Away Team

DEEP PURPLE

Deep Purple + Orchestra Live At Montreux 2011

Eagle Vision

5 out of 10

For DEEP PURPLE fans there are a ton of great DVDs that have been released over the last couple years that give you a look into the different versions of the band and show you why DEEP PURPLE should rank at the top of everyone’s list for greatest band ever, and most influential band! The fact that the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame continues to snub them is ridiculous and just shows you why it is completely irrelevant and a joke.

The latest DEEP PURPLE offering is a recent live show shot in 2011 in Switzerland at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The hook is that DP was touring with an orchestra and on July 16th they filmed the show for a DVD release.

There have been many hard rock and metal bands that have been performing lately with an Orchestra with varying results. Most notably was the biggest hard rock/metal band in the world, METALLICA performing with the San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Michael Kamen (R.I.P.). The resulting CD/DVD of those two shows are phenomenal and set the standard for what a rock and symphony show should be.

KISS recorded a live show with the Sydney Symphony and it just doesn’t translate well at all. Dennis Deyoung performed STYX songs with a symphony. The point is most of them don’t translate well. METALLICA’s worked because Michael Kamen wrote the music for the symphony that COMPLIMENTED the music of the band, and didn’t just rework the band’s songs for strings, woodwinds, brass, etc. If you listen to the Just Symphony audio track of the DVD S&M you won’t be able to figure out what songs they are playing most of the time because they are not just playing the song the way the band wrote it with different instruments, they are playing all new original pieces that compliment the band’s songs.

DEEP PURPLE has always worked in and around symphonies from time to time with varying success. When John Lord (former keyboardist) wrote Deep Purple: Concerto for Group and Orchestra it worked because it was a symphonic piece and written as thus. It wasn’t a rock song or songs that they had the symphony play on. It was an experiment melding rock and symphony and written as such. That is why it worked.

Their new DVD doesn’t work. Because of the reasons stated above. The symphony is playing along with the band, not playing to compliment the band. They aren’t playing original pieces that work within the framework of classic DEEP PURPLE songs like Highway Star, Woman From Tokyo, Knockin’ At Your Back Door, Lazy, and Smoke On The Water. And it is this reason that the symphony here seems to take the teeth and the edge right out of the songs. Instead of building up the songs the symphony here seems to actually water down the DEEP PURPLE sound. It is unfortunate really because in any band’s music would work well with symphonic treatments it would be DEEP PURPLE’s. But on this show it is simply not the case.

I am always heralding ANY release by DEEP PURPLE because I feel they have never received the respect they deserve as being one of the first to perform Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Yes Black Sabbath is regarded as the Fathers of Heavy Metal but Deep Purple started a year before Sabbath did. They’ve released more albums, and pushed the envelope further than Black Sabbath ever could.

Sadly, I can’t recommend this DVD as it is just not a good representation of DEEP PURPLE and their legacy. But there are plenty more CDs and DVDs out there that are worthy of your time and I strongly suggest you go check them out. You’ll thank me later.









For more DEEP PURPLE click here.

CREAM

Live Royal Albert Hall 2005

Eagle Vision

10 out of 10

For four nights in May of 2005 Cream reunited. And the world took notice. It was the hottest ticket to be had on any side of the ocean. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker were to grace the stage again for the first time in 38 years. Anyone who is anyone was there, or vying to be there. This was history in the making. This was the biggest reunion to hit in some time, this was the reunion that no one ever thought would happen, and here we had four nights of unprecedented shows!

Thankfully someone thought to record the events and put out a video for the less fortunate slobs who didn’t make it like me. So now I have the pleasure of sitting around my living room in my dirty skivvies eating Cheetos, burning some incense while turning the lights down, and blissing out to CREAM. I picked a bad week to quit smoking grass.

The first thing that struck me when the concert started is that other than a relatively small video wall behind the band, there is precious little production value to the show. Which is usually the best sign you can have that you are going to be schooled by some amazing musicians. The second thing that this beautiful Blu Ray DVD showed me is that concerts in HD are fucking amazing to view. But they make our musical heroes look way too old. As millions of guitar players out there have done over the years, I used to pour over videos watching the guitar greats play and wail on their solos trying to figure out how to play them myself. Today’s up and coming future guitar greats have it easy with huge TV screens and high definition Blu Ray DVDs to watch and learn from.

And this is most certainly one DVD that should be at the top of anyone’s lists of must haves to own and learn by. Sure it’s been a few years since you’ve seen CLAPTON IS GOD carved into a school desk anywhere, but the man hasn’t lost a lick yet, and you’d do well to sit, watch, absorb, learn, and appreciate the amazing skill the man who is now 66 still has. Clapton may very well still be god. And this Cream show goes a long way in proving that.

Considering Eric, Ginger, and Jack haven’t played together live since 1968 (minus the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction), LONG before any of you reading this were born I’m sure (hell it was even a year before I was born, and I’m fucking old!), it is a testament to their skills and talent that they are still so tight and amazing on stage.

The third thing that struck me watching the concert was that I found out that I knew precious little about Cream’s catalog. It’s seven songs in before I hear a song I recognize. This isn’t a bad thing, as I can’t think of a better way to be introduced and submersed into Cream‘s catalog than this almost 2.5 hour concert. While the band is nothing short of phenomenal on stage the mix pouring out of my speakers may be the best sounding DVD I’ve ever experienced. The drums and bass form this tight rhythm that Clapton’s guitar just flows over and the whole band fills the room while the vocals make it sound like you are surrounded by Clapton and Bruce. It isn’t until the end of the show that White Room, Toad, and Sunshine of your Love finally show up. But the journey to the end of the show is utterly amazing.

Cream put out 4 albums in their brief 3 years of recording. And while some more well known songs may not have made the cut here for these shows and this DVD, the selection can’t be criticized because each and every song shines here. Whether it be the bluesier slow numbers that allow Clapton’s guitar to masterfully weep and pull you close while wrenching out such mournful sounds, to the faster paced jams where Bruce can break out the harmonica and wail away as Clapton and Baker provide a tight backdrop for him. The interplay between Bruce and Clapton be it bass and guitar or harmonica and guitar, or even vocally as they exchange versus on White Room is great to watch, even if you know the storied past and the reasons why there was never a full fledged reunion tour.

Clapton’s guitar sound and playing on Stormy Monday is brilliant. The flawless bluesy tone soars through the hall and caused me to go back and watch it 4 or 5 times before moving on to the next song. That sound, his guitar tone and playing in Stormy Monday is what I attempted to learn/perform many years ago. It was when I realized that I would never make my guitar wail and cry like that so I put the guitar down. But Stormy Monday live, off this disc will forever be the pinnacle of blues guitar playing for me.

We’re Going Wrong left me speechless. It is powerful, amazing, beautiful, and the watching the band perform it is one of the reasons I contemplated flying to London to see the show. Not that I knew that it would be played, or that it would be so amazing, and have such an impact on me, but because the magic that is Cream on stage could ignite during a song like this, and lift the crowd, and transport them to another level of musical awareness. It is for moments like this that I love music. It is for moments like that I attend a hundred shows a year or more. It is that magical moment when the band hit this groove, and time stops, and the band and audience are transformed. That is the beauty of music. That is what is missing in most of today’s music. And that is what incredible musicians like Clapton can still bring out of us today.

If you’ve ever picked up a guitar, if you’ve ever been in a band, if you’ve ever sat at a desk or had a locker that had CLAPTON IS GOD carved into it, if you’ve ever appreciated any form of music… ever, go pick up CREAM: LIVE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 2005. Take a couple of hours and allow yourself to be enveloped by CREAM. If you don’t walk away from that show with a new found respect for music as a whole, then you’ve already died inside and there is no hope for you.

This is a must have disc for any fan of rock, blues, Cream, Clapton, and simply music.

You can purchase CREAM: Royal Albert Hall London 2005 Blu Ray right here.

DOOBIE BROTHERS

Live At The Greek Theatre

Eagle Vision

10 out of 10

For the DOOBIE BROTHERS last show on their Farewell Tour, the band performed at their hometown of Oakland, California’s Greek Theatre in 1982.

The over two hour show tracks every era of the DOOBIE BROTHERS, from classics like Listen To The Music, Minute By Minute, Jesus Is Just Alright, I Keep Forgettin’, What A Fool Believes, Takin’ It To The Streets, to Sweet Maxine, You Belong To Me, Out On The Streets,Long Train Runnin’ Black Water, Take Me In Your Arms, and China Grove.

The DVD also restores five songs not released on the original film, Little Darling, One Step Closer, Dependin’ On You, Real Love, and No Stoppin’ Us Now. And if two hours of live DOOBIE BROTHERS aren’t enough for you there are interviews with the band to round out this great tribute to a band that you still hear in heavy rotation on classic rock stations, but forget exactly how many hits they had until they’re all together in one package.

1982 was still pre-MTV days as is very evident in this concert film. From sweat bands and short shorts, to fedora’s and skinny neck ties, suits on stage, and Michael McDonald’s helmet hair. The DOOBIE BROTHERS were one of the many many 70s bands that would never have survived in the post MTV music era, because they were a rock band, not an image band. And that is very self evident in this monster of a concert film.

The band rolls through 15 minutes of hits before stopping to take a break and address the crowd. Acknowledging the special night, their last show, and many surprises to be had that evening. The band is tight, the sound is phenomenal, and the reproduction on the DVD is flawless. On the Michael McDonald lead songs, it sounds as if it could be pulled right off a CD; where the rockier songs, the faster paced and lively songs led by Pat Simmons definitely have that ‘live’ feel to them. This doesn’t take away from the songs at all, in fact, as all live music should do; it adds energy to the songs.

The fans know it’s the last show and they pretty much stay standing throughout the entire event. The band knows it’s their last show, and they are playing like it is. A very special night indeed, and a great show was captured for us all to witness and share in the magic that was made that night in 1982.

There are times where I find it very difficult to explain what watching or listening to a band does to me. I sometimes struggle with the words to express how impressive a song, album, or a show is. This is one of those times. I cannot overstate how amazing this massive concert film is. I was never a big DOOBIE BROTHERS fan, mainly I because I was too young, and because you ALWAYS hear them to this day on the radio. Their massive legacy still stands as a testament to their musicianship. And this concert is a beautiful monument to the sound, the band, and the members of the DOOBIE BROTHERS: Pat Simmons, Michael McDonald, Keith Knudson, John McFee, Chet McCracken, Cornelius Bumpus, Willie Weeks, Bob LaKind, and original members Tom Johnston, John Hartman, Tiran Porter, and Michael Hossack.

Sure, you THINK you know the DOOBIE BROTHERS, but until you’ve SEEN the DOOBIE BROTHERS perform live, you simply do not know. So go ahead, pick up Live At The Greek Theatre, you’ll thank me later.









You can purchase DOOBIE BROTHERS Live at the Greek Theatre right here.

DEEP PURPLE

Phoenix Rising

Eagle Vision

8 out of 10

A good band can withstand a change in guitarist or drummer, a great band can withstand several membership changes, a select few bands can withstand a lead singer change (ok, I can think of two, Genesis and Van Halen), but only one band can have several different lineups and change the personnel of the entire band over and over and over again and still be amazing, relevant, put out quality albums over and over, and most importantly be accepted as that very band with no backlash for the changes.

I’m of course talking about Deep Purple. The band has had so many lineup changes over the year, had so many people in and out of the band that they are actually known by their versions, Mark I, II, III, etc. The band has had 14 different members over the years, they’ve changed every position but one. Ian Paice has been the drummer from day one, and in every incarnation of the band he has been there.

He has kept time for the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Glen Hughes, Jon Lord, Joe Satriani, Tommy Bolin, Joe Lynn Turner, Rod Evans, Steve Morse, Roger Glover, Don Airey, and Nick Simper. Some amazing talent has performed under the DEEP PURPLE moniker.

Fans to this day still debate the best and their best Marks (or versions) of the band. My personal will always be Mark I. The original. Not to take away anything from the Coverdale/Hughes days, but I was turned on to DP in 1984 when they reunited the DP Mark I and put out Perfect Strangers. It was from that point I went backwards and found one of my all time favorite bands.

The last maybe 10 years the band, or their labels have been putting out some great videos. They’ve taken all their old concert videos, unreleased concerts, and putting together some great packages for the fans.

The latest is Phoenix Rising. And it features Mark IV of DEEP PURPLE. With an unknown (at the time) David Coverdale sharing lead vocal duties with bassist Glenn Hughes, Tommy Bolin on guitar, Jon Lord on keys, and as always Ian Paice on drums, this short lived version never had the chance to record as Tommy Bolin died in 76 of a heroin overdose. But this never before seen concert Rises Over Japan recorded in 1975 at the Budokahn in Tokyo sees the band crank out the classics Burn, Love Child, Highway Star, Stormbringer, Smoke On The Water, Getting Tighter, and Lazy.

Two things jump out at you watching this (especially during Highway Star, and Burn), David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes played off each other insanely well vocally. It was a true stroke of great fortune that the band got both of them at the same time. Because it is also evident during Highway Star that what Ian Gillan did alone vocally required Hughes/Coverdale together to do. David Coverdale hitting the lower, gruffer, bluesier parts, and Hughes hitting the higher notes. What we don’t get to see, but I would love to have is to see Coverdale/Hughes do Child In Time. Again it would absolutely take the talents of both of them to pull off what Gillan did by himself, but it would still be amazing to see them do it together.

The concert is remastered in 5.1 on this Blu Ray disc. And it sounds, well, as great as you’d expect a DEEP PURPLE show to sound. Martin Birch did a great job catching the band tearing through a wild set. The band may not have been the tightest at the time, at least not that night from the looks of things, but the energy, playing, and vibe was there. And of course the great songs. Sadly it is only 30 minutes, but it is a great 30 minutes of a seldom seen version of DEEP PURPLE. And in that, this show is enough to purchase this disc. To see Bolin/Hughes/Coverdale rock out to these great DP songs is more than enough reason to pick up the blu ray. But Rises Over Japan is only 30 minutes of Phoenix Rising. The rest is a never before seen documentary Gettin’ Together. It is culled from years of research, with live shots, backstage footage, interviews, and never before told stories. It tells the best and the worst of the Purple. The highs and lows of a tumultuous time in DP history.

The blu ray will only set you back $20, but you can pick up a regular DVD version for only $15 and a great DVD/CD combo for $20 also. If you are a Deep Purple fan you simply cannot pass this up. If you are lover of 70s rock, this is right up your alley, and if you want to see where David Coverdale cut his teeth before Whitesnake then this is for you too.









DEEP PURPLE – Phoenix Rising is out today. You can pick your copy up here, you’ll thank me later.

HEAVEN & HELL

Radio City Music Hall Live

Eagle Vision

10 out of 10




On March 30th, 2007 Heaven & Hell (Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice) took the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The band performed for over 2 hours to a sold out rabid crowd. On May 15th Eagle Rock Entertainment released the Blu Ray edition of this 15 song extravaganza that not only showcases the might and the power of Heaven & Hell but is a touching tribute to Ronnie James Dio who passed away a year ago succumbing to cancer.

The concert itself is enough reason to purchase this amazing DVD. I mean what really needs to be said about Heaven & Hell performing such killer songs as Mob Rules, Lady Evil, Computer God, Fallin’ Off The Edge of The World, Heaven And Hell, Neon Knights, and Sign Of The Southern Cross?

Do I really need to go into how amazing Dio’s voice is after all these years? How strong and powerful his singing still is? How for such a demure man, he stalks the stage and commands the crowd like a 50 foot giant? How skilled and spot on Tony’s playing is? How deft Geezer still is playing the jazzy hell out of the bass and still remaining criminally underrated as one of the most amazing bassists ever? Do I? Really? I mean it’s HEAVEN & HELL for fuck’s sake!!! Did you expect any less? Of course not.

What I can add to a stellar performance that is above critique is that the camera work, and High Definition conversion of this show is what puts it over the top. The lighting and stage production are brought to life on the Blu Ray disc. It’s as if you are standing right beside RJD himself and throwing the horns at the crowd.

The added features of the Blu Ray are simply icing on the cake as I’ve already said the show is a MUST HAVE for any Dio/Sabbath/Heaven & Hell/Heavy Metal/Music fan. From a behind the scenes look at the 2007 tour, to the in depth look at the chemistry of the four that make up Heaven & Hell, to a behind the scenes look at the Radio City Music Hall and Heaven & Hell’s fans.

The best piece of bonus material is ‘The Wisdom Of Dio’. Shot after Dio’s death, the interviews with the band about the man, the myth, the greatest voice in Metal, Ronnie James Dio is very touching, and a great testament to the man that everyone loved.









HEAVEN & HELL: RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL LIVE is available now for purchase right here.

It had been 15 years since the legendary lineup of vocalist extraordinaire Ronnie James Dio, guitar hero Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice played on a stage together as Heaven & Hell. Their celebratory return took place March 30, 2007 on one of the greatest stages in the world: New York’s City’s Radio City Music Hall.

On May 17, Eagle Rock Entertainment, through its wholly-owned Eagle Vision imprint, will release on Blu-Ray for the first time: Radio City Music Hall Live by Heaven & Hell, two and half hours of deep dark metal by the masters of the Black arts. Originally released on DVD only by Rhino, this Blu-ray will allow high-def savvy headbangers to righteously observe the Sabbath in a dazzling 15-song extravaganza.

Track Listing:
E5150/After All
Mob Rules
Children Of The Sea
Lady Evil
I
Sign Of The Southern Cross
Voodoo
The Devil Cried/Vinny Drum Solo
Computer God
Fallin’ Off The Edge Of the World
Shadow Of The Wind
Die Young
Heaven And Hell
Lonely Is The Word
Neon Knights

Also included in this limited-edition Blu-Ray are five bonus features:
1) “Road Movie” is a revealing behind-the-scenes look at the 2007 tour originally planned as a one-off that was so spectacularly successful, it not only solidified the lineup but spawned a new studio album, 2009’s The Devil You Know.
2) “Hail The Gods Of Metal” takes the viewer into the inner sanctum of the Dio/Iommi/Butler/Appice chemistry.
3) “Meet The Mob” shows just how beloved these musicians are to their fans.
4) “Radio City” takes us on a tour of this most hallowed hall.
5) “The Wisdom Of Dio” speaks for itself. These never-before-seen additional interviews are only available in the Blu-ray format.









To purchase HEAVEN & HELL: RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL LIVE click here.

TWISTER SISTERLive At Wacken The Reunion
Eagle Vision
9 out of 10















In 2003 Twisted Sister headlined the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany after reforming 5 years earlier. Eagle Eagle Vision has released the concert on DVD with a companion CD that has cuts from shows as far back as 1980. The DVD/CD combo was originally released in 2005 but was rereleased last week by Eagle Vision.

Interspersed between the songs on the DVD (The Kids Are Back, Stay Hungry, You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll, We’re Not Gonna Take It, Burn In Hell and many more), are interviews that document the initial break up of Twisted Sister in 1987, the reunion, their USO tour of South Korea, and reflections from the beginning of the band through the present.

I remember the first time MTV played the infamous Twisted Sister concert from the Stay Hungry Tour in the early 80’s. 5 guys in drag and make up playing balls out rock n roll. It was a sight and sound to behold. I of course went right out the next day and purchased You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll and Stay Hungry.

20 years later Dee Snider (lead singer) is almost wearing the same exact costume as that first MTV concert. The rest of the band is half in/half out of costume and make up. Which is somewhat of a blessing, as the last 20 years haven’t improved the looks of one of the self proclaimed ugliest bands in Rock N Roll. The important part of this DVD is that the band is back together, and still rocking the fuck out. Dee’s voice may be a bit more gravely 20 + years later, but it still holds up, still has balls, and he can still nail it note for note. He may look like a 60 year old drag queen, but his voice reminds you just how good of a front man he is without the costume and makeup. As he states in the interview, he and Twisted Sister represents real pissed off in your face fuck you music. Sure the stage attire gets your attention but it is the music that still kicks ass, still rocks, and still holds up!

The setlist from Wacken covers the highlights of Twisted Sister’s career and the interviews cover the breakup of the band through the various reunions and get togethers from political fund raising to 9/11 benefits, to the full fledged reunion.

The one reason I gave the package a 9 out of 10 is because I feel if you are going to release a concert video, release the concert video as a whole. Lately I’ve seen several concert videos where they cut away from the concert to show other interviews, back stage antics, whatever. Nothing ruins the vibe of watching a good concert than cutting away to interviews or anything OTHER than the concert itself.

I’m a music geek, I’ll watch all the bonus crap you put on the disc. And if you’re a casual fan, you STILL buy the disc for the concert, and even if you don’t watch the bonus material, you have purchased the disc. Why ruin the vibe the band created while performing by cutting away to interviews? Let the concert play!

Still certainly worth picking up if you are a Twisted Sister fan. It’s a good show that covers all their best material. Now if Twisted Sister and or MTV or ANYONE would put out that early 80’s concert on DVD. THAT would some SMF stuff there. I know Twisted Sister offered it up as a limited edition bonus disc with their new album last year, but it was for one day only, and my local stores didn’t carry it.

Go pick up Twisted Sister Live At Wacken The Reunion and remember why Twisted Sister were targeted by the PMRC, and why twenty odd years later, You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll! You’ll thank me later.

To purchase Twisted Sister Live At Wacken The Reunion click here.
For more Twisted Sister click here.

CLASSIC ALBUMS:
RUSH: 2112 & MOVING PICTURES
Eagle Vision DVD














Eagle Vision & Eagle Rock Entertainment have put together a series entitled CLASSIC ALBUMS that goes back and looks at the making of some of the greatest albums of all time. With titles such as Metallica: Black Album, Fleetwood Mac: Rumors, Judas Priest: British Steel, Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Iron Maiden: Number Of The Beast, Motorhead: Ace Of Spades, Deep Purple: Machine Head, and on and on… The series takes the band back to the studio, with the producer and engineer occasionally and goes over the recording of the album, how they wrote it, the stories that came from the recording session, and actually takes the album apart track by track and channel by channel. From the great licks, that killer vocal line, the special mixing that makes the song come alive.

You can’t turn on VH-1 without seeing an episode of Classic Albums, and with good reason. Even if you don’t particularly care for the artist or the album, the stories behind how the album came to be will enthrall you. My favorite episodes are DEEP PURPLE: Machine Head, JUDAS PRIEST: British Steel, and MEAT LOAF: Bat Out Of Hell. Not because they are amazing albums (they are), not because they are great legendary bands (they are), but because of the stories that come out about how the album and the songs came to be. From Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water being written about the actual recording of Machine Head and the dismal situation they were in while recording one of rock’s greatest albums of all time. To Judas Priest’s Metal Gods marching sound being a drawer full of silverware being slammed open and shut. To Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman basically selling their souls and beating the odds to get a rock opera released by two unknown and unlikely artists.

RUSH: 2112 and Moving Pictures as albums need no real introduction to even casual music listeners.

With the opening track 2112 taking up half the album alone, the sheer epicness and ballsiness of an unknown band releasing this epic tome of music and having the fortitude and belief in themselves to pull off a magnum opus of this magnitude is to be respected and celebrated. The message of 2112 with nods to Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead actually echoes the band’s ambition for releasing a 20 plus minute song as the opening and title track on an unsuspecting public.

Moving Pictures is simply a greatest hits album of brand new music. Red Barchetta, Limelight, Vital Signs, and YYZ are well known to Rush fans and non fans alike. And of course Tom Sawyer which is probably second only to Stairway To Heaven as the most played song on Classic Rock stations.

The episode and the series isn’t a ‘Behind The Music’ drug and sordid history, it is about how the album came about, how the artist came up with the riff, the lyric, the song, the sound, and finally the impact the album had when it was released.

RUSH: 2112 & Moving Pictures was released September 28th. And can be purchased here. Do yourself a favor, pick it up, throw it in the DVD player and relive the magic of 2112, the hits of Moving Pictures and find out how the band came up with some of the most well known rock and roll songs in the history of music.

The DVD comes with almost an hour of extra material recorded for this episode. From Geddy Lee explaining the Overture of 2112, to Neil‘s (Non) drum solo, there are too many great nuggets to list here. The extras are worth the price of the DVD alone, nevermind the who, how, why of the recording of 2112 and Moving Pictures!

No matter which episode you watch, STEELY DAN: Aja, TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS: Damn The Torpedoes, SEX PISTOLS: Never Mind the Bollocks, or U2: Joshua Tree, you’ll always come away with a great story, an amazing tidbit about how your favorite song came to be, what studio magic was used to make that special sound that transports you to another place and time, and where the artists head was or wasn’t at when they recorded it. So check out the links below, pick up 2112 & Moving Pictures, treat yourself to a few other episodes of Classic Albums, and enjoy! You’ll thank me later.

For more CLASSIC ALBUMS click here.
For more RUSH click here.
To purchase RUSH: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums click here.

It’s been a banner year for the award-winning Classic Albums series. The most recent editions explore ground-breaking releases by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Black Sabbath. The latest edition tackles not one, but TWO epic albums from progressive rock powerhouse Rush. Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums will be simultaneously released on DVD and Blu-ray via Eagle Rock Entertainment’s Eagle Vision subsidiary on September 28.

Continuing the tradition of this celebrated series, 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums carries us through the creation of these musical masterpieces via brand new interviews, demonstrations, archive videos, and use of the original multi-track tapes. The titan trio of bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart, joined by original producer Terry Brown, weigh in on the mammoth melodies, resounding riffs, and dynamic drum fills behind these immense aural soundscapes. Many others contribute to the commentary, such as Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and acclaimed Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke. 112 minutes in total, this DVD digs even deeper with 50 minutes of bonus material not included in the upcoming VH1 Classic broadcast (airing September 8 at 9:30pm and September 9 at 8:30am and 12:30pm).

These legendary albums mark pivotal points in Rush’s career. 2112, released in 1976, broke the band into major music chart domination, going #1 in their native Canada and in the Top 75 in the USA, where it was certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures added fuel to their rising stardom, opening them up to a mass audience with heavy-hitting hits like “Tom Sawyer.” Going #1 and quadruple platinum in Canada, as well as hitting #3 in the USA and the UK, this 1981 release remains their biggest selling album to date. Rush is currently performing this album in its entirely on their “Time Machine” tour. Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums is a perfect encapsulation of what made these albums successful, and why they are revered to this day.

To purchase RUSH: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums click here.
For more RUSH click here.