Music DVDs and Blu-rays: Stones, Doors, Suicide Girls, Rig the Jig

Stones in Exile
Eagle Rock
Rolling Stones - 1969-1974:  The Mick Taylor Years
Chrome Dreams


Two Stones DVDs, one excellent, the other, kind of so-so.  Stones in Exile focuses on the recording of the landmark Exile on Main Street (recently reissued/remastered with bonus tracks galore). There are interviews with band members and some remarkable archive footage as a tale unfolds about the Stones' sessions in France - as tax exiles - during Spring, 1971, coming off another classic album, Sticky Fingers.The contemporary artist interviews are, however, just the wrong people overall as Jack White, Liz Phair, Sheryl Crow and Caleb Followill from Kings of Leon all weigh in, will hardly riveting thoughts. Better are producer Don Was, who's actually worked with the Stones and Black Eyed Peas' Will I, who'd sure like to. The bonus material with additional interviews such as Keith Richard and Bill Wyman are revealing, though. And the documentary package does whet the appetite for Eagle Rock's upcoming DVD release of Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Rolling Stones shot during the Exile tour in 1972, the band at the peak of its powers.
The chronicle of the Mick Taylor years, which include Exile of course, is something of a thrown-together piece of product. Interviews with little known British musicians/industry folk mean little, really, save some insights from John Mayall. Much more interesting are comments form Los Angele session men. And don't look for much footage of the band or even audio; instead it's Stones-sounding track, but not the real deals.  Obviously, the producers didn't have the rights to use more then a handful of seconds here and there, if that. 


When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors
Eagle Rock
Blu-ray, also on DVD.


This is the first-ever Doors documentary and it's about time, don't ya think?  It's far superior to Oliver Stone's skewed bio-pic of the band. Written and directed by filmmaker Tom DiCillo with narration by Johnny Depp When You're Strange, chronicles the brief life of one of the greatest bands (still) in rock history. The film features much previously unseen  footage from the band's Sunset Strip beginnings in the mid-60s, to its end in the early '70s, not long after the death of frontman Jim Morrison. But this isn't just his tale, it's an in-depth, revealing look at keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger (who've toured in this decade again as the Doors, as well as drummer John Densmore.  Morrison's excess with alcohol and drugs certainly play a part, but there's much more here in a story about the entire band. It's not perfect by any means. but will certainly be of great interest to Doors fans now spanning several generations.



Suicide Girls Must Die!
First Look Pictures


Oh look, America's favorite tats-and piercings alt-sex girls in a murder mystery of sorts. Some may find it all annoying as almost no one here's a grand thespian, but there's also an appealing camp quality, just like the Suicide Girls' other works. 
Overall, it's midnight movie entertainment for the fetish crowd.
Or if you find half-naked and topless rocker chicks like this a big a thrill.

Rig the Jig

Live in Dublin

DVD+CD

This is a straight-ahead performance on video and audio, from traditional minded Rig the Jig, a spry, Celtic folk group out of 

Roscommon, Longford and Kildare, Ireland The set was recorded at Whelan's in Dublin, a mix of traditional and and contempoary numbers, including a quite winning version of Radiohead's "High and Dry."  Other charming stand-outs include 'The Lark in the Morning’, 'The Sandmount Set," "The Errant Apprentice"  a lovely "The Pretty Fair Maid" and also a take on "Tennessee Waltz."

The DVD/CD combo is available on iTunes and also on the band 

website's store page.

Concert Review: Lady Gaga's Smart Spectacle at Staples Center

Lady Gaga brought her “Monster Ball” show to Staples Center in Los Angeles for two nights (Aug. 11-12) this week, celebrating individuality and hook-enriched songs carried by a powerhouse personality that’s made her a pop phenomenon. 

“The monster ball will set you free!” she screamed and before night’s end there was a whole lot of liberation going on. She also offered up a command the sold-out audience on night one followed with roars:   “Dance, mother#@rs!”

While one could over-intellectualize about the themes – sex (straight, gay, bi), money (she hates it, she said as she’s raking it in), empowerment (but a feminist agenda is not her, uh, main thrust)) and self-expression (she has no problem with that) – this crowd was there for the party, especially that general admission floor with some of the most fanatic “little monsters.”

Presented somewhat like a stage musical, the show’s storyline was about getting to the Monster Ball, where the freaks, clubbers meet for fetish fun.  And for many in the audience, that meant dress up, from glitter bras, panties and fishnets to more outrageous outfits spotted around the venue before show time.

And onstage, there were so many costume changes, one lost count.  Also, set changes too, all very New York, including an array of neon signs and a subway car.   Snippets of music played between the various scenes to keep things moving, but it was those hits-and-more that kept the momentum going for the most part.

She opened performing “Dance in the Dark,” in silhouette behind the huge video curtain.  Once revealed, “Glitter and Grease” and the anthem “Just Dance’ followed, along with a knock-out run of numbers later that included “The Fame,” “Love Game,” “Boys Boys Boys,” and “Money Honey.”

Her dancers were tribal and she was the empress provocateur.  Strapping on a guitar keyboard at one point, she was also bandleader, though the musicians, except for a scorching violinist, somewhat dealt out hard rock clichés punctuating those dance rhythms.

From little body coverage to sort of a stripper-nun ensemble and also a big angelic white dress of sorts with wings, her costumes were purposely over-the-top or made for stage aerobics.  Even her long blonde hair was a prop.

She teased the audience, quipped about having a male member (a jab at some recnt gossip), howled, moaned, screamed, shouted and panted a lot into her headgear mic. But when she turned away from the camp or melodramatic staging with intricate choreography, her main message emerged as one of being true to yourself, not anyone else’s expectations.

That’s why one of the most honest moments came when she talked about a $20-thousand donation to the RE*Generation Campaign through Virgin mobile for homeless GLBT young men and women rejected by their own families. Sure, calling a random fan who’d filled out a form in the lobby area for a such a chance was a gimmick, but rooted in conviction. So much for the star who also told the crowd she hated truth and preferred b.s.

While self-effacing talking about her pre-hits career as a “naked girl with a foul mouth,” it was truth and not bull when she said, “I don’t want to leave loving me more.  I want you to leave loving yourself more.” She  meant it.

Other highlights included the ballad “Speechless”  (for “drunken assholes” including her father, in the crowd that night) and a new, unreleased (but recorded) song, “You and I.”  No choreography.  No staging.  Just Gaga at her piano alone and also with her band.  And more powerful really, than the big production numbers. Okay, there were flames atop her piano, but she can’t help it.

While “Monster” was wonderfully askew bop, the theatrics of “Teeth,” was a bit of a misfire and a breakdown came off as preachy nonsense, not performance art as intended.  The Latin-tinged “Alejandro” came off as generic dance-pop and surprisingly, her giant hit “Pokerface” sounded rushed. What, no sing-along? 

The big finish encore of “Bad Romance” was a big bounce back as she first sang inside a rotating sphere (like the kind motorcycle stunt guys ride around in at the circus) and then went parading down the catwalk in another classic outfit with fireworks-style sparklers blasting from her nipple areas and crotch.  But even with those final outrageous eye-poppers, it was still that charging and darn catchy song that mattered the most.

Gaga is definitely an original, there’s no doubt about that.  Even with inspirations like, yes, Madonna, as well as David Bowie, Queen, arena rock in general mashed up with dance and pop. the fact that she could just sing without the dancers, sets and such and still be commanding makes her all the more impressive.

Legacy's 'Set List' Series - Live 'Best Ofs' and more

SonyBMG's Legacy Division recently released these budget-price concert anthology collections, "Setlist: The Very Best of" drawn from various live recordings by each artist.  The very best doesn't always apply in terms of songs, but each one offers some choice bits that aren't obvious. And that's good.  Here's the lowdown:


Cheap Trick
You'll find "Surrender," "I Want You to Want Me" and "Downed" from the Complete Budokan, along with lesser-known tunes such as "Ballad of T.V. Violence" and a live rendition of the B-side "I Know What I Want." It's capped by a raging "The House is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)" one of the band's best album tracks, ever.




Willie Nelson
You not only get classic Willie here like "Funny How Time Slips Away," and "Crazy," but also one of his versions of "Good Hearted Woman" (we miss ya much, Waylon), "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,"  "Night Life," "Georgia on My Mind." The closer?  "On the Road Again." What else were you expecting.  

Johnny Cash
Bet this one was hard to choose for. So there's "Folsom Prison Blues" to kick things off in a 14-track run that also offers "Man in Black," "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" and medley of "Darlin' Companion/If I Were A Carpenter/Jackson" with June Carter and also "I Got a Woman" with the Mr. and Mrs., too. The non-hit wonderful stuff includes "What Is Truth" and "Belshazzar" and it's a triple-shot end run of "A Boy Named Sue," "I Walk the Line" and "Big River." One of the best in this series. 



Jefferson Airplane
This one does play out like a best-of live, most tracks from the Filmore in San Francisco, mid-to-late '60s and cleaned up nicely: "Somebody To Love," "White Rabbit," and the under-appreciated "It's Not Secret." Other stand-outs include "Plastic Fantastic Lover" (a band today would slay for such a songtitle), the haunting "Good Shepherd," spirited "Volunteers" and a lovely 
"The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil."


Ted Nugent

Mister subtle, Ted the bow-hunter, tears it up with "Just What The Doctor Ordered," "Free For All" and of course, "Cat Scratch Fever." He also delivers the ever-charming "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" and a blazing cover of "Baby, Please Don't Go "

REO Speedwagon
The band was all over the pop charts and radio in the '80s and the tracks are culled from different live recordings during that decade.  There's the staggered Bo Diddley-ish beat of "Don't Let Him Go, " Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight," "Time For Me To Fly," and REO's best anthem-like tune, "Roll With The Changes. The ballad that launched thousands of prom slow dances during the era is here, too - "Keep On Loving You" along with "Can't Fight This Feeling" and get this - a cover of "Johnny B. Goode." The group doesn't quite pull that one off, but at least the boys give it a shot.

Kansas
It's mostly heartland prog-rock here, which means extended pieces such as "Lonely Street" the the closing a bit-too-much "Magnum Opus."  Along the way, you'll also get "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry On Wayward Son," along with "Cheyenne Anthm," "Down the Road" and "Play the Game Tonight." No "Point of No Return," though. 

Judas Priest

The biggest omission on this one is no live version of the thunder-crunching "Livin' After Midnight." Otherwise, it's an okay concert sampler that includes "Riding On The Wind," "Heading Out To The Highway" and a buzzsaw "Breaking The Law." The coolest numbers are "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown" and "Beyond The Realms Of Death" (sounds like Marvel Comics, doesn't it?). The capper here?  Why, "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Quiet Riot
The hits on this one really do count the most, especially live takes of Quiet Riot's Slade covers that put 'em on the map, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize."  Also, "Slick Black Cadillac and the anthem that made it to Top 40, "Bang Your Head (Metal Health). Plus, another Slade tune, "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet"

Alabama
People forgot how huge Alabama was, not just in country, but in pop crossover in the early 80s.  Most of the live material on this set comes from that era, especially shows Florence, AL with songs such as "Tennessee River," the hoedown-styled "Mountain Music." Among the pop-washed numbers are "Feels So Right" "Lady Down On Love" and "Love In The First Degree." The set wraps up with the trucker anthem, "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)"; bet some drivers today have that one on their iPods.