Aerosmith - Rock For The Rising Sun Blu-ray Review

Written by General Jabbo

In March 2011, Japan was devastated by the effects of a massive earthquake and tsunami. To make matters worse, the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered a meltdown. Tourists were advised to stay away for their own safety, but Aerosmith, never ones to follow the rules, had other ideas. The band had maintained a close relationship with its Japanese fans over the years and, against conventional wisdom, decided to help the country heal through their music, staging a series of concerts later that year. The shows were filmed and form the basis of the new Blu-ray, Aerosmith - Rock For The Rising Sun.

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Christopher Cross - A Night In Paris CD/DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

As debut albums go, the self-titled release from Christopher Cross was as about as successful as anyone could have hoped for. Released in late 1979, it sold over 5 million copies in the United States alone (20 million worldwide) and garnered the singer five Grammy Awards in 1981. His second album, Another Page, was a success as well, going gold in the U.S. and spawning another top-10 hit in "Think Of Laura." As the years passed, Cross' releases became more sporadic, yet still achieved critical acclaim. In 2011, he released Doctor Faith, his first album of original material in over a decade. Cross was captured live on that tour at a stop in Paris, France. The April 2012 show makes up the CD/DVD, A Night In Paris.

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Status Quo - Bula Quo! CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

While they may not be household names in America, British rockers, Status Quo, have carved out a successful career in Europe that has lasted more than 40 years. They have performed at prestigious gigs such as Live Aid and were on the bill for Queen's legendary Wembley Stadium shows in 1986, but there's one thing the band hasn't done until now - record a movie soundtrack. Bula Quo! is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which features the band as themselves (also a first). The soundtrack is a 2-CD collection featuring new original material, reworked tracks and live cuts.

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Queen V - The Decade Of Queen V CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Through the past 10 years, Queen V has demonstrated one thing consistently - she rocks. In the male-dominated world of guitar-driven rock, Queen V has more than held her own, winning over tough audiences opening for the likes of Twisted Sister and Billy Idol. The best of her recorded work from the past decade makes up the new CD, Queen V - The Decade of Queen V.

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Last Stop Standing: The Rise, Fall And Rebirth of The Independent Record Store DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

As music sales have declined over the last decade, the retailers hit hardest have been the independent record stores. In the UK alone, where there was once over 2,200 independent stores in the 1980s, that number has dwindled to 269 as of 2009. So what happened? Surely people still like music? Last Shop Standing: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of the Independent Record Store aims to find out.

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The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations Tour DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1976, The Beach Boys were riding a wave of nostalgia thanks, in large part, to the "Brian's Back!" campaign. The Beach Boys' principal songwriter had spent the better part of three years in bed - eating, drinking and abusing drugs - and disengaged himself from not only the band, but also the world. After hiring the controversial therapist, Eugene Landy, Wilson was deemed ready for action once more. The results were the first Wilson-produced Beach Boys album in a decade, 15 Big Ones, and his return to the live stage to coincide with the band's 15th anniversary. To capitalize on the event, an NBC TV special was filmed, mixing live footage with interviews and comedy skits. This program makes up the DVD, The Beach Boys -- Good Vibrations Tour.

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Paul McCartney And Wings - Rockshow Blu-ray Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings mounted their only U.S. tour, the aptly nicknamed Wings Over America. The tour was a massive success and spawned a live album of the same name. It had been 10 years since McCartney had toured the U.S. on the Beatles' final outing and, with Wings at the height of their popularity, the time was right to return to the States. Sensing the enormity of the tour, McCartney had shows in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle filmed with the hopes of putting together a concert film.

The film was titled Rockshow, after the song of the same name, but didn't receive its theatrical premiere until 1980. By then, Wings had a different lineup and were at the end of their run due in part to McCartney's pot bust in Japan on the eve of the band's tour. Sadly, Jimmy McCulloch, the talented, but troubled lead guitarist in the Rockshow performance didn't live to see its theatrical premiere, having died of a drug overdose the year before. While Rockshow had been previously released on video, laser disc and DVD as part of The McCartney Years, none of those releases were the complete show. This has been rectified on the new Blu-ray, which is fully restored from the film and audio masters.

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