10.30.11
The Jesus Lizard
CLUB (MVD)- God Bless The Jesus Lizard. Just when we needed them most, they reformed and
reminded us all how empty our lives have been without them. Being an obsessed fan my self, I was able to catch 7 of the reunion shows way back in '09 and they were some of the best of my life. Though I was not in Nashville in 9/14/09, seeing the first few moments of this DVD brought back a lot of memories. At all 7 of the shows I attended, the crowd was worked up into an almost frenzied state, awaiting the triumphant return of our sorely missed heroes and the anticipation in the Nashville crowd was no different. As soon as the first notes of "Puss" start playing it sounds like they never broke up. Somehow, after 10 long years, it sounds like they even got better. A few years ago a TJL DVD from CBGB show in 1994 came out and while it was great to see, this most recent offering has much better sound, video and production quality. The Jesus Lizard are a force of nature. They do not adhere to the laws of physics. 50 year old men simply should not sound this fucking tough. David Wm. Sims and Mac McNeilly are still the second best rhythm section in the history of rock. Duane Denison is still an understated guitar genius. Neil Diamond is still a very entertaining vocalist. Buy the DVD and check out the Scratch Acid reunion shows. Unless the planets align
and they reform again, it's as close as you will get to seeing The Jesus Lizard live. www.musicvideodistributors.com KIP KELGARD

7.03.11
Whitesnake
LIVE AT DONNINGTON 1990 (FRONTIERS)- Black Spandex pants? Check.
Black leather jacket? Check.
Shiny accessories all over everything? Check.
Big hair coated in Aquanet? Check.
Slinky, hot, scantily clad model writhing around on the hood of my Jaguar? Check.

While none of that was actually going on at present, it was certainly going through my mind as I popped in my copy of Whitesnake’s new DVD, “Live At Donnington 1990”. I will be the first to admit that the genre ultimately became a parody of itself, which opened the door for Nirvana to send Hair Metal to its demise. However, there were some bands that were truly great during that period of time and Whitesnake was certainly one of the best. I never got the opportunity to see them in their heyday and don’t remember seeing any performance video other than the stuff on MTV so this was a real treat. This concert snapshot shows them at the peak of their powers. If you don’t believe me, the drum solo by Tommy Aldridge should be more than enough to convince you. The quality of the recording and the sound of the DVD are exceptional and the bonus material offers some insight into the making of the “Slip Of The Tongue” album.

If that weren’t enough to rattle my bones, I was also treated to a copy of Whitesnake’s new CD, “Forevermore”. David Coverdale’s vocals are surprisingly strong and his new band brings some heavy riffs and enough rock crunch to fill a big bag of chips. They may not break any new ground here musically, but they prove that they’re more than a nostalgia act. The first single, “Love Will Set You Free” is as good a song as they’ve ever recorded. No, I’m not kidding. There is of course the requisite power ballad, (“Easier Said Than Done”), but there’s also some surprising cuts like the soulful “Fare Thee Well.”

I can’t decide if this package makes me feel young or old, but it sure made me bob my head and pound out the rhythm on my dashboard. www.frontiers.it MATT BUTLER

4.24.11
The Lucksmiths
UNFAMILIAR STARS (MATINEE)- I don’t get too bummed when bands break up, even ones I like a lot, but I did get a bit choked up when this much loved/long-lived Aussie combo decided to call it a day a few years ago. Even though they hailed from Australia, and no matter what town they were playing in, the Lucksmiths made you, (audience member/fans) feel special. Like they traveled halfway across the world to play this ONE show for YOU. The places I saw them play (many times) , San Francisco and Portland, were almost liked second homes to the band. This gig (and short documentary- both filmed by Natalie van den Dungen) was filmed in August of 2009 during the bands final show at a place called the Corner Hotel in the band’s hometown of Melbourne. The set was pretty amazing, 33 songs and a healthy dose of tunes from all of their records (the bands first record was released in 1993). The band was excellent at melding drop-dead melodies with excellent (thought not flashy) musicianship and supremely clever (sand at times hilarious) lyrics. A few of my personal favorites here are “Synchronised Sinking”, “The Golden Age of Aviation”, Under the Rotunda” (the song that originally got me into the band), “T-Shirt Weather”, “Smokers in Love”, “A Downside to the Upstairs”, “Untidy Towns” and too many more. This final gig looked mighty special and what else can I say, ….damn, wish I was there (in the documentary, interviewing fans outside, one guy flew in from England for it). In addition to the live set there is also a short documentary which shows the band chatting over beers, rehearsing, and basically talking about and getting ready for the final gig (it’s easy to forget that some of our old faves are songs the band has not played/rehearsed in nearly a decade). I’m not sure what Tali, Marty , Mark and Louis (the “new’ guy at only 5 years in) have in store for the future, but hopefully some new bands. In the meantime buy this and play it continuously like I am. www.matineerecordings.com

4.24.11
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
(LORBER)- Canadian pianist Glenn Gould was a brilliant child prodigy who wowed classical music audiences while still a child, and conquering the world with his debut, a recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations--done in a style that was faster, louder, and punctuated with coughs, hums, and Gould singing along while he played. He passed away young, at age 50, after a debilitating stroke shortly after he released a rerecording of his debut He was also a picture of eccentricity--based in part on his hypochondria, part on his wanting to protect his most valuable instrument, his hands. Though he sought solitude, he was no reclusive weirdo; he gave up performing in 1964, but only to become a studio wizard, inventing radio programs that would inspire and influence National Public Radio, the BBC, and his own CBC, for whom he worked. He also worked in film, creating personas to teach, and wrote about the process of music--all while holding his own in terms of privacy, keeping the world at bay. Genius Within is a rare document, in that it addresses issues about him previously considered verboten; his friends, who were protective, would never dish on his personal life. But this documentary breaks that silence, with an extensive discussion of his relationship with a married woman with two children, whom he persuaded to leave her husband and come to live with him. She talks at length--and lovingly--of Gould, as do her son and daughter. Though this discussion is intimate, it is inherently respectful, though the story is somewhat tragic; it shows a side of Gould that doesn't flatter--he was obsessed with her, thinking they had the perfect relationship--but the discussion is fair. Add into this rare revelation a TON of unseen video, films he made, and hilarious interviews. It is too easy to dismiss Gould as a nut; Genius Within focuses on the man behind the weirdness, and it is a beautiful, engaging, and honest look at one of the most talented men of the 20th Century. www.lorberfilms.com JOSEPH KYLE

11.29.10
GG Allin & The AIDS Brigade
LIVE IN BOSTON, 1989 (MVD)- There has been a ton of GG stuff out on dvd over the years, some good and some not so good. This falls into the former category but it is not so much for the main footage, but for what is on the extra footage. The main footage has GG and the Aids Brigade (brother Merle on bass, matt Burns on bas and yup, that is Mr. Chris Brokaw on guitar). This footage is live from the Middle East in Boston in 1989 and has the band in full drag and it also shows tem in rehearsals plus some women outing makeup on the band. Pretty tame as far as GG shows go (though the set list is pretty good. The bonus footage, however, has 2 sets from 1993 (Seattle and Portland, at Roseland in Portland if you can believe that ??!! I wonder who he opened for.). At both of these shows, a fearless, naked GG lights a fire on the stage, takes a dump (Seattle) and jams a turkey baster up his ass (Portland). One of the best scenes is at the Portland show where he walks up, smacks a guy in the face, takes his sunglasses and then wears them for the rest of the night. There’s plenty of other outrageous GG footage, it was obvious the guy had no regard for his own safety (or the safety of others) If this sounds up your alley then it is well worth the price of admission! www.musicvideodistributors.com

11.29.10
Leonard Cohen
BIRD ON A WIRE (THE MACHAT COMPANY/ MVD)- As it states on the dvd itself (plus in the press pack) this is a documentary, directed by British filmmaker Tony Palmer, of one of Cohen’s European tours beginning on March 18, 1972 which began in Dublin, ended in Jerusalem and took him to points in between including Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam and more. Some of the footage on this not only includes Cohen and his band offering up versions of some of his best songs like “Suzanne”, Sisters of Mercy”, “Avalanche”, “Chelsea Hotel”, “So Long, Marianne”, “Famous Blue Raincoat and others, but plenty of stuff backstage, on the road, in airports, on airplanes and more. A funny story is that though shot in 1972 it did not come out until 1974 (after massive re-editing, not by Palmer) had a limited run and then sank without a trace. Thought to be long gone, Palmer states that in 2009 , 294 cans of film were sent to him by Frank Zappa’s old manager and after painstakingly going through each one was able to lovingly piece this version together (Palmer states that “By no means perfect, it is very close to the original”). Two great parts of the film are one, when Cohen is telling the security guards at a concert in Tel Aviv to chillout and let the people come down to the front (they security guards do not chill out and it gets a bit dicey) and during his intro to “Suzanne” tells of how he signed contract giving away the rights to this, one of his most famous songs. There are plenty of moments like that, berating audience members for talking then in the next moment asking an audience member what he or she just said. The guy is definitely an enigma and Palmer does a beautiful job here trying to figure out what makes him tick. Superb. www.musicvideodistributors.com

11.29.10
Brian Wilson
SONGWRITER 1962-1969 (SEXY INTELLECTUAL/ MVD)- Like the GG Allin stuff reviewed above there is a ton of Brian Wilson/ Beach Boys stuff out there and you have to sift through it all and decided what is worth owning and what isn’t (but trust me, I am NOT comparing GG to Brian Wilson in any other way). If you are a big Beach Boy’s fan (like me) there is nothing (or very little) new here that you have not seen before. Everything that has been previously said he said again and all (or at least most) of the footage is stuff I have already seen (though some quite obscure). Why then, as Beach Boys fan do you need this? Because some of the interviews and discussions are more in depth and from the mouths of those not often seen in Beach Boy’s/BW docs. You get to hear a lot from the mouth of former (early) Beach Boy David Marks, who adds a unique perspective to it all, as well as Mr. Domenic Priore (author of LOOK LISTEN SMILE VIBRATE! and other BB’s books) as well as Wrecking Crew-ers Carole Kaye and Hal Blaine, Portland author Peter Ames Carlin and plenty of others. These are the years Brian was at his peak (PET SOUNDS was in there, of course) so those interviews plus plenty of live and studio footage spread out over 2 discs (3 hours plus) make this dvd one worth owning. www.musicvideodistributors.com

11.07.10
Jackson Browne
GOING HOME (EAGLE RECORDS/FONTANA)- When Browne’s breakout single, “Doctor My Eyes,” came out, I was among the millions who snagged a. copy. But I was overseas, and into early glitter and pre-punk like T. Rex and The New York Dolls. Nice songs about adventures in pastoral and suburban Amerika didn’t hold my attention. A few years later, back in the States, I’d hear Browne, the Eagles, Neil Young, and other music that fit the feeling I had when driving along the green hills and highways of Maryland, on the way to or from some party or rock show. The cool air blowing through the car windows felt full of promise; anything might happen. But Browne and his ilk were huge on the radio and with “normal” people -- it wasn’t cool for my friends and I to like them – if we did, we didn’t talk about it. Years later, I get Going Home reeling so I can start working on this review. Right off the bat, “I’m Alive” pulls me over to the screen – there it is again: Something’s in the air tonight. Browne maintains a brilliant and intuitive zone between youthful excitement (yeah, his clear-as-a-bell, feckless vocals sound boyish, but that’s just part of it) with the comfort of having a warm place to go when the keg’s spent, the band’s packed up, and there are just a couple of people still around the fire pit in the backyard that was jammed with people a few hours ago. All the romance of the open road; of taking chances, is expressed better by Browne than anyone I know – I think of the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” – turns out Browne co-wrote that one, and I’ve heard his version too; just didn’t realize – that’s why it feels so right when we get to see him doing it backstage with David Lindley. Going Home is so rich with stories, performances (from the ‘70s and early ‘90s) and other goodies - I’ll just have to grab-bag some favorites: Footage of Browne up close, explaining why “Doctor My Eyes” has that thumpy piano sound and how he came to want to write songs. Don Henley relating the way Browne’s original demos almost ended up in a dumpster. Browne doing a lovely version of “Birds of St. Marks,” from Nico’s Chelsea Girl, which he co-wrote – something I didn’t know when my friends and I snubbed him in the ‘70s. There’s a wonderful, mostly-acoustic circle including David Crosby and Graham Nash for “Lives in the Balance.” Through the chronicle’s 23 tracks, my attention is held by Browne’s versatility; his audible heartbeat. I still don’t want to miss a thing – as much as I hate to sound so damned nostalgic, the magic of the ‘70s is here. And Browne does something hardly anyone else has; processing the disappointment and pain that followed ‘60s idealism, and around environmental and political challenges (“Good Morning Little Mutant,” “The Pretender”). For anyone who’s snoring; sure these are the ramblings of an out-of touch woman, I can say this: lovers of Tom Petty, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, and that song from Fast Times at Ridgemont High that can remind anyone with a pulse of the longing they felt outside some Tastee Freeze or on a street corner, one July night (“Somebody’s Baby”) – well, you might want to check this guy out, whether or not you care about his contributions to social causes; his activism. www.eagle-rock.com MARY LEARY

11.07.10
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION – SPECIAL EDITION (EAGLE RECORDS/FONTANA)- Along with enjoying “Take a Pebble” from the band’s debut, and “From The Beginning,” I’ve had to admire ELP’s gutsy mix of classical, rock and jazz sounds and techniques; something attempted only, and to a smaller degree, by Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. (Brilliant beyond-prog-rock unit King Crimson’s another matter – for one thing, it’s never camped or sparkled to a degree that could leave it open to being suspected as a possible inspiration for Spinal Tap). Whether you think synth whiz Keith Emerson’s open, glittery shirts are funny, or shake your head at the psychedelic effects added to some of Pictures, this trio was unusually inventive in realizing a jaw-dropping quantity of sound. And for me, the psychedelic overlays add variety and fun. But the music’s the real fork in the road – in this case, it’s presented via an historic performance of Pictures at London’s Lyceum Ballroom in 1970. If you like classical music but are even more taken by classical music with rock dynamics and great songwriting, you’re overdue for an ELP excursion. The music morphs from gentle to very, very aggressive. “Sage” is among the ballads that take on an arcane, rather pastoral beauty through guitarist/bassist Greg Lake’s vocal (Lake also helped found King Crimson, appearing on two of its best albums). “Promenade” is lovely. “The Old Castle” does some serious rocking. The “Baba Yaga” section is delivered with tremendous energy. Additional highpoints are provided by performances of non-Pictures compositions “Take a Pebble” and “Knife Edge,” which features fierce solos from Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer. The bonus features include footage from a Belgian TV show, Pop Shop: “Rondo;” a long, worth-the-price-of-admission, partly improvisational take on “Pebble,” “Knife Edge,” “Blues Jam/Nutrocker,” and “Nutrocker” sans blues jam. Oh, and for the girls (and maybe some of the boys, too) these guys, as a unit, weren’t at all hard on the eyes. www.eagle-rock.com MARY LEARY

11.07.10
Various Artists
EARGOGGLES (BULL TERRIER PRODUCTIONS)- Just imagine this: It’s 1981. We’ve just staggered out of a show by The Cramps and The Ramones. Earlier in the week we were shaken to the core by a Gang of Four tour stop (okay, this is a dream, remember?). So we’re parked outside some dive, catching our breath after shaking nonstop to the Cramps for about an hour. We have a fanzine – (mine was called ((the)) Infiltrator). And we’re saying: “Yeah, reviews of all these shows have to go in our next issue. But if only we had more than words and photos to share how INCREDIBLE they were! If only we could include films of shows in the ‘zine…” Cut to 2010. Clayton Holmes is my new hero. Why? ‘Cause this guy, who’s in Vancouver, Canada, collages live performances, caught from roughly the 2nd row, often at a rocker’s dream dive, The Cobalt (which, incidentally, has recently lost its lease, although it looks like a transition to a new venue,The Hellhole, is upcoming). Clayton throws all this live performance footage on a DVD, keeping it fresh by sandwiching bands together with creative ads for various Vancouver-area businesses, like Neptune Records, Bone Rattle, and Audiopile, along with video jokes about the Canadian Mounties and other stuff, plus cool, lo-tech graphics, and a couple of artsy film shorts. What am I talkin’ about? I’m talking about nirvana for fans of punk, garage, post-punk, hardcore, speed metal, death metal, and the bar band experience. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! It’s like hundreds of little trips to Vancouver’s hottest underground and breaking-band shows! And who knew so many people, anywhere, still had Mohawks? Or that there are lots of shows where the bands interact with the fans as a matter of course, with lots of stage-diving and happy-time shenanigans? Kind of gives a rocker in San Diego, where people are characteristically afraid to act like they heart anything but the dirtiest garage rock & metal, occasionally, a reason to hope! The whole thing is incredibly cool, but standouts include an in-store appearance by The Evaporators that has to be seen to be believed – the audience participation stunt is jaw-dropping, and quite touching. There’s also some riveting post-punk from Los Malos and Motorama, and one of the weirdest frontmen in history, via SNFU. The UK Subs show why they’re still in business. Thee Manipulators throw down some ferocious garage rock. And there’s clearly a competition around who can do the fastest speed/death metal, with some serious contenders. There’s lots of fun and jokes, and a montage of some of Vancouver’s best skaters… really, you have to experience it yourself. And that brings us to one more wonderful thing: Eargoggles is FREE. Time for a prayer of thanks to the gods of rock and all things beautiful, eh? Contact Clayton at this site: www.eargogglesdvd.com MARY LEARY

05.24.10
Goner Fest 4
(GONER)- I swear, one of these years I’ll make it to a Goner Fest. Let’s face it , in this day and age of the sterile festival (Bonnaroo, Coachella, etc.) this one actually seems like a lot of fun. As the title says, this is the 4th Goner Fest and it was from 2007 in Memphis and of the 8,000 bands that played it the ones I’ve heard of (that have footage on here include The Carbonas, Hex Dispensers (am still dying to see this guys), Marked Men (ditto), Lover!, Goodnight Loving (they have an amazing new record out on Dirtnap), Jay Reatard (rip), Greg Cartwright (resident Memphis genius/legend), Eddy Current Suppression Ring, etc. while some of the bands I had previously not heard of but that were good include Staags!, Evil Army, Final Solutions, and plenty more. It runs 2 hours and includes both the dvd and the cd. If I had to complain I’d say at times it can be a bit too much (37 songs plus 12 bonus videos) but heck, life could be a lot worse than watching this. www.goner-records.com

05.24.10
I Need That Record!
THE DEATH (OR POSSIBLE SURVIVAL) OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE(MVD)- This one sounded cool on paper and well, yeah, it’s good (thought at times gets a bit too numbers/facts specific). In a little over an hour Guerilla (gorilla?) filmmaker Brendan Toller discusses the status of the indie record store here in America. Along the way we find out that in the last decade over 3000 record shops have closed in this country an how evil Wal Mart, the biggest music retailer in the country, is. In this doc he mainly focuses on a few shops in Connecticut , one being Trash American Style in which the owners , a couple, explain what it is like to close up shop and lose their sense of community. Also along the way Toller chats with folks like Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Mike Watt, Glenn Branca (hilarious as always), Legs McNeil (when the narrators states it is sad when a record stores closes and folks can’t meet up anymore to chat music Legs states “Who cares, you really want to MEET these people?! Not me!”), Chris Frantz, Lenny Kaye and Mr. Noam Chomsky (who admits to the narrator when asked what his favorite rock record is, that “My musical tastes stop in the 1940’s”). By the end of the doc there is hope as a couple of young uns are opening up a new shop and even the folks from Trash American Style feel like they cannot be stopped by the man (indy record stores seem alive and well here in Portland). www.mvdb2b.com

05.24.10
We Fun: Atlanta, GA/Inside Out
(MVD)-I guess this is sort of a companion piece to the Athens, GA Inside Out that came out a few decades ago (same producer, Billy Cody). This one centers on the Atlanta garage rock scene as led by the Black Lips but also featured prominently are Deerhunter, King Khan & the Shrines, Mastodon, The Selmanaires, The Carbonas, etc. The film opens with Khan and a few of his shrines who appear to be drunk and naked walking around a house but Khan and the other guy have underwear on and then some topless girl is walking around (just a slight bit of tape eon her nipples) and they seem to not be the least bit worried they are being filmed. On the contrary, they are hamming it up a bit! So this is the opening scene and apparently those Atlantans enjoy their nudity (we’ve all heard plenty of Black Lips stories and some gal from another Atlanta band shoot flames out of her vagina). Most of the bands in the doc give credit to the Black Lips as being the band that, by getting out and touring their asses off, put Atlanta on the map (the band says that when Bomp Record’s Greg Shaw gave the band their initial contract it stated to “not be a typical Atlanta band and never play out”, so they weren’t). Along the way we hear from CHUNKLET’S Henry Owings, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox and several other (usually intoxicated) Atlanta folks who have all come together to create what seems like a quite unhinged (in the best way possible) and really great scene. This is excellent! www.mvdb2b.com

11.29.09
History On My Arms
WITH DEE DEE RAMONE- (MVD)- Apparently this interview with Dee Dee was initially part of a Johnny Thunders documentary (done by Lech Kowalski, as was this) but they decided it could stand on its own as its own release. This has 3 segments, one is History on My Arms, one is Vom in Paris (not about the old Richard Meltzer band) and the third is Hey is Dee Dee Home. It also includes a fairly boring (extra) disc called Dee Dee Blues that I could have done without with him just noodling on the guitar. But the main interview on this is pretty interesting , basically about his love/hate relationship with Johnny Thunders and when/how he got each of his tattoos. It seems like every other sentences ends with “…and then we scored some dope” or “…and then we got high.” Dee Dee doesn’t romanticize the drug life, in fact, it seems as if he realizes how sad/pathetic it all is but it seems like every time he hung out with Thunders (who he eventually tried to avoid and then ended up hating after a fateful trip to Paris to meet up with Stiv Bators) he would go back using. The main interview is occasionally annoying as it keeps switching back to other interviews and him doing more noodling on guitar but that said, the main interview was pretty fascinating and the one part on here that you need to see. www.mvdb2b.com

11.29.09
Iggy Pop
LUST FOR LIFE(MVD)- This is one of the best Iggy dvds out there as it includes an informative interview him on the roof of a building in NYC in 1986 (with the Twin Towers in the background) which was during his BLAH BLAH BLAH tour (I caught the Philly show). It was made by a German company but only occasionally slips into the German language. It also has some fascinating interview footage with Ron Ashton from the same year, chatting and drinking beer in his basement, plunking out some riffs on the guitar and walking around Ann Arbor, MI. He (Ron) walks us through the auditorium at Univ. of Michigan where The Stooges played several gigs as well as the houses they lived in and wrought havoc. There is also some classic, unseen (by me, anyway) old Stooges footage on here as well and one of the best parts of it is where Iggy tells/shows the interviewer how he modeled the vocals of “No Fun” after Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” All that and it clocks in at under 45 minutes. Don’t miss this one. www.mvdb2b.com

11.29.09
Llik Your Idols
(MVD)-Interesting documentary that runs a little over an hour and directed by Angelique Bosio. It centers on the downtown NYC scene of the 1980’s that spawned the likes of Richard kern, Nick Zedd, Lydia Lunch, Joe Coleman and the like. Focusing mainly on the scenes of both the Cinema of Transgression and No Wave it features interviews with all of the above as well as Thurston Moore (featured quite a bit) , Richard Hell, Jarboe (Swans) an a few others I had not heard of (Jack Sargeant, Bruce LaBruce, etc.). Back in the 1980’s I was always interested in seeing the Kern videos from purely a pervy standpoint and I watched a friend’s copies back then (Fingered and Submit to Me) and the footage they show in this still packs a punch today (especially Lydia’s vulgar, snooty sleaze). Wasn’t quite sure about the Nick Zedd stuff. I had always heard of him but had never seen his films and his films, while occasionally interesting, definitely doesn’t seem to hold a candle to Kern’s (the interviews in this with Richard Kern today are some of the best parts of it). While not always my bag I’m glad this stuff is/was documented to show the kids today what the Lower East Side was really like (showing up in the Village in 1983 for my first, of many, record buying trip I’m surprised I didn’t get my ass kicked (or worse. NYC could be a scary place back then). www.mvdb2b.com

11.29.09
Pansy Division
LIFE IN A GAY ROCK BAND- (ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES)- In which director Michael Carmona follows the nearly 20 year career of San Francisco pop punk homocore band Pansy Division. I remember leader Jon Ginoli when he was in Midwestern college rock band The Outnumbered (they had a record out on Homestead) but a few years later he had come out of the closet, moved to San Francisco and was looking for other band members. He put an ad in the paper and out came bassist Chris Freeman (he and Ginoli have been the band’s two contact members) as well as a laundry list of drummers (including ex-TFUL #282 Jay Paget, which I had no idea he was even in P.D.). In the nearly 90 minutes they discuss their hatred of disco as a gay band, opening for Green Day on their DOOKIE tour (the band was hand picked as an opener by longtime fan Billie Joe Armstrong), collaborating with both Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett ,trying to open doors for other gay bands and generally having a good time wherever they went (bassist Freeman, definitely the more flamboyant of the two original members, never seems to pass up an opportunity to act like a queen on stage or call out an idiotic audience member). While never a huge fan of the band, still after seeing this, I have much respect for them having the guts to do what they did especially in some of the knuckleheaded tour stops they played over the years. Also includes an extra disc of a live show which I of decent quality. www.alternativetentacles.com

04.21.09
G.G. Allin & the Murder Junkies
THE BEST OF- (MVD)- Yet even more GG product, this guy has released more stuff while in the grave than Tupac. Thanks to brother Merle Allin handling GG’s ,umm, estate, with more and more releases are coming out. The cover has a classic shot of GG staring at the camera while naked (the title is covering up his privates), covered in blood and ya’ gotta love all those homemade tattoos (especially the drawn hand giving the finger). Anywho, this has footage from the infamous gig at The Space at Chase along with plenty of others seen on the HATED dvd. Some of the hits on here are “Bite it You Scum”, “Gypsy Motherfucker”, “Kill the Police”, “I Live to be Hated” and plenty more. This isn’t bad but I suggest if you’re going to get one GG dvd make it HATED (which MVD also released). Bonus; interview with GG’s mom from August 2008 (now she was certainly interesting)! www.mvdvisual.com

04.21.09
Petula Clark
PORTRAIT OF(MVD)- Dreeeeeccccck. Not sure why I thought this might be, at best, a fluffy period piece featuring a charmingly naïve Brit girl or, at worst, a mildly entertaining chunk of bubble gum culture circa 1969. But, sadly, this DVD is really, really dull and hokey even by late-1960s prime time television standards. The loose premise, as clunkily devised in the opening montage featuring Clark clowning around with New Yorkers, Parisians and London bobbies, is that she’s saluting her three favorite cities. That device is quickly dropped when, in further confusing the issue, Clark delivers a very unfortunate version of “This Guy’s In Love With You.” Someone thought it wise to use a jerky cadence that in no way fits the song’s smooth edges and clever chord changes. It’s a hammy version that’s not even good enough to be considered Vegas. It’s Winnemucca, maybe even Elko. Then, when things can’t get any worse, here comes, you guessed it, Andy Williams! The seizure-inducing tandem butchers what might have been kind of a cool song called “Happy Heart.” But I’ll never hear it again without recalling how Williams’s wormy forehead shimmered throughout with what looked to be a cold, painkiller addiction-fueled cold sweat. The disc’s best moment belongs to Sacha Distel, who croons a fantastic “Love is Blue.” I kind of wished Claudine Longet, Williams’s wife, would have sang it, but, whatever. Probably couldn’t have saved the disc anyway. There are other annoying moments. Ron Moody, apparently a stage character actor, performing a dull one-man skit in several guises. Clark trying her best to deliver punchlines in repartee with Williams and the others. Clark strutting about fashion districts in her It Girl wardrobe. Clark singing. Clark existing. Is it good enough for fans? Sure. But that’s assuming Petula Clark actually had dyed-in-the-wool fans. “Downtown” was reasonably compelling and “I Know A Place” deserves far better than the jingle pergatory it now occupies. But Clark just comes off as smug and calculated, a British Idol as it were some 30 years before the franchise was created. The whole thing left me wondering where Clark fit in between the revolutionary British Invasion bands of the time and the always-scary Steve and Edie. www.mvdvisual.com ANDY GIEGERICH

04.21.09
Yardbirds
THE STORY OF THE YARDBIRDS (MVD)- I know a lot of people profess to love the Yardbirds. The guitar-player proving ground (Clapton, Beck, Page) must have been pretty good to host all those great players. And, hell, I guess I could say I like the Yardbirds. But it didn’t hit me that I’d really not seen, or even heard, much of the band until watching this functional, if a bit perfunctory, documentary. The band was talented but, despite its virtuosos, very raw live. That was news. Another piece of news was that Eric Clapton, who wrote two of the sappiest hits of our lifetimes (“Tears in Heaven” and “You Look Wonderful Tonight”), left the band because he thought, with “For Your Love,” they were getting too commercial. The revelation here is Keith Relf, never a polished or particularly tuneful singer but one whose stage presence dwarfed even the magnetic Jimmy Page. He was a jigger of Roger Daltrey mixed with a splash of Brian Jones. The disc’s best part is its bonus features, which offers full live versions of two remarkable songs: “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” and "Shapes of Things." www.mvdvisual.com ANDY GIEGERICH

02.03.09
The Best Of Flipside Video Vol. 1
BAD RELIGION, CIRCLE JERKS, DICKIES, WEIRDOS- (FLIPSIDE/MVD)- Back in the day it was a real treat to see punk bands on video as so few existed. These days a lot of the old stuff has come out on dvd and the quality is usually better than average. The Flipside tapes were always cool and they always had your favorite bands. Here are 4 four of the most popular punk bands from LA. doing sets In the mid-80's and the quality is ok, not great but not awful or anything. Of the four I always enjoyed seeing the Dickies the most, their shows were always a blast with vocalist Leonard bringing u a different prop for every song. The Weirdos ,of course, do "We Got the Neutron Bomb" and "Solitary Confinement" (plus 8 others). And it was cool to see Greg Hetson playing on both Circle Jerks AND Bad Religion but I have seen better live footage of both bands. Worth seeing but not an essential purchase unless you are a collector of one or all of these bandswww.mvdvisual.com

02.03.09
The House Of The Rising Punk
(ABC)- Judging by the lame name of this one I thought it was gonna be well, lame. It, however, is not. On the contrary, this is one of the better documentaries I've seen of the late 70's NYC scene in a long while. (PUNK ATTITUDE by Don Letts is really good too but doesn't focus only on NYC). There is a lot of footage on CBGB's on here and interviews w/ folks like Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell and Patti Smith (Richard tells a great story of the time he and Tom took off from their (boarding?) school and went to NYC for the first time). Hunt this one down and drop down your hard-earned sheckles for it.

02.03.09
Love
LOVE STORY(START UK)- Wow, this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen and if you are a huge fan of Love (like I am) or even an occasional listener of the band then by all means purchase this as it is essential. They have most current interviews with most of the players in Love. Arthur's interviews look to be in the early 2000's (a few years before he died) and Bryan MacLean's looks to be in the late 90's just before his death (MacLean died Christmas day in 1998). There I also current interview with Johnny Echols (who is very soft spoken and articulate), Alban Snoopy Pfisterer (who mentioned how he was always "the odd man out"), Michael Stuart plus Elektra records boss Jac Holzman, Doors drummer John Densmore and plenty of others. There is also some older live footage as well as some of the recent tours Arthur did with the Baby Lemonade guys as has backing band. As interesting (and poignant) as any rock docu you will ever see. www.startproductions.co.uk

10.10.08
Iggy & The Stooges
ESCAPED MANIACS- (MVD)- I've seen a few recent Iggy & the Stooges live stuff (dvd and otherwise) that didn't really do a whole lot for me, like Iggy was going through the motions or something (then again, at 60 years old I'll give the guy a break). For some reason this one is different, like the whole band is possessed (yes, even Mike Watt) as they tear through a set in Belgium in the summer of 2005. It all sounds pretty choice but Ron Asheton's guitar sound especially menacing , like it was brought forth in a time machine from 1969 and not one thing has changed , except that Ron is nearly 40 years older. Oh , and his caveman brother, Scott, on the drums is hitting those things like he's never been more pissed in his life, like the day Iggy's dad gave him a detention. You get to hear mind benders like the opener "Loose", "1969", "I Wanna be Your Dog", "TV Eye", "1970", and plenty of others. Would have loved to hear "Search & Destroy" but only 'cos that's one of the greatest songs evah (and James Williamson was nowhere to be found). Disc two has an Iggy retrospective plus an interview with him (underneath some palm trees, maybe from his back yard??) with Esther Friedman. Don't be afraid there punko, dive in…..this one is worth it. www.mvdvisual.com

10.10.08
The Meatmen
THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS: VOL 1 (MVD)- Tesco, oh Tesco, where have you been? I did an interview with him in the late 80's in an early issue of DAGGER and he was absolutely hilarious. It seems like the guy had vanished for years only to resurface a few years ago when The Meatmen and Negative Approach played a gig in Detroit that seemed to be out of nowhere (from my left coast vantage point, anyway). This new dvd includes like three hours of video clips from the late 70's to the present and has all of his outrageous and some occasionally ridiculous jokes, pranks, rants and , …oh yeah, music too. I'm glad it has some footage from the late 80's Meatmen ( the Caroline Records era) as that is my fave. The early h/c stuff, while funny, didn't do a whole lot for me musically but as far as some of the other footage, he gets a whole ton of people to say "Tesco Vee for President" on here (he'd get my vote). There is also an interview from a local Washington, DC station from the 1980's with Tesco showing the host all of his weird toys and describing them (Tesco sounds like he might be only 2nd to Glenn Danzig in oddball toys). And the songs…oh those glorious songs, you get to hear "Abba, God and Me", "Pillar of Sodom", "War of the Superbikes" and plenty more. As Tesco says, "Buy or fry Weeniebags!" www.mvdvisual.com

10.10.08
Punk's Not Dead
(MVD)- This is an interesting documentary that traces the roots of punk music from the late 70's up until the present and there is no lack of classic talking heads on here from Ian Mackaye to Mike Ness to Brian Baker to Jay Bentley to the guys in NOFX to guys in UK bands like The Subhumans, The Damned, The Exploited (I like the subtitles for Wattie's thick Scottish accent), UK Subs (a funny piece on the elder statesmen Charlie Harper) to present bands like Sum 41, Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance, The Used and the folks behind the Warped Tour many more. Director Susan Dynner (who apparently once caught a Washington Redskins game with Ian Mackaye…I wonder if it was in the Billy Kilmer ort Joe Theismann era???) wonders what is punk? Are these new bands like Sum 41 or Good Charlotte punk (me says no)? She asks some of the older bands what purpose these newer bands hold. There is also some (unintentionally) hilarious footage from some of the 70'S tv shows like CHIPS and QUINCY on how punk rock is ruining today's youth ( the one scene from CHIPS where the blonde haired cop, not Erik Estrada, starts bouncing himself into lockers with a crazed look on his face, trying to imitate what the punks do, was an absolute scream). From the title and the cover photo I thought this was going to be some generic punk docu but trust me when I say it's not. This is well worth watching. www.mvdvisual.com

07.18.08
The Byrds
UNDER REVIEW-SEXY INTELLECTUAL- (MVD)- MVD has released a lot of these UNDER REVIEW dvds and some have been really good (The Smiths) and others (Leonard Cohen) have been , well, a bit on the boring side. This is definitely one of the better ones because A) I love The Byrds and B) you get to hear interesting chatter from some folks in the Byrds camp, namely writers like Johnny Rogan, Rolling Stone guy Anthony DeCurtis , country guitarist Vern Godsin and ex-Byrds members John York (who is in this a lot) and Gene Parsons. There is also brief chat from Chris Hillman and David Crosby. Any documentary that has this much good info is bound to be pleasant but you do get to hear some juicy anecdotes such as the fact that Gram Parsons not going to Africa with the band. It wasn’t because he opposed Apartheid but he wanted to stay in England and party more with the Stones ( I think he may have even outdone Keef in the partying dept.). John York had a good one about the band showing up in Nashville and wanting to meet the labels execs only to be turned away for being, umm…basically dirty, smelly rockers. It also includes plenty of live footage from all eras of the band, including live and studio clips of the band doing classics like “Mr. Tambourine Man”, “Eight Miles High”, “Mr. Spaceman:” and plenty of others. The Byrds fanatics probably already have this but even casual fans will enjoy this one as at over three hours there’s plenty to chew on. www.mvdvisual.com

07.18.08
Channel 3
ONE MORE FOR ALL MY TRUE FRIENDS (TKO)- I always really thought that out of the plethora of So. Cal. hardcore bands from the early 80’s that these guys were one of the more underrated ones. This 2-disc set (one dvd documentary and one cd from a live set in late 2006) documents the friendship of the band’s two main members, Mike Magrann and Kimm Gardner who initially became friends in middle school then started bands in high school in the late 70’s and things went from there. Along the way we hear from other band members including bassist Larry Kelley and early drummer Mike Burton as they discuss early hijinks (trashing hotel rooms) to band problems (the band going (mostly) metal in the late 80’s and alienating a lot of their fans) to even more serious topics (Magrann, who is half japanese, talks about his relatives being sent to internment camps, which was the basis for the song “Manzanar”). The best thing about the dvd is realizing that the band made some great music, especially in the early years, and the strong bond of friendship that exists to this day between Magrann and Gardner. You even get to hear some remarks from the bands label head, Robbie “Posh Boy” Fields (though you never see his face) as the band members tell the story about the time he came over and listened to them play while sitting on the washing machine in the garage. The opening liner notes (written by either Magrann or Gardner) asks whether they, out of countless other punk bands, deserve a film? My answer is undoubtedly a resounding yes. www.tkorecords.com

07.18.08
T.S.O.L.
THE EARLY YEARS LIVE- (MVD)- Speaking of So. Cal. punk bands who made a name for themselves (and too, later went metal), T.S.O.L., also on the Posh Boy label, were definitely one of them. Apparently back in the day none of the bands from the Los Angeles area drew more kids to the gigs (or had more blood spilled at shows as their were from what I;ve heard, extremely violent) . This dvd, which has footage from 2 different gigs from 1983 wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. The footage here is ok, but I dunno…I was hoping for something…..more. The FLIPSIDE footage was definitely the better of the two, this shows the band doing an outdoor gig and it shows them at the beginning of their experimental phase where they began using keyboards (check out the underrated BENEATH THE SHADOWS record) while vocalist Jack Grisham dances around and was dressed like a freaky gypsy or something. The one thing about these guys that set them apart from a good part of the rest of the punk scene was that they could play. These guys truly had talent, no 3-chord simpletons in this band (including terrific guitarist Ron Emory). The quality of this (FLIPSIDE) footage isn’t bad considering it’s over two decades old while the other footage, the stuff from TARGET was only a few songs and was just ok. You do get to hear hits like “Abolish Government/Silent Majority”, “Superficial Love” and, of course, “Code Blue.” The bonus material also includes the band doing a version of “Abolish Government/Silent Majority” from L.A. in 2007 and it still sounds great (even while Jack stops the song in the middle to berate a young stage diver, then starts the song up again from the middle) and a fairly boring band interview. Overall this isn’t bad and is definitely worth watching, as I said, I was just hoping for more. www.mvdvisual.com

03.07.08
D.O.A.
SMASH THE STATE: THE RAW, ORIGINAL D.O.A. 1978-81- (SUDDEN DEATH)- If you ever wondered just how smokin’ of a live band that D.O.A. could be at times then here is your chance to catch them in all of their white hot glory. I didn’t catch D.O.A. for the first time until the Summer of 1985 (on the LET’S WRECK THE PARTY tour) and while they were good I had heard stories about how I should have “seen them when.” This dvd has plenty o’ footage with the classic Joey Shithead (vocals/guitar) Randy Rampage (bass) , Dave Gregg (guitar) and the youngster, Chuck Biscuits on drums (Biscuits later went on to play with Black Flag, Social Distortion, Danzig and a least a few others). For some reason San Francisco seemed to be a big destination for them as at least half of this footage is from there (On Broadway in 1980, Old Waldorf from 1981, 10th St Hall from ’81 and a Bay Area mystery concert from 1981 as well). You’ll get to hear some raging versions of classic cuts like “The Enemy”, “New Age”, “No Way Out”, “World War 3” and plenty of others. There’s even some grainy backstage footage with our heroes hangin’ with the Circle Jerks and The Lewd (you can’t really see much) and a cool version of “World War 3” from a television station in ‘79. So while a small bit of the footage on here is sketchy most of it is truly classic and well worth viewing. www.suddendeath.com

03.07.08
The Smiths
INSIDE THE SMITHS WITH MIKE JOYCE AND ANDY ROURKE (MVD)- Most of what you hear about the Smiths is from the perspective of either Morrissey or Johnny Marr (or someone writing about Mozzer or Marr) but this dvd is a bit different. Its interview subjects are the nearly forgotten rhythm section of the Smiths, drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke. Although in recent years Joyce and Rourke successfully sued their old boss for royalty money this dvd doesn’t t go into any of that. Instead, the interviews with the two are from the beginning until the end and everything in between. They both talk about how they met each other and how they met Morrissey and Marr, what the early practices were like, how they took the train down to London and walked up to the head of Rough Trade Records, Geoff Travis, and said “You have to hear this and release it!” He did and he did. Rourke tells the story about getting addicted to heroin, getting tossed out of the band and then being let back into the band after he cleaned up. One funny anecdote is when Rourke is sitting with New Order’s Peter Hook and Hook tells the story about watching the evening news with his mum and seeing Andy Rourke on it getting busted. Hook’s mum shouted to the tv set “Oooh…he must be a terrible young man!” while her son Peter said “Oh, he is mum”, laughing all the while telling the story to Andy. You hear other quips from Mark E. Smith, Pete Shelley, Ricky Wilson, and Mat Osman and others. The first time watching this I thought it was ho-hum but each successive time has become more and more intriguing as you truly get a sense of just how special of a band The Smiths were. The extras are as long as the main feature and one of the cool extra features is an interview with the “5th Smith”, guitarist Craig Gannon. www.mvdvisual.com

03.07.08
Tad
BUSTED CIRCUITS AND RINGING EARS- (MVD)- Of all the potential subjects of a dvd treatment on the Seattle grunge scene I didn’t think that Tad would be near the top of the list but the folks behind this did a damn good job with it. Painting its subject with the right amount of humor and tension, the latter stemming from drugs, lawsuits, inner-band turmoil and death of a friend (Kurt Cobain). From the minds of Sub Pop owners, Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman came the idea of painting the picture of a demented, 300 lb lumberjack (butcher, actually) from the wilds of the Northwest. And it worked. All of the press the band received, especially that in the UK had pictures of these guys with flannels, chain saws, goggles and the like. It also helped in photos that Tad himself, a very large man, would have a twisted smile and an occasional bowie knife in his hands (ie: on the cover of the band’s terrific debut lp, GOD’S BALLS). There’s plenty of fantastic live footage which shows just how heavy the band could be both literally and figuratively Along the way you get to hear commentary from Tad himself as well as his bassist Kurt Danielson and drummer Steve Weid (whose words occasionally seemed bittersweet and occasionally downright sad) as well as assorted members of Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Zeke, Nirvana and a few others offering up their take on what a live Tad show could be like and the constant state of flux of the Seattle scene in general. You also hear tales of getting dropped by record labels as well as lawsuits, one by Pepsi and one from a couple that the band used on the cover of their 3rd record, 8 WAY SANTA (now apparently born again Christians). While now being older, wiser and calmer, you get a sense from the interviews of 4 guys who at the time were having a blast and wanted to ride it as long as they could. www.mvdvisual.com

02.04.08
Dinosaur Jr
LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST- (IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT)- Of all of the 80’s bands who made comebacks in these last few years (Mission of Burma, Pixies, etc. etc) this is the one I was the most excited about. I have always loved the first 3 Dino Jr. records (with the original lineup) but as much as I loved the records the two live gigs I caught by them back in 1987 (Trenton, NJ and New Brunswick, NJ) were both disasters. Both sets got cut short and at both places (especially New Brunswick) the sound was a complete mud bog. When Dino Jr. played here last year at the Crystal Ballroom the sound was great and the band was smokin’. This concert dvd, filmed mostly at Boston’s Middle East, shows the band in fine form. We all know that vocalist/guitarist J. Mascis is an amazing guitar player and bassist Lou Barlow pounds the strings on his instrument but the biggest surprise of the reunion is drummer Murph. I don’t even remember him being that good of a drummer but during these gigs he is a total machine. We’re treated to early classics like “Kracked”, “Forget the Swan” (my favorite song off their debut), “The Lung”, “Freak Scene”, “Little Fury Things” and plenty of other plus 2 covers (The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and old Boston h/c band Last Rites “Chunks”). Essential. www.image-entertainment.com

02.04.08
Nick Drake
UNDER REVIEW- (MVD)- Mostly enjoyable 90 minute dvd on the late Mr. Nick Drake, a musician who has gotten way more acclaim since his death than he ever received while he was alive (Drake died in 1974 at age 26). The thing is there was only ever one interview with him (and that interviewer, Jerry Gilbert, speaks on here), no live footage or videos so all we are left with are his 3 records (4 if you count the outtakes record) and a whole bunch of mystery. We are treated to interviews with a few Fairport Convention guys ( Ashley Hutchings and Dave Mattacks) , folkie Ralph McTell, both Nick biographers (Trevor Dann and Patrick Humphries), Incredible String band-er Robin Williamson and a few others lesser known types. It is interesting to hear from a few people who actually knew Drake speak about him but again, I wish they would (could) have found some old footage of him playing live (which he rarely ever did ) or being interviewed. Still, this UNDER REVIEW is definitely worthy of your time. www.mvdvisual.com

02.04.08
Bob Mould
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS- (MVD)- Wow, good to see Bob Mould continue to reinvent himself. My personal favorite part of his catalog is the Husker Du stuff, maybe because that is when I first started listening to his songs. Never cared much for Sugar when they were around (I was probably still angry at the Huskers breakup) but got into their stuff later. However, for folks who have liked everything Bob Mould has done and always wanted a smattering of each well then your wait is over. This gig, filmed at Washington, DC’s legendary 9:30 Club (a place I still have yet to set foot in) in late 2005 shows a recharged Mould with a terrific band Fugazi’s Brendan Canty on drums, Jason Narducy on bass and Richard Morel on keys) charging through 23 songs from his back catalog. Starting off with three songs from Sugar’s Copper Blue and right into a few from the solid Body of Song . Elsewhere Moulds reaches far back and beyond in recreating a classic from Workbook (“See a Little Light”) and several from his legendary first band, Husker Du ( “Celebrated Summer”, “I Apologize”, etc.). At this point in his career Mould ( in the best shape of his life) doesn’t seem content to play his acoustic guitar in coffeehouses. On the contrary, the way he jumps around during this set you wonder when he is going to break out the Flying V. www.mvdvisual.com

01.27.08
Donovan
THE DONOVAN CONCERT: LIVE IN LA- (MVD)- Glad to see Mr. Donovan is still out there making people smile.. Apparently at some point he became good friends with David Lynch as this gig is a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace (a program which funds Transcendental Meditation for at-risk youth……very cool if you ask me!). Anywho, this gig was from 1/21/07 at the Kodak Theatre in L.A. and it’s just Donovan and his acoustic guitar but he still sounds inspired and lively. All of the hits are played (“Sunshine Superman:”, “Mellow Yellow”, “Hurdy Gurdy Man”, etc.) an we even see surprise appearance from Beach Boy Mike Love and Donovan’s daughter, Astrella Celeste. I wouldn’t call this essential viewing or anything but it’s well done and a pleasant evening out (lots of smiles from the crowd and hand clapping during favorite songs) and if you’re a Donovan fanatic then you don’t wanna miss it. www.mvdvisual.com

01.27.08
Naked Raygun
WHAT POOR GODS WE DO MAKE: THE STORY AND MUSIC BEHIND NAKE RAYGUN- (RIOT FEST)- Ah…..my beloved Naked Raygun. Always a pleasure to see anything on these guys but when I heard they had reformed and were playing some west coast gigs, well, that was icing on the cake. This is a terrific documentary which coincided with their headlining the Riot Fest in Chicago last year. It has lots of great live footage and plenty of interviews. A few of those who wax nostalgiac about Raygun include their old buddies Steve Albini, John Kezdy (The Effigies), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), as well as some Chicago area writers like Greg Kot and Jim Derogatis. It’s interesting to find out in interviews just how many lineups the band went through and how many different types of sounds the band went through (I guess real early on, when vocalist Jeff Pezzati’s brother Mark who started the band was the vocalist , they were quite experimental). At one point Albini tells that real early on Jeff Pezzati had a pompadour before his brother told him to get a haircut. The four (final lineup) members of N.R. all tell some great band stories (Eric Spicer, who not only is the tannest human being on earth, is funny as all hell) and I only wish we would have heard from some of the ex members of N.R., namely longtime guitarist John Haggerty, Marko Pezzati, etc. The dvd has plenty of extras and it also comes with a cd that includes 22 lives songs from late 2006 and at $20 this is a steal. Even if you have a passing interest in N.R. or punk rock (or the city of Chicago) then this is absolutely essential. www.nakedraygun.org

01.27.08
Ramones
IT'S ALIVE: 1974-2006- (RHINO)- Both END OF THE CENTURY:THE STORY OF THE RAMONES and RAW (both released in the last few years ) are great (especially the former) but if you’re looking for the holy motherlode of live material then look no further as this hot-pink cased, 2-dvd set (119 songs!) is it. It’s chronological and from some of the early b/w footage from CBGB’S , Max’s Kansas City and My Father’s Place show the band slowly getting their look/sound down (ok, so it was there from the beginning but the first footage from Sept of 1974 the band was in its early stages but by the next batch of footage, from April 1976, they were there). In addition to the classic NYC haunts there’s several appearances on the UK tv show The Old Grey Whistle Test (and a few on Top of the Pops too) plus Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert (remember that show ??? I do ….Don is shown on here announcing the band in a hot pink shirt unbuttoned part of the way down with gold chains n’ chest hair) and a ton of songs each from The Rainbow in London (where the IT’S ALIVE cd came from), the US Festival (in front of what looks like hundreds of thousands ) , the outdoor San Francisco Civic Center (on a beautiful day) , on the tv show Sha Na Na (Bowser introduces them…heck, he looks like he could have been a Ramone!) and the dvd-ending concert from 1996 in Buenos Aires, Argentina in front of what looks like a million people. No extras or special features but you don’t need them. Flippin’ great! www.rhino.com

01.21.08
Cro-Mags
THE FINAL QUARREL:LIVE AT CBGB 2001- (MVD)- These guys seemed to be all the rage back in the late 80’s in the northeast ( this is when their debut record AGE OF QUARREL, came out and I was still living in NJ) but I never got into their brand of crunch-metal-punk. At these time bands like these guys, Agnostic Front (who had gone more metal than punk), The Crumbsuckers, Murphy’s Law and the like seemed to be going for the hardest sound they could find (or at least the grimaces on their faces made it look like that). As the title implies, this is the Cro Mags last gig, at their haven, CBGB’s. Leader/bassist Harley Davidson is the focal; point here (and it featured prominently in the extras including footage with him and his son and Harley giving a tour of CBGB’s). Definitely not my favorite band out there but for fans this will quench that thirst for them that I know you have. BONUS MATERIAL: A slide show, a full set from Harley’s new band, Harley’s War, Harley giving a tour of CBGB and footage of Harley and his son jamming. www.mvdb2b.com

01.21.08
Pet Shop Boys
CUBISM IN CONCERT 11-14-06 MEXICO CITY- (RHINO)- Had you told me back in my punk rock days that I’d become a Pet Shop Boys fans I would have laughed in your face. Well, when I interviewed St. Etienne in the mid-late 90’s Bob Stanley told me he was a big PSB’s fan (he told me his biggest influences were the PSB’s and the Beach Boys) so I figured if it’s good enough for Bob Stanley (Mr. Caff Records , to you) then it’s good enough for me. My wife and I even caught them live in San Francisco in the late 90’s and they put on a great show. This show was on the tour for 2007’s FUNDAMENTAL but the songs during this concert spanned their career and you get to hear old classics like “West End Girls” , “Opportunities (let’s make lots of money)” and “It’s a Sin” to more recent tunes like “Psychological”, “I’m with Stupid” and “Minimal.” The whole thing is a complete spectacle with costume changes, choreographed dance moves and plenty of computer generated fun as only PSB can do. I feel this band has never gotten their fair shake but hey, if you like excess and want to be entertained, CUBISM IN CONCERT will entertain you. BONUS MATERIAL: photo gallery, 8-minute behind the scenes filmed in Mexico and audio commentary from the band. www.wmg.com

01.21.08
Johnny Thunders
WHO'S BEEN TALKING:IN CONCERT- (MVD)- I gotta admit I was never a big New York Dolls fan and I liked the Heartbreakers even less. Johnny Thunders, guitarist for both bands and while a fine guitarist, I think the guy was overrated. Had a chance to see him once in Philly at Revival in about 1987 and blew it off (did he even show up?) . This is a concert from Japan probably right before his death and on stage with him he had a dancing girl/backup singer plus a honking sax player. While he does play “Chinese Rocks’ (his signature tune) he does play “In Cold Blood”, “Personality Crisis”, “Gloria”, plus his usual surf tunes; “Pipeline” and “Wipeout.” After watching him play I now believe he probably wasn’t overrated, in fact, he may have been a bit underrated. The guy was a fairly amazing guitar player (in the scarf wearin’/face makin’/struttin’ across the stage type styles). It’s a shame that he’s known more these days as a punchline to a heroin joke than he is a terrific guitar player but we all make our own beds. WHO’S BEEN TALKING is definitely worth checking out. www.mvdb2b.com

09.03.07
The Jesus Lizard
LIVE- (MVD)- While I must admit that I was always partial to Scratch Acid (vocalist David Yow’s band prior to Jesus Lizard) that is not to say that I didn’t dig the Lizard. I did indeed dig their stuff and I remember seeing them at least once probably some dive in Philly (most likely The Khyber). I did like seeing J.L. live ‘cos first off you had bassist David Wm. Sims staring you down from the stage (just like he used to do in Scratch Acid) and David Yow just being a complete freak. The gig on this dvd was from October of 1994 from a club in Boston, Venus de Milo ( well, the press release says Boston but from the stage Yow says “Hello Cambridge” ….ok, story time: one time in the late 80’s I was hanging out with some friends in Somerville, MA and I made the genius comment of “It’s great to be here in Boston” on when a friend of a friend, not a very friendly one, looks at me with a dead stare and says , in that Bah’stan accent, “You’re not in Boston, you’re in Somerville!” ). Anywho, on this dvd the camera shots are all good as is the sound and at one point Yow gets the ok from a crowd and dives right in. The band tackles “Gladiator”, “Mouthbreather”, “Horse”, “Mailman” and plenty of others. Plus as a bonus there is 5 additional tracks recorded in NYC at CBGB’s in the Summer of 1992 (including “My Own Urine”, “Monkey Trick”, “Wheelchair Epidemic”, etc.). www.mvdvisual.com

09.03.07
Lene Lovich
LIVE FROM NEW YORK AT STUDIO 54- (MVD)- While I own a handful of Lene Lovich records I must say that I hardly ever listen to them (though I was happy as a pig in poop when I got the “New Toy” 12” back in the early 80’s). This show, from December 4th, 1981, captures Lovich and her band (which includes, yep, that is him, Thomas Dolby on synth ) in the Big Apple…..btu strangely enough, it wasn’t from the Mudd Club or Danceteria or even CBGB’s but from the legendary hedonistic disco that was Studio 54 (where was Warhol? Bianca? Cher?). This is classic in new wave excess from both the band and the fans. I remember the early 80’s very well and yes, I too was a new wave loser. Lene comes out dressed to the nines (as my pal Tony used to say) looking like part UK hipster (thought she was actually born in the USA, in Detroit) and part mental patient (with that hair !) and out comes that famous hiccup of a voice. With Dolby looking every bit the scientist that he is (or was) and the other band members looking oh so new wave they tackle “Details”, “Lucky Number”, “Rocky Road”, and , of course, “New Toy.” I won’t say that this dvd enticed me into tossing a Lene record on the turntable but I must say, I did enjoy watching every minute of it. www.mvdvisual.com

09.03.07
The Queers
ARE HERE- (MVD)- Hard to believe that The Queers have been around for 25 years and to commemorate it Joe and Co. have released this dvd. If you have never heard this New Hampshire institution take two parts Ramones and add some Screeching Weasel and Mr. T Experience and yes, you have what we call, pop punk. All the hits are played: “ I Spent the Rent”, “Fagtown”, “Tamara is a Punk”, “Brush Your Teeth”, “ I Only Drink Bud”, and , of course, the smash single, “Drop the Attitude Fucker.” It has live clips from 1993 up to 2005 as well as videos and some unreleased animated video . I only have one problem: it didn’t play in my dvd player and the odd thing is that this is the 2nd copy they have sent me. The first one was scratched and skipped all the way through. The only thing I can do is bring it over a friends house and see if it plays over there. I really do wanna see it.www.mvdvisual.com