songwriting talents. Recorded for the program in 1986—before he made headlines for his substance problems and barbed commentary on America’s response to 9/11—Live From Austin captures Steve Earle in renegade infancy, gutting it out in a white undershirt with his Dukes quintet in tow. Earle had yet to tap into rock, Middle Eastern, and reggae, so he leans heavily on his songs recorded for an earlier record that never materialized. But the appeal of this time capsule is its documentation of the red-dirt country and populist twang that thrived in Texas’ capital until high rents and technological glitz forced many musicians out of town. BG
 
Joni Mitchell: Painting With Words and Music (1998). Fullscreen (1.33:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Image Entertainment. Buy DVD
Calling on the best songs from her long career, Mitchell delivers an intimate, low-key performance that emphasizes the compositional and lyrical brilliance of her music. The set was performed in front of a small audience in a round theater (designed by Mitchell) built on a Warner soundstage—the perfect venue to appreciate her nuanced lyrics. Mitchell’s paintings adorn the set, and the camera occasionally interweaves close-ups of them into the musical performance—Mitchell considers herself a painter first and a musician second. The video format is uniquely capable of simultaneously presenting both sides of her talent. Backed by a small group, including ex-husband Larry Klein on bass, Mark Isham on trumpet, the understated Brian Blade on drums, and Greg Leisz on pedal-steel guitar, Mitchell combines hits such as “Woodstock” and “Big Yellow Taxi” with the less well known and more personal writing on “Amelia” and “Song for Sharon.” Toward the set’s end, Mitchell lightens up, singing covers of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man,” and an aching rendition of Billie Holiday’s “Nothing Can be Done.” Mitchell oversaw every aspect of this DVD, from designing the set to mixing the music. The production values are first-rate, with good lighting, excellent video-transfer quality, direction that doesn’t distract from the music, and a wonderful-sounding Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. RH
 
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Live At Slane Castle (2003). Widescreen anamorphic (1.78:1), Color, PCM Stereo. Warner. Buy DVD
Performing in front of a sold-out crowd, LA’s funk-punk-rock-pop-soul brothers demonstrate, a decade removed from almost falling apart, their evolution into one of the greatest live bands on the planet. Much of their success is due to cleaned-up guitarist John Frusciante, whose riffs, solos, and colorful accents place him in the upper echelon of the all-time greats. Add in Flea’s slap-happy bass playing, vocalist Anthony Keidis’ boundless enthusiasm, very good sound, and a set that draws from 2003’s superb By the Way, and it’s one of the finest music DVDs available. BG
 
Slayer: Still Reigning (2004). Dean Karr, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby 5.1. American. Buy DVD
Taking the meaning of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You Got It)” to its literal extreme, Slayer commemorates the anniversary of its precedent-setting Reign In Blood album by performing the record in its entirety for the first time in over a decade, then hammers down the exclamation point by sloshing through the set’s finale while band and stage get drenched in crimson liquid pouring from above. Besides pulling off one of the most hellish-looking feats in concert history, the speed-metal titans prove why—21 years since their inception—they remain unmatched in intensity, precision, and bone-sawing aggression. Watching Dave Lombardo keep up an inhuman pace on his drum throne while guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman fire off grenade-like riffs is alone worth the price of admission. BG
 
Steps Ahead (1987). Fullscreen (1.33:1), Dolby Digital 2.0. Image Entertainment.
Although the production values on this DVD are marginal, the sheer genius of this supergroup makes this disc essential for fans of contemporary jazz. Steps Ahead is a New York-based ensemble formed in the mid-’80s, here in an incarnation featuring founders Michael Brecker on tenor sax and electronic wind instrument and Mike Mainieri on vibes and keyboards, supported by guitarist Mike Stern, bassist Darryl Jones, and drummer Steve Smith. Jones and Smith bring an edgier, more rock-like rhythmic drive to the sound compared to an earlier version of the band that featured Eddie Gomez on bass and Peter Erskine on drums. Nonetheless, the compositions’ lyrical and inventive melodies are springboards for extended improvisation. Listen, for example, to how Mainieri explores every aspect of the melody’s possibilities on his vibes solo in the opening track. This music isn’t for everyone, however; it’s adventurous and challenging. The video has poor lighting and is grainy, and the 2.0 Dolby Digital track is on the bright and harsh side. But when this band locks in, who cares? RH
 
Talking Heads—Stop Making Sense (1984). Jonathan Demme, director. Widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1), PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Palm Pictures.
Buy DVD
An exuberant blend of movie making, live music, and performance art, 1984’s Stop Making Sense (directed by Jonathan Demme, and photographed by the legendary Jordan Cronenweth) captures the Talking Heads in a way that’s perhaps more joyfully profound even than the great studio work the band created from 1977–1985. The Heads weren’t just intellectual art rockers; they were wonderful (if eccentric) performers. The movie opens with front man David Byrne playing acoustic guitar, accompanied only by a boom box laying down a pulsating beat for “Psycho Killer,” and the remaining members of the band come on stage gradually during subsequent numbers, bringing the show to life. Every song is essential, the stage production is inspired and unique, and the animated performances by expanded ensemble are staggering. Standouts include a stripped down “Heaven,” an evangelical “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Girlfriend is Better” with the oddly compelling physical comedy of the rail-thin Byrne in a simply enormous suit. The image quality is terrific, if a bit soft, emphasizing film grain in a good way. There are three discrete Dolby Digital tracks: a 5.1 “feature film” mix (which I preferred for its more natural audience perspective), a 5.1 studio mix, and a stereo mix. This DVD is a must for any music fan with a home theater. Shane Buettner
 
U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle (2003). Hamish Hamilton, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital 5.1. Interscope. Buy DVD
Filmed over two nights at the picturesque location where the band recorded its Unforgettable Fire album, U2 Go Home is symbolic as both a homecoming show and triumphant culmination of its All That You Can’t Leave Behind tour. A counterpart to Elevation 2001: U2 Live From Boston, this DVD takes on a warmer glow thanks to the outdoor presentation and hometown vibe. The Irish quartet comes especially amped and throws in a few surprises—the head-spinning “Out of Control” and serene “All I Want Is You” sitting side-by-side next to the jet-engine rush of “Beautiful Day” and chilling “Bullet the Blue Sky.” Despite being shot in front of tens of thousands of fans, this is an intimate look at a stadium band on its finest outing in a decade, affirming why U2 remains among the world’s foremost rock performers and big-production wizards. BG
 
Roger Waters—In the Flesh Live (2000). Widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1), PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Sony/Columbia. Buy DVD
The bulk of Pink Floyd’s meaningful music features Waters’ lyrics, and the play list of this concert performance from 2000 is made up mostly of those iconic tunes, with some selections from Waters’ solo works. The band is hot, and the production looks like a restrained, almost intimate ghost of the spectacles that were the Floyd arena shows of the ’70s. The multimedia aspects of the production enhance Waters’ solo material and make it work for me in ways that the studio recordings never have. But as you’d expect, the Floyd tunes are the stars, and Waters does well at claiming them as his, as “Mother” (with a powerful female backing vocal) and the (dedicated to Syd Barret) “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” authoritatively demonstrate. The video, downconverted from a high-def master, is excellent. Waters has long been into surround sound for music, and presented on this DVD are a Dolby Digital 5.1 track as well as a surround-encoded two channel PCM track. The smooth, high resolution of the PCM track is leagues beyond the DD 5.1, but sometimes the LFE does a better job of mimicking the overblown bass wallop of live concerts. SB
 
White Stripes: Under Blackpool Lights (2004). Dick Carruthers, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. Third Man/V2. Buy DVD
Without their studio accoutrements, some bands take on a lesser sheen when playing live. With drums, pianos, guitars, and distortion pedals at hand, Jack and Meg White respond to the challenge of replicating their big, punchy sound by tearing through a camp-free 26-song set that’s as raw as it is explosive. Shot in England’s stately Empress Ballroom in a grainy retro style, Under Blackpool Lights presents the Zeppelin-cum-blues-rock minimalist duo in a fine rudimentary light, happily stomping through catalogue tracks, unreleased songs, and choice Leadbelly and Dolly Parton covers. Guitar enthusiasts will observe White’s quick fingers, which while unable to fill in all of the gutbucket-slide and country-boogie blanks, lend the duo an exuberance, openness, and physicality it lacks on record. The two-channel sound is especially rich, and watching the duo interact never grows stale. BG
 
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow (2004). Lance Bangs, director. Fullscreen (1.33:1), Color, Dolby 5.1. Interscope. Buy DVD
Iggy Pop smeared peanut butter on his chest. Sid Vicious slashed himself with razor blades. Wendy O. Williams chainsawed guitars. Karen O. doesn’t do anything as outlandish, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs vocalist captures the free spirit of her predecessors by flinging herself around like a battered pinball while she prowls, crawls, kicks, tumbles, and bounces across stage. Wearing a short black dress and torn white tights, she visually embodies the dangerous sensuality, sexual politics, and romantic vulnerability embedded in the bass-less, garage-punk trio’s music. Guitarist Nick Zinner coaxes an array of refractive, rubbery delay and fractured-blues noise from his axe and amp. Dozens of bonus features round out the fun. BG
 
Dolby Digital, DTS, and Linear PCM on Concert DVD

Some concert DVDs offer the option in the audio set-up menu of listening to the soundtrack in Dolby Digital, DTS, or Linear PCM. Dolby Digital and DTS both compress the soundtrack into a relatively low bit-rate. For example, Dolby Digital encodes 5.1 discrete channels into a single datastream with a bit-rate of 384kbs (384,000 bits per second).
      If you select the Linear PCM option available on some discs, the DVD player’s output is a stereo digital audio signal with a bit-rate of 768kbs per channel—about ten times more data per channel than the Dolby Digital track. In my experience, the PCM track sounds significantly better than Dolby Digital or DTS. The treble is smoother and less grainy; midrange timbres sound more natural and lifelike rather than synthetic; and the soundstage has a more open quality.
      The situation will, we hope, become moot when HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc become available. With up to eight discrete channels of true high-resolution audio and bit rates as high as 4.6 million bits per second per channel, concert DVDs are going to sound a whole lot better. RH
 
Recommended Music DVDs reviewed in previous issues: The Last Waltz (TPV 44), Led Zeppelin (TPV 50), The Complete Monterey Pop Festival (TPV 47), Nine Inch Nails: All That Could Have Been (TPV 42), Bruce Springsteen: Live In New York City (TPV 41), Elevation 2001: U2 Live From Boston (TPV 41).
 


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