General JABBO's Fortress

Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) CD Review

2012-01-14T16:04:00.001-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1970, Elvis Presley was arguably at the peak of his second great period. He was still riding high from the success of the '68 Comeback Special, and his 1969 album, From Elvis In Memphis, had freed him from the second-rate movie soundtrack songs he had been forced to record for too long. On top of that, he had made a triumphant — and long overdue — return to the concert stage. Presley was back on top and needed to make another big musical statement to maintain his momentum.

In the summer of 1970, Presley and his band went in the studio for some of the most fruitful sessions of the legendary singer's career. The songs culled from these sessions were enough for three albums: Elvis: That's The Way It Is, Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) and Love Letters From Elvis with the latter two collected on the new CD Elvis Country (Legacy Edition).

Like From Elvis In Memphis, 1971's Elvis Country found the singer revisiting his roots, putting his touch on twelve tracks covering virtually every style of country. The album opens with "Snowbird," a then-recent hit for Anne Murray," that featured Presley delivering a gentle vocal against guitarist Harold Bradley's electric sitar.

"Tomorrow Never Comes" combines the bolero rhythm of Glen Campbell's version with a similar vocal to B.J. Thomas' version. Presley gives an impassioned performance, ending with a big, dramatic note. Presley revisits his Sun roots with a blistering cover of his old label mate, Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On," attacking the song with an aggressive vocal. Lewis' famous piano has been replaced by James Burton's sizzling guitar in this version.

Presley offers a poignant, understated vocal on Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and uses the lower registers of his voice to great affect on "The Fool." The band goes up-tempo on "It's Your Baby, You Rock It," a song that would not be out of place stylistically on From Elvis in Memphis.

For fans that may not know, the original album featured snippets of the rollicking "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" interspersed between every track to tie them together. This is the way they are presented here as well. Some fans like this, others find it annoying. The songs have appeared elsewhere without these snippets, but not in the same sound quality that mastering engineer Vic Anesini has delivered here.

The problem with including Love Letters From Elvis in this collection is that it is not as strong an album as Elvis Country, which ranks among his very best. That's not to say the album doesn't have its merits, however.

The album opens with the title cut, which Presley had previously released in 1966. This is a newly recorded version, however, and in the same key with a similar arrangement. Presley gives a fine performance on this tender ballad.

"Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It" finds Presley and his band in fine form in this energetic studio jam. It's an intense track and would not be out of place on Elvis Country. Likewise, the laid-back country of "It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing)" would also be at home on that album.

"Cindy, Cindy," a gritty rocker evoking the spirit of Presley's younger days is an exciting track that shows the singer could still rock out with the best of them while Presley's powerful vocal drives the pop-tinged "Heart Of Rome" — a track that would have suffered in lesser hands — to great heights. Still, adult contemporary tracks such as "Life" and "This Is Our Dance" drag the album down, preventing it from reaching the heights of its predecessor.

The CD features a number of bonus tracks of singles from the period, including the excellent "Where Did They Go, Lord" and the ballad "Rags To Riches." Both songs feature the King in fine voice. A few singles were missed however and, unlike From Elvis In Memphis (Legacy Edition) none of the mono single mixes were used either. There would have been room to include these songs in the collection. Still, the pluses outweigh the minuses here.

Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) is a must-own, if only for disc one, but there is some fine music on disc two as well. Presley was still in shape, singing well and delivering quality material. It wouldn't last, but the King at his peak is tough to beat.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) on Blogcritics.

The Love We Make DVD Review

2011-12-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

When the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, Paul McCartney was sitting in an airplane on the tarmac at JFK airport. He could see the smoke coming from the towers. As the day rolled on and it became clear these were no accidents, McCartney decided he needed to do something to give back to the city and country that had given him so much. McCartney called upon his celebrity friends and organized The Concert for New York City. The events leading up to the concert were captured on film by Bradley Kaplan and Albert Maysles (who, along with his brother, famously filmed the Beatles on their first trip to the United States) and make up the basis of the documentary, The Love We Make.

Read the rest of the review at www.cinemasentries.com by clicking here.

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne DVD Review

2011-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

Ozzy Osbourne has become something of a cartoon character in recent years. The reality show, The Osbournes, portrayed him as a lovable oaf and the term "Prince of Darkness," has become a marketing catchphrase, rather than the appropriate metal term is was in the 1970s and 1980s. The documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by his son, Jack, attempts to rectify all this and help Ozzy reclaim his rightful legacy on top of the metal world.

Read the rest of the review at www.cinemasentries.com by clicking here.

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy Live - Made In Stoke 24/7/11 CD Review

2011-12-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

Who says you can’t go home again? Legendary guitarist Slash returned to Stoke on Trent, England, where he was raised as a young boy to record his first-ever live solo album, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy Live – Made In Stoke 24/7/11. The album offers a good mix of solo, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit and, of course, Guns ‘N Roses tracks and features Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy on lead vocals.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls Live In Texas '78 Blu-ray Review

2011-12-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

The late 1970s offered a stark contrast in terms of popular music styles. There was the bloated excess of disco – arguably at the height of its powers – dominating the charts and the club scene, especially in places such as Studio 54 in New York. Tipping the scales in the other direction was the punk scene, which stripped rock ‘n’ roll back to its most pure elements – high energy, guitar, drums, bass, snarling vocals. Punk helped put the danger back into rock music. The Rolling Stones managed to embrace both on their seminal release, Some Girls, with a country song added in for good measure.

“Miss You” was full-on disco, but with a Stones edge and came as a result of Mick Jagger’s frequenting of the New York club scene. The rest of the album while not punk certainly shared its raw nature and energy. Gone were the backup singers and horn sections and, in their place, was the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n Roll Band doing what it does best – playing stripped down, powerful music. The band took this attitude on the road with them for the ensuing tour, which is captured on the Blu-ray The Rolling Stones – Some Girls Live In Texas ’78.

read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Ray Charles - Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles CD Review

2011-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

By the end of the 1950s, Ray Charles, already a star in black America, began to make inroads into the white teen record buying market with hits such as "I Got A Woman" and "What'd I Say." Charles' contract with Atlantic Records was about to expire and the label fully expected to keep their rising star. However, a new label, ABC-Paramount, was looking to stake their claim in the white teen market and came to court Charles.

Their offer was too good to refuse. Charles was able to produce his own records, he received a healthy royalty rate and, most importantly, he would own his own masters after five years — an unprecedented move for any record label, but one that showed how badly they wanted Charles. Charles agreed to the deal and found great success at the label, releasing a number of singles and some of his best-loved work. Those singles are all collected on Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

How I Won The War DVD Review

2011-11-29T20:35:00.001-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

After the success of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, director Richard Lester tried his hand at making an anti-war film. He enlisted the aid of John Lennon — which was sure to attract viewers — and a young, pre-Phantom Of The Opera Michael Crawford for his 1967 release, How I Won The War. Panned by critics and fans at the time that may have been expecting more madcap Beatles adventures with Lennon and oft misunderstood, the film lampoons the whole notion of war and the class divide between the British officers and enlisted men.

Read the rest of the review at www.cinemasentries.com by clicking here.

Ray Charles - Live In France 1961 DVD Review

2011-11-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1961, it's safe to say Ray Charles was at the peak of his powers. His albums and tours were smash hits and he had signed a deal with ABC-Paramount that granted him 75% of his record's profits and a minimum guarantee of $50,000 per record. In addition, his former label Atlantic, which was still stinging from the loss of its big star, released a number of unreleased Ray Charles songs which when combined with the material he was doing for ABC-Paramount, made for 10 albums of new material between 1960-1961. Life was good indeed.

In 1961, he was invited to perform at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France. The festival featured a number of important acts, including Count Basie; Les McCann; and the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross and became the first concerts Charles ever performed in Europe. The performances were filmed and form the basis of Ray Charles – Live in France 1961. This DVD marks the first commercial release of this material.

Read the rest of the review at www.cinemasentries.com by clicking here.

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Collector's Edition Box Set CD Review

2011-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

The World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll band had just completed their incredibly successful comeback tour for Steel Wheels. It was the first Rolling Stones tour since the 1981-82 tour for Tattoo You and, in 1991, the band was primed to sign a megabucks deal with Virgin Records. Well, most of the band that is. Weary of touring and the rigors that come with being in a major band, original bassist Bill Wyman decided he had had enough and did the unthinkable – he quit the Rolling Stones. The band kept the door open until it was time to hit the road again in 1994, but Wyman was serious, he was done with the band. He wasn’t done with music, however.

Wyman put in calls to some of his musician friends, including Andy Fairweather-Low, Graham Broad and pianist Dave Hartley. The group hit the studio and Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings was born. The Rhythm Kings have gone on to produce five studio albums and one live album. The first four of those studio albums are collected on Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings – Collector’s Edition Box Set.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) CD Review

2011-10-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

John Lennon was famously quoted as saying, "Before Elvis, there was nothing" and the man had a point. Elvis Presley didn't necessarily invent rock 'n' roll, as there were others with songs out before him. What he did do was perfect it, making it exciting for teenagers and dangerous for parents. When Presley released his first two albums — Elvis Presley and Elvis in 1956 — he forever altered not only the rock 'n' roll landscape, but popular music in general. Now both of these landmark albums are available in remastered form as Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition).

It was by no means a sure thing. After purchasing Presley's contract from Sun Records, producer Steve Sholes had difficulty getting enough good takes out of Presley and his band, which featured fellow legends Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on bass, and D.J. Fontana on drums, leading RCA officials to ponder whether they had signed the right artist. They needn't have worried. Presley's lead single, "Heartbreak Hotel," was a smash, selling over one million copies and his debut album, Elvis Presley, was the first RCA Victor album to ever sell more than 300,000 copies. Presley had arrived.

The album leads off with Presley's cover of fellow Sun label mate, Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes." Presley and his band speed up the song's tempo, giving it an edge and raw sexuality Perkins could never hope to achieve. Similarly, their cover of Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman" is an exciting, up-tempo romp at least equalling that of its creator's version.

The album featured a number of unused Sun tracks as RCA lacked new material from Presley. Among those are "I Love You Because," a pretty, country-tinged ballad that originally featured a spoken-word part that was later edited out; "Just Because," a rockabilly number with lightning-fast finger-picking by Moore; and the gritty "Trying To Get To You," a song Presley would revive during his '68 Comeback Special and one that featured some of his best-ever vocals. As debuts go, this was as good as it gets, and Presley managed to keep his momentum going for his second album.

Elvis opens with "Rip It Up," one of three Little Richard covers on the album. From the exciting drum intro, it's clear the band does indeed intend to rip it up. While Presley's voice doesn't match the high-octane power of Richard's, he puts his own spin on the song making for a different, yet equally exciting, version.

"Love Me" is one of the all-time-great Presley ballads and one he'd feature extensively when he started touring again in 1969. One only needs to hear the opening "Treat me like a fool" to be instantly transfixed. Otis Blackwell's "Paralyzed" is a forgotten gem on the LP and would have been released as a single had it not been so similar to "Don't Be Cruel," also written by Blackwell. Presley delivers a confident vocal that betrays his young 21 years on the track.

The included bonus singles for Elvis aren't just bonus tracks —they changed rock 'n' roll. From the doo-wop-influence of "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" to the aforementioned pop gem "Don't Be Cruel," these were legendary songs by a soon-to-be legendary artist.

Presley brought Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" to a white audience, giving the song a hard edge with a gritty vocal. The track features some tasty lead-playing by Moore and remains one of the highlights of the rock 'n' roll era. The CD's final track, "Love Me Tender," a reworking of the folk song "Aura Lee," became the title song to Presley's first movie and one of his best-loved tracks. The song showed a softer side to the young rocker and became a staple of his live shows for years to come.

It's easy now to say how influential these songs were, but at the time, no one had ever heard rock albums such as Elvis Presley and Elvis. Women wanted to be with him, men wanted to be him, and parents feared him. Presley changed the game, paving the way for every rock artist that came after him, making Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) essential for not only Presley fans, but fans of popular music as well.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) on Blogcritics.

Roger Glover And The Guilty Party - If Life Was Easy CD Review

2011-10-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Nine years after their first release, Roger Glover and the Guilty Party are back with If Life Was Easy, an eclectic collection of songs from the legendary Deep Purple bassist. Fans expecting the bombastic hard rock of Glover's main group may be disappointed, but fans with an open mind will find a fine collection of songs.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken CD Review

2011-10-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

As the 1960s wore on, the Stax label focused on current artists such as Otis Redding and Booker T and the M.G.'s while Rufus Thomas, an early hit maker for the label, was being left behind. Now in his early 50s, Thomas had been left off the label's tour of Europe — a move he found insulting — and his 1968 cover of Eddie Floyd's "Funky Mississippi" was recorded for an album that was never released. Undeterred, Thomas returned to the studio in 1969, backed by his son Marvell and members of the Bar-Kays to record his own "Do The Funky Chicken." Based on a dance, it became the title track for his new album and was a big hit for Thomas, hitting number 5 on the R&B charts.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get CD Review

2011-10-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Toward the end of the 1960s, Stax vice president Al Bell diversified his talent pool by looking outside of Memphis, Tennessee for his artists. They went to Detroit, home of their competitor, the legendary Motown Records, to bring producer Don Davis down to Memphis. Initially, Davis worked with Carla Thomas and then Johnnie Taylor, but by the end of 1969, Davis had produced the first Stax single by another Detroit import, The Dramatics on the label's Volt imprint.

When that single failed to chart, Davis released the group from their contract and they went back to Detroit to work with songwriter Tony Hester. Hester came up with some great songs for the group and Davis resigned them, but let Hester handle the production chores. His first single with the group, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," became not only the title of the group's first Stax album, but also hit number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B charts. After nearly a decade, the group finally hit big.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman CD Review

2011-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

After being discovered by blues legend Albert King at age 14, Shirley Brown served as his opening act on an off for the next 13 years. After a failed single in the early 1970s, King managed to get Brown a tryout with the Stax label where he had some success himself. Recognizing the similarities between Brown's voice and Aretha Franklin's, the label had her record a demo featuring some of Franklin's biggest hits, including "Respect" and "Rock Steady." It was the single, "Woman To Woman," that became Brown's first hit, however, and the title track of her first LP for the label.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Frank Sinatra & Count Basie - The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings CD Review

2011-10-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Frank Sinatra claimed he had waited 20 years to work with the legendary Count Basie and his orchestra and, in 1962, he finally got his chance with Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First. The pairing of these two New Jersey natives was so successful that they worked together again on 1964's It Might As Well Be Swing. Now both of these legendary recordings are available on the newly remixed and remastered Frank Sinatra & Count Basie — The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - Double Live DVD Review

2011-08-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Twisted Sister spent a number of years on the New York club scene, building a large following and setting attendance records with their legendary performances. In 1982, before leaving for England to record their debut album, Under The Blade, the band bid farewell to the clubs with a blistering performance at the North Stage Theater. Fast forward nearly two decades later to the NY Steel show in 2001. Held just 11 weeks after the events of 9/11, the show benefitted the New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit fund. After 13 years apart, Twisted Sister was asked to reunite for the event, which sowed the seeds of their reunion. Both shows are available for the first time on the Twisted Sister: Double Live DVD.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising DVD Review

2011-08-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Deep Purple is a band with an often volatile history, none more so than its ill-fated Mk. IV lineup. Guitar god Ritchie Blackmore was out and American axe-slinger Tommy Bolin was in. Their history is documented in Deep Purple: Phoenix Rising.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

WhoCares - Out Of My Mind/Holy Water CD Review

2011-08-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1983, after the departure of Ronnie James Dio, Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan joined forces with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward to record Born Again, the first — and only — Black Sabbath album to feature Gillan's vocals. Despite its short-lived status, that Sabbath lineup has a cult following among fans. Fast forward to the end of the 1980s when tragedy struck the Spitak region of Armenia in the form of an earthquake. Gillan, along with Deep Purple band mate, Ritchie Blackmore and an all-star cast including Tony Iommi, David Gilmour, Bruce Dickinson, Brian May and Roger Taylor recorded an updated version of "Smoke On The Water" as part of the Rock Aid Armenia album to raise money for the region. Now, some 20 years later, Gillan, Iommi and a new all-star band have recorded a single to help the charity.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Deep Purple - Deep Purple CD Review

2011-08-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Deep Purple's third and final release from their original lineup was a self-titled affair. Unlike their first two albums, Deep Purple primarily features originals with only one cover song, showing the band's artistic growth. The album has been rereleased on CD with a number of bonus tracks.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Deep Purple - The Book Of Taliesyn CD Review

2011-08-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

After Deep Purple's success with Shades Of Deep Purple, the band did not stray far from its formula for their second album The Book Of Taliesyn. Like its predecessor, The Book Of Taliesyn is roughly half cover songs and half originals and it is being rereleased on CD along with all of the other Mk. I albums with a number of bonus tracks.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Deep Purple - Shades Of Deep Purple CD Review

2011-08-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Before the bombast of such classics as "Smoke On The Water" or "Highway Star," there was Deep Purple Mk. I. The original band released three albums between 1968 and 1969 and featured Rod Evans on vocals and Nick Simper on bass. This incarnation was more psychedelic and pop-oriented than the hard rock sound the band would come to be known for. Now, all three of these albums are being rereleased with bonus tracks.

Deep Purple's first album, Shades Of Deep Purple, had a fair amount of success — particularly in the U.S. — including a top-5 hit with their cover of the Joe South-written "Hush." The song remains a staple of classic rock radio to this day and is the best-known version of the song. The band thought highly enough of it to rerecord it with Mk. II singer, Ian Gillan, for an album celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Tony Bennett - The Best Of The Improv Recordings CD Review

2011-08-09T18:55:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

As the 1960s wore on and rock 'n' roll became more ingrained into American popular culture, artists such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett faced a career crossroads. Rock music had replaced The Great American Songbook as the soundtrack for young people and the crooners were forced to adapt, which Sinatra did with mixed results, or face being outdated. Bennett was in the latter position as his longtime label Columbia's new brain trust decided its legacy artists needed to record music to appeal to young people.

Bennett's music had survived during the rock era and he felt no need to change. After finishing his contract with Columbia and a brief stint with Mike Curb and Polygram, Bennett decided to follow in the footsteps of Sinatra and form his own label, Improv. While the label was not commercially successful, Bennett's music for the label was critically acclaimed. The best of this music is featured on Tony Bennett: The Best Of The Improv Recordings.

The CD leads off with a bouncy take on the Rodgers & Hart classic, "This Can't be Love." Recorded in 1973 with the Ruby Braff/George Barnes Quartet, Bennett revels in the material with an infectious vocal matched by Braff's tasteful coronet. "Make Someone Happy" finds Bennett teamed up with the late Bill Evans on piano. The song features two virtuosos on top of their respective games with Evans' lightning-fast runs nicely contrasting Bennett's powerful, confident vocal.

The saloon song, "You Don't Know What Love Is," perfectly teams Bennett's longing vocals with Evans' understated piano while Bennett and the Ruby Braff/George Barns Quartet offer up a jazzy, up-tempo "The Lady Is A Tramp." "Reflections" pairs Bennett with an orchestra (conducted by Torrie Zito, who also plays piano). The song is traditional standards fair, with Bennett's operatic vocals drenched in reverb and backed by lush strings.

The CD closes with a live rendition of Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Bennett gives a vibrant performance and he and the band are in fine form on this jubilant recording.

Bennett's Improv years mark an important point in his career. One in which he followed his own muse instead of catering to the latest trends. Bennett would, of course, be vindicated as he experienced a career resurgence, particularly among young people who were often hearing these classics for the first time, which began in the 1980s and continues to this day. The material and musicians on The Best Of The Improv Recordings are top notch throughout, making the CD a welcome addition to any Bennett fan's collection or a good introduction to this great artist's career.

Article first published as Music Review: Tony Bennett - The Best of the Improv Recordings on Blogcritics.

Paul McCartney - McCartney II (Special Edition) CD Review

2011-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Much like its predecessor, 1970's McCartney, signaled the end of the Beatles, its follow-up, 1980's McCartney II, came at the end of Wings. Whether Paul McCartney intended that to be the case is a matter of opinion, but he has not had a named band since nor has there been a third album in the McCartney series.

McCartney II was originally supposed to be a double album but ultimately got released as a single disc. 31 years later, the tracks intended for the double LP have been included as bonus cuts on McCartney II (Special Edition).

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Paul McCartney - McCartney (Special Edition) CD Review

2011-07-09T10:38:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

McCartney, The classic solo debut from Paul McCartney, is often touted as the final nail in The Beatles' coffin. Released before Let It Be — against the other Beatles' wishes — the album also accompanied a press release where McCartney said he no longer envisioned a future writing partnership with John Lennon. The dream was over. Now, 41 years later, this famous debut is getting the expanded treatment as McCartney (Special Edition).

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

ZZ Top - Live in Germany 1980 CD Review

2011-07-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1980, while on tour for Deguello, ZZ Top was looking to expand their fan base to a worldwide market. Already popular in America, the band wanted to conquer Europe next. An opportunity presented itself in the form of the popular German television show, Rockpalast, which broadcasted throughout Europe. Taking the stage at 4:00 a.m., the band played a spirited set that makes up the CD, ZZ Top – Live In Germany 1980.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Chick Corea - The Definitive Chick Corea On Stretch And Concord CD Review

2011-07-09T10:28:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

To say Chick Corea is a giant of the modern jazz era would be an understatement. Beginning in the mid 1960s, Corea was a pioneer in the avant-garde jazz movement, accompanying the likes of Miles Davis. He later formed Return To Forever, a fusion group that, over time has counted Stanley Clarke and Earl Klugh among its ranks. More recently, he's had his Elektric and Akoustic bands, his Five Peace Band, his Trios and he has explored solo piano outings as well.

Collecting all this material on two CDs would be an impossible task. In honor of Corea's 70th birthday though, Concord's latest release in its Definitive series covers the last 30+plus years with The Definitive Chick Corea On Stretch And Concord.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Frank Sinatra - Ring-A-Ding Ding! CD Review

2011-06-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Sinatra's first album for the label needed to reflect this positive period in his life. It needed to swing. This presented a problem as his frequent arranger, Nelson Riddle, was contractually obligated to Capitol until 1963. Similarly, Sinatra favorite Billy May was also signed long-term. Capitol was not thrilled about Sinatra leaving — they did, after all, provide him a home when his career was stalling in the early 1950s — and they were not about to let their prize arrangers work for Sinatra’s label anytime soon. Luckily for Sinatra, Johnny Mandel — a jazz composer who Sinatra was a fan of — was available and he helped Sinatra bring his vision to life with Ring-A-Ding Ding!, a hard-swinging album and one of Sinatra’s favorite catch phrases of the day.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman: Legacy Edition CD Review

2011-06-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

It would be tough to better a solo debut as strong as Blizzard Of Ozz, but to many fans, Ozzy Osbourne may have done just that with its follow-up, Diary Of A Madman. In honor of its 30th anniversary, the album is now available in remastered, expanded form as Diary Of A Madman: Legacy Edition.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz: Expanded Edition CD Review

2011-06-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1979, Ozzy Osbourne's career had hit a major turning point. Fired from Black Sabbath, who had since gone on to replace Osbourne with Ronnie James Dio, Osbourne's next move needed to be big, No one could have predicted just how big it would be.

Osbourne joined forces with bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake, but it would be former Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads who stole the show on what would become not only one of the best solo debuts, but one of the best metal albums of all time, Blizzard Of Ozz.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - Under The Blade: Special Edition CD Review

2011-06-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

After toiling away in the New York club scene for years, Twisted Sister recorded its first EP, Ruff Cutts, for the U.K. Secret Records label with two tracks produced by Eddie Kramer. That hard-charging release served as a primer for the band's legendary debut, Under The Blade, as three of its four tracks were redone for the album. While the album was later remixed and reissued in the United States with a different cover, it is the original artwork and U.K. mix that most Twisted Sister fans clamor for. That has been rectified with the release of Under The Blade: Special Edition. The new edition contains the original album, all of Ruff Cutts and a DVD featuring a live performance from the Reading Festival in 1982.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

The Staple Singers - Be Altitude: Respect Yourself CD Review

2011-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Few groups have had the longevity of the Staple Singers. Fewer yet have managed to do it while completely changing styles more than once. The Staple Singers started out as a gospel group in the 1950s, before turning to folk music and protest songs in the 1960s. After signing with Stax in the late 1960s, the Staple Singers moved from protest music to "message music," as Mavis Staples put it. The songs were still socially conscious, but didn't beat the listener over the head with their message. The music also infused more of a soul and R&B flavor to it. The pinnacle of this period arguably came with Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, which featured three top-ten R&B hits.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Johnnie Taylor - Taylored In Silk CD Review

2011-05-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

By the early 1970s, the late Johnnie Taylor's sound had evolved from gospel singer to blues singer (he was known as Johnnie Taylor The Blues Wailer for a time) to smooth soul singer. Producer Don Davis had been brought in from Detroit to try and create a hybrid between the legendary Motown and Stax sounds, the results of which are plentiful on 1973's Taylored In Silk.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Booker T. And The M.G.'s - McLemore Avenue CD Review

2011-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Booker T. and the M.G.'s cut their teeth as the house band for Stax Records, backing legendary soul and R&B acts such as Otis Redding and Sam & Dave and helping to define the Memphis sound. They also released a number of instrumental singles and albums, but it was keyboardist Booker T. Jones' interest in the Beatles that led the band to one of their more ambitious projects, McLemore Avenue.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Ben Waters - Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute To Ian Stewart CD Review

2011-05-13T19:03:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Ian Stewart was one of the unsung heroes of rock 'n' roll. A founding member of The Rolling Stones, he was dismissed from the touring lineup by manager Andrew Loog Oldham for not looking the part. Undeterred, Stewart continued to play on the band's albums and serve as their road manager. Later, with Oldham no longer the band's manager, Stewart returned to the concert stage for various tours between 1969 and 1982 as one of the group's pianists. Stewart died in 1985 and the band paid tribute to him by insisting on his inclusion when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Bill Evans - The Definitive Bill Evans On Riverside And Fantasy CD Review

2011-04-11T16:56:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Bill Evans was one of the great innovators of modern jazz piano. It's no stretch to say he's had at least some influence on virtually every pianist to follow his innovative lead. From his days with the Miles Davis sextet to his years as a solo artist, Evans accomplished more than most in terms of furthering his genre. The Definitive Bill Evans On Riverside And Fantasy collects 25 tracks from a 21-year period from this jazz legend.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Miles Davis - The Definitive Miles Davis On Prestige CD Review

2011-04-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Collecting the works of Miles Davis can be a daunting task. The jazz giant had dozens of albums and was at the forefront of numerous jazz movements, many of which were radically different from one another. From 1951 to 1956, Davis recorded for the Prestige label, transformed his sound from Cool Jazz to Hard Bop and led some of the greatest bands in 20th century music. Twenty-four of these recordings are collected on The Definitive Miles Davis On Prestige.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Ray Charles - Live In Concert CD Review

2011-04-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The word genius gets tossed around a lot when referring to musical artists, with some more deserving of the honor than others. When people referred to the late Ray Charles as a genius, however, rarely was it more appropriate. Charles was a master of multiple genres seldom seen before or since, mixing R&B, big band, jazz, gospel, country and rock 'n' roll into a blend uniquely his. After playing with smaller combos throughout the 1950s, Charles assembled a 15-piece band in 1961. Originally released in 1965 as a 12-song album, Ray Charles – Live in Concert, the album has been expanded by seven songs to include the complete show.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

SIN-atra CD Review

2011-04-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

As leader of the legendary Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra had attitude in spades, a fact not lost on Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider. In the liner notes for SIN-atra, an album featuring hard rock and heavy metal covers of Sinatra tunes, Snider calls Sinatra "the original rock star" and proclaims that "if he had come up in the '80s, there is no doubt in my mind he would have been the front man for a heavy metal band!"

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition CD Review

2011-03-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

When Elvis Presley entered the Army in 1958, it could have been career suicide. While he was the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll up until that point, record buyers have always been fickle and two years was a long time to wait for new material back then. In short, his first album back needed to be killer — and it was. Elvis is Back! ranks among not only Presley's best albums, but is one of the best rock albums of all time.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - Club Daze Volume 1: The Studio Sessions CD Review

2011-02-23T13:47:00.001-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

"Rock will live tomorrow, but disco dies today," a defiant Dee Snider sang on "Rock N Roll Saviors," a call to arms for the forces of rock and a standout track on Twisted Sister — Club Daze Volume 1: The Studio Sessions. Originally released in 1999 by Spitfire, The Studio Sessions captures Twisted Sister when they were a hungry New York club band.

Read the rest of the review at http://www.blindedbysound.com/ by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - Love Is For Suckers CD Review

2011-02-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

No album divides Twisted Sister's fan base (or even the band itself) more than its final album of all-new material, Love Is For Suckers. First released in 1987, the album was intended to be a Dee Snider solo project.

Read the rest of the review at http://www.blindedbysound.com/ by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - Come Out And Play CD Review

2011-02-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

After the success of its breakthrough LP, Stay Hungry, Twisted Sister found itself at a crossroads with its follow-up LP, Come Out And Play — placate the mainstream fans that got into the band with "We're Not Gonna Take It" or stand by the longtime fans that got into Twisted Sister the metal band.

Read the rest of the review at http://www.blindedbysound.com/ by clicking here.

Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll CD Review

2011-02-23T13:33:00.001-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

After years toiling away in the New York club scene and the word-of-mouth success of their debut LP, Under The Blade, Twisted Sister was rewarded with a contract from Atlantic Records. The band's first major-label LP, You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll, was a bold first step toward superstardom.

Read the rest of the review at http://www.blindedbysound.com/ by clicking here.

Jeff Beck - Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul DVD Review

2011-02-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

The legendary Les Paul spent the last 14 years of his life playing every Monday at New York City's famed Iridium Jazz Club. What better place for fellow legend Jeff Beck to honor one of his heroes on what would have been Paul's 95th birthday?

Read the rest of the review at http://www.blindedbysound.com/ by clicking here.

Frank Sinatra - Best of Vegas CD Review

2011-02-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

"Don't you love the sound of the big band?" an exuberant Frank Sinatra asked his audience in a spirited version of "Pennies From Heaven" recorded in 1987 at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. This recording is one of the many highlights of Frank Sinatra - Best of Vegas.

Best of Vegas collects songs from four of the five shows included in the essential box, Sinatra - Vegas, originally released in 2006 and covers a 26-year time period between 1961 and 1987. Tracks from the 1978 Caesar's Palace show, originally included as a DVD in Sinatra - Vegas, are conspicuous in their absence from this collection. They'd have made a welcome addition, as they are currently unavailable commercially on CD.

What is included though is prime Sinatra, from his cocky, swinging Rat Pack era to a more humble, older Sinatra, basking in the glow of the songs and their arrangements. The CD is presented roughly in chronological order, beginning with the 1961 tracks and finishing with the 1987 tracks, save for "Theme From New York, New York," which is taken from the 1982 Caesar's Palace show.

Highlights of the 1961 set include a stunning "Moonlight in Vermont," which Sinatra keeps from getting too serious by making an off-color comment toward the end. Similarly, he assures the crowd during a swinging "The Lady is a Tramp" that "smuck" isn't dirty the way he says it. Sinatra is on top of his game here in voice and attitude and he knows it.

Next up are songs from the 1966 run at the Sands Hotel with Count Basie and his Orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones. When Sinatra tells the crowd during a killer "I've Got You Under My Skin" that they were "going to take this here building and move it three feet that way – now" it really seems as if he and the band might be able to pull it off. Equally stirring are the versions of "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" and "Luck Be A Lady," also from 1966. Sinatra's monologue also comes from this show and he's in rare form, riffing on Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., alcohol and the Catholic Church. It's Sinatra at his irreverent best.

We jump to 1982 for the next set of songs, which includes some of the oldest material on the disc, including "Without a Song" from the Tommy Dorsey era, with the original arrangement no less, and "All or Nothing At All" from Sinatra's days with Harry James with a then-new arrangement by Nelson Riddle. Sinatra's voice is older, but still strong in this set and offers maturity not possible in the 1961 set.

The three songs from 1987 show that even into his '70s, Sinatra still could deliver live. The highlight of the show and one of the highlights of the disc is the stark rendering of the classic saloon song, "Angel Eyes." Sinatra's older voice gives the song an authenticity that might be lost on younger singers. The listener gets the impression he lived this song

The good and bad thing about Best of Vegas is it leaves the listener wanting more. That's the idea of course, as people will want to pick up the Vegas box after hearing this. The other issue is that while Sinatra's voice sounds fine throughout, it does sound different as the CD advances to the '80s material. Still, the performances are all top notch and listeners wanting a taste of the adult-oriented Vegas Sinatra knew was all about would do well to start with this CD.

Article first published as Music Review: Frank Sinatra - Best of Vegas on Blogcritics.

Jerry Lee Lewis: Mean Old Man: Deluxe Edition CD Review

2010-11-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

"If I look like a mean old man, that's what I am," proclaims Jerry Lee Lewis on the title track of his new duets album, fully embracing his elder statesman status in both the rock 'n' roll and country worlds. The track, written by Kris Kristofferson and featuring some killer guitar work from the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood (one of three Stones to appear on the CD), is a gritty country romp that sets the tone for much of The Killer's star-studded new album.

"Rockin' My Life Away" finds Lewis' piano skills recalling his 1950s heyday with some fine rockabilly playing by Slash. Lewis sounds vibrant, even if Kid Rock's guest vocals are a bit over the top. Mick Jagger guests on a laid-back "Dead Flowers," singing the high harmonies once sung by Keith Richards. Greg Leisz's pedal steel adds an authentic feel, making this song arguably more country than anything on country radio today. The Stones trifecta is completed by Richards' guest spot on vocals and guitar on "Sweet Virginia," with Lewis' piano adding a honky tonk feel to the track.

Ringo Starr and John Mayer guest on a rollicking "Roll Over Beethoven," with Mayer and Lewis turning in blistering solos respectively while Eric Clapton and James Burton's playing on "You Can Have Her" recall the rockabilly days of Lewis' Sun years.

Country legends Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard guest on "Whiskey River" and "Swinging Doors" respectively, with Nelson adding vocals and lead guitar to the former and Haggard adding vocals to the latter, a track that also features Burton. It's not all old school here however, as Tim McGraw joins Wood on a wistful "Middle Age Crazy," a song that fits McGraw better lyrically these days than Lewis.

Mean Old Man: Deluxe Edition is mostly killer, little filler, with only "Bad Moon Rising," featuring John Fogerty and "You Are My Sunshine" featuring Sheryl Crow serving as missteps. Lewis' voice isn't quite what it used to be, but what it lacks in prowess, it more than makes up in life experience and his piano playing, as always, remains top notch. The album ends with Lewis on solo piano on a striking "Miss the Mississippi and You," a track that shows The Killer is still vital at 75.

Article first published as Music Review: Jerry Lee Lewis - Mean Old Man: Deluxe Edition on Blogcritics.

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run: Special Edition CD Review

2010-11-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

After the breakup of the Beatles and the subsequent release of two quirky, yet charming albums — McCartney and Ram — Paul McCartney decided he'd missed being in a band and Wings was born. The band's first two albums didn't exactly wow the critics and, making matters worse, guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell left the band, reducing Wings to a trio of Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine. Undeterred, the group traveled to Lagos where they recorded Band on the Run, an album that remains a high-water mark of McCartney's post-Beatles career, newly remastered in a two-CD/one-DVD special edition.

Much has been said about Band on the Run over the years and, for fans of McCartney, it is certainly a must-own. The title track, as well as "Jet" and "Let Me Roll it" are McCartney in-concert staples and considered classic tracks. The remaining tracks boast the same quality, from the syrupy "Bluebird" to the driving piano of "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five," this is McCartney at his best.

Remastered by the same team that did the recent Beatles remasters, the sound is clear and detailed and avoids the modern, overly loud production found on too many CDs. This is likely the final word on this album and its sound quality is now up to par with its song quality.

Band on the Run's British track list has been made canon and, as a result, American fans looking for "Helen Wheels" on the main disc will not find it, but it does reside (along with its B-side, the excellent "Country Dreamer") on the bonus CD. The disc also includes a number of live tracks from the One Hand Clapping documentary, including a spirited take on "Jet" with excellent drumming from short-lived Wings member Geoff Britton.

The third disc is a DVD that includes promotional videos for "Band on the Run," "Mamunia," "Helen Wheels," as well as the entire album itself, and a "making of the album cover" documentary. The highlights of the DVD though are Wings in Lagos, a short series of never-seen home movies from the group's trip to Africa and the documentary One Hand Clapping, which is available legitimately for the first time here. While the video quality in One Hand Clapping often borders on bootleg and the track "Suicide" is oddly omitted, it is still likely as good a version of this fine document of Wings in the studio as fans will see.

Band on the Run proved to skeptics that McCartney still had it after the Beatles. The remastered CD as well as the two bonus discs make Band on the Run: Special Edition an essential CD for McCartney fans.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run: Special Edition on Blogcritics.

Heaven & Hell - Neon Nights DVD Review

2010-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

The world of heavy metal lost one of its most towering figures in May of 2010 when Ronnie James Dio succumbed to stomach cancer. The previous summer, the recently reformed Dio version of Black Sabbath (now calling itself Heaven & Hell) toured to support their new album, The Devil You Know. The band played a blistering set at that summer's Wacken Festival in Germany and while no one knew it at the time, it was to be Dio's last filmed performance. That show is captured in Neon Nights.

Opening with "The Mob Rules" from the album of the same name, Heaven & Hell were in fine form, with Dio's voice showing remarkably little wear given the difficulty of the material to sing. A powerful "Children of the Sea" follows, with Dio informing the crowd that it was the first song they had ever written together and dedicating it to them.

The band's new material fit well in the set as they followed Dehumanizer's brutally heavy "I" and the riff-laden "Time Machine" with the equally heavy "Bible Black" and "Fear," which may feature the best riff on The Devil You Know. "Die Young" began with some excellent soloing from guitarist Tony Iommi while the band's namesake song, "Heaven and Hell," became a 17-minute jam that never bordered on boring.

The first verse of "Country Girl" was played as an intro to set-closer "Neon Knights," but a complete version would have been welcome. As the band's name change would indicate, the set list was all Dio-era material and while they played a nice cross-section of their four albums, a few more than the twelve songs played in their 90-minute set would have made a good concert even better.

The DVD includes 30th anniversary interviews with all four band members conducted by DJ Eddie Trunk as well as tributes to Dio from the surviving members of Heaven & Hell. Audio options include Dolby digital stereo, Dolby digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound.

Neon Nights showed a band that was still capable of delivering high-energy shows while The Devil You Know offered a glimpse of what Heaven & Hell could sound like in the new millennium. Sadly, the band will never get to chance to build on the momentum they had achieved in their brief reformation.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Heaven & Hell - Neon Nights on Blogcritics.

Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session DVD Review

2010-11-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

On December 6, 1983, blues history was made when Albert King symbolically passed the torch to one of his most famous disciples, Stevie Ray Vaughan. The pair appeared on the Canadian TV show In Session. While the CD of this performance has been released before, it makes its DVD debut here.

The wait was well worth it as the joy these two legends had playing together is apparent throughout. Interestingly enough, the session almost never happened. King wasn't aware of who Vaughan — who had just released his debut album, Texas Flood — was until he was reminded that he was the same "Little Stevie" who once sat in with King in the 1970s. The relationship between the pair is very much like father and son, with King directing Vaughan — who had been holding back out of respect for his hero — when to cut loose or when to play more restrained.

The DVD opens with King's signature "Born Under a Bad Sign," with the pair trading sizzling leads throughout. King and Vaughan both prove equally adept at not only lead, but also rhythm playing as they lie back and watch the other solo. It's as much a treat for the players to watch each other solo as it is for the viewer.

Up next is an extended "Texas Flood," featuring Vaughan on vocals. King recalls how Vaughan always wanted to sit in with his band and that he'd "play a few good licks and then back off." There's no backing off here however as Vaughan owns the song with a series of blistering licks. King contrasts Vaughan's soloing with a more laid-back feel, further adding to the song's texture. King stands up mid solo (the pair had been seated on stools) as if to announce his presence as Vaughan looks on in awe. It's worth nothing that while King was a left-handed guitarist, he strung his guitar upside down as he had learned on right-handed instruments. So in essence, he was playing these great leads upside down.

Before launching into a funky "Don't Lie to Me," King offers some advice, making Vaughan promise he won't ever think that he has it made or that he has enough. Vaughan agrees with King, hanging on his every word. Vaughan takes his second lead vocal of the session on his signature "Pride and Joy." The two-guitar attack gives the song a different feel from the recorded version with both Vaughan and King soloing throughout, making it a standout track on the DVD.

The accompanying CD features many, but not all, of the songs on the DVD. It does however feature songs not included on the DVD, including "Blues at Sunrise," "Ask Me No Questions," and "Overall Junction." It also has a different running order than the DVD. At over 15 minutes in length, "Blues at Sunrise" is the standout piece here. King recalls recording this song at the Fillmore West with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin and encourages Vaughan to fill Hendrix's giant shoes for his leads, which he ably does.

When In Session first aired, many of the segments were cut for broadcast. So not only is this performance being seen for the first time in 27 years, some of it is being seen for the first time ever. This is the only known recording of two giants of the genre playing together and is a must-own for anyone with even a casual interest in the blues.

Article first published as Music Review: Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session... (CD/DVD Deluxe Edition) on Blogcritics.

Elvis Presley: Viva ELVIS - CD Review

2010-10-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In honor of what would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday, Cirque du Soleil set about honoring the King with a show in the city that became synonymous with Presley in his later touring years – Las Vegas. Taking a page from The Beatles’ Love, Viva ELVIS is a visual tribute to Presley with his music serving as the soundtrack. Much like with Love, Presley’s music has been radically remixed but unlike Love - which was entirely the Beatles’ music - Viva ELVIS finds Presley’s classic tracks augmented by contemporary musicians in an attempt to make his sound current. Purists may scoff at the notion as many of these tracks are considered perfect as is, but the more open-minded may be pleasantly surprised by some of this CD.

The opening of the CD serves as an overture, with a crowd swell; interview clips; sound bytes from Ed Sullivan; bits of “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” better known as the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the new drum beat leading into the opening song, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The track does a good job of building anticipation for the show to come. “Blue Suede Shoes” blends distorted guitars with handclaps and harmonica giving the song a garage-rock feel while “That’s All Right” bears an eerie resemblance to Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” or Jet’s “Are you Gonna Be My Girl?” while still utilizing Scotty Moore’s original lead breaks. The tracks work surprisingly well, but it’s clear from the get-go that this is not your parents' Presley.

“Heartbreak Hotel” manages to combine three different versions of the song to create an entirely different listening experience. We start with Presley warming up his voice, followed by an acoustic blues guitar right out of the Mississippi Delta and Presley’s voice sounding like he was singing through a harmonica mic, but before the listener can get used to that, it jumps between the ’68 Comeback Special arrangement and the original 1956 version. This may be the best-realized remix on the album as the song lends itself well to this sort of treatment. “Bossa Nova Baby” plays up the Latin elements of the song, adding a trumpet solo, while staying fairly close to the original. Keen listeners will notice the guitar solo from “Hard Headed Woman” has been added here to great effect.

“Love Me Tender” has been given a modern acoustic feel and has been turned into a duet with Dea Norgerg. While Presley sounds great as usual, her voice just doesn’t work with the song and the parts where she harmonizes with Presley sound forced. “King Creole” has been given an unnecessary hip-hop treatment while “Burning Love” now sounds as if it could have been recorded by the Hives – not bad, but not really necessary either. Things improve with an instrumental piano version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the closing track (and lead single) “Suspicious Minds,” which sounds like Presley channeling U2 with its jangly guitars.

Viva ELVIS is an interesting, often good (if unnecessary) reinterpretation of Presley’s remarkable catalog. Open-minded old listeners may find these new versions a fun twist and it may introduce Presley to an entirely new generation of fans. Those who want their Presley “as nature intended” would do best to stay far away from this CD though and listen to the original albums as this is nothing like the Presley they have come to love.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley “Viva ELVIS" on Blogcritics.

Ladies and Gentlemen - The Rolling Stones DVD Review

2010-10-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The year 1972 was a pivotal one for The Rolling Stones. They spent the summer as tax exiles in France, emerging from their drug-fueled haze to release arguably their greatest album, Exile on Main Street, and the resulting tour is considered one of their best. While on tour in America that year, the band filmed four nights in Texas for the theatrical release Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones. Largely unseen since the mid 1970s, the film finally makes its official DVD debut in 2010 and is essential viewing not only for fans of the band, but fans of the genre in general.

From the opening “Brown Sugar” to the closing “Street Fighting Man,” this is a relentless, no-frills show. There’s no big production and the stage is dimly lit, adding an air of mystery to the proceedings. While the Stones may be about the big show these days, in 1972 it was all about the music, from the laid-back country of “Dead Flowers” and “Sweet Virginia” to classic rock staples such as “Gimme Shelter” and a rollicking “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The band pays tribute to Chuck Berry with an authentic “Bye Bye Johnny” and Keith Richards takes the lead on his signature tune, “Happy,” sharing a microphone with Mick Jagger on the choruses. These days, when the band performs the song, Jagger isn’t even on stage.

Fans used to the Richards/Ron Wood version of the band will find an entirely different animal in the Mick Taylor lineup. While Wood is no slouch himself, he and Richards “practice the art of weaving” as they are fond to say, where the listener doesn’t know who is playing what. This is in stark contrast to 1972, with Richards laying a rock-solid rhythm for virtuoso Taylor’s melodic leads. Taylor shows he is equally adept at slide guitar as his bluesy licks on Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain” and blistering leads on “All Down the Line” demonstrate. “Midnight Rambler” is the real highlight of the disc though. From the lock-tight rhythm of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts to the breakneck tempos to the guitar interplay between Richards and Taylor, it shows why the Stones earned their title as greatest rock and roll band in the world.

Ladies & Gentlemen has been available on the black market for years, but never in this quality. The new DVD features restored video as well as Dolby Digital DTS 5.1 sound for both a great viewing and listening experience. The DVD also includes rehearsal footage for the tour, including “Shake Your Hips,” which is not played in the concert and interviews with Jagger from both 1972 and 2010.

For fans wondering what all the hype was about, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones is essential viewing.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones on Blogcritics.

John Lennon - Gimme Some Truth (Sampler) CD Review

2010-10-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

When the John Lennon catalog was first issued on CD, the original mixes were used — but so were liberal amounts of noise reduction. Then in 2000, the CDs were remastered — but also remixed, save for Double Fantasy and its sister album Milk and Honey which were just remastered — leaving fans of the original versions forced to seek out used CD versions or the original vinyl. Confused yet?

In honor of what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday, Capitol is attempting to set things right by reissuing the entire catalog again, this time with the original mixes and no noise reduction with the same production team used on the Beatles remasters from 2009 save for the 1980 material. The results as evidenced on the Gimme Some Truth CD sampler are by and large a revelation, particularly for the '70s material.

The biggest sonic improvement is by far on the Plastic Ono Band tracks. Fans used to the remix will notice the guitar intro to "Hold On" is truncated as on the original release, but there is a warmth here not present on the 2000 version. Lennon's voice is immediate and it sounds as if he is in the room with you. The original mixes on the Imagine and Sometime in New York City tracks recall the "wall of sound" effect Lennon and producer Phil Spector were going for with these albums, something not as evident on the 2000 versions.

The two Walls and Bridges tracks included — "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" and "Bless You" are particular highlights and if the entire remastered CD sounds like this, fans are in for a treat. Where things get a bit dodgy is, ironically enough, on the most recent material featured here, The Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey tracks were loud and compressed in 2000 and sadly, they are here too. This misstep is the only thing keeping this from being a perfect reissue campaign.

The sampler also features two demos from the John Lennon Signature Box — "God" and "India, India" in surprisingly good fidelity and two tracks from the new release, Double Fantasy Stripped Down, an album not unlike the Beatles' Let it Be Naked, where the tracks are reduced to bare-bones versions to emphasize Lennon's vocals.

In an age of horrible-sounding CDs, these reissues are mostly a home run. Certainly the 1970s material is worth upgrading and Double Fantasy Stripped Down is an interesting listen. Fans of the 1980 material would be better served with original CDs or vinyl, however. Overall though, these CDs merit almost a 9/10.

Article first published as Music Review: John Lennon - Gimme Some Truth Sampler (Sampler) on Blogcritics.

Chuck - The Complete Third Season DVD Review

2010-09-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Season three of Chuck finds Chuck (Zachary Levi) at a crossroads in his life. He now has the Intersect 2.0 downloaded in his brain, enabling him not only to be able to "flash" on subjects to gain information on them, but also to gain abilities. He may look at a sword and if he flashes, he becomes a master swordsman. The problem is he is unable to control these abilities when his emotions get the best of him, especially when he is around his partner Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) who he is madly in love with.

His inability to flash first manifests itself in the opening episode when, during a simulation, Chuck is unable to flash and would have been killed had it been a real mission. This gets Chuck suspended from the team by General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy). We also learn that six months earlier, Sarah met Chuck in Prague, wanting to leave with him and ditch the spy life and he turned her down — a decision that haunts Chuck throughout the season.

After Chuck's eventual reinstatement, NSA Agent Carina (Mini Anden) shows up, posing as the fiancé of an arms dealer the CIA is trying to get to. Carina is on to Sarah's feelings about Chuck and she discusses this with her while Chuck has the same conversation with his best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez) about Sarah. This episode does a good job of showing the parallel of Chuck and Sarah's feelings toward each other. Morgan tries in vain to get Carina to show up at his party to impress his fellow Buy More coworkers and when she arrives with her "fiancé and his entourage Morgan, not realizing she was on a spy mission, kicks her out of the house. Morgan's tactics work though when Carina returns, turned on by the fact that a guy actually said no to her. She also shows her heart by giving Sarah a security camera video of Chuck professing his love for Sarah.

After Chuck's brother-in-law Devon (Ryan McPartlin) saves the life of premier Allejandro Goya (Armand Assante), a man the CIA is trying to protect after years of trying to kill him, he and his wife Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) get invited to a gala he is hosting at the consulate. The CIA learns Goya is the target of a hit and sends Chuck and his team to protect not only Goya, but Chuck's family as well. Chuck's teammate John Casey doesn't want to go as he had had tried to kill the premier on numerous occasions and had earned the nickname Angel de la Muerte, or Angel of Death. Chuck and Sarah pose as a couple at the gala, furthering the tension between the two and, in an amusing twist, Casey ends up donating blood to save Goya's life, with his reward a box of fine cigars.

Brandon Routh appears as Daniel Shaw in the episode "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome." Shaw is a CIA agent who has been trying to take down The Ring for five years and is something of a super spy. He feels deep regret for the shooting of his wife and has hardened himself to not show emotions to protect others. He falls for Sarah though, who initially resists his advances, but realizes she likes being close to someone. Both characters are similar in their "no feelings" stance as they are true spies unlike Chuck who is ruled by emotions. Sarah still has feelings for Chuck though, but thinks that's over after what happened in Prague. Chuck is, of course, devastated that Sarah would take an interest in Shaw whom he feels he has no chance against.

Chuck gets a love interest of his own in the form of Hannah (Kristin Kreuk), who he meets while on his first solo mission on a flight to Paris, a city he has always wanted to visit. Hannah is a down-on-her-luck computer programmer who had just lost her job and was flying to Paris to clean out her office there. The two hit it off and Chuck encourages her to come to the Buy More if she's ever in the area. Much to his surprise she not only does, but also joins the staff as a fellow Nerd Herder (a parody not only of Best Buy's Geek Squad, but of the Star Wars' insult Nerf Herder). Sarah is jealous of Hannah while Chuck, still having feelings for Sarah and not wanting to have to lie to Hannah about his double life, breaks up with her rather ruthlessly at a dinner with her family. The episode shows how Chuck has changed and that he is human and doesn't always do and say the right thing.

When they fear their store is about to be bought out and all but Chuck and Morgan will be fired, the Buy More employees stage a revolt, led by the creepy duo of Lester (Vic Sahay) and Jeff (Scott Barnes). Casey, whose cover is at the Buy More and who hates suits even more than he hates neo-liberal fascists, joins in the fray. The employees build a wall by the entrance and Lester leads them in the singing of "Fortunate Son" to great comedic effect.

Shaw believes that a Ring operative killed his wife, but later learns it was one of his own that did it, which has consequences for his team. Meanwhile, Chuck finally gets his chance to profess his love for Sarah, but does she accept this time? These are among the many questions posed during the show.

The DVD includes deleted scenes, the featurettes "Chuck Fu…and Dim Sum: Becoming a Spy Guy" and "The Jeffster Revolution: The Definitive Mocumentary" as well as a gag reel. Originally slated for 13 episodes, NBC decided to order six more. While episode 13 feels like a finale, the remaining six episodes are well written and lead into the forthcoming season four well. With its mix of good writing, a good ensemble cast and an excellent mix of drama and comedy, season three of Chuck is a winner.

Article first published as DVD Review: Chuck - The Complete Third Season on Blogcritics.

Electric Light Orchestra Live: The Early Years - DVD Review

2010-09-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In the latter days of The Move, the band's alpha males — founder Roy Wood and newcomer Jeff Lynne — expressed a desire to go beyond the typical three-minute pop song. Wishing to continue where the Beatles left off with "I Am the Walrus," the duo launched a new venture with Move drummer Bev Bevan that incorporated orchestral instruments into a rock context. The Move was dead, but from its ashes rose the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). After some disagreements over the band's direction, Wood left during the recording of its second album, leaving Lynne as the leader of ELO. It is these early years under Lynne's guidance that are chronicled in the DVD Electric Light Orchestra – Live: The Early Years.

The DVD begins with footage from Brunel University 1973. This footage, along with all the other footage on the disc, is in surprisingly good condition and appears to be from broadcast masters. Here we find the band mixing classics such as Lynne's "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" with the classical as the band takes on Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," the latter of which is done in a surprisingly faithful arrangement. Jerry Lee Lewis most likely did not envision cellos and violins when he recorded "Great Balls of Fire," but the band makes the seemingly absurd combination work, rocking out on the early rock and roll gem. Fans of 1970s fashion should be on the lookout for violinist Mik Kaminski's cape, which seemingly does not seem out of place amidst the other clothing choices for this concert.

Up next is the band's appearance on the German television show Rockpalast from 1974. An interview from this show is included on the DVD is a bonus feature. The set list is similar to the Brunel show, but the band appears more confident and loose in this performance. The band delivers a raw version of the instrumental "Daybreaker" with some excellent keyboard work by Richard Tandy. Both the '73 and '74 shows include cellist Mike Edwards, who recently died when he was stuck by a runaway bail of hay. An unconventional death for sure, but this was an unconventional band.

The final performance included is the Fusion concert from 1976 recorded at the New Victoria Theatre in London, England. This show documents the early part of ELO as a hit-making machine with songs such as "Can't Get it Out of My Head," "Evil Woman," and "Strange Magic" gracing the set list. On the latter, drummer Bev Bevan comes to the front of the stage to contribute his distinct bass harmonies. The show features a medley of songs that originated from Lynne's time in The Move — "10538 Overture" from the first ELO album and "Do Ya," which was originally a Move single, but reworked for the then-new A New World Record. Most notable to this show is the addition of the band's new bassist, the late Kelly Groucutt, who shared vocals with Lynne on many of the songs and really added the missing link to the band's live vocal sound.

The DVD includes Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound options and really the only negative for fans here is the non-inclusion of a few songs. For what seem to be copyright reasons, versions of "Roll Over Beethoven" from 1974 and 1976 and "Day Tripper" from 1974 have not been included here. Curiously, they are included on the UK edition of this DVD. That is the only thing keeping this from being an A+ for ELO fans however and anyone interested in seeing the band before the spaceships took over the live stage would enjoy Electric Light Orchestra - Live: The Early Years.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Electric Light Orchestra - Live: The Early Years on Blogcritics.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition: Special Edition DVD Review

2010-09-03T18:47:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Prog rock has always been ambitious in its focus, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer are no different. Viewed by some as pretentious while others see them as genius, Emerson, Lake & Palmer have straddled that very line for the better part of 40 years. In 1970, they took it upon themselves to adapt Modest Mussorgsky's classical piece Pictures at an Exhibition into a rock format. The shows were recorded and filmed and are now presented in remastered form in Pictures at an Exhibition: Special Edition.

Well known for their music chops, the band appears to be having fun on stage as evidenced by drummer Carl Palmer's knowing smiles at keyboardist Keith Emerson as he tries to keep up with the challenging tempos of "The Gnome." Bassist Greg Lake shows off his classical guitar skills and haunting vocals on "The Sage," a song that foreshadowed the band's hit "From the Beginning." "Blues Variation" features some blistering keyboard work from Emerson that shows through all the over-the-top antics (Emerson appears to hump his keyboard at one point and does stab it with knives at another), these guys could really play.

Early '70s psychedelic visual effects take over during "The Old Castle" and feature prominently throughout the rest of the DVD. While they are dated, they are historically correct. Fans looking for a version sans these effects won't find that here. Still, the picture and sound quality are generally excellent for a nearly 40-year-old concert recording.

The DVD includes the original trailer for the movie as well as a Belgian TV appearance on Pop Shop from 1971. This footage is touted as appearing for the first time, but it had previously been available on the DVD Masters From the Vaults.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer have had a long and storied musical career. They are among the founding fathers of prog rock and fans wanting to catch of a glimpse of this legendary band near the beginning of its career won't be disappointed with Pictures at an Exhibition: Special Edition.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition (Special Edition) on Blogcritics.

Roy Orbison: The Last Concert - CD Review

2010-08-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Throughout Roy Orbison's life, his stunning, operatic, angelic voice was admired not only by millions of fans, but by his peers as well, with artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono singing his praises. Recorded December 4, 1988, in Highland Heights, Ohio just two days before his death at age 52, The Last Concert shows Orbison's incredible voice stayed with him right until the end of his life.

In 1988, Orbison was in the midst of a major comeback. His song, "In Dreams," was featured in the film Blue Velvet; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; he had a successful album with the super group The Traveling Wilburys; his concerts were doing well and he had just completed the soon-to-be hit album, Mystery Girl, with fellow Wilbury Jeff Lynne at the production helm. Tour dates were booked into 1989 and things were looking up when tragedy struck.

Originally released in limited form via iTunes, The Last Concert makes its CD debut here. The show is undoctored and appears to be from the soundboard so occasionally, backup singers might be louder or song volumes may fluctuate. Obviously no one knew at the time this would be his last show and the sound quality is still excellent, with Orbison fans still having a fine document of his last performance.

And what a performance it is. From the opening "Only the Lonely," Orbison delivers one hit after another, his vocals nothing short of jaw-dropping on classics such as "Leah" and "Crying." Fans are treated to the first song Orbison ever recorded in "Ooby Dooby" as well as the first song he ever wrote with "Go, Go, Go (Down the Line)," the latter featuring some excellent jamming by Orbison and his band. Being the last concert adds a touch of poignancy to "It's Over" while "Oh, Pretty Woman" brings the set to a dramatic close.

Roy Orbison was back on top of the music world and still on top of his game at the time of his death. Mystery Girl would go on to become a big hit and it seems unfair Orbison was cheated out of seeing this success. For Orbison fans or for fans wondering why he was loved by so many, The Last Concert is a must-own CD.

Article first published as Music Review: Roy Orbison - The Last Concert on Blogcritics.

Frank Sinatra - September of My Years CD Review

2010-08-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The year was 1965 and Frank Sinatra was soon to be 50 years old. While that may not seem old for an entertainer now, it was then, and Sinatra was facing a midlife crisis of sorts. Not that he wasn't having success — he still had plenty of that from live performances, album sales and from being part owner of Reprise Records — but his age allowed him to look back on his career, which he was already 30 years into. Not wanting to be passed up by the likes of the Beatles and the Beach Boys, Sinatra decided to collaborate with Gordon Jenkins on a new project that reflected this mature outlook. The resulting album, September of My Years, is a look at days and loves past that remains hopeful for the future. It ranks among Sinatra's best.

The album boasts at least two classics — the title track, written by longtime Sinatra songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen in which Sinatra wonders where the time has gone; and "It Was a Very Good Year," a former Kingston Trio pop tune reworked by Jenkins into arguably Sinatra's greatest introspective song, its lyrics believable because Sinatra lived the song. It's not a stretch to imagine Sinatra as "vintage wine from fine old kegs."

On "Hello, Young Lovers" Sinatra pleads with a young couple not to feel sorry for him because he is alone, but rather to enjoy the love they have now, to be in the moment as he once was. He is not bitter, but instead remembering his youth. "September Song," which featured only a few years before on his final Capitol album Point of No Return, tackles the same subject matter, but from a darker place. He realizes time has passed him by and he relishes the days he has left. "It Gets Lonely Early" finds Sinatra depressed at a lack of companionship, but relishing the time when he had a family and children at home. Life imitates art in this song as Sinatra himself was living alone during this period.

The newly remastered CD features two bonus tracks — a live version of "This is All I Ask" from 1984 and the original single version of "How Old Am I?" — and extended liner notes from original liner note writer Stan Cornyn. September of My Years won multiple Grammy awards, including Album of the Year and Best Vocal Performance, Male for "It Was a Very Good Year."

In terms of Sinatra's career, the album's title is misleading as Sinatra was still performing 30 years after its release. Still, even Sinatra likely wouldn't have predicted he'd still be performing at 80. For fans of Sinatra's concept albums and of his ballad albums, it doesn't get much better than September of My Years.

Article first published as Music Review: Frank Sinatra - September of My Years on Blogcritics.

This is Elvis - DVD Review

2010-08-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

It would be difficult at best to document the career of Elvis Presley in 102 minutes, but This is Elvis does a reasonable job of doing just that. The film chronicles Elvis' life from his humble beginnings in Tupelo, MS, his rise to the top, his fall from grace, and his tragic death at the age of 42.

The movie begins with a reenactment of the events the day of Presley's death and begins its flashback, using reenactments mixed with actual footage of Presley to great effect. The movie is narrated by Ral Donner as Elvis from beyond the grave and pulls no punches, dealing with racism he encountered from his music being "too black" to parents feeling threatened by him to his extensive drug use and cry for help during the 1970s.

Along the way, we are treated with archival footage of Presley from 1956 on the Dorsey Brothers and Milton Berle shows to his appearance with Frank Sinatra after getting out of the army to a sad performance from 1977 of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," where an overweight, sweating Presley forgets the words to the song. It is a sad sight to see for such a brilliant performer. Along those lines, there's also interview footage with former bodyguards Sonny West and Dave Hebler, whose book, Elvis: What Happened? was the first tell-all book about Presley's drug use, infidelities, and other things the Colonel tried to keep from the public's eye.

It's not all negative though, the film shows plenty of highlights, including home movies from his wedding, his return to the concert stage, and his triumphant Aloha From Hawaii TV broadcast. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, This is Elvis attempts to paint of balanced picture of a brilliant performer who was human and had flaws like anyone else. And in this sense, it largely succeeds. This is a single-disc version that features the theatrical cut and a featurette "Behind the Gates of Graceland."

Article first published as DVD Review: This Is Elvis on Blogcritics.

The Trouble With Girls - DVD Review

2010-08-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The Trouble With Girls was Elvis Presley’s penultimate film of the 1960s. Based on the novel Chautauqua by Day Keene and Dwight Vincent, the film is oddly titled and conjures up images of mid-1960s Elvis movies films with girls in bikinis. Nothing could be further from the truth here.

Presley stars as Chautauqua manager Walter Hale, who has traveled to small town Iowa 1927 for the Chautauqua fair. During the fair, he tries to prevent his pianist Charlene (Marlyn Mason) from organizing the Chautauqua employees into a union. Hale also learns firsthand about nepotism, as the local mayor puts pressure on his company to have his daughter be the lead in their play over the current lead, who is much more talented.

During the fair, sleazy local druggist Harrison Wilby (Dabney Coleman) is murdered. Charlene had earlier overheard him being abusive to his worker, Nita Bix (Sheree North) in his store. Initially, one of the Chautauqua members is accused of the murder, but Hale learns that it is not his employee, but rather Wilby's employee, Bix who committed the crime. With the murder hanging over the Chautauqua, Hale gets Bix to agree to a live confession in front of a paying audience. Charlene is mortified by the idea of exploiting Bix, but Hale feels it is the only way she'd get a fair trial in the town.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, The Trouble With Girls features very little singing and what is included fits the theme of the movie, such as when Hale sings "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" when their gospel singer is unavailable. Elvis fans should be on the lookout for uncredited appearances by Joe Esposito and Jerry Schilling while Brady Bunch fans should watch for a not-yet Cindy Brady Susan Olsen as one of the auditioning singers. Vincent Price makes a short, but fun cameo as Mr. Morality while Joyce Van Patten takes a weird turn as a swimmer during the Chautauqua.

As a period piece, The Trouble with Girls provides an interesting look at 1920s Iowa. Presley gets less screen time than usual, almost as a costar in his own movie, but the role is different for him and shows what might have been.

Article first published as DVD Review: The Trouble with Girls on Blogcritics.

Charro! - DVD Review

2010-08-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Continuing the more serious theme of his recent films, Charro! is notable in that it is the only Elvis Presley film in which he doesn't sing, with his only vocal coming in the form of the title song, played over the opening credits. Set in the Old West, Presley stars as Jess Wade, a man framed for stealing a cannon from the Mexican army by Vince Hackett (Victor French). Wade was once a member of Hackett's gang, but he left that lifestyle behind, taking Hackett's girl Tracey Winters (Ina Balin) with him in the process.

Hackett vows revenge for this act and makes up wanted posters, saying Wade is the only identifiable member of the gang who stole the cannon as he has a scar on his neck (which was placed there because Hackett had him branded). In actuality though, it is Hackett and his men who have stolen the cannon and they intend to hold it for ransom.

Later, Hackett uses the cannon against the townspeople and threatens to destroy their city if his brother Billy Roy (Solomon Sturges), who is in prison for shooting Sheriff Ramsey (James Almanzar), is not released by sundown. A dying Ramsey tells Wade he can't give in to Hackett and release his brother as that would be letting Hackett win. Wade agrees, much to the dismay of Ramsey's wife Sara (Barbara Werle) who does not want any more bloodshed. Wade vows to avenge Ramsey's death and bring the cannon's real thieves to justice, going after Hackett and his men.

Charro! is part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, and marks a more serious acting turn for Presley. Critically panned upon its release, the film has held up better than some of his others and is worth checking out for fans of spaghetti westerns in particular.

Article first published as DVD Review: Charro! on Blogcritics.

Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition DVD Review

2010-08-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley was riding a major wave of success in 1970. Free of his movie obligations of the 1960s, Presley had delivered the '68 Comeback Special and subsequent return to live performances in 1969. He had also released his strongest album in years with From Elvis in Memphis and had what would be his last number-one single in the U.S. with "Suspicious Minds." It was good to be the King and the time was ripe for a documentary of this rebirth. Filmed over several shows in August 1970, Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition is a brilliant snapshot of this period.

The film starts with Presley and his band in rehearsals listening to recordings of their performances. Presley directs the band on how he wants the arrangements to sound and they run through hot versions of "That's All Right" and a medley of "Little Sister" and "Get Back" with Presley on guitar. Presley is in his physical and vocal peak and his focus is in sharp contrast with some of his distant film performances just a few short years earlier.

Presley then works on vocal arrangements with his backing singers. Presley was not a songwriter in the traditional sense, but he understood music and what he wanted to hear from his band at all times. After reading some telegrams, including a joking one from Tom Jones hoping he'd break both legs, Presley gets ready to take the stage.

Opening with "That's All Right," Presley whips the crowd into a frenzy with a run of classic 1950s hits including "I Got a Woman" and "Hound Dog" and he goes into the crowd during an extended "Love Me Tender."

It's not all nostalgia however as Presley delivers then recent hits "In the Ghetto" and "Just Pretend" and definitive versions of "Polk Salad Annie" and "Suspicious Minds." The King had regained his crown, singing as if his career depended on it in a relentless performance.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, this is the one-disc version of this show. The two-disc special edition includes the original theatrical cut, which includes more fan interviews. This version focuses mostly on Elvis. The DVD also includes the featurette Patch it Up: The Restoration of Elvis: That's The Way It Is, career highlights and the theatrical trailer. This is a must-own for fans of Presley and an excellent reminder of why he was the King.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition on Blogcritics.

Live a Little, Love a Little - DVD Review

2010-08-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Live a Little, Love a Little, finds Elvis Presley in a more "adult" role, moving away from the tired formula used in so many of his '60s films. He stars as Greg Nolan, a photographer who meets a rich socialite on the beach named Bernice (Michelle Carey). She introduces herself to him as Alice though. She asks if he is married and then throws herself at him. He resists her advances and her dog Albert, a giant Great Dane, chases him into the ocean.

Nolan goes back to her home to change and dry off. A delivery boy comes to her house, calling her Suzie. Bernice says Nolan is burning up and gives him a pill, which knocks him out for several days, possibly weeks. Upon waking up, Nolan leaves, only to find that he has lost his job and his apartment due to his time away. Nolan returns to see Bernice and find out what has happened and she mentions that her husband Harry died from affliction of the liver, but then changes her story to whooping cough. Harry (Dick Sargent) shows up at her home, calling her Bernice. Nolan assumes this was her husband, who is clearly not dead, but Harry informs him he also wasn't her husband either. Bernice says she has different names for different moods. The three have dinner, where Harry, in a nod to his TV show, suggests Nolan should get a job in an advertising agency. Later in private, Harry tells Nolan that Bernice is scared of life, love, and of being alone. He also tells Nolan to "run for the hills." Nolan goes to sleep in Albert's room, only to imagine Albert is talking to him and pushing him into an abyss where Nolan sings "Edge of Reality." The scene has a trippy, psychedelic feel to it and is a rare moment of relevancy in a late 1960s Elvis movie.

Bernice feels guilty about what has happened to Nolan and buys him a new apartment, but it is expensive and he has to take two jobs to pay for it — one at a Playboy-style magazine called Classic Cat and the other for a much more conservative fashion magazine. Mike Lansdown (Don Porter) is the Hugh Hefner-esque publisher of Classic Cat who, after seeing some of the more risqué photos in Nolan's portfolio, offers him a job. Lansdown is very casual though, insisting Nolan not wear a tie as it "cuts off the circulation," while Penlow (Rudy Vallee) prefers the sharp dressed man. This leads to some amusing scenes of Presley changing in the stairwell as both jobs were in the same building. Later, Penlow catches Nolan shooting photographs for his rival, Lansdown, and fires him immediately. Lansdown on the other hand, loves that he was able to pull off two jobs without anyone noticing and offers to double his salary. Keen viewers will recognize Presley's father Vernon as a model in one of the scenes.

Carey is great as the eccentric Bernice, placing a wooden divider on her bed so she and Nolan can sleep together and he can avoid her advances. He gives in eventually, throwing the divider out the window and she leaves him a note thanking him for making her a woman. Nolan goes to see Harry, thinking she may be with him and Harry says Nolan can't marry Bernice because she's asked Harry to take her back, something Bernice later denies. The movie ends as it began, only this time Nolan gets Albert to chase Bernice into the water, providing an interesting symmetry in the film.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Live a Little, Love a Little is now best known as the film that introduced "A Little Less Conversation," which became a hit three decades later. It also was a much more adult feature than Presley had been making up until that point, with the occasional cursing, drug use and implied sex scenes. This was not Harum Scarum and could have pointed the direction of better things to come had Presley stayed in Hollywood.

Article first published as DVD Review: Live a Little, Love a Little on Blogcritics.

Speedway - DVD Review

2010-08-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In an attempt to possibly recreate the success of Viva Las Vegas, Elvis Presley stars as a racecar driver with a dynamic leading lady in Speedway. Presley is Steve Grayson, a playboy racecar driver who finds he is $145,000 in debt with the IRS due to mistakes and shady claims on his return made by his manager Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby).

Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra, in what would be her final movie role) shows up at Grayson's trailer and he mistakes her for a fan. In actuality, she is working for the IRS who is about to audit him. Grayson learns that Donford has a gambling problem that has led the government to repossess not only gifts Grayson had bought for his friends, but Grayson's personal belongings as well. As a result, the pair is put on an allowance — a paltry $100 per week for Grayson and $50 per week for Donford — until they are able to repay their debts.

Grayson goes about wooing Jacks and he manages to get her to convince her boss at the IRS, R.W. Hepworth (Gale Gordon) to let him keep some of his earnings to pay off the innocent people who have had their lives ruined by Donford's gambling. Whether or not this could actually happen in real life is a matter of opinion, but hey, it's an Elvis film, so it's OK.

While not as good as Viva Las Vegas, Speedway does have its good points as well. NASCAR fans will enjoy the cameos by real-life drivers Richard Petty, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough while Bill Bixby is great in his comic role of the likable, yet sleazy manager. There are a few good moments on the soundtrack too; most notably Presley's "Let Yourself Go" and Sinatra's "Your Groovy Self." Sinatra's track has the distinction of being the only song without Elvis on one of his soundtrack albums. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Speedway would be the last of the typical Elvis movies, with subsequent releases featuring more serious plots and less songs. Speedway is worth a look for fans of racing, Elvis Presley, and Nancy Sinatra.

Article first published as DVD Review: Speedway (1968) on Blogcritics.

Stay Away, Joe - DVD Review

2010-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley plays Native American bull rider Joe Lightcloud, who convinces his congressman to give his father 20 heifers and a quality bull to raise on their reservation in Stay Away, Joe. If Lightcloud's family is successful, then the government will help their tribe financially. Joe asks where his sister Mary (Susan Trustman) is and his grandfather (Thomas Gomez) replies "she's city folk now." The Grandpa character is very stereotypical, even for 1968, as he warns of squaws and relies on smoke signals. While he has some comical moments, he is mostly over the top.

During a wild party celebrating Lightcloud's return, his family, in their drunken haze, mistakenly cooks and eats the prize bull given to them by the government. Lightcloud is unworried at this point, having his friend Bronc Hoverty (L.Q. Jones) get a new bull for him, instructing him to make sure the bull is Blue Ribbon. The bull arrives the next day and spends most of his time sleeping, taking no interest in the heifers. At the same time, Joe's father Charlie (Burgess Meredith) has been selling off the heifers to pay for improvements his wife wants made to their home. Meredith's character is an odd sight for sure, with his dark makeup and strange behavior.

The government gets word of what has happened to the heard and is not pleased. Lightcloud finds out that the bull was indeed Blue Ribbon, but as a riding bull — not as a stud. The bull's previous owner boasted that no one had ever successfully rode him and Lightcloud has an idea to stage a rodeo to raise money to replace the cattle and save the reservation. Lightcloud had previously been raising money by selling parts of his car to a junkyard until nothing was left. It is this strange sense of comedy that occurs throughout the movie.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Stay Away, Joe is a mostly forgettable film portraying Native Americans as sex-crazed drunks with odd performances from Meredith and Gomez. For his part, Presley seems to be enjoying himself, it's just a shame the material isn't stronger. The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name and while it follows the plot closely, something seemingly got lost in translation.

Article first published as DVD Review: Stay Away, Joe on Blogcritics.

Double Trouble - DVD Review

2010-08-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In Double Trouble, Elvis Presley stars as Guy Lambert — an American singer on tour in England — something the real Presley wanted to do, but was unable to throughout his career thanks to legal issues with the Colonel. In fact, Presley only played a handful of shows outside the U.S. and they were all in Canada.

While performing at a club, Lambert meets Claire Dunham (Yvonne Romain) who is following him, saying she's been at every show since he opened. She knows of his apparent girlfriend, but throws herself at him regardless. Lambert manages to resist Dunham's advances, but not Dunham herself as she shows up throughout the film. He also meets Jill Conway (Annette Day), a pretty redhead who goes home with Lambert, but resists his advances because, unbeknownst to Lambert, she is still a few days away from 18. While there, she cooks for him and wants him to sing. He goes to her turntable and, naturally, she has an instrumental version of one of his records that he sings to, during which she falls asleep. During this time, one of the first of several suspicious acts occurs as a thug comes to the door by mistake and punches Lambert out.

Conway's uncle Gerald Waverly (John Williams) calls and when Jill mentions Lambert, Waverly wants to meet. Conway wants to marry Lambert, but Waverly is reluctant to allow her as he has been dipping into her inheritance. Conway had not only not told Lambert about the money, she had not told him she was for days away from 18. Not wanting to go to jail, Lambert distances himself from Conway. Her uncle then decides to send Conway to school in Belgium, which she readily agrees to after remembering Lambert had mentioned in passing he would be playing there.

Conway and Lambert end up on the same ship and it is there that Conway learns she only has to be 18 to get married in Sweden, where she tries to encourage Lambert to take her. During this time, a pair of thieves takes Lambert's suitcase so they can smuggle some diamonds into the country. Lambert notices that he’s had to save Conway twice and that someone tried to run him over and Conway explains everything. The pair goes on the run trying to save their lives and let Conway make it to age 18 to protect her inheritance.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Double Trouble shows just how far out of touch musically Presley's people had become as there is a scene where he sings "Old MacDonald" on the back of a truck. This was while the Beatles were releasing Sgt. Pepper and Jimi Hendrix had Are You Experienced? Presley clearly deserved better than this. That said, the movie itself isn't terrible, has some clever plot twists and amusing cameos from a talking parrot and the Wiere Brothers as bumbling cops.

Article first published as DVD Review: Double Trouble (1967) on Blogcritics.

Spinout - DVD Review

2010-08-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In Spinout, Elvis Presley plays a singing racecar driver named Mike McCoy. While this isn't much different than the typical 60's Elvis movie fare, the film is more fun and Presley seems to be enjoying himself. As the movie begins, McCoy takes his racecar out for a spin only to get run off the road by a crazed fan. Undeterred, he makes it to his gig on time where his band performs "Adam and Evil" and "Stop Look and Listen." These songs, along with the title track, "All That I Am" and "I'll Be Back" formed the basis of one of Presley's strongest soundtracks in sometime and his enthusiasm for the songs comes out in the performances.

While at the club, he meets author Diana St. Clair (Diane McBain) who wants him to be the subject of her book about the perfect American male. She wants to marry him and won't take no for an answer. McCoy then meets Howard Foxhugh (Carl Betz), a rich automobile executive who offers McCoy and his band $5,000 to sing one song at his daughter's birthday party. McCoy refuses the offer though, telling him to have her catch them at the clubs and Foxhugh uses his political influence to get the band's tour canceled. McCoy has no other choice but to play the party and he soon learns that Foxhugh's daughter Cynthia (Shelley Fabares) is the same fan who ran him off the road to get his attention. Cynthia is a spoiled rich girl who is used to getting what she wants or having daddy pay for it if necessary and this time she wants to marry McCoy. Foxhugh does not want Cynthia to marry McCoy though, but he does want him to drive his new racecar, the Foxhugh Five. Sensing a way to get close to McCoy, Cynthia offers to help get him to driver her father's car.

McCoy test drives Foxhugh's car and seems interested until Foxhugh informs him he is not to marry his daughter. McCoy refuses to drive for him saying if he's not good enough for her, he's not good enough for him and vows to beat his driver in the race. During this time, McCoy's drummer Les (Deborah Walley) also reveals her crush on McCoy. He had been oblivious to her advances even though she was always cooking for him and getting mad when other women chased after him. In a running joke throughout the film, everyone keeps mistaking Les for a boy because of her name and her short hair. Walley delivers a fun performance and looks convincing enough on the drums.

Three women, all with marriage on their mind are seemingly after McCoy. Who does he pick? The ending may surprise you. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Spinout features a more-focused Presley, better songs a fun script and a fun cast. After some forgettable films, Spinout is a winner.

Article first published as DVD Review: Spinout on Blogcritics.

Harum Scarum - DVD Review

2010-08-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

While many Elvis Presley supporters claim he could have been a fine actor, given the right material, his detractors point to films such as Harum Scarum as their proof otherwise. Presley had hoped for a Rudolph Valentino-style role, but instead got something much different (and much worse). Presley stars as Johnny Tyronne, an American action movie star (and singer, of course) who is in the Middle East to promote his new film Sands of the Desert.

After singing "Harem Holiday" and "Go East Young Man" for a group of dignitaries, Prince Dragna (Michael Ansara) and his lady Aishah (Fran Jeffries) invite Tyronne to be a guest of Dragna's brother, King Toranshah (Phillip Reed). After seeing Tyronne karate chop a cheetah in one of his films (It's an Elvis movie, why wouldn't he be able to do that?), they are convinced he is the right man to kill the king. They drug Tyronne and take him to see Sinan, lord of the assassins, who asks Tyronne if he carries death in his hands. Tyronne tells him his skills are used for self-defense and Sinan sends his goons after Tyronne.

While in captivity, Tyronne meets Princess Shalimar (Mary Ann Mobley) who is posing as a slave girl, when in reality, she is Toranshah's daughter and therefore royalty. Shalimar gets wind that Sinan has returned and, sensing her father is in danger, helps Tyronne thwart the plot to assassinate him.

Presley looks bored out his mind throughout the proceedings and likely was. He was frustrated at the lack of good roles and music for his films and was going through the motions. The film is filled with ridiculous clichés such as a child with three mothers named Sapphire, Emerald, and Amethyst, and forgettable songs. Reportedly, even the Colonel was embarrassed and wanted to add a talking camel as narrator as a way of acknowledging the film's cheesiness. For completists only, Harum Scarum is also part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

Article first published as DVD Review: Harum Scarum on Blogcritics.

Tickle Me - DVD Review

2010-08-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley stars as Lonnie Beale, a singing rodeo rider looking for work. After singing "It Feels So Right" from 1960's classic Elvis is Back! and getting into a fight with a jealous husband, Beale meets Vera Radford (Julie Adams), owner of the Circle Z Ranch — an all-girls spa and ranch where women spend $500 per week to essentially be reconditioned into hotties (hey, it is an Elvis movie!). Radford offers Beale a job tending to the horses on the ranch, which Beale accepts.

While at the ranch, he meets and falls for fitness instructor Pam Merritt (Jocelyn Lane) who has a letter from her grandfather saying he left her a large sum of gold coins in an old ghost town with directions on how to find the treasure. Merritt is subject to numerous kidnap attempts as word has gotten out about the letter. The staff at the ranch complains about Beale, saying he is distracting the women, as they are all, of course, attracted to him and especially like his singing. Radford calls Beale into her office, telling him he needed to pick his spots to sing before forcing herself on Beale. Beale tries to resist, as he is interested in Merritt, but after she catches him kissing Radford, she leaves in a huff, refusing to believe Beale's explanation that it was not as it seemed.

Merritt drives into the ghost town to look for the treasure and Beale follows her there with fellow ranch employee Stanley Potter (Jack Mullaney). Beale and Merritt wonder what an abandoned saloon must have been like in its heyday and we are treated to a fun flashback scene, where Beale is the Panhandle Kid — a milk-drinking gun slinger fast enough to shoot a man's gun out of his hand, but courteous enough to offer a bandage to stop the bleeding. It is a surreal scene in a surreal movie and it only gets weirder from here.

The trio spends the night in an old wax museum and Tickle Me suddenly becomes an episode of Scooby Doo, as the museum is seemingly haunted and men dressed as monsters come after Merritt. A comical moment in the film comes when Potter is punched through an opening in the wall that Beale is unable to find when he looks for it. Meanwhile, Potter tries to convince Beale that he is not seeing things. The rest of the film finds Beale, Merritt and Potter trying to find the treasure before the kidnappers find it (and them) first.

Tickle Me did not have any new songs commissioned for it due to budgetary constraints. As a result, Presley sang old (read: better) songs in the film, including: "Such An Easy Question," "Dirty, Dirty Feeling" and "Night Rider," making for a vastly superior soundtrack than most of his 1960s films. These songs, along with a quirky script, make for an entertaining, if bizarre film.

Article first published as DVD Review: Tickle Me on Blogcritics.

Girl Happy - DVD Review

2010-08-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley cashes in on the beach-movie craze of the 1960s with Girl Happy. Presley stars as Rusty Wells, a Chicago nightclub singer who is planning on going to Fort Lauderdale with his band on spring break as their engagement at the bar had ended. Seeing their popularity, and not wanting to lose out on any money while they are gone, the bar’s owner Big Frank (Harold J. Stone) wants to extend their stay for four to six weeks. The band balks at the idea, but when Big Frank’s daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares) decides she wants to go to spring break with her girlfriends, Big Frank changes his tune, offering to pay the band to go down to Florida to keep an eye on her.

Wells and his band arrive in Florida, performing “Spring Fever” to a group of college students, many of who are in lettered college sweaters (even though it is in Florida and presumably warm there). They spot Valerie and after seeing how attractive she is, realize the problems they will have guarding her from eager men. Wells meets Deena (Mary Ann Mobley), who immediately falls for him, but her attempts at intimacy with him keep getting thwarted when he has to leave to keep Valerie out of harm’s way. Along the way, Wells realizes he is falling for Valerie and tells his band that they can enjoy their spring break and he’ll watch her solo. They have no knowledge of his feelings for Valerie and feel guilty for him, trying to get him back together with Deena. This makes for an amusing scene where he has both women in his room and tries to keep them from seeing each other.

Valerie tells her father on the phone that she is falling for Wells and he laughs, saying Wells is only being nice because he paid him to be. Valerie vows revenge and goes on a wild partying spree to make Wells earn his money. Valerie later lets it slip that Wells kissed her and her father says he didn’t pay him to do that and offers to try and make things right between them.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Girl Happy is thin on plot, but lighthearted and entertaining. Fabares, in her first of three Presley movies, is cute and charming as good girl Valerie and the soundtrack has a few good songs, most notably the title track and “Puppet on a String.” Presley and Fabares have some chemistry together and the movie is breezy fun.

Article first published as DVD Review: Girl Happy on Blogcritics.

Viva Las Vegas: Deluxe Edition - DVD Review

2010-08-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley made some forgettable movies, but he also made a few that have become classics. Viva Las Vegas is among the latter and is often cited as one of Presley’s best films. Presley stars as Lucky Jackson, a racecar driver headed to Las Vegas to participate in the city’s first annual Grand Prix.

Jackson needs a new engine for his car if he wants to race though and sets about raising the money while in Las Vegas. He does get the money, but manages to lose it all when it falls prey to the hotel’s swimming pool. It is here that he meets Rusty Martin (Ann Margret), the hotel’s swim instructor who immediately strikes his fancy. Martin plays hard to get and duets with Jackson on “The Lady Loves Me,” pushing Jackson into the pool. He eventually wins her over and the pair becomes inseparable, going skeet shooting, riding mopeds and taking a helicopter trip to see the Hoover Dam with Martin serving as tour guide. Martin takes Jackson to meet her father who, unbeknownst to Rusty, secretly likes racing. The chemistry between Margret and Presley is obvious, sparking rumors of an off-screen affair and for one of the few times in his movie career, Presley had a female lead who could give him a run for his money.

While at the hotel, Jackson meets Italian racecar driver, Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova), who wants Jackson to drive for him. Jackson refuses Mancini’s offer though, vowing to get an engine and beat the driver in the race. Mancini tells Martin of a famous driver who crashed during one of his races and this makes Martin scared for Jackson’s safety. Jackson doesn’t want to give up racing though, upsetting her, while Mancini vows he’d give up racing for the right woman (e.g. Martin). Martin has dinner with Mancini to make Jackson jealous, only to have Jackson show up as their bumbling waiter, spilling champagne on Mancini. Later, in one of the film’s highlights, Martin sings “My Rival,” with the rival being Jackson’s racecar.

Jackson goes to work for Mancini to raise money when Martin’s father shows up, along with a new engine. Jackson rushes to get the car ready so he can win the race and Martin’s heart.

The DVD includes a commentary by Elvis in Hollywood director Steve Pond, a retrospective featurette and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as the original mono. This DVD is also part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

The theme song to Viva Las Vegas has become not only one of Presley’s best-loved songs, but also an unofficial theme song for the city itself. There are a number of other musical highlights, including “What’d I Say,” “Come On Everybody,” and Margret’s “Appreciation.” For fans of Presley, Margret, and Sin City, Viva Las Vegas comes up a winner.

Article first published as DVD Review: Viva Las Vegas - Deluxe Edition on Blogcritics.

Kissin' Cousins - DVD Review

2010-08-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley expands his acting horizons, playing two roles in the low-budget comedy Kissin’ Cousins. Presley stars as Army second lieutenant Josh Morgan and his “hillbilly” cousin, Jodie Tatum, sporting blonde hair for the latter. When Army captain Salbo (Jack Albertson) complains to General Donford that he wants a Pentagon tour of duty, as he hasn’t seen his wife in ages, Donford tells him if he can complete Operation Smoky in three days, he’ll grant him his wish, but if he doesn’t, he’ll be shipped off to Greenland with Morgan. Operation Smoky involved convincing the Tatums to let the government build a missile base on top of their mountain and Morgan gets the job of convincing his family to allow it.

Morgan’s arrival does not go well as he gets into a fight with Jodie and Pappy Tatum (Arthur O’Connell) fires his shotgun when the Army soldiers arrive. We are also introduced to the “Kittyhawks,” wild mountain women in search of men with only one thing on their minds. Morgan has dinner with the Tatums and their daughter Azalea (Yvonne Craig) flirts with him. Morgan tries to explain the concept of ICBM missiles to Pappy who just doesn’t get it, saying “how can everybody see it but me?”

A local newspaper reporter gets a tip about the Army’s attempts at building a base and goes to investigate, getting a photo of Morgan in his jeep with the headline, “Anyone for missiles?” much to the captain’s dismay. In the meantime, General Donford shows up with his men to try and get the deal done, only to be forced to drink moonshine, eat possum tails and fall prey to the “Kittyhawks.” Morgan has fallen for Azalea by this point, while Jodie (who looks and sings remarkably like Morgan) has fallen for Army stenographer Midge (Cynthia Pepper).

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Kissin’ Cousins features some themes that would be much less likely today, such as cousins falling for each other (distant or not) and a very stereotypical portrayal of southerners as rednecks or hillbillies. That said, the movie has a fun, innocent feel to it (Azalea dolls herself up by painting her toenails, even though the bottoms of her feet are dirty for instance) and some fun songs, including the title track, “Echoes of Love” and “Once is Enough.” Not the best Presley film, but far from the worst and one of the more charming.

Article first published as DVD Review: Kissin' Cousins on Blogcritics.

It Happened at the World's Fair - DVD Review

2010-08-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The Century 21 Exposition, also known as the 1962 World’s Fair is the setting for Elvis Presley’s 1963 film, It Happened at the World’s Fair. Presley stars as Mike Edwards, a crop duster whose partner Danny Burke’s (a pre-2001: A Space Odyssey Gary Lockwood) gambling habits causes the pair nothing but trouble. While Edwards doesn’t trust Burke with the money they have earned and keeps it locked in a safe, unbeknownst to him, Burke has a key and takes the money to go gambling. Meanwhile, Edwards finds time for skirt chasing, singing, “Relax” to a sultry Yvonne Craig, who resists his advances long enough for her parents to return home and her dad to threaten to shoot him. This is standard '60s Elvis movie fair, but Presley’s chemistry with the not-yet Batgirl is undeniable. This would not be her only Presley film.

Burke’s gambling turns dangerous when the group he is playing cards with realize he has stiffed them out of a lot of money. Luckily for him, Edwards shows up to rescue him (and get into the prerequisite Elvis movie fight). The pair flies back home, only to have their plane repossessed by an angry sheriff looking to collect on $1,200 that Danny owes. Not knowing what to do, the pair goes hitchhiking.

Along the way, they run into Walter Ling (Kam Tong) and his young niece, Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu), who are headed to the World’s Fair. Ling agrees to take them as far as the Fair and the pair boards his truck. It’s not long before Sue-Lin produces a ukulele that needs repair, which Edwards happily does before singing “Take Me To The Fair.” In different hands this scene would be corny, but Presley and Tiu’s enthusiasm make it a fun scene and a highlight of the film.

When they get to the Fair, Ling is unable to accompany Sue-Lin and Edwards agrees to take her in his place. At the same time, Burke goes looking for a friend, Vince Bradley (H.M. Wynant), whom he thinks can help them with their financial woes. Edwards takes a liking to Sue-Lin and spoils her rotten, letting her eat everything in site. Naturally, she gets sick and has to see nurse Diane Warren (Joan O’Brien), who Edwards is immediately attracted to. She resists his advances and Edwards pays a young boy (an uncredited Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shin so she’ll have to see him. As Edwards begins to win Warren over, the pair run into Russell’s character again, who throws Edwards under the bus, asking if he wants to be kicked in the shin again. Warren is furious and wants nothing to do with Edwards after this.

Burke later wants Edwards to help him do a cargo run to Canada for Bradley, but has to figure out a way to get rid of Sue-Lin, who Edwards had been protecting since her uncle had gone missing. He arranges for a woman to call child services, posing as Warren and Sue-Lin is taken away. Heartbroken, Sue-Lin manages to run away with Edwards staying behind to search for her while Warren tries to prove it was not she who made the call.

Presley had not become completely jaded with Hollywood yet when this picture was filmed and as such, delivers a more focused performance. The World’s Fair footage makes for an interesting time capsule while the music is better than some of the later Presley films, making It Happened at the World’s Fair one of the more enjoyable Presley pictures.

This DVD is also part of the Elvis 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

Article first published as DVD Review: It Happened at the World's Fair on Blogcritics.

Jailhouse Rock- Deluxe Edition DVD Review

2010-08-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley’s third movie — and first for MGM — is widely considered to be one of his best. Certainly the dance sequence set to the title song is one of the most iconic moments of not only Presley’s career, but for musicals in general.

Presley stars as Vince Everett, a hothead who ends up in prison after accidentally killing a man in a fight. His cellmate is Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy) a former country singer who robbed a bank when his bookings dried up. Houghton runs the show, bribing other prisoners and even guards with packs of cigarettes to get preferential treatment, something Everett learns the hard way when he gets a terrible haircut that Houghton could have bought his way out of.

When the prisoners get rowdy, Houghton plays a country song on his guitar to settle them down. It is here that Everett learns Houghton used to be a country singer. Everett is intrigued by the idea of making money singing and proceeds to play “Young and Beautiful” to great response in the jail. Sensing his talent, Houghton convinces Everett to sing in the televised prison talent show where Everett performs “I Want to be Free.” Everett starts getting fan mail in droves, which Houghton hides from him because he wants to ride Everett’s coattails on a tour when they both get out of prison. Everett agrees to split everything with Houghton 50/50. After a prison fight breaks out, Everett is whipped as his punishment. Houghton laments he didn’t have enough cigarettes to buy his way out of it, something not lost on Everett when he gets out. Before Everett’s release, Houghton refers him to Sam Brewster, a man who he says can help find him gigs singing. The warden hands Everett a large bag of all his fan mail when he leaves and Everett learns they had been holding his mail back.

Everett goes to see Brewster at his club and he offers him a job — as a busboy.
Everett decides to sing anyhow and bombs miserably, attempting to smash his guitar over a mocking patron’s head. In spite of this, he captures the attention of record executive Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler) who encourages him to make a recording so he could practice and get better. Van Alden says he needs to sing with more passion. Van Alden is a shady character herself, working in payola with her other artists, most notably Mickey Alba.

Everett records “Don’t Leave Me Now” and Van Alden shops it around, finally selling it to a new label, but when she and Everett go to the store to buy copies, they find out that Everett’s arrangement had been stolen by Mickey Alba as the label wanted a proven star. Not willing to give up, Everett decides to form his own label with Van Alden distributing the records. Everett’s new song, “Treat Me Nice,” is a big hit and Everett is on his way.

In his lust for fame though though, Everett forgets the people who helped get him there. When Houghton is freed from jail, Everett reluctantly agrees to let his old-style country number into his TV appearance — the same one that features the dynamic “Jailhouse Rock” dance number. Houghton’s song gets cut and he reminds Everett of the contract while Everett reminds him of the mail scam. They compromise and Houghton becomes Everett’s paid flunky, forced to do such tasks as walking the dogs. When Everett treats Van Alden poorly though, it is all Houghton can take and he takes several swings at Everett. Not wanting to hurt the older Houghton, Everett doesn’t fight back; something Van Alden considers an act of love. Everett once again wins over her affections. Houghton had given Everett what he had coming to him and Shaughnessy delivers the scene convincingly. Likewise, Presley succeeds in making Everett a very unlikable character prior to his redemption.

This DVD is part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection and was supposed to include a commentary by the director, a retrospective featurette, the theatrical trailer and soundtrack in both Dolby 5.1 stereo as well as the original mono. Instead, one may select the language or view the trailer. This is an obvious mistake on the part of Warner Brothers that will hopefully be corrected in later pressings.

Jailhouse Rock is different from most Presley films in that he plays the antihero. He was a killer; he curses and treats everyone with disdain, making the film edgy for its time and certainly among Presley films. When people say Presley had the potential to be a good actor, they point to films such as Jailhouse Rock as proof. Sadly, Presley was ever given much of a chance to prove himself with more serious material — especially post Army — and the world will never know Presley’s true acting potential.

Article first published as DVD Review: Jailhouse Rock - Deluxe Edition on Blogcritics.

Interview with Jerry Schilling; Producer, Music Industry Professional, and Friend of Elvis

2010-08-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Jerry Schilling first met Elvis Presley when Presley was a mere 19 years old and a mostly unknown singer. While Schilling was only 12 at the time, the two hit it off and formed a 23-year friendship that lasted until Presley’s death in 1977. During this period, Schilling traveled with Presley, lived with him, acted as a stunt double in Charro! and worked creatively with him on such projects as Elvis On Tour. Not wanting to be known just as an “Elvis man,” Schilling got into film editing and served as the Executive in Charge of Talent on the 10-hour The History Of Rock ‘n’ Roll documentary. He also got into management, serving as a tour manager for Billy Joel and as a personal manager for the likes of the Beach Boys and Jerry Lee Lewis. Suffice to say, Jerry Schilling has led a very interesting life.

I spoke with him about Elvis’ 75th birthday, the DVD/Blu-Ray release of Elvis On Tour that recently played in 460 theaters across the country and about Schilling’s life in music. This is what he had to say.

What was your role in the original version of Elvis on Tour?

I was on tour with Elvis and by the time we did Elvis On Tour, I had enough knowledge of film editing that (directors) Bob (Abel) and Pierre (Adidge) hired me. I worked with the producers for a year. I’m in the footage. I got to work with him (Presley) on a creative level, which was a great thing for him and for me. It’s one of the first movies after Woodstock with multi-panel images. It was a really great experience working with young filmmakers, Marty Scorsese (Scorsese supervised a montage sequence in the film) and the directors. It is the best insight on film into Elvis that there is.

Why was “Johnny B Goode” replaced in the opening sequence by Don’t Be Cruel?

It simply came down to the fact that nobody was able to get a hold of Chuck Berry or his representatives. It wasn’t the price — we were never given a price. Chuck Berry is a very smart man. He kept his publishing from the beginning.

Did you ever think when you first met Elvis that you’d still be talking about him in 2010? What was that meeting like?

I don’t think either of us did! I was a big fan of James Dean and Brando and Elvis had that sense about him that you wanted to know him.

Will you be involved in any of the "Elvis 75" celebrations?

On August 15, Elvis On Tour is gonna have a European premiere in Brussels, and I’ll be a guest speaker. He has worldwide appeal, not just America. I find the further away you get, the more intense are the fans.

What was a day in the life of Jerry Schilling like when you were working for Elvis?

I was friends with him for 23 years and I worked and lived and traveled with him for 10 years of that. There were times when you were really busy and then there was quiet time.

How did you get into managing Billy Joel and the Beach Boys?

Elvis had a promoter, Tommy Hewlett with Concerts West and I asked Tom if he could help me and he mentioned this lady in New York who asked a bunch of questions, basically to see if I’d have trouble working for a woman. I went out to Colorado to meet his band. He was recording the Turnstiles album. We were in Detroit opening for the Beach Boys and that’s how I met the Beach Boys tour manager. I was their manager for 10 years, from 76 to 86. After 82, it was co-managed. I worked out their deal at CBS records. I also managed Jerry Lee Lewis at this time.

Elvis On Tour is part of the Elvis 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

Article first published as Interview: Jerry Schilling; Producer, Music Industry Professional, and Friend of Elvis on Blogcritics.

Elvis On Tour DVD Review

2010-08-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In 1972, Elvis Presley was still riding high from the commercial and critical rebirth that started with the ’68 Comeback Special and continued with his return to live performances the following year. His previous documentary, Elvis: That’s The Way It Is was a success, showing the King at the height of his physical and vocal ability. Hoping to recapture some of that magic, directors Robert Abel and Pierre Adidge followed Presley on his 15 cities in 15 nights 1972 tour, the results of which became Presley’s 33rd and final film, Elvis On Tour. Long out of print on VHS, it makes its DVD and Blu-ray debut with this release.

Not just a concert performance, Elvis On Tour gives a behind-the-scenes look at Presley’s tour with plenty of backstage moments. We see Presley just before he hits the stage, candid moments with the Memphis Mafia in his limousine, studio footage and footage of Presley and his band singing gospel songs on their off hours. A true highlight comes when Presley leads them through a rendition of “I, John.” Gospel music moved Presley and it shows in these scenes.

There are also a number of complete live performances, filmed in Hampton, VA; Greensboro, NC; and San Antonio, TX including the first-ever performance of Presley’s last U.S. top-10 hit, “Burning Love.” The song is so new that Presley reads the lyrics off a sheet of paper while he sings, but the performance is dynamic. Other highlights include a rocking “Polk Salad Annie,” powerful versions of “Bridge Over Troubled Water and “An American Trilogy” and a fine version of “Funny How Time Slips Away” that is made ever more poignant as Presley would be gone just five years later. Elvis On Tour also features a career-retrospective montage supervised by Martin Scorsese and the middle of “Love Me Tender” is intercut with love scenes from Presley’s movies.

Keen fans may notice the intro to the movie is different and that’s because Chuck Berry’s classic, “Johnny B. Goode” has been replaced by ‘Don’t be Cruel.” Seems Presley’s people could not get a hold of Berry’s people and they were unable to get the licensing for the song. As “Don’t be Cruel” is shorter, one section of the lyrics had to be repeated, making for a clumsy intro. Still, some movie is better than no movie. The DVD is also included as part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, while the Blu-ray is in the Blu-ray book format, featuring 40 pages of photos, quotes, biography, and set lists for the shows filmed.

While both discs feature remastered video and audio (The standard DVD has Dolby Digital 5.1 while the Blu-ray has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround) the content is identical. The picture and the sound quality are fantastic, especially on the Blu-ray, but there are no extras included on either version. This will be disappointing news to Presley fans, many of who are aware a plethora of footage for these shows exists. There would have been plenty of room on either disc (the Blu-ray especially) to include commentary, cut scenes, behind the scenes footage or even the new 20 minutes of footage shot for the recent theatrical rerelease. Instead, all fans were treated to was a bare bones version of the film. The film itself is great — something any Presley fan would do well to have in his or her collection — but for such a big release, the presentation disappoints.

Article first published as DVD Review: Elvis on Tour on Blogcritics.

Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection Review

2010-08-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Counting the two concert documentaries, Elvis Presley appeared in 33 movies during his career. To celebrate what would have been the King’s 75th birthday, Warner Brothers has collected roughly half of these films in the largest collection of Elvis movies to date. Simply titled Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, the box set features 14 Presley feature films and three documentaries, including: Jailhouse Rock; It Happened At The World’s Fair; Kissin’ Cousins; Viva Las Vegas; Girl Happy; Tickle Me; Harum Scarum; Spinout; Double Trouble; Stay Away, Joe; Speedway; Live A Little, Love A Little; Charro!; The Trouble With Girls; Elvis: That’s The Way It Is; Elvis On Tour; and This Is Elvis.

In Jailhouse Rock, Presley stars as Vince Everett, a man sentenced to prison for accidentally killing a man in a fight. While in prison, he learns about the music business from his cellmate Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), himself a former country singer. After Everett’s release from prison, he eventually becomes a recording and movie star. His lust for fame and money make him forget everyone who helped him along the way though. Jailhouse Rock features some of Presley’s best music, including the famous title song dance sequence and the DVD is supposed to include a commentary, featurette and Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo. None of these bonus features are included on the DVD however, an obvious mistake by Warner Brothers.

The Century 21 Exposition is the setting for It Happened At The World’s Fair. Presley stars as Mike Edwards, a crop duster whose partner Danny Burke’s (a pre-2001: A Space Odyssey Gary Lockwood) gambling problems lead the pair to go hitchhiking cross-country to find work to pay off their debts. They end up at the 1962 World’s Fair when a man and his niece Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu) pick them up along the way. When Sue-Lin’s Uncle Walter (Kam Tong) is unable to take Sue-Lin to the fair, Edwards volunteers to do so while Burke offers to go look for his friend Vince Bradley (H.M. Wynant) to hit him up for money. After Sue-Lin eats too much, she gets sick and sees the nurse Diane Warren (Joan O’Brien), who Edwards immediately hits on. When she resists his advances, he pays an uncredited Kurt Russell to kick him in the shin so he is forced to see the nurse. A number of the characters turn on each other, but in typical Elvis movie style, everyone lives happily ever after. The movie even ends with the song “Happy Ending.” It Happened At The World’s Fair is still early enough in Presley’s film career that he is focused and into the film. Likewise, the soundtrack is a lot stronger than what was to come.

Presley plays dual roles in Kissin’ Cousins. The first is as Army second lieutenant Josh Morgan while the second is as his backwoods cousin, Jodie Tatum. Captain Salbo (Jack Albertson) complains to General Donford (Donald Woods) that he wants a Pentagon tour of duty so he can see his wife more often. Donford agrees, provided he complete Operation Smoky in three days, otherwise he will be shipped to Greenland and take Morgan with him. Operation Smoky involved convincing the Tatums to let the government build a missile base on top of their mountain, something Morgan gets tasked with doing. While there, he falls for his distant cousin Azalea (adorably played by Yvonne Craig) while his cousin Jodie (who looks and sings remarkably like Josh) falls for Army stenographer Midge (Cynthia Pepper). When Morgan is moving too slowly for Donford’s liking, the general shows up with a group of Army troops to try and get the deal settled, only to get forced to eat possum tails, drink moonshine and get assaulted by the “Kittyhawks” — a group of wild women who prey on unsuspecting men. Distant cousins or not, this theme likely wouldn’t fly today nor would the stereotypical portrayal of rednecks, but the film has an innocent (and very low budget) feel about it and is not meant to be taken seriously. The title track, “Echoes of Love” and “Once is Enough” are standouts from the fun, but nonessential soundtrack.

Presley’s focus returns in Viva Las Vegas — often cited as one of his best films. It helps that he had a dynamic costar in Ann-Margret and the chemistry between the two onscreen was such that it fueled rumors of an affair off-screen. Presley stars as Lucky Jackson, a racecar driver headed to Las Vegas to participate in the city’s first annual Grand Prix. An Italian driver, Count Elmo Mancini, decides he wants Jackson to drive for him, offering to give up racing so he could be with Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). Jackson refuses his offer though. Mancini proceeds to tell Martin about another driver’s crash and she worries for Jackson’s safety and is upset when he doesn’t want to give up racing. Ann-Margret sings “My Rival” at this point and it marks one of the highlights of the film. In spite of the rushed ending, all of the scenes with Presley and Ann-Margret together are great, as is the majority of the soundtrack — save for the bizarre version of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” that Presley was forced to sing. The DVD includes a commentary by Elvis in Hollywood director Steve Pond, a retrospective featurette and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as the original mono.

In Girl Happy, Presley portrays Rusty Wells, a singer in a Chicago nightclub band that is about to leave for spring break in Fort Lauderdale to chase women until their boss, Big Frank (Harold J. Stone) extends their stay at the club. Big Frank changes his tune when he finds out his daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares) is gong to Fort Lauderdale for spring break with some girlfriends. He hires Wells and his band to watch her and keep her out of trouble. Wells begins to fall for Valerie and offers to watch her on his own, relieving the band members of their duties. When Valerie tells her father she has fallen for Wells, he is shocked and says that he was only being nice to her because he had paid him. Valerie is crushed and decides to make Wells earn his money by going on wild drinking binges and partying. Fabares is fun and is arguably the highlight of the film. The movie is entertaining, but definitely light-hearted fair and thin on plot. The soundtrack features a couple good songs though, most notably the title track and “Puppet on a String.”

Presley once again plays a singer in Tickle Me starring as Lonnie Beale. He goes to work taking care of horses at an all-girls spa and ranch. The women there pay $500 per week to essentially be reconditioned into hotties — only in an Elvis film! While there, he meets and falls for fitness instructor Pam Merritt (Jocelyn Lane), who is the victim of several kidnapping attempts due to people knowing she has a map of her grandfather’s buried treasure. Merritt sees Beale kissing her boss, Vera Radford (Julie Adams) and leaves, refusing to believe his explanation that she came on to him. She drives into an old abandoned town to look for her treasure and Beale follows her with fellow ranch employee Stanley Potter (Jack Mullaney). We are treated to a fun flashback scene to the old western days with Presley as the milk-drinking Panhandle Kid. The trio then spends the night in an old wax museum. It is here when Tickle Me becomes almost like a Scooby Doo episode, with its haunted houses and men dressed as monsters. This movie is just strange enough that it works and the soundtrack is filled with recycled old songs, including numbers from the classic Elvis is Back! so the music is top notch.

With Harum Scarum, Presley hoped to deliver a Rudolph Valentino-style role. Sadly the script was a joke and fans instead were treated to one of Presley’s worst films. Presley stars as Johnny Tyronne, an American, action movie star visiting the Middle East to promote his new film, Sands of the Desert. Prince Dragna (Michael Ansara) and his lady Aishah (Fran Jeffries) invite him to be a guest of Dragna’s brother, King Toranshah (Phillip Reed). After seeing Tyronne karate chop a cheetah in one of his films (Hey, it’s an Elvis film), a group of assassins are convinced of his prowess and drug him. They take him to see Sinan, lord of the assassins, who wants him to kill the king for them. While there, he meets Princess Shalimar (Mary Ann Mobley) who is posing as a slave girl when in reality, she is the king’s daughter. When she finds out that Sinan is back, she knows her father is in danger and helps Tyronne thwart the plot to assassinate him. The film is full of ridiculous clichés and forgettable songs and Presley looks bored out of his mind. Things would soon get better for Presley though.

While not much different that his other films (Presley plays singing racecar driver Mike McCoy) the fun at least returns to Presley films with Spinout. The movie begins with McCoy getting run off the road by a crazed fan but he still makes it to his gig where he performs “Adam and Evil” and “Stop Look and Listen” with his band. These songs, along with the title track, “All That I Am”, and “I’ll Be Back” were the strongest soundtrack songs Presley had sang in sometime and his enthusiasm for them comes through in the performance. While at the club, he meets author Diana St. Clair (Diane McBain) who wants him to be the subject of her book about the perfect American male. She has marriage on her mind and is set on McCoy. Howard Foxhugh (Carl Betz) then approaches McCoy and offers $5,000 for the band to perform at his daughter’s birthday party. McCoy caves and the band plays the party only to find out Foxhugh’s daughter Cynthia (Shelley Fabares) is the same fan who ran McCoy off the road. She is a spoiled rich girl who wants and expects to marry McCoy while her dad wants McCoy to drive his new racecar, the Foxhugh Five. While this is happening, the band’s drummer Les (Deborah Walley) reveals her crush on McCoy. Three women, all with marriage on their mind are seemingly after McCoy. Who does McCoy pick? The ending may surprise you. Better music, a better cast and a twist at the end make Spinout a winner.

Presley is Guy Lambert — an American singer on tour in England — in Double Trouble. While performing at the club, Lambert meets Jill Conway (Annette Day) a pretty redhead who resists Lambert’s advances because, unbeknownst to him, she is not yet 18. She is also set to inherit a large sum of money when she does turn 18, a point of contention with her uncle Gerald Waverly (John Williams) who has been dipping into the inheritance. Her uncle sends her to Belgium for school, which she readily agrees to when she learns that Lambert will be performing there. While on the boat, a pair of thieves takes Lambert’s suitcase to smuggle diamonds into the country. Lambert notices that he’s had to save Conway twice and that someone tried to run him over. The pair go on the run trying to save their lives and let Conway make it to age 18 to protect her inheritance. This is a decent film with some clever twists and amusing cameos from the Wiere Brothers as bumbling cops and from a talking parrot that inadvertently gives away plot points.

Stay Away, Joe stars Presley as Native American bull-rider Joe Lightcloud who manages to convince his congressman to give his family 20 heifers and a quality bull so they can raise them. If they prove to be successful, then the government will help them out. Problems arise from the family though when, at a party celebrating Joe’s return, the family in a drunken haze mistakenly cooks the bull. Joe has his friend Bronc Hoverty (L.Q. Jones) get a new bull and Hoverty gets one that is supposedly Blue Ribbon, yet when the bull gets there, all he does is sleep. Meanwhile, Joe’s father Charlie (Burgess Meredith) has been selling off the cattle to pay for improvements his wife wants made to their home. The government learns what has happened and is not pleased. Meredith’s character is an odd sight, with his dark makeup and strange demeanor. Thomas Gomez as Grandpa is depicted as a stereotypical Native American. All that was missing was for him to say, “how.” The Native Americans in this film were very badly stereotyped, even for 1968 and portrayed as wild, sex-crazed drunks. Presley seems to be enjoying himself and there are some nice scenery shots, but the title of this one seems appropriate. Stay away.

Presley once again plays a racecar driver in Speedway, this time starring as Steve Grayson. Grayson owes the IRS $145,000 due to mistakes in his return by his manager Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby). Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra) shows up at Grayson’s trailer and he mistakes her for a fan. Turns out, she is working for the IRS, who are about to audit him. Donford’s gambling and fuzzy math have led to the repossession of not only gifts Grayson has bought for others, but many of Grayson’s possessions as well. The pair is put on an allowance — $100 per week for Grayson and $50 per week for Donford — until their debts are paid. After wooing Jacks, Grayson manages to get her to convince R.W. Hepworth at the IRS (Gale Gordon) to let him keep some of his earnings to pay off the innocent people who’ve had their lives ruined by Donford’s stupidity. Light on plot, Speedway is like a poor man’s Viva Las Vegas. That’s not to say there aren’t any plusses though. Bill Bixby is great in his comic role, playing a likable sleazebag and there are a few fun moments on the soundtrack, including “Let Yourself Go” and Sinatra’s “Your Groovy Self,” the latter being the only time a non-Elvis track appeared on one of his soundtracks.

In Live a Little, Love a Little, the focus, as in the last few movies Presley made, was more on the acting than the music. Presley stars as Greg Nolan, a photographer who meets a rich socialite named Bernice (Michele Carey). After drugging him, he finds out he has lost his job and his apartment due to the extended length of time he has been away. She feels guilty and gets him a new apartment, but it is expensive and he has to take two jobs to pay for it — one at a Playboy-style magazine called Classic Cat and the other for a much more conservative fashion magazine. Mike Lansdown is the Hugh Hefner-esque publisher of the former and doesn’t want Nolan wearing a tie because it cuts off the circulation, while Penlow (Rudy Vallee) prefers the sharp-dressed man. This leads to some amusing scenes of Presley changing in the stairwell as both jobs were in the same building. Carey is great as the eccentric Bernice, who places a wooden divider on her bed so she and Nolan can sleep together without him worrying about her advances. Similarly, Dick Sargent is fun as former Bernice love interest Harry and makes a winking nod to his old TV show when he tells Nolan he should get a job in advertising. This film is most notable these days for launching “A Little Less Conversation,” which became a hit three decades later. It also features a cool psychedelic dream sequence set to “Edge of Reality.” A socially relevant Elvis movie in 1968? Go figure.

Presley is Jess Wade in Charro!, a man framed for stealing a cannon from the Mexican army. Wade was once part of Vince Hackett’s (Victor French) gang and Hackett wanted revenge for Wade not only leaving, but taking his girl Tracey Winters (Ina Balin) with him. They make wanted posters saying Wade is the only identifiable member of the men who stole the cannon as he has a scar on his neck (which was placed there because Hackett had him branded). Hackett intends to hold the cannon for ransom and he also uses it against the local townspeople when his brother is jailed for shooting the sheriff. Critically panned, Charro! nevertheless marks a move to more serious roles for Presley. It is the only movie that he does not sing in. The only Presley vocal comes from the title song, played over the opening credits. Worth a look for fans of westerns.

The Trouble With Girls was Presley’s penultimate film of the 1960s. He plays a Chautauqua manager who has made his way into smalltown Iowa for the fair. He tries to prevent his pianist Charlene (Marlyn Mason) from organizing the workers into a union. At the same time, he has to deal with nepotism, as the town’s mayor wants his daughter cast in the lead role of a play instead of the more talented current lead, and the murder of a local druggist, for which a Chautauqua troop member was initially blamed. When the killer is revealed, he exploits the murder which at first enrages Charlene, but he convinces her it was the only way to get a fair trial. Look for a great cameo by Vincent price as Mr. Morality and some fine Presley singing performances, including “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard” and his remake of “Swing Down Sweet Chariot.” Presley gets less screen time than usual in this film, but it is a little different for him and shows what might have been.

With his movie contracts fulfilled and the success of the ’68 Comeback Special and subsequent live shows in 1969, the time was ripe for a concert documentary. Elvis: That’s The Way It Is Special Edition captures material from shows filmed in August of 1970. We see the band in rehearsal, where Presley keeps everyone loose by joking; yet he is clearly in charge. An overlooked aspect of Presley’s is his involvement in the musical side of his show. Here we see Presley directing backup singers and helping with arrangements. The songs sounded exactly the way he wanted them to. The live performances show Presley at the peak of his vocal and physical abilities. Highlights include blistering versions of “Polk Salad Annie” and “Suspicious Minds” and the powerful vocal workout of “Just Pretend” that Presley mistakenly says is from his country album. This is the one-disc version of this show. The two-disc special edition includes the original theatrical cut, which includes more fan interviews. This version focuses mostly on Elvis.

Elvis on Tour attempts to recapture the magic of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is from two years earlier and largely succeeds. The documentary follows Presley on his 15 cities in 15 nights tour in 1972 and shows candid backstage footage, studio footage and footage of the band rehearsing and singing gospel numbers in their off time. It also features the first-ever performance of "Burning Love," Presley’s last top ten hit in the U.S. It is one of the first films after Woodstock to use the multipanel format and it makes its debut on DVD here. The DVD also contains no extras — disappointing given all that was filmed.

This is Elvis chronicles the King’s life from his beginnings in Tupelo, MS, to his meteoric rise to the top to his tragic fall and death at a young age. The film goes in chronological order and it mixes reenactments and narration with actual archival footage of Presley, going as far back as his 1956 TV appearances and as recent as images of his funeral procession. It talks about the racism Presley dealt with for his music sounding “too black” and how parents felt threatened by him in general, his move to Hollywood and his return to live performances. It pulls no punches in dealing with Presley’s drug use, but overall paints a balanced picture of the man. He was a great talent, but he was human.

It’s fascinating to watch these movies in order and see the progression from eager young actor to bored formula actor to reenergized stage performer. Elvis Presley was a unique performer and these DVDs show what a talent he was musically and, in some cases, what he could have been on the silver screen.

Article first published as DVD Review: Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection on Blogcritics.

This is the Blues: Volume One and Two CD Review

2010-06-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The blues genre has been graced with many greats over the years — from Robert Johnson to B.B. King to Stevie Ray Vaughan — and to honor them all would arguably take hundreds of volumes. This is the Blues: Volume One and Volume Two focus mainly on two artists — John Lee Hooker and original Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green — whose songs make up 18 of the 30 tracks on these volumes.

Volume One starts out in fine fashion with Jeff Beck tackling Hooker’s “Hobo Blues.” Earl Green takes the lead vocals on this funky workout while Beck coaxes seemingly impossible sounds from his axe. Even in his fifth decade of playing, Beck still amazes. Hooker’s daughter, Zakiya, delivers a spirited version of her father’s “I Want to Hug You,” which features the late Johnnie Johnson, legendary pianist for Chuck Berry among others on piano. Jack Bruce reunites with his ex-BBM band mate Gary Moore for a down and dirty version of Hooker’s “I’m in the Mood,” with Moore’s fiery lead playing conjuring up memories of that other famous guitarist Bruce worked with in the 1960s.

Green’s “Black Magic Woman” gets a fine reading from Larry McCray, blending elements of the Fleetwood Mac and Santana versions with a touch of funk for good measure while Vince Converse and Innes Sibun trade some tasty leads on a hard-rocking “Rattlesnake Shake.” Luther Grosvenor and Jess Roden deliver a laid-back “Crying Won’t Bring You Back,” with a feel not unlike the Rolling Stone’s cover of “Harlem Shuffle.”

Speaking of the Stones, ex-guitarist Mick Taylor shows why he is considered a master slide guitarist with his 10-minute cover of Willie Dixon’s “You Shook Me” while his former bandmate, Mick Jagger, offers his underrated harmonica skills to his brother Chris’ take of Lonnie Johnson’s “Racketeer Blues,” a song that would not be out of place on Beggars Banquet.

The late Rory Gallagher opens Volume Two with a haunting version of Green’s “Leaving Town Blues” that features Gallagher on vocals, guitar, and mandolin while Jack Bruce returns on bass and harmonica on a spirited romp through Cyril Davies' “Send For Me.” Green is honored again with Savoy Brown’s acoustic version of the classic “Stop Messin’ Round” and Green himself appears on guitar and vocals alongside Nigel Watson in an authentic Delta Blues take of Robert Johnson’s “Travelling Riverside Blues.” Southside Johnny’s fine vocals make “Baby When the Sun Goes Down” another highlight of disc two with horns that recall those on the old Stax records.

John Lee Hooker makes Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” his own with an even heavier blues interpretation than its writer’s and backed by a blues super group featuring Booker T. Jones on keyboards and the late Bruce Gary on drums. Hooker’s playing and singing shine on the track. The CD finishes with Hooker’s appropriately titled “I’m Leaving,” which features T.S. McPhee on guitar and vocals and Dick Heckstall-Smith with some spirited saxophone playing.

While not all encompassing by any means, This is the Blues: Volume One and Volume Two offer not only a nice introduction to some legendary artists — most notably Peter Green and John Lee Hooker — but to the artists giving the tributes themselves, some well known, some not as much. As a primer for someone getting into the blues, this may make a new listener delve deeper into the genre and for that reason it is worth a look.

Article first published as Music Review: Various Artists - This is the Blues: Volume One and Two on Blogcritics.

Judas Priest - British Steel: 30th Anniversary Edition Review

2010-05-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

In music, "genre defining" is a phrase limited to the very best albums. It’s a goal every artist strives for, but only a select few actually achieve. Judas Priest is one of those fortunate artists, and they first reached that plateau with 1980’s British Steel. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the album has been rereleased in both two- and three-disc versions. This review covers the two-disc version.

Recorded at Tittenhurst Park, the former home of John Lennon, British Steel mixes hard-charging radio anthems such as “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law” with blistering metal such as the album’s opener “Rapid Fire” and its closer “Steeler.” When Rob Halford sings, “pounding the world like a battering ram,” he isn’t kidding. The album grabs the listener by the throat from the opening buzz saw guitar licks and never lets go. This is the album that turned Priest into headliners after years of opening act status.

The album also features in-concert favorites such as “Metal Gods” and “Grinder,” the former of which has become Halford’s nickname. In addition, the band stretches out on the anthemic “United” and mixes a reggae-like intro with the powerful “The Rage,” a track that features some of Halford’s best vocals. The album remains a collection one could present to skeptics to defend metal’s validity.

To celebrate the album’s anniversary, Judas Priest hit the road in 2009 playing British Steel in its entirety. The included DVD features a full concert recorded live at the Seminole Hard Rock Arena in Hollywood, Fla.

Opening with “Rapid Fire, the band plays through all of British Steel before returning to deliver an additional hour of Priest classics. Highlights from the album portion include “Metal Gods,” the seldom-played “You Don’t Have to be Old to be Wise,” and “The Rage.” Revisiting these songs seems to have revitalized Halford in particular, who hits notes that didn’t seem possible for him anymore. The second part of the set includes killer versions of “The Ripper” (with Halford hitting the big notes), “Prophecy” from the band’s concept album Nostradamus and a lightning-fast “Freewheel Burning” complete with motorcycle intro.

The DVD is well filmed, without too much rapid-style editing found in many of today’s rock DVDs. Too many of these discs seem to have five shots per second and never linger on any of them long enough to figure out what is going on. Thankfully, that is not the case here.

Also included on the DVD is a half hour documentary about the making of British Steel. The documentary features interviews with Halford, bassist Ian Hill, and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing as well as new and archival video footage. As the album’s drummer, Dave Holland, is still in jail for attempted rape of a boy he was giving drum lessons to (charges Holland denies), there is no interview footage of him included.

The Priest catalog was given the remastered treatment in 2001 and that is the CD that features here. Priest fans were upset at the time, as many of the bonus tracks on the discs had nothing to do with the sessions for the album they were included with. “Red White & Blue,” for instance, was not from the British Steel sessions and while the studio version of “Grinder” is on the original album, the live version contained on this disc is not from the British Steel tour. This may be nitpicking to some, but Sony had an opportunity here to expand this CD properly, with demos, unreleased songs (if they exist) and/or live cuts from the era and didn’t. Fans who own the 2001 CD would be buying this album strictly for the DVD (and live CD if they opted for the three-disc version) and the packaging.

The artwork for this collection has been modified from its original iconic image of a man’s hand holding a razorblade. Now the hand is gone, instead replaced with blood dripping from the blade (The original image is inside the booklet). Perhaps this was done to avoid confusion among fans, but this is the metal equivalent to changing the cover to Abbey Road. As for the DVD, the concert itself is fantastic, but one wonders if the band has any shows filmed from the actual British Steel tour they could have included. Still, the show included has the band in fine form both musically and vocally.

There isn’t much that can be said about British Steel that hasn’t been already. In spite of a few flaws, the positives here greatly outweigh the negatives and British Steel remains a must-own album not only for fans of Judas Priest, but for fans of metal as well.

Article first published as Music Review: Judas Priest – British Steel: 30th Anniversary Edition on Blogcritics.org

Elvis Presley - On Stage: Legacy Edition CD Review

2010-03-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

When Elvis Presley returned to live concerts in 1969, he did so with a fire not seen since the earlier part of his career. He was in peak form both physically and vocally and thankfully RCA was there to capture it live. His two live albums — 1969’s In Person at the International Hotel (originally part of the two-LP From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis) and 1970’s On Stage are collected on On Stage: Legacy Edition.

Presley’s return to the concert stage was a long time coming — nine years in fact. As the 1960s wore on, the King found himself recording an increasing number of bad songs for an increasing number of bad movies while the rest of the music industry passed him by. Toward the end of the decade, his commercial fortunes were at an all-time low. While he began his creative rebirth with the Grammy Award-winning How Great Thou Art album in 1967, it was the 1968 Comeback Special that solidified his return to the top.

Freed from the clutches of Hollywood, Presley returned to Memphis to record the career-defining From Elvis in Memphis and its accompanying singles, including “Suspicious Minds” — his last number one in America — and was eager to perform before a live audience again.

After original band mates Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana turned him down due to the revenue they’d lose as session men, Presley recruited what would later become known as the TCB band with James Burton on guitar, Ronnie Tutt on drums, and Jerry Scheff on bass. The 1969 recordings at the International Hotel in Las Vegas form the basis of disc two.

And what performances they are. From frantic versions of “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Johnny B. Goode” to a countrified “Are You Lonesome Tonight” to the gospel/blues of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Presley sounds like a lion freed from the cage.

Contemporary material, including a heartfelt rendition of the Bee Gees’ “Words” and his own “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds” also feature in the set. This was the strongest material Presley had sung in years and he knew it, delivering the songs with conviction as if his very career depended on it. In spite of this, his insecurities about performing live made him wonder if anyone would still care after all those years. That answer was a resounding yes.

1970’s On Stage was unusual as live albums go in that all the songs were covers and not ones Presley originally made famous. That’s not to say he didn’t make them his own however. The raucous “See See Rider” became a staple as a set opener while the swamp rocker “Polk Salad Annie” became a showcase for his karate-inspired stage moves. “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” is a highlight of this set. One gets the sense that he saw a lot of himself in the lyrics. Presley also delivers a heartfelt version of “The Wonder of You,” which became a worldwide hit and his first-ever live single.

On Stage: Legacy Edition includes a number of bonus tracks from the respective time periods, including fine versions of “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Kentucky Rain” on disc one and a bluesy “Reconsider Baby” and wistful “Funny How Times Slips Away” on disc two, the latter of which was recorded live before it later appeared on 1971’s Elvis Country.

While previous versions of this material have lacked in sound quality or had unnecessary reverb added, the Legacy Edition features superb mastering by audio guru Vic Anesini. This material has arguably never sounded better. The packaging is also top-notch, with liner notes by Elvis: Vegas ‘69 author Ken Sharp.

For fans of the King in his second great period from 1968-72, this is essential material. The CD sounds great, the band is tight and Elvis Presley is on top of his game.

Live at Knebworth - CD Review

2010-03-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

While many festivals have boasted incredible lineups of music, the one held at Knebworth in June of 1990 has often been called the best British rock concert of all time. With a lineup featuring Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Elton John, Phil Collins, Genesis, Tears for Fears, Dire Straits, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and Status Quo, it would be difficult to argue against that claim.

The artists chosen were previous winners of the Nordoff-Robbins Silver Clef Award, recognizing acts that make outstanding contributions to the British music industry. The concert itself was a benefit for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and the Brit School of Performing Arts. The CD will raise money for those charities.

While the concert was an all-day affair, the CD features highlights of the bands, leading off with two songs from Tears for Fears, including a spirited version of their hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Up next are Status Quo, who deliver a fine cover of John Fogerty’s “Rockin’ All Over the World” and Cliff Richard and the Shadows with legendary guitarist Hank Marvin doing “Do you Wanna Dance” and “On the Beach.”

Robert Plant’s set included the then popular “Hurting Kind” and “Tall Cool One,” but the real highlight was an appearance by Jimmy Page on the seldom-played Led Zeppelin classic “Wearing and Tearing.” Up next is Genesis with “Mama” and “”Turn it on Again,” the latter of which evolved into a medley of classic 1960s songs including “Somebody to Love,” “Satisfaction,” and “Twist and Shout.”

Phil Collins opens disc two with his version of “Sussudio,” while Eric Clapton plays a funky version of the Cream classic “Sunshine of Your Love.” Dire Straits offer “I Think I Love You Too Much” while Elton John has two songs, including a fun “Saturday Night’s All Right (For Fighting)."

Two heavyweights close the show in Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd, though only two songs are included from each act (“Coming Up” and “Hey Jude” and “Comfortably Numb” and “Run Like Hell” respectively). If there’s a problem with this set, it is this: McCartney’s set alone was roughly 45 minutes, including a John Lennon tribute not included here. While putting out the entire concert may not be feasible for the average buyer, perhaps a deluxe edition could have solved this with all of the performances, or perhaps individual CDs for the bigger artists at the show, with the proceeds from those going to charity as well.

For fans that just want an overview though, Live at Knebworth is an excellent document of this historic event. It’s not often one can find this many big names doing their biggest hits in one place.

Solid Dudes Kitchen - Season One DVD Review

2010-02-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

When one thinks of cooking shows, it often brings to mind images of snooty chefs in five-star restaurants making bizarre dishes in sparrow-sized portions. So what are regular folks who enjoy eating a good, hearty meal to do? Two dudes from Michigan aim to solve that problem in Solid Dudes Kitchen – Season One.

Now available on DVD, the show originated as a series of web shorts starring Derek Swanson and Dave Graw as very unconventional chefs. Their Super Bowl episode for instance, finds them making roasted beet salad with fennel and Dijon vinaigrette as opposed to typical game day fair such as burgers or wings.

Another episode finds the dudes interacting with Jeff Tuttle, the guitarist for Dillinger Escape Plan. They make a point and he illustrates it by shredding on his guitar while the definition of his shredding appears in text on screen. The humor here is decidedly lowbrow as one instance finds Tuttle saying he’d like to butter their casserole dish with his penis. This is not your mother’s cooking show for sure.

The dudes decide to make pot brownies (Though the special ingredient is never clearly shown on screen) and after they kick in, ponder their favorite fake words, such as “supposebly” and Aerosmith. Instead of Dave and Derek telling the viewer the ingredients, the band Gentlemen instead sings them.

Hangover food is the subject of one episode, with pasta carbonara and biscuits and gravy being the dishes of choice, while another episode finds the dudes making venison pasties using meat from one of their friend’s hunting trips. The duo’s piece de resistance or their Empire Strikes Back as they call it, is their pork burger with the unrepeatable name.

The burger started from an idea to make a burger out of all bacon. When that wasn’t feasible, the dudes did the next best thing and made one from all pork. When finished, the burger is assembled as follows: bun, pork belly, ribs, onions, pork patty, cheese, bacon and bun. Mayo, which includes bacon, is spread on both halves of the bun. One can feel their arteries clog just by looking at this burger, but it was so good it make the dudes — two grown men — hug each other.

The DVD and other merchandise are for sale on www.soliddudeskitchen.com, and all the recipes from the show can be viewed there as well. Solid Dudes Kitchen is not for everyone. Those easily offended by toilet humor and cursing should stay away, but those with that sense of humor and the appetite for good food should check out the show.

Paul McCartney - Good Evening New York City CD/DVD Review

2009-11-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

When the Beatles played Shea Stadium in 1965, it revolutionized the concert industry. Rock bands didn’t play baseball stadiums and though you could barely hear the band over the drone of screaming girls, it set the tone for bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin.

Now 44 years later, Shea Stadium is gone, but the Mets have a new stadium and who better than Paul McCartney to christen its concert stage? Captured over three nights at Citi Field in 2009, Good Evening New York City is an excellent document of these historic shows.

Containing two CDs and one DVD, Good Evening New York City offers a healthy cross-section of McCartney classics old and new — from “I Saw Her Standing There” with New York-native Billy Joel guesting on vocals and piano to “Sing the Changes” from McCartney’s critically acclaimed Fireman album, Electric Arguments — the latter featuring images of Barack Obama on the video screen during the performance.

As has been the case in recent tours, Paul pays tribute to both John Lennon and George Harrison by performing “Here Today,” the song he wrote after Lennon’s passing and “Something” for George, featuring Paul on ukulele for the first part of the song. McCartney gets visibly choked up during “Here Today” and his voice cracks, only adding to the song’s poignancy.

McCartney has also taken to performing Lennon-written songs in recent years with “Day Tripper” and “A Day In The Life/Give Peace a Chance” getting the nod here. With Lennon and Harrison gone, McCartney has effectively become the curator of the Beatles legacy.

“I’m Down” was added to the set list as a nod to the Shea Stadium show from 1965. While the CD features the unedited audio of the performance, the DVD has a mash-up of both footage and audio with the Beatles’ performance and McCartney’s. It’s a clever touch and very well done.

It’s not all hits either. Obscure gems such as “Mrs. Vanderbilt” from Band on the Run and “Calico Skies” from 1997’s Flaming Pie sit nicely in between the better known “Blackbird” and “Eleanor Rigby.” In addition, the limited number of shows McCartney does these days has done wonders for his voice, as it is the strongest it has been in years.

Fans have been clamoring for a McCartney DVD release that offers a straight performance without interruptions, interviews, cuts to different shows and the like. Good Evening New York City delivers in this regard, focusing on the New York show, without too much audience hamming or rapid-fire MTV-style editing. In a clever touch, many in the crowd were handed handheld flip cameras to film whatever they wanted. Some of that footage is included in the DVD, which has a 5.1 DTS Surround Sound mix as well as standard stereo.

For fans of Paul McCartney, Wings and The Beatles, Good Evening New York City offers something for everyone. These are timeless songs, played by an energized McCartney with a crack band. What’s not to like?

Chickenfoot - Deluxe Limited Edition CD Review

2009-11-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

It’s been a great first year for the super group Chickenfoot. With a critically acclaimed album and tour and a Gold Certified record, it’s been as good a start as former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani could have asked for.

Now the band is giving something back to the fans by releasing a deluxe, limited-edition version of their CD exclusively through Best Buy. The CD contains the original album, as well as the previously only available through iTunes and vinyl bonus track “Bitten by the Wolf” — a heavy blues track that would be at home on the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin III with its distorted vocals and slide guitar.

In addition to the CD is an hour-long DVD filled with studio footage, interviews, live clips and the full-length music video for “Soap On A Rope.” The band intros all of the clips by singing a variation of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” substituting Chickenfoot for the word Christmas and with each band member setting up the footage. It’s clear from these clips, as well as the other studio footage and interviews that these guys love being in a band together, which is refreshing to see, especially considering the sometimes rocky internal politics of both Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Live footage is taken from a number of locations, most notably the band’s appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, though additional audio was taken from Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut and the House of Blues in Atlantic City. While the studio versions of these tracks are strong, live is where Chickenfoot really shines, extending solos and driving the songs much harder than on CD.

While some fans may accuse the band of double dipping by rereleasing their album, the CD is limited edition and the DVD is worth the price alone. Chickenfoot is a band whose members play purely for the love of music and it shows. After a successful album and tour, the future looks bright for the band.

REO Speedwagon - Not So Silent Night CD Review

2009-11-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Written by General Jabbo

It’s been a busy few years for veteran rockers REO Speedwagon. From releasing their first album in more than a decade, one that had the band rediscovering its rock roots — 2007’s Find Your Own Way Home — to nonstop touring with the likes of Styx, Journey, and Night Ranger, the band has worked at a harder pace than many bands half their age.

Now, nearly 40 years after their debut, REO is releasing its first Christmas album. Not So Silent Night mixes traditional Christmas carols, obscure gems, and a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” with the classic REO sound — big, melodic choruses and guitars.

The album begins sweetly with a short, melodic version of “The First Noel,” before segueing into a bluesy “Winter Wonderland.” ‘Silent Night” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee” show the band in a surprisingly gospel vein and prove to be highlights of the disc with the former done as a ballad with choir and the latter as an up-tempo number.

For a band most famous for its ballads, the fact the slower material works better here is not surprising. “The White Snows of Winter” in particular stands out and should prove to be a favorite of fans of the band’s softer side.

The Lennon cover is by the numbers and while not an improvement over the classic original is still a strong track. In keeping with the holiday spirit, all proceeds from this track go to the John Lennon Foundation. The band’s cover of “Blue Christmas” finds them veering off into country territory in surprisingly convincing fashion

While the band rocks up their versions of “Deck The Halls” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” these versions come off as forced and aren’t to the same standard as the rest of the CD. Still the positives outweigh the negatives here.

REO Speedwagon may not be the first band people think of when it comes to recording a Christmas album, but they make it work. Fans of the band and of Christmas music should enjoy this release for years to come.

The Transformers: Season Two, Volume One (25th Anniversary Edition) DVD Review

2009-09-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

After the success of the initial 16 episodes of The Transformers, the show was renewed for a whopping 49 episodes, 28 of which are collected on The Transformers: Season Two, Volume One. As the show’s main purpose was to sell toys, season two introduced a number of new characters, including Autobots: Omega Supreme, Beachcomber, and Cosmos, and Decepticons: Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust. In addition, a number of combining robots were introduced (several robots that combined to form one large robot) including the Aerialbots, Protectobots, Stunticons and Combaticons. New human characters were introduced as well, including Carly, Spike’s girlfriend.

When the Dinobots are deemed too dangerous to keep at Autobot headquarters, they are sent to train at Dinobot Island, which was also the name for this two-part episode. The Autobots discover an energy field in the middle of the ocean coming from the island. When they investigate, they find the island to be inhabited by real dinosaurs, making it a perfect place to send the Dinobots. The island is also rich in energy, which Decepticon leader Megatron is keen to steal. In spite of Starscream’s warnings, Megatron steals the energy, which causes a time rift. Portals open and out come cavemen on wooly mammoths, pirates, and cowboys from the old west. The Autobots soon discover they need to release the energy to restore time to its normal state.

In “Enter the Nightbird,” the Decepticons capture a human-made ninja robot named Nightbird and reprogram her to fight the Autobots. She breaks into Autobot headquarters and steals the World Energy Source. Though Optimus Prime vowed to protect the robot, he has no choice but to attack her to foil the Decepticon's plans.

“Autobot Spike” finds Sparkplug creating Autobot X out of spare Autobot parts. When Megatron attacks Bumblebee and Spike though, Wheeljack transfers Spike’s mind into Autobot X so they can save Spike’s body. Spike is horrified by his new form and, after seeing Frankenstein on TV, believes he is no different from the monster. Megatron seeks to exploit Spike’s anger by trying to turn him against the Autobots.

Cliffjumper accuses Mirage of being a traitor to the Autobots for not reporting electro cells he found. In reality, he was trying to trick the Decepticons. His plan backfires though when Megatron, thinking the Insecticons have set him up by stealing his energon cubes, fires on them. The Insecticons decide to make Mirage their slave via a brain chip and it is up to the Autobots to save him. Every character — Autobot, Decepticon and Insecticon — is under suspicion in one of the highlight episodes of season two.

It’s disappointing that season two has been spit up into volumes (There’s a complete set of the show’s entire run available for those who can’t wait) and there are no bonus features on the discs. One can hope the bonus features will appear on Season Two, Volume Two. The enclosed episodes are treated with the same loving restoration as season one though and the extra episodes, as well as the fast-paced action make The Transformers: Season Two, Volume One a winner.

Ace Frehley — Anomaly CD Review

2009-09-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

After the release of his classic album, Trouble Walkin, Ace Frehley repeatedly promised fans its follow-up was imminent. Well, 20 years and one KISS reunion later, Anomaly is here, featuring all-new material, save for a rocking cover of Sweet’s “Fox on the Run” and “Sister,” a song that dates back to the mid 1990s that Frehley debuted on tour before reuniting with KISS.

The album starts strong with the driving “Foxy & Free,” referencing Hendrix, and “Outer Space,” which covers Frehley’s typical sci-fi themes. These are strong, heavy tunes that would be at home on Frehley’s 1978 solo album and both feature some excellent lead guitar work by Ace and drumming from Ace Frehley/ KISS/David Letterman show band alumni Anton Fig.

Ace channels his inner Zeppelin with the mostly instrumental “Genghis Khan,” whose bombastic drums and exotic tones recall “Kashmir,” while he reprises his “Fractured” series with the album-closing instrumental “Fractured Quantum.” The title of the instrumental, “Space Bear,” refers to the legendary The Tomorrow Show interview KISS did in 1979 where a very inebriated Frehley created a space bear by putting his KISS costume pieces on a teddy bear he found on the set, much to Gene Simmons’ chagrin.

That was the old Ace, however. In the last few years, Frehley has gotten sober and many of the lyrics reflect a more mature outlook on life. On the introspective “Change the World” he sings, “When I was young, I played. I had lots of fun, but now I can see it’s time for a change.” Frehley is more direct on the acoustic “A Little Below the Angels,” “Alcohol was a friend of mine. It almost got me dead. I crashed some cars, got into fights, some things I now regret.” The song features a somewhat cheesy spoken-word part, but this is a changed man baring his soul, and it’s obvious he is being sincere. Frehley celebrates his survival and sobriety on “It’s a Great Life,” a surprisingly groove-oriented song from the guitarist.

Anomaly does have a couple clunkers, most notably “Pain in the Neck” with its dissonant chorus and “Too Many Faces,” which seems disjointed. That’s disappointing news for fans waiting 20 years for this album, as it should be all killer, no filler. There’s plenty of killer though and Anomaly is definitely an album that gets better after repeated listens. Besides, it’s nice to hear Frehley taking chances, even if they don’t all work as well as he had hoped.

There are a few nods to Frehley’s 1978 solo album in the packaging — from the original artwork being used with new artwork on top of it to the back cover with its dedications. The inner packaging folds into a cool prism and harkens back to the days when KISS included fun extras in their releases. These touches, along with a number of rocking tracks, should please both Ace and KISS fans alike.

Two and a Half Men - Season 6 DVD Review

2009-09-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Season six of Two and a Half Men brings more of the usual antics from drunken womanizer Charlie (Charlie Sheen), his neurotic brother Alan (Jon Cryer), and Alan’s dimwitted son, Jake (Angus T. Jones) but offers some twists. Charlie finds a girlfriend named Chelsea (Jennifer Bini Taylor) who tried her best to reign in the eternal playboy, Alan considers patching things up with his ex-wife Judith (Marin Hinkle), and Jake ponders college and a cooking career of all things after his grandmother Evelyn (Holland Taylor) offers to pay for his college.

In the first episode, Charlie runs into an old flame who doesn’t want anything to do with him. Problem is, she has a son who looks and dresses just like Charlie and even plays the piano like him. Charlie is desperate to know if this is his son and ends up having a nightmare that he has hundreds of children running around. Finally, out of guilt, he offers financial support to the child’s mother, but is he really the father?

Alan decides that rather than start from scratch every time he breaks up with a woman, he’ll just date two at a time. He figures if Charlie can do it, so can he. He finds it’s not as easy as he thinks though. Meanwhile Jake, who is now 14, misunderstands the advice Charlie gives him about drinking and gets a man named Satellite Jack to buy him beer at a party store with $20 Alan had given him.

When Charlie’s friend and old partner-in-crime, Andy (Emilio Estevez), dies while visiting Charlie, it causes Charlie to rethink his own life, buying gifts for everyone except Alan and nearly proposing to Rose (Melanie Lynskey). He tells Alan that Andy was like the brother he never had, which is ironic, of course, as Estevez is his real-life brother. While at Andy’s funeral, he nods off and imagines his own funeral. Alan has inherited everything as Charlie left no will, James Earl Jones delivered the eulogy for $25,000 and a succession of Charlie’s ex-girlfriends line up to spit in his casket.

After Judith breaks up with Herb (Ryan Stiles), Alan visits Judith and ends up sleeping with her. Judith tries to act nice and patch things up with Alan until a disagreement about kissing brings out the old Judith. Turns out she wanted Alan to kiss more like Herb, who she welcomes back. Later, she drops a bombshell that she’s pregnant. Alan wonders whether the baby is his.

Chelsea makes her debut in the “Pinocchio’s Mouth” episode and remains a fixture for much of the second half of the season. This marks the fourth character Taylor has played on the show, but the first with any longevity. This episode finds her upset that Charlie never stays at her place. Reluctantly, he agrees, but complains about everything from sleeping on the wrong side of the bed to not having his personal pillow. Finally, he brings all of his belongings over for one night and Chelsea, not wanting to deal with him anymore, decides she will always stay at his place. Chelsea appears in 10 episodes, but can Charlie stay committed to one woman? To make matters worse, another ex-girlfriend, Mia, returns in the last episode leaving Charlie torn.

Extras on the DVD include “Two and a Half Men: Growing Up Harper” about the evolution of the Jake character, “The Women of Two and Half Men,” and a gag reel.

In spite of the love-hate relationship some viewers seem to have with the show due to its juvenile sense of humor, Two and a Half Men remains very popular and both Sheen and Cryer were nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for this season. For those who enjoy the humor of Men, Season Six is another winner.

Elvis - The Ed Sullivan Show: The Classic Performances DVD Review

2009-08-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

1956 is often viewed as the “Big Bang” year for rock 'n' roll and no star made a bigger bang than a young man from Tupelo, MS named Elvis Presley. Presley’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show shattered TV records with 72 million viewers, making millions of girls swoon and inspiring countless musicians in the process. Those performances are collected on Elvis - The Ed Sullivan Show: The Classic Performances.

Ironically, these performances almost never happened. Sullivan wasn’t interested in booking Presley and it wasn’t until his appearance on The Steve Allen Show killed Sullivan in the ratings that he booked him for three appearances for a then unheard of $50,000. Presley won over Sullivan though by being easy to work with and a gentleman and Sullivan essentially apologized to his audience for typecasting him in the first place.

While this material has been previously released as Elvis - The Ed Sullivan Shows, those DVDs featured the entire broadcasts as they originally appeared. For fans who just want the Elvis portions, this is the DVD to get. The songs are complete and the picture quality is excellent.

And what performances they were. Elvis and his legendary original band featuring Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on bass, and DJ Fontana on drums, along with the Jordanaires on backup vocals delivered 15 classic performances that ranged from pop (“Don’t Be Cruel”) to tender ballads (“Love Me Tender”) to rockers (“Hound Dog,” “Ready Teddy”) and even gospel (“Peace in the Valley”). These songs caused such a frenzy that Elvis’ third appearance in January of 1957 was famously filmed from the waist up. This was rock 'n' roll at its most primal and it scared parents.

The DVD includes a number of bonus features, including a silent home movie of a 1955 Elvis performance from Houston, TX (The earliest known footage of the King), interviews with Sun Records founder Sam Phillips and TV personality Wink Martindale, home movies of Elvis and Priscilla, and original Ed Sullivan clips promoting the show.

Elvis defined a generation with his sound and his look. His music influenced countless artists, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, literally paving the way for rock as we know it today. The importance of these performances cannot be underestimated. For fans that wonder why they call Elvis "the King," this DVD offers ample proof.

Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis: Legacy Edition CD Review

2009-07-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

While it may be difficult to believe now, Elvis Presley’s career in the late 1960s prior to his triumphant ’68 Comeback Special was on the skids. Presley had been starring in increasingly bland “Elvis Movies” with increasingly bland soundtrack albums. The hits were drying up and the music world was passing him by. Even the Comeback Special wasn’t a sure thing at first — the Colonel originally wanted it to be a Christmas special, which the show’s producers Bones Howe and Steve Binder fought against and won. They saw the show as an opportunity for Presley to regain his throne as King and he agreed. The rest, as they say, is history as Presley electrified the world as he had done in the 1950s.

The next step was to cash in on this momentum. With Presley’s renewed interest in his recording career, he decided to return to Memphis to record for the first time since he had left Sun Records. He chose Chips Moman’s American Studios and from January to February 1969 recorded some of the most vital music of his career. These sessions are collected on the two-disc From Elvis in Memphis: Legacy Edition.

Like he had done so often in the early days, Presley blended rock, rhythm and blues, and country into a mix uniquely his. Gone were songs such as “Do the Clam,” replaced instead by ace singles including “Suspicious Minds” (Presley’s last U.S. number-one single), “Kentucky Rain,” and “In the Ghetto.” He was relevant and vital again.

Album cuts such as “Any Day Now” and “Long Black Limousine” showed an urgency missing from so much of Presley’s mid-1960s work while “Only the Strong Survive” and “I’m Movin’ On” sounded of the times. One wonders how many more albums like this he could have released had he decided to retake his career sooner.

The sessions were so productive, they yielded material for two complete albums (plus some songs that made it onto future releases). After a successful return to live performances in Las Vegas, Presley released From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis, a two-record set that was half live, half studio. The studio cuts are collected here and the material is arguably as strong as From Elvis in Memphis, with standout cuts including the bluesy “Stranger in My Hometown,” “You’ll Think of Me” and the yearning “Without Love (There is Nothing).

As good as this material is, it has never received the proper treatment on CD. That is all changed on this Legacy Edition. In addition, ten mono singles are included as bonus tracks. While there was room on the discs for the stereo versions of some of these singles, they have been released numerous times on other CDs and the mono tracks are something of a rarity in this digital age. With great packaging, great sound and great songs, From Elvis in Memphis: Legacy Edition is a powerful reminder of why Elvis Presley was the King.

Watchmen (Director's Cut) DVD review

2009-07-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

When Watchmen was first conceived, it was designed to be something unfilmable — or certainly not something that could be contained in a standard two-hour movie. Writer Alan Moore has a general disdain for Hollywood adaptations of comic books (his name is omitted from the DVD credits) and he, along with artist Dave Gibbons created a story that was dense and involved both visually and textually — in other words unfilmable. Rumors persisted on how or if the film would be made and what format it would take (full-length movie, TV miniseries, etc.) and numerous names were attached to the film including Terry Gilliam until finally Zack Snyder (300) got the gig.

The story takes place in 1985 in a very different America. Term limits have been repealed and Nixon is still president after America was victorious in Vietnam thanks to the godlike Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup). Manhattan is one of only three active “super heroes” left in the country along with Edward Blake, aka the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) after costumed heroes were outlawed in 1977. While Manhattan and the Comedian work for the government though, Rorschach refuses to and as such is considered a fugitive.

When Blake is murdered, Rorschach investigates and discovers Blake was the Comedian, causing Rorschach to fear someone is after the costumed heroes. Rorschach warns his former teammates, including Manhattan; Laurie Jupiter, aka Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman); Dan Dreiberg, aka Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson) and Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) to no avail. Laurie’s character is the daughter of the original Silk Spectre while Dan has taken up the Night Owl moniker after the original Night Owl, Hollis Mason (Stephen McHattie), has retired. Meanwhile, Manhattan is accused of causing those close to him to all get cancer. Unable, or unwilling to dispel the rumors, Manhattan exiles himself on Mars during which Russia, sensing a weakened United States, moves in to attack Afghanistan, moving the Doomsday Clock ever closer to midnight

Rorschach later gets framed for murder, and Laurie and Dan break him out of prison, after which Laurie is confronted by Manhattan who takes her to Mars with him. While there, Laurie convinces Manhattan to believe in humanity again and to return to Earth to try to save it from certain doom.

In spite of the excellent title sequence, which shows a series of flashbacks taking the viewer to the present, Watchmen takes a certain understanding of the source material to fully understand what is going on. This is one of the film's flaws. It is too close to the graphic novel for non-fans to fully understand, but too much of the film has been changed from the graphic novel to keep the comic geeks happy (the ending is different, there’s no Tales of the Black Freighter, and the team is called the Watchmen instead of the Minutemen for instance). In addition, a lot of the story gets condensed. While the first hour of Watchmen is essentially the first issue of the comic, the next two hours cover the remaining 11 issues. That’s a lot of material to squeeze into two hours and while Snyder does an admirable job of trying, he still doesn’t get it all in. Still, there is a lot to like about the film, from the casting (the characters all look and act like their comic counterparts) to the costumes to the special effects. While Watchmen is not perfect, it does its best to capture the spirit of the graphic novel.

The DVD includes a number of extras, including 24 additional minutes in the actual movie, 11 Watchmen video journals, a documentary about the original comic, and a music video from My Chemical Romance.

American Gladiators (The Original Series) - The Battle Begins DVD Review

2009-07-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

When American Gladiators debuted in 1989, it took advantage of the popularity of professional wrestling sweeping America at the time. Little did anyone know that American Gladiators would spark a phenomenon of its own, going on for seven seasons and spawning a spin-off in 2008. Every episode of season one is collected in the new DVD, American Gladiators (The Original Series) — The Battle Begins.

The premise of Gladiators was simple: each week, two teams — one male and one female — competed in a series of athletic competitions not unlike those seen more recently on Most Extreme Elimination Challenge against a group of Gladiators, with the winners in the final round taking home a $35,000 prize. The muscular, athletic Gladiators were the real stars of the show, however. With their flamboyant costumes and colorful names such as Blaze, Lace, Laser and Zap, the American Gladiators created an illusion of super athletes — people to root against as average Joes tried to compete against them.

The DVD includes a recap episode with hosts Mike Adamle and football great Joe Theismann, as well as all of the actual episodes. The second half of season one featured only Adamle as host and also introduced an event called The Wall, where contestants had to scale a rock climber’s wall while a Gladiator chased after him or her. The enclosed booklet features biographies of all of the Gladiators, as well as an interview with alumni champion Cheryl Ann Silich. Also included are DVD commentaries from Gladiators Dan “Nitro” Clark, Raye “Zap” Hollitt, and Jim “Laser” Starr as well as an interview with contestant and The Lost Boys actor Billy Wirth.

American Gladiators (The Original Series) — The Battle Begins is a fine collection, allowing fans of the show the opportunity to relive the excitement of season one. The bonus features, while not in abundance, offer some insight to the popularity of the show.

Transformers: The Complete First Season (25th Anniversary Edition) DVD Review

2009-06-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Coming off the heels of two blockbuster live-action movies, and timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Transformers inception, Shout! Factory brings to DVD Transformers: The Complete First Season.

Where previous DVD releases left something to be desired (remastered picture, but art missing, characters with the wrong colors, bad audio, and other subtle changes), this collection restores the original broadcast masters, complete with commercial bumpers and next episode previews. While this occasionally leads to some “soft” animation, as the original masters were not of the same quality as the remastered ones, Shout! Factory has color corrected these masters and blended them with the restored masters to present Transformers in a way not seen since these episodes were first broadcast. In addition, the sound is superb, as new stereo masters have been created from the original audio.

All sixteen episodes are included and they tell the story about how the Autobots and Decepticons, in search of energy for their planet Cybertron and to save their race, crash-landed on Earth four million years ago, only to be reactivated to begin their quest anew in modern times.

Highlights include the three-part “More Than Meets the Eye,” which tells the origins of the Transformers; “Transport to Oblivion,” where Megatron returns to form a space bridge in an attempt to transfer Earth’s energy to Cybertron; “S.O.S. Dinobots,” where Autobots Ratchet and Wheeljack create the Dinobots after being inspired by real dinosaur skeletons; and the three-part “The Ultimate Doom,” which finds Megatron brainwashing the humans and bringing Cybertron into Earth’s orbit to try and steal Earth’s energy.

The three-disc set includes one disc of bonus features, including a 20-minute documentary “Triple Changer: From Toy to Comic to Screen — the Origins of the Transformers” which describes how Hasbro in the U.S., along with Marvel Comics, took the Transformers toy idea from Takara (who they worked with on new designs) in Japan, gave it a back story that kids could relate to, and turned that into a toy, comic and television empire. It’s an interesting documentary, but at 20 minutes, much too short for such a pop-culture phenomenon. Also included are a rare PSA ad, as well as some Hasbro toy commercials, and a printable script for the “Transport to Oblivion” episode. The DVD is a little thin on extras, but presumably there will be more seasons coming, so there is time to rectify that. The main focus here is the episodes and those are great.

These episodes are finally back the way Gen-Xers remember them as kids and in a concise, affordable package. Fans of the robots in disguise will be hard pressed to find a better way to enjoy this classic cartoon.

Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison CD Review

2009-06-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

The quiet Beatle gets the best of treatment on the career-spanning Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison. At a single disc however, the problem with this collection isn’t what was included — it’s with what wasn’t.

While Harrison’s legendary All Things Must Pass LP is heavily represented with five of the 19 tracks, the CD selects “The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)” over “Wah Wah” and “If Not For You.” Similarly, “Devil’s Radio” from the Cloud 9 album is nowhere to be found. Other notable omissions include “Crackerbox Palace” and “Not Guilty,” the latter of which was originally written during Harrison’s time in the Beatles. For a collection that seems to want to remind listeners of Harrison’s time with the Fab Four, its non-inclusion seems strange. Perhaps the biggest track left off the CD though is “Bangladesh.” With The Concert for Bangladesh, Harrison practically invented the modern benefit show and for that reason alone it should be included here. No songs from either Traveling Wilburys release are on the CD either.

What is included though is prime Harrison material that is vital to any fan’s collection of his music. From the opening “Got My Mind Set On You” — the last number-one single by any Beatle in the United States — to the spiritual “My Sweet Lord” and “All Things Must Pass” to the pure pop of “Blow Away,” Harrison was a diverse artist whose music didn’t really sound like anyone else’s.

Of course the reason Harrison had a solo career to begin with is due to his time in the Beatles, and three live versions of Beatles tracks from The Concert For Bangladesh are included here. In addition, both of his Beatles tributes — “All Those Years Ago,” which featured both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and “When We Was Fab,” which featured Starr, are included here as well.

Let it Roll includes three songs from Harrison’s posthumous release Brainwashed, including the beautiful “Marwa Blues,” which showcased his unique style of slide-guitar playing. Also included are two soundtrack songs — “I Don’t Want to Do it” from Porky’s Revenge and “Cheer Down” from Lethal Weapon 2.

While long-time fans will have most or all of these tracks, Let it Roll is a nice introduction to the music of George Harrison for new listeners. Still, for an artist of his stature, an extra disc would have been more than appropriate.

Deep Purple - History, Hits & Highlights '68-'76 DVD Review

2009-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Written by General Jabbo

Few bands have managed to have as much success with as many lineups as Deep Purple. From the frilly shirts and swinging ‘60s vibe of the MK I lineup to the proto-metal MK II version to the more soulful MK III and IV lineups, Deep Purple has always been an exciting and interesting band, especially live. The band’s essential first period from 1968-1976 is covered on the two-DVD set, Deep Purple – History, Hits & Highlights ’68-’76.

Disc one opens with a short documentary of the band, showing highlights from 1968-1976 before going into a rare promo video of MK I’s cover of the Beatles “Help!” A performance of “Hush” from Playboy After Dark follows along with some studio footage of “Mandrake Root.” While the video quality is excellent, the PAD footage is oddly edited, with part of it on disc two and the disc one footage beginning at the end of a Jon Lord interview that is started on disc two. A minor quibble in an excellent set, but a strange oversight nonetheless.

Not surprisingly, the legendary MK II version with Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass gets the most coverage on the set with more than 20 songs. Highlights include killer performances of “Demon’s Eye,” “No No No,” and a version of “Highway Star” with different lyrics. The band’s signature song, “Smoke on the Water,” is, of course, included, though it seems a better version could have been chosen. While Gillan sounds fine, Ritchie Blackmore starts the song out of tune and appears disinterested. This wasn’t long before Gillan left the band, so tension on Blackmore’s part was likely. Disc two includes some rare rehearsal footage of “No No No” from the Beat Club that shows off Purple’s live prowess. These clips are mistakenly labeled as being from Rockpalast on the DVD sleeve.

When Gillan and Glover left, they were replaced by then-unknown David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass. This lineup represented a bluesier, more soulful version of Deep Purple and they recorded two albums before Blackmore tired of their direction and quit his own band. “Burn” from the Leeds Polytech Student project in 1974 and “Mistreated” from the California Jam (the entire show of which is available on DVD) document this period of the band. For whatever reason, the same performance of “Burn” is repeated on disc two.

After Blackmore, came Tommy Bolin, who recorded one album with the band before their split in 1976. Bolin was hooked on heroin and later overdosed and his live shows were erratic at best. Still, “Love Child” and “You Keep on Moving” make an appearance here.

The DVD includes a fine book that reads like a scrapbook, with photos and newspaper clippings from all lineups of the band. Disc one fails to mention where any of the performances are from which, along with some of the other sloppy editing, keeps this from being a perfect Deep Purple collection. However the positives greatly outweigh the negatives, the footage is in great condition and the two DVDs contain nearly five hours of prime-era Deep Purple, making this a must-own for any fan of the band.