The Little Willies – The Little Willies (Milking Bull/EMI) The Little Willies aren’t just a side project for country-jazz-pop chanteuse Norah Jones and her boyfriend/collaborator Lee Alexander with a bunch of New York muso buddies like Richard Julian, Jim Campilongo and Dan Reiser. They are a legitimate band, a group of separate and equal pub performers … Continue reading
MTV Video Music Awards Rock (Paramount-2003) and Hip-Pop (Paramount-2003) As always, Chris Rock says it best. While hosting the MTV Awards in 1997, he observes that a good video can lead you to like a bad song. And that’s pretty much what this MTV Awards collection – saluting this hip, attitudinal underdog of awards shows – should be all … Continue reading
Music Scene The Best of 1969-1970 (Volumes 1 & 2) (MPI Home Video-2000) The train wreck that is Music Scene – an uncomfortable, pre-Saturday Night Live mix of youthful comedy and popular music – is worth watching if only for its noble attempt to do what it did before what it did was done right. This ABC variety … Continue reading
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND – VELVET REDUX LIVE MCMXCIII (2006) Starring Lou Reed, John Cale, Moe Tucker and Sterling Morrison. Directed by Declan Lowney. Distributed by Sire/Rhino Home Video. 83 minutes. Not Rated. Everyone knows the legend of the Velvet Underground, a brainy group of beatnik New York musicians who were championed by pop artist Andy … Continue reading
MTV 20 Collection Pop/Rap/Jams/Beats (Image Entertainment-2001) Although music videos are no longer important, they still hold the power to mesmerize. MTV – the art director’s dream – hardly anticipated the influence that this frenetic form would hold over the popular culture when it debuted in 1981. Call it art or call it crass commercialism, music … Continue reading
Barbra Streisand The Television Specials (Rhino-2005) Your patience with this DVD depends on your Babs tolerance level. However, truth be told, this collection is, well, fabulous. Even if you are not a fan, the music and the voice is so dazzling that, even if you don’t convert, you’ll at the very least question your sexuality. Here … Continue reading
Rick Springfield – The Day After Yesterday (Goner/IKE) Jessie’s Girl is probably a grandma now and the Working Class Dog is approaching retirement, but Rick Springfield keeps on keepin’ on. Springfield’s new album is called The Day After Yesterday, which was oddly also the name of Paul Giamatti’s unpublished manuscript in the movie Sideways. I don’t know if there is … Continue reading
The Frank Sinatra Show High Hopes (MVD-2005) The old and true adage that “it’s Frank Sinatra’s world – we just live in it” is best illustrated during his Rat Pack years, from the very late fifties until the early sixties. Here you see the Chairman of the Board in his glorious, power-pipe action, during one … Continue reading
Various Artists-So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross (J Records) After the tragic death earlier this year of one of the greatest soul voices of his generation, it is nice to see a tribute to this consummate artist and spine-tingly good singer who pretty much defined the quiet storm and smooth jazz genres. The lineup … Continue reading
Tristan Prettyman – Twentythree (Virgin) Who knew? It turns out that there is a burgeoning folk and rock subgenre coming out of the Southern California surf scene. First there was Jewel (who, granted, was a transplant), then Switchfoot, a group that values hanging ten as much as Christian Rock. Then came the surprise success of pro … Continue reading
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