The Yardbirds - Making Tracks DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

It’s not exaggerating to suggest that The Yardbirds are one of the most important bands of the Rock and Roll era. Pushing the boundaries between blues, hard rock and psychedelia, the band helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page and many of their songs are considered classics. These days, the band consists of original members Jim McCarty on drums and Chris Dreja on rhythm guitar, along with singer Andy Mitchell, lead guitarist Ben King and bassist Dave Smale. The band tours and plays their classic 1960s songs, along with newer material from 2003’s Birdland. The DVD, The Yardbirds – Making Tracks, captures live performances of the band from several locations between 2010 and 2012.

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

Paul McCartney - Live Kisses Blu-ray Review

Written by General Jabbo

Paul McCartney has always had an old-time sensibility that has come out in his music on numerous occasions. Songs such as “When I’m Sixty-Four” and “Honey Pie” have more to do with the music his father would have grown up with than the songs the Beatles were writing during the 1960s. There’s a reason for that – It was the music that McCartney heard as a young child via his father or through parties his family would have when people would get together to sing these songs around the piano.

McCartney had wanted to do an album of standards for a number of years, but others, most notably Rod Stewart, beat him to it and he didn’t want to look like a copycat. Finally, in February 2012, McCartney realized his goal and released Kisses On The Bottom, an album of old standards with two new original compositions. That same month, he descended upon the Capitol Studios in Los Angeles to perform cuts from the album with Diana Krall’s band. The result is Paul McCartney – Live Kisses, a Blu-ray of the event.

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

Live at Knebworth - CD Review

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.

Eric Clapton & Friends - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1998, after many years of dealing with his own drug and alcohol addictions, Eric Clapton founded the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, West Indies. In an effort to raise money for the facility, Clapton held a benefit concert - the Crossroads Guitar Festival - in Chicago last July. This two-DVD set features four hours of highlights from the all-day event.

Emceed by Bill Murray, Crossroads is a who's who of guitar greats from elder statesmen such as B.B. King and Buddy Guy to young axe-slingers such as Derek Trucks and Robert Randolph. Murray opened the show with a solo version of the only song he knew how to play on guitar, "Gloria." As Murray struggled along, Clapton watched from the side of the stage, puzzled, until he decided to join in on the song. Clapton later said if Murray "really knew how to play guitar, we'd all be in trouble."

Up next was Sonny Landreth, with his instrumental, "Uberesso," featuring many fast picking runs and a lot of excellent slide playing. Clapton joined Landreth onstage for "Hell at Home."

Jazz-fusion legend, John McLaughlin took the stage with an inspired version of "Maharina," while occasional Clapton band member, Doyle Bramhall II, dedicated his version of "Outside Woman Blues" to Clapton. Bramhall's arrangement stuck very close to the one Clapton used when he was in Cream.

The Derek Trucks Band did a set of their own material and also backed the likes of Susan Tedeschi and Johnny Winter, the latter turning in a searing version of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited."

Robert Randolph, played a blistering version of "Nobodysoul" that had the whole crowd rocking. He plays the pedal steel guitar, an instrument usually associated with country music, more like Jimi Hendrix would.

Blues legend B.B. King joined the Robert Cray Band, as well as Jimmy Vaughan and Hubert Sumlin for "Paying the Cost to be the Boss" and "Rock Me Baby," with King playing his signature licks on his trademark "Lucille" guitar.

Vince Gill represented the coutry portion of the set and sang alone, as well as with Albert Lee, Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, and Willie Nelson with Clapton's "Tulsa Time" and Nelson's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" as highlights.

John Mayer dedicated "Every note from his guitar" to B.B. King, While Los Lobos played a rocking version of "Don't Worry Baby."

Up next was Jeff Beck with an incredible version of "Cause We've Ended as Lovers" with 21-year-old Tal Wilkenfeld on bass. She wowed both Beck and the audience with her nimble playing and pushed the guitar legend to give his best performance.

Clapton dedicated George Harrison's "Isn't it a Pity" to the late Beatle and his performance showed how much Clapton misses his longtime friend to this day. After a version of "Who Do You Love?" with Robbie Robertson, Clapton called to the stage Steve Winwood, his old bandmate in Blind Faith, for a mini reunion. In what was easily the biggest highlight of the night, the pair played inspired versions of "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Presence of the Lord," as well as "Crossroads." Winwood's voice sounded great and he stood out on both keyboards and guitar.

Chicago favorite Buddy Guy followed them with "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Damn Right I've Got the Blues" before joinging Clapton, Cray, Mayer, Sumlin, Vaughan, and Winter for an all-star jam on the blues standard "Sweet Home Chicago" - a fitting way to end the show.

The DVD has standard stereo as well as DTS 5.1 audio and includes highlights from the Crossroads Village Stage - a second stage featuring more guitar heroes.

Crossroads was an all-day festival and would have needed several more discs to include all the performances. Still, Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 is a good representation of a great day of music for a worthy cause.