The Great DVD Christmas Haul – Young, Moore, The Who, and Gallagher
I love Christmas, and not for the usual reason. I like Christmas because I can spoil myself with all the great sales that are on. Yesterday was a great example of that. I made a huge haul of great DVDs and I just had to share with you all.
Neil Young - Heart Of Gold
Neil Young is the reason I play guitar. I know that sounds strange but it's true. I Was sixteen and had been tinkering with guitar for a few months and not really being to serious about it. I was really into the whole grunge scene at the time and though Pearl Jam were the greatest band of all time (of course now I know it is Stone Temple Pilots, but I digress). MTV Awards, 1993, and Pearl Jam just played Animal, when they are joined on stage by this old guy with long grey hair. I knew it was Neil Young, but I didn't really know who Neil Young was. But when he rocked, I knew that when I got to that age I wanted to act the same. Wild, passionate, in the moment.
This DVD is nothing like that performance, but the passion and honesty is still there in his more acoustic music. Once I opened my mind and listened, it all made sense. I haven't watched all of it yet, but it is an amazing performance.
Gary Moore and Rory Gallager - Llive in Montreux
Blues-Rock guitar players rarely come any better than the criminally underappreciated Gary Moore. If you love hot guitar playing and have never heard this man before, this is the DVD you need in your collection right away!
In this dynamic 1990 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, we see Gary Moore taking his place alongside Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen as one of the most POWERFUL guitarists in the world of rock and blues! It is a shame that a guitarist of this calibre is only marginally known here in America. The electrifying solos that dominate this performance show that Gary could easily blow most guitar players right off the stage!
This show captures Moore in his prime, right at the point when he switched his style from heavy metal to blues-rock. Most of the songs here are from his excellent 1990 album Still Got the Blues. One of the highlights of the show is a hot performance of "Texas Strut" where Gary pays tribute to Stevie Ray and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top with some nice impersonations of Gibbons and Vaughan.
Another highlight is the special guest appearance by blues legend Albert "Ice Man" Collins who delivers a fine version of the beautiful blues masterpiece "Cold Cold Feeling". Albert sticks around for several more songs too. Gary delights the audience with three encores and finally ends the show with the haunting and searing guitar instrumental "The Messiah will come again". If you care anything about electrifying guitar solos or powerhouse blues-rock music, buy a copy of this sucker and turn it up!
For many years the 1974 Irish Tour DVD has represented quintessential live Rory Gallagher. This collection, however, may well replace it. Rory was the real deal and never gave in to the temptation of the commercial route like many of his contemporaries. Rory was not only a monster flat picker who was able to get that cool harmonic out of the string with his right hand but he was also a great standard tuning slide player. What distinguishes Gallagher from other players is his presence, raw talent, and genuine passion. What he lacks in vocal ability he more then makes up for with stunning command of those six strings. Just a beat up 1961 Stratocaster (most players opt for a few stand bys in case of a string break or an open key change, but not Rory) plugged directly into a 100 watt amp most of the time provide for no BS sets of great guitar based music.
Classic Albums: Who's Next - The WhoThe songs and story of the Who's classic album. Who's Next is viewed by many as the greatest testament to the songwriting talent of Pete Townshend and the musical power of the Who. When the album was released in 1971, it climbed to the Top 5 on the Billboard chart and remained in the Top 40 for five months. The story of how the Who came to record the album is told by group members Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle, together with contributions by those who were close to the group during this recording, also providing insight into the importance of the late great Keith Moon to the success of the Who. The songs recorded for the Who's Next album are featured here, including such classics as "Won't Get Fooled Again," "Baba O'Riley," and "Behind Blue Eyes." Included in this documentary program are previously unseen performances of songs from the album that prove the longevity and lasting appeal of "Who's Next," a true classic album. While many bands these days are reaching back to this era to for their sound (Oasis, Jet, Woldmother and more with more than passing resemblances to act like The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath et al), no band can possible sound like the Who on this album. One of my favourite albums of all time, and made even more enjoyable by the fantastic insight provided by this DVD.
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