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The 12 music DVDs of Christmas
By DARRYL STERDAN
Winnipeg Sun
Even holiday traditions change. Visit your local CD shop and see what we mean. Usually at this time of year, there are loads of new big-ticket box sets to tempt music geeks. Not this year -- with CD sales nosediving, the big labels have ditched those high-priced goodies for the new cash cow: The cheap-to-make (and hard-to-pirate) DVD. This Christmas, there are dozens of titles from artists big and small, new and old, famous and infamous. We couldn't possibly watch them all -- but we did sit through enough to put together our guide to the 12 DVDs of Christmas.
U2: The Best of 1990 - 2000
(Island Def Jam/Universal)
These days, a good video is almost as crucial to a song as a good chorus. And a good video compilation can be just as satisfying as a best-of CD. Maybe even more so, if this set from Irish rockers U2 is anything to go by. The three-hour Best of 1990 - 2000 DVD makes the band's identically titled new CD seem second-rate. Along with 16 promo clips for tracks like Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day, One, Numb and The Fly, you get alternate videos for five songs, six bonus cuts, three documentaries and commentary tracks from directors who explain what the heck is going on in some of the more surreal clips. If you haven't shelled out for the CD yet, spend your bucks on this instead.
4 out of 5 stars
Various Artists: Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002
(Sanctuary/EMI)
An exclamation of joy? The ultimate party? Few folks at rural Tennessee's annual Bonnaroo Music Festival seem to know what the name means. But they know what it stands for -- one of the most eclectic, high-calibre festivals since Woodstock.
This tremendous two-disc DVD provides an ambitious sampling of this year's lineup, which included jammers like Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio and Phil Lesh; rockers like Gov't Mule and Ween; roots acts like the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Del McCoury Band; hip-hop outfits like Jurassic 5; and plenty more. Superbly shot and edited, this is one of the best live music DVDs we've seen.
Even if we still aren't sure what Bonnaroo means.
4 out of 5 stars
Miles Davis: The Miles Davis Story
(Columbia Legacy/Sony)
Some say Louis Armstrong is the most important figure in jazz because he all but invented it.
No disrespect to Louis, but our vote goes to trumpet legend Miles Davis -- because he reinvented jazz more than once during his incredible four-decade career. This extensive two-hour British documentary examines it all -- his early days with be-bop Buddah Charlie Parker; his pioneering strides in cool jazz, post-bop and fusion; and his turbulent offstage life marked by drugs, domestic abuse and struggles against racism. Acres of rare live footage and plenty of interviews with musicians, ex-wives, various offspring -- and the mercurial genius himself -- make this indispensible for jazz buffs.
4 out of 5 stars
Slipknot: Disasterpieces
(Roadrunner/Universal)
We just stopped getting hate mail from Slipknot fans -- affectionately (and accurately) known as maggots -- for dissing the band's last album. And eager as we are to have every disgruntled teen moron with email urging us to DIE! DIE! DIE! again, we have to admit we enjoyed this new two-disc live DVD from the masked marauders.
Whether or not you dig their pummeling, homicidal industro-metal, it's hard to deny the impressive might of their high-impact live show. The manic performances, the massive effects, the spinning drum risers, the blood and carnage -- it makes you realize Slipknot may talk tough, but they're really just KISS for the new millennium.
Uh-oh -- we're gonna hear about that ...
3.5 out of 5 stars
Various Artists: 10 Years of Later
(Warner)
If you're one of the few dozen Canadians who subscribe to that BBC pay-TV channel, you probably know Later with Jools Holland is the best live music series on the air, with great guests, a superb facility and an intelligent host. No wonder it's so good -- it's been around for a decade.
This three-hour DVD gathers 30 top-shelf performances from the series, with an emphasis on U.K. acts like The Verve, Portishead, Pulp, Blur, Oasis, Morrissey, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Massive Attack, Robbie Williams, Primal Scream and Coldplay.
Finally, Britannia rules the waves again.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Widespread Panic: Panic in the Streets
(Zomba/BMG)
In 1998, southern jam-rockers Widespread Panic staged a massive street party in their hometown of Athens, Ga., to launch their Light Fuse Get Away album.
That swell 80-minute gig anchors this worthwhile set, which also comes with a half-hour of older video and documentary footage -- much shot by a some wannabe director named Billy Bob Thornton. The recent death of WP guitarist Michael Houser from cancer makes us wish we'd had this footage years ago -- but thankful that we've got it now.
3.5 out of 5 stars
KoRn: Live
(Epic/Sony)
The ever-creepy Jonathan Davis and his rap-metal cohorts staged this arty hour-long gig as a pay-per-view special in movie theatres a while back. The show plays just as well on the small screen, with the band grinding their way through a fast-paced 15-song set. Some animated passages and behind-the-scenes docs are included, but unless there's a ton of hidden footage we can't find, we can't see why this collection -- which has just over two hours of material -- necessitates a two-disc set.
3 out of 5 stars
GG Allin: Live & Pissed 1988
(MVD)
Lots of rockers act dangerous. Punk-rock sleaze-king GG Allin really was -- he performed in the nude, relieved himself onstage and spent as much time attacking fans as singing. Not surprisingly, his shows could be timed with a stopwatch.
If you've seen the stunning documentary Hated, try Live & Pissed, a collection of interviews, backstage footage, soundchecks (often the only times GG managed to complete songs) -- and a couple of those jaw-dropping, squirm-inducing live gigs.
Thanks to a drug overdose, GG's gone -- but thanks to videos like this, he's unforgettable.
3 out of 5 stars
The Vandals: Oi to the World
(Kung Fu)
It doesn't get much more seasonal than this. Or much more stupid. Southern California punk goofballs The Vandals deliver a little Christmas cheer to the hometown crowd on this live DVD, whipping through a twisted set of punk anti-anthems (Gun 4 Christmas, Hang Myself from the Tree, My First Christmas as a Woman).
God bless us, everyone.
3 out of 5 stars
Barenaked Ladies: Barelaked Nadies
(Reprise/Warner)
We don't know about you, but we find it tough to sit through one Barenaked Ladies video, never mind 15.
Thankfully, this DVD compilation comes with a life-saving feature: A video commentary track that lets you watch the band watch the videos and mock them ("This one is, as the French say, 'Un fiasco!' "). Also included: A half-hour of decent live footage from a recent New York show.
3 out of 5 stars
Nickelback: Live at Home
(Roadrunner/EMI)
These days, chest-beating grudge-rockers Nickelback play to sold-out stadium crowds -- but you get the sense they're still a small-town bar band at heart.
On their new Live at Home DVD -- taped this year in Edmonton -- that's a pro and a con. Sure, it's heartening to see that Chad Kroeger and co. haven't turned into jaded, posturing rock stars. But it makes for a fairly unspectacular performance by guys who seem dwarfed and out of their element on a giant arena stage.
But not as out of place as former Alice in Chains axeman Jerry Cantrell, whose guest spot is met with thunderous disinterest by Nickelback's teenage faithful.
3 out of 5 stars
Amanda Marshall: Everybody's Got a Story
(Columbia/Sony)
Oh, Amanda's got a story, all right -- and you're going to hear it from top to bottom on this exhausting DVD. Along with a decent if unspectacular live set (broadcast on TV earlier this year), you get a bottomless pit of extras from this self-important Canadian diva: Unused live footage; videos from her album; documentaries on the staging of the concert, the recording of the album and the filming of the videos; interviews and performances from Canada AM, MuchMusic and even Open Mike; TV commercials; and even unused footage and outtakes from those commercials.
For crying out loud Amanda, next time try making a long story short.
2.5 out of 5 stars
The 12 music DVDs of Christmas
By DARRYL STERDAN
Winnipeg Sun
Even holiday traditions change. Visit your local CD shop and see what we mean. Usually at this time of year, there are loads of new big-ticket box sets to tempt music geeks. Not this year -- with CD sales nosediving, the big labels have ditched those high-priced goodies for the new cash cow: The cheap-to-make (and hard-to-pirate) DVD. This Christmas, there are dozens of titles from artists big and small, new and old, famous and infamous. We couldn't possibly watch them all -- but we did sit through enough to put together our guide to the 12 DVDs of Christmas.
U2: The Best of 1990 - 2000
(Island Def Jam/Universal)
These days, a good video is almost as crucial to a song as a good chorus. And a good video compilation can be just as satisfying as a best-of CD. Maybe even more so, if this set from Irish rockers U2 is anything to go by. The three-hour Best of 1990 - 2000 DVD makes the band's identically titled new CD seem second-rate. Along with 16 promo clips for tracks like Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day, One, Numb and The Fly, you get alternate videos for five songs, six bonus cuts, three documentaries and commentary tracks from directors who explain what the heck is going on in some of the more surreal clips. If you haven't shelled out for the CD yet, spend your bucks on this instead.
4 out of 5 stars
Various Artists: Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002
(Sanctuary/EMI)
An exclamation of joy? The ultimate party? Few folks at rural Tennessee's annual Bonnaroo Music Festival seem to know what the name means. But they know what it stands for -- one of the most eclectic, high-calibre festivals since Woodstock.
This tremendous two-disc DVD provides an ambitious sampling of this year's lineup, which included jammers like Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio and Phil Lesh; rockers like Gov't Mule and Ween; roots acts like the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Del McCoury Band; hip-hop outfits like Jurassic 5; and plenty more. Superbly shot and edited, this is one of the best live music DVDs we've seen.
Even if we still aren't sure what Bonnaroo means.
4 out of 5 stars
Miles Davis: The Miles Davis Story
(Columbia Legacy/Sony)
Some say Louis Armstrong is the most important figure in jazz because he all but invented it.
No disrespect to Louis, but our vote goes to trumpet legend Miles Davis -- because he reinvented jazz more than once during his incredible four-decade career. This extensive two-hour British documentary examines it all -- his early days with be-bop Buddah Charlie Parker; his pioneering strides in cool jazz, post-bop and fusion; and his turbulent offstage life marked by drugs, domestic abuse and struggles against racism. Acres of rare live footage and plenty of interviews with musicians, ex-wives, various offspring -- and the mercurial genius himself -- make this indispensible for jazz buffs.
4 out of 5 stars
Slipknot: Disasterpieces
(Roadrunner/Universal)
We just stopped getting hate mail from Slipknot fans -- affectionately (and accurately) known as maggots -- for dissing the band's last album. And eager as we are to have every disgruntled teen moron with email urging us to DIE! DIE! DIE! again, we have to admit we enjoyed this new two-disc live DVD from the masked marauders.
Whether or not you dig their pummeling, homicidal industro-metal, it's hard to deny the impressive might of their high-impact live show. The manic performances, the massive effects, the spinning drum risers, the blood and carnage -- it makes you realize Slipknot may talk tough, but they're really just KISS for the new millennium.
Uh-oh -- we're gonna hear about that ...
3.5 out of 5 stars
Various Artists: 10 Years of Later
(Warner)
If you're one of the few dozen Canadians who subscribe to that BBC pay-TV channel, you probably know Later with Jools Holland is the best live music series on the air, with great guests, a superb facility and an intelligent host. No wonder it's so good -- it's been around for a decade.
This three-hour DVD gathers 30 top-shelf performances from the series, with an emphasis on U.K. acts like The Verve, Portishead, Pulp, Blur, Oasis, Morrissey, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Massive Attack, Robbie Williams, Primal Scream and Coldplay.
Finally, Britannia rules the waves again.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Widespread Panic: Panic in the Streets
(Zomba/BMG)
In 1998, southern jam-rockers Widespread Panic staged a massive street party in their hometown of Athens, Ga., to launch their Light Fuse Get Away album.
That swell 80-minute gig anchors this worthwhile set, which also comes with a half-hour of older video and documentary footage -- much shot by a some wannabe director named Billy Bob Thornton. The recent death of WP guitarist Michael Houser from cancer makes us wish we'd had this footage years ago -- but thankful that we've got it now.
3.5 out of 5 stars
KoRn: Live
(Epic/Sony)
The ever-creepy Jonathan Davis and his rap-metal cohorts staged this arty hour-long gig as a pay-per-view special in movie theatres a while back. The show plays just as well on the small screen, with the band grinding their way through a fast-paced 15-song set. Some animated passages and behind-the-scenes docs are included, but unless there's a ton of hidden footage we can't find, we can't see why this collection -- which has just over two hours of material -- necessitates a two-disc set.
3 out of 5 stars
GG Allin: Live & Pissed 1988
(MVD)
Lots of rockers act dangerous. Punk-rock sleaze-king GG Allin really was -- he performed in the nude, relieved himself onstage and spent as much time attacking fans as singing. Not surprisingly, his shows could be timed with a stopwatch.
If you've seen the stunning documentary Hated, try Live & Pissed, a collection of interviews, backstage footage, soundchecks (often the only times GG managed to complete songs) -- and a couple of those jaw-dropping, squirm-inducing live gigs.
Thanks to a drug overdose, GG's gone -- but thanks to videos like this, he's unforgettable.
3 out of 5 stars
The Vandals: Oi to the World
(Kung Fu)
It doesn't get much more seasonal than this. Or much more stupid. Southern California punk goofballs The Vandals deliver a little Christmas cheer to the hometown crowd on this live DVD, whipping through a twisted set of punk anti-anthems (Gun 4 Christmas, Hang Myself from the Tree, My First Christmas as a Woman).
God bless us, everyone.
3 out of 5 stars
Barenaked Ladies: Barelaked Nadies
(Reprise/Warner)
We don't know about you, but we find it tough to sit through one Barenaked Ladies video, never mind 15.
Thankfully, this DVD compilation comes with a life-saving feature: A video commentary track that lets you watch the band watch the videos and mock them ("This one is, as the French say, 'Un fiasco!' "). Also included: A half-hour of decent live footage from a recent New York show.
3 out of 5 stars
Nickelback: Live at Home
(Roadrunner/EMI)
These days, chest-beating grudge-rockers Nickelback play to sold-out stadium crowds -- but you get the sense they're still a small-town bar band at heart.
On their new Live at Home DVD -- taped this year in Edmonton -- that's a pro and a con. Sure, it's heartening to see that Chad Kroeger and co. haven't turned into jaded, posturing rock stars. But it makes for a fairly unspectacular performance by guys who seem dwarfed and out of their element on a giant arena stage.
But not as out of place as former Alice in Chains axeman Jerry Cantrell, whose guest spot is met with thunderous disinterest by Nickelback's teenage faithful.
3 out of 5 stars
Amanda Marshall: Everybody's Got a Story
(Columbia/Sony)
Oh, Amanda's got a story, all right -- and you're going to hear it from top to bottom on this exhausting DVD. Along with a decent if unspectacular live set (broadcast on TV earlier this year), you get a bottomless pit of extras from this self-important Canadian diva: Unused live footage; videos from her album; documentaries on the staging of the concert, the recording of the album and the filming of the videos; interviews and performances from Canada AM, MuchMusic and even Open Mike; TV commercials; and even unused footage and outtakes from those commercials.
For crying out loud Amanda, next time try making a long story short.
2.5 out of 5 stars
