[Romanelli]

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Play The Blues Live From Jazz At Lincoln Center by Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton

This live album from 2011 sometimes came with a DVD...sometimes not, depending on which version you had. Most definitely seek out the DVD version. Putting Clapton square in the middle of a New Orleans jazz setting is wild...and Clapton handles it like it's something he does every day. They not only play old blues standards like "Ice Cream", but you get to hear TRULY unique takes on songs like "Layla" and Corrine, Corrina". And like pretty much any live album, it's a whole lot better when you can watch the show. Not your typical boring blues band fare from Clapton at all...this one is well worth watching!
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[Romanelli]

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Live At Red Rocks by The John Butler Trio

First of all, Red Rocks is my home venue. I've seen far more shows there than at any other venue. Second...it's one of the most beautiful venue ever. This live show from The John Butler Trio is a real treat...it's even better on the DVD version that comes with all of the CD releases. This is a great band to watch, and being at Red Rocks makes it even sweeter. It hasn't been reissued since 2011, but if you can find it, snatch it up. A fine album and a great DVD.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[Romanelli]

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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.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[LTSings]

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.

[Romanelli]

[Romanelli]

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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.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[LTSings]

[Romanelli]

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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.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[Romanelli]

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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.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history

[Romanelli]

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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.
_________________
I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history