Best Ever Albums

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Johnnyo — Fri, 9 Jan 2026 14:08:26 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 01/09/2026 19:08

Live Through The Past, Darkly (2024) by The Dream Syndicate

This is the reason we need to buy a new DVD player. Haven’t replaced our old (broken) one but as this live album has come with a DVD, got to be done. Most consistent and brilliant live band in history

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Fischman — Tue, 4 Feb 2025 19:12:40 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/05/2025 00:12

Jethro Tull - A

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One of my favorite neglected/hidden gem albums. Was excited when I came across the CD with bonus DVD when I was looking to replace my worn vinyl.
Excitement was a bit premature though as both picture and sound quality on the DVD was poor. So in the end, kinda nice to have, but hardly essential.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:29:11 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/17/2024 00:29

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Teen Dream by Beach House

"Hey! I have a great idea. Let's have that guy who hangs out in the basement on his computer all day make a video for every song on our album. We don't care what order he puts them in. We can pay him like 20 bucks. Doesn't matter if the videos have anything to do with the songs...but we can raise the price of our album because it has an extra disc. Then we'll put a DVD with all of these crappy videos that look like we never checked them to see if they were good in with copies of our album and sell them to our fans. They'll think it's because we love them. Hell...they might even think they're good! Wouldn't that be hilarious?"

This may be the worst set of 11 music videos I have ever seen.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:32:39 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/15/2024 20:32

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Thank You by Stone Temple Pilots

Thank You is a 2003 compilation album by Stone Temple Pilots. It contains 15 of their hits.

Enough of that.

Let's get to the DVD that came with it. This is an absolute must have. Thank You is incomplete without it. Why? It's about as great as a band DVD can be. First of all...you get the complete story of what a freak Scott Weiland really was. He looks different in almost every track on the DVD. He moves and looks like he might just be an alien who is deeply uncomfortable doing what he's doing...but also couldn't function doing anything else. And that might just be true. He looks and moves like no other singer. You also get the understanding that despite all of the stupid stories about how STP was a grunge band, and that they were basically Pearl Jam copycats are pure garbage. STP had a sound that was rooted in bands like Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones. They also have maybe the lowest amount of instrumental time without vocals of any rock band...Scott Weiland was the real lead instrument of Stone Temple Pilots.

Anyway...what makes this DVD great? Content, baby. There are 4 sections. It starts with 16 live tracks, recorded in different settings and venues. Then you have a bootleg section, which features more performances that were not officially filmed. Twelve of them, including their playing "Sweet Emotion" with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and STP backing up Glen Campbell on "Wichita Lineman". An THEN...! fourteen STP music videos, followed by a 5 minute photo gallery. That's 43 DVD tracks.

It doesn't get much better than that. And THAT's a real Thank You!

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:45:04 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/13/2024 21:45

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Modern Times by Bob Dylan

Dylan's 2006 album Modern Times is pretty great. Early versions came with a bonus DVD that's a nice addition. It contains just four music videos. None of the songs are on Modern Times. One is a live performance from the 1998 Grammy Awards, the other three are promo videos. The songs are:

Blood In My Eyes
Love Sick (Live)
Things Have Changed
Cold Irons Bound

Dylan as a video actor is surprisingly good, being as not animated as he is. The four songs and videos add to the album nicely. It's short, but worthwhile.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 18:02:59 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/12/2024 22:02

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Grace by Jeff Buckley

The Legacy edition of Grace came out in 2004, ten years after the original album. If Jeff Buckley is your thing, then this is for you. It contains not only the Grace remastered (which is phenomenal and worthwhile for his vocal ability alone), but also a second disc of extra tracks, remixes, live tracks, and a bunch more (which would be better, but it suffers from a massive Alex Chilton cover of "Kanga-Roo", which at 14 minutes is about 10 minutes too long).

And there's a third disc. The DVD is in three sections. The first part is a pretty great documentary, "The Making Of Grace", which features a lot of Buckley himself, along with his band and producer Andy Wallace. Great performance shots, audio and video, make it special. You then get five music videos from Grace:

Grace
Last Goodbye
So Real
Eternal Life
Forget Her

The last video was remade with some rare footage of Buckley.

Lastly, a full discography of Buckley...which is bigger than one might think.

In all, a pretty sweet deal.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 16:38:34 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/10/2024 20:38

Antenna by Cave In

Cave In is not a band I know a whole lot about. The version of Antenna I have happened to come with a DVD called Antennavised, so why not try to get to know more about them this way? First of all...these guys from Massachusetts are not the most interesting guys. They play very upbeat and exciting music, but they're pretty dull offstage. Which makes this DVD a bit of a chore. There were actually times during this that I would get up and start doing other things.

The music on here is good, but there's more of the band talking than there is playing. Nearly all of the live footage is from a single show in England, and most of the documentary footage is camcorder low quality. This unfortunately doesn't add much to the album, which is far better than the DVD. Not really worth seeking out.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Thu, 8 Aug 2024 21:34:45 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/09/2024 01:34

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Live From Austin, TX by Drive-By Truckers

This is a really great live album. But the DVD...man. One of the best.

So, this is Drive-By Truckers live at Austin City Limits in 2008. The album was originally released on CD / DVD only in 2009. All of the copies came with the DVD of the show, and in surround sound. The later releases are all on vinyl, and you don't get the video. GET THE CD VERSION. They all include the DVD.

The DVD is simply a great video of a single set by the Truckers, having the time of their lives. I have seen this band MANY times live, and I am telling you that this completely captures the entire vibe and great feel of their live shows. The DVD makes it 10 times as much fun, and makes you feel like part of the audience. This one is simply not to be missed. A great live band at a great venue with a great crowd, and the band is at the top of their game.

Win. Win. Win.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sun, 4 Aug 2024 21:04:40 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/05/2024 01:04

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TruANT by Alien Ant Farm

Alien Ant Farm is best known for covering Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", and for calling their debut album Greatest Hits. Their second album was called Anthology. Love it. (I almost called my debut album Greatest Hits Volume Two...I wish to this day I had.) TRUant is their third album, released in 2003. Most versions did not include this DVD, but I ended up with the US release that did. It's a 25 minute sort of documentary that serves as an interesting introduction to both the band and the album. Initially, you get the impression that the band aren't very smart. That's how they come across in the beginning. But the more they talk, especially about their music, the more interesting they become. Especially lead vocalist Dryden Vera Mitchell.

There are a handful of live performances that show how instrumentally proficient they are, and how varied their sound can be. It also talks about the bus crash they were involved in while touring Spain in 2002, in which the bus driver was killed and Michell suffered a fractured vertebra. In all, an interesting and entertaining DVD addition. It's not great by any means, but it does add to the experience of the album.

Alien Ant Farm has had a rough go of it throughout their history. Their label shut down two months after this was released, causing sales to all but vanish, and the reason why it's never been reissued. Their guitarist and bass player quit the band and rejoined. Their next album was denied release by Geffen for almost a year. Since TRUant, they've released just three albums.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sat, 3 Aug 2024 17:58:13 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/03/2024 21:58

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Crystal Visions: The Very Best Of Stevie Nicks by Stevie Nicks

Crystal Visions is a Stevie Nicks 2007 best of that really does a nice job of capturing the artist. Everything is from her solo career, and even though the songs are not in chronological order (which bugs me to no end), it is a pretty thorough document of her hits and better songs.

The DVD, which does not come with most versions, is absolutely terrific. This is what you want a bonus DVD to be. There are two parts to this. The first is a collection of music videos that covers pretty much all of her solo career to date. It's a great collection, and it's interesting to see how she made it through a whole lot of really bad 80's hair, even worse blaring 80's synthesizers, and a lot of really cheesy dancing to still shine. Why do these videos filled with negatives work? Because, on full display on each one of these, Stevie Nicks writes really great songs. She has a unique and exceptional vocal ability. And, really important, she knows how to look into a camera better than any musician I have ever seen. Her dramatic abilities give her the power to not just look into the camera, but to also look into YOUR eyes. It's really wonderful to watch. The music video section is 60 minutes long!

The music videos featured here are:

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
Edge Of Seventeen (Live)
Stand Back (Scarlett Version)
Stand Back
If Anyone Falls In Love
Talk To Me
I Can't Wait
Rooms On Fire
Whole Lotta Trouble
Sometimes It's A Bitch
Blue Denim
Sorcerer (with Sheryl Crow)

The second part is titled The Making Of Bella Donna. But this is not a documentary filled with people talking about the album. This is all raw camera footage from 1980 and 81, grainy and flawed, showing Nicks working in the studio. There are photo shoots, her having conversations with producer Jimmy Iovine, even a brief dance from Nicks to "Edge Of Seventeen" But mostly, it's her standing at a microphone, doing her vocal magic. Some of the scenes are full takes.

This one is well worth getting. The version with the DVD is clearly marked on the front cover. An excellent companion to a really good compilation.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Thu, 1 Aug 2024 10:52:32 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/01/2024 14:52

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Poison The Hit Parade by Ike Reilly

Ike Reilly will always be one of my favorites. He's a regional sensation: a big star in Chicago, and nowhere else. I know him because my ex used to work for his brother, who's an attorney, and he got Ike to play at one of the firm's private parties. Ike and I had a beer or four and talked music for a good chunk of time. I was the one weird guy who knew the words to all of his songs.

Anyway, Poison The Hit Parade is a compilation album that came out in 2008. It's a good enough disc, featuring awesome tracks like "Duty Free", "Hip Hop Thighs" and "Cash Is King". Included with the CD version is a DVD that contains just three music videos. "Garbage Day" (Live In Italy) is just that, and showcases Reilly's lyrical smarts well. "Whatever Happened To The Girl In Me" and "It's Alright To Die" (the last of which is also on the album) are fine songs, but the videos are really not much more than low quality footage of the band out in a field shooting rifles. If you buy a physical copy of the album, you'll get the DVD, because it's never been released any other way. You might want to play it because the first two songs are great, but the video content is poor.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:36:54 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/30/2024 20:36

Rodrigo y Gabriela by Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Officially, I guess, the second studio album by Rodrigo y Gabriela (actually, it's their fourth). This 2006 album is a full on display of great musicianship. This instrumental duo is always a top notch listen, and this is probably their best album. This version includes a pretty cool DVD. It opens with a 23 minute documentary about the pair, including their early days playing together in thrash metal bands. Gabriela explains that the move to acoustic guitars was right, because there is much more freedom than with electric guitars, and that the move away from metal freed her from the massive levels of testosterone that existed in the bands. Awesome.

After the documentary, there are 3 live songs: "Stairway To Heaven" (yes, that one), "Tamacum", and "Diablo Rojo". Also included is a photo gallery. But the most impressive part of this is a tutorial. They break down a song and show their individual techniques, which is really cool. Rodrigo is a lightning fast lead player with a great sense of melody. But the real secret weapon with the duo is Gabriela's unbelievable use of her right hand, not just in strumming technique, but also in her ability to play percussion on the guitar while strumming at jaw dropping speed. Very cool stuff, indeed. A great addition to a terrific album.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 16:09:27 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/29/2024 20:09

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A Bigger Bang by The Rolling Stones

Hard to believe this was 19 years ago. The Bigger Bang was the 22nd album by The Rolling Stones, and their first in eight years. As is always the case when this band puts out new material, it was praised as the next great Stones album. Well...if a lot of this material had been released in the seventies, it would have been a massive hit because of the music, and not because of who made it.

There were special editions of this album that included a DVD. There's a good chunk of material here. A brief introduction has the band and producer Do Was talking about how great a time they had working together on the album. There's the music video for "Streets Of Love" that depicts the Stones playing a small venue while a love story unfolds around them. There are a pir of TV performances (not live) of "Streets Of Love" and "Rough Justice". A pair of bonus tracks that are accompanied by still photos of the band ("Under The Radar" and "Don't Wanna Go Home"), and a remixed track ("Rain Fall Down"). The DVD also contains complete lyrics for the entire album. Pretty decent content. My only real complaint is that the main menu is like trying to catch a squirrel...it jumps and changes every 15 seconds, so decide what you want fast. A good bonus disc for a decent but unspectacular album.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 18:18:10 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/26/2024 22:18

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14 Shades Of Grey by Staind

Many versions of Staind's fourth album, 2003's 14 Shades Of Grey, came with a DVD called Homegrown. It's a very simple 41 minute documentary that follows the band from the beginning of 1998 through 2002. It shows the band in studio (briefly) while recording Dysfunction and their big breakthrough, Break The Cycle. Lots of on tour footage, where they opened for Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit and Korn. It's truly a patchwork: there's only maybe two scenes that are even close to a minute in length. And everything was shot either on a cheap camcorder or cheap cell phones. The quality is, thus, really poor...and the music that's here is unlistenable. You know what happens when you try to record loud music on a cheap camera. It sounds like crap.

This video does show the band as they are on tour, but there's no depth beyond that. And because of the bad video and audio quality, it doesn't really add much of anything to what the band has already shown us. If you have to pay extra for the DVD version, I'd pass.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:21:10 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/25/2024 18:21

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The King Is Dead by The Decemberists

I love The King Is Dead. It's such an alt-country and Americana record. The Decemberists sound just so laid back and relaxed here. The DVD came with deluxe editions of the album. It's called Pendarvia, which is the name of the farm the album was recorded at. This is a 30 minute documentary about the making of the album, and what their lives were like during this very rural stay. They recorded in a barn, trying to play live as much as they could. This is a fascinating look at the recording process, and you get to hear songs go from raw individual bits to fully finished pieces. The band is completely likeable, and the songs are amazing. Very highly recommended, especially if you're a fan of The Decemberists.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

LTSings — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 23:08:22 GMT

Author: LTSings

Posted: 07/22/2024 03:08

Romanelli wrote:

I appreciate the DVD's, but it's not going to happen here. And I'm completely fine with that. I love that BEA stays true to its albums only format. Let the other sites clutter with movies and DVD's and other media. BEA is special for this. Wouldn't change it for the world.

OK, I disagree, but there is nothing I can do about it. I also disagree with you about Taylor Swift too. I don't hate her but I am not a fan at all and I get so tired of hearing about her in the media. Not just about her music, but about who's she's dating and that she goes to football games. I couldn't care less who's she's dating or that she goes to ball games and I don't think things like that should be a news story.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 20:05:24 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/22/2024 00:05

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Fearless by Taylor Swift

I firmly believe that if you hate Taylor Swift, you are wrong. You don't have to like her music, but be realistic. What is there to actually hate about her?

Fearless is her 2nd album. She was 19 years old. She wrote or co-wrote every song on this album. People hate her songs. Why? What is there to hate about a young artist writing songs from her heart? The truth is, she's talented. She's honest. She writes what she feels. She loves her fans. And she's a decent human being. If you want to hate her for being honestly who she is, then the problem in that scenario might just be...what is YOUR issue?

The DVD here is included with The Platinum Edition. It's more than generous, with 97 minutes of video content plus a photo gallery with dozens of great tour pictures of her and her band. It starts with five music videos from Fearless, all of which are top quality. Then you get 3 behind the scenes mini documentaries about the making of her videos, which clocks in at over an hour. The last track is a fun Taylor as a rapper comedy video that lasts just a minute and a half.

This DVD reinforces Taylor Swift as a more than likeable, smart, talented and beautiful artist who shows that she is relatable, funny, and a truly creative being. This one is excellent in quality, content, and in showing the artist in the most positive light. And THAT'S why she's famous.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 19:46:59 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/21/2024 23:46

LTSings wrote:

By the way, I think being able to add our music DVD collection to the site would be a nice feature to add. I don't have a lot, but it would still be nice to add our music DVD's to the site like they do on RYM.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

LTSings — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 18:48:41 GMT

Author: LTSings

Posted: 07/21/2024 22:48

By the way, I think being able to add our music DVD collection to the site would be a nice feature to add. I don't have a lot, but it would still be nice to add our music DVD's to the site like they do on RYM.

Re: This DVD Came With My Album!

Romanelli — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 18:04:22 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/20/2024 22:04

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Special Moves by Mogwai

I do love some great post rock. Mogwai, from Scotland, are one of my favorite bands in the genre. Special Moves is a live album that was released in 2010, and has not been reissued since. All CD issues contain the DVD called Burning. Burning is a full 45 minute, 8 song live set that is different from the album. It's black and white footage of the band playing live with audience shots and a few scenes from New York City, which is where the shows were played.

In addition, there's also a 12 minute live bonus track on the DVD recorded in France. If you like live music, this set is pretty much a dream. Very well done, and the quality is great. If you have this album, don't miss out on the DVD you probably got with it.