Godzilla (1954) The Criterion Collection DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1954, Japan was still reeling from the effects of the World War II atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and, more recently, from the H-bomb testing being done in the Pacific Ocean. Director Ishiro Honda played upon the Japanese people's fears and created a monster that represented the evils of nuclear weapons. That monster was Godzilla — or Gojira, as it was originally named. Godzilla has spawned nearly 30 sequels and become one of the most well-known characters in cinematic history. Now the original Japanese film and the 1956 American version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, have been reissued as The Criterion Collection.

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Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) CD Review

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 Lewis' famous piano has been replaced by James Burton's sizzling guitar in this version.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

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.

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God Bless Ozzy Osbourne DVD Review

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.