Tommy
by Ken Russell
from Sony Pictures
If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organized religion.
The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard," and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of "I'm Free." Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled its creation. --Jeff Shannon
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - Criterion Collection
by Albert Maysles
from Criterion
To cite Gimme Shelter as the greatest rock documentary ever filmed is to damn it with faint praise. This 1970 release benefits from a horrifying serendipity in the timing of the shoot, which brought filmmakers Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin aboard as the Rolling Stones' tumultuous 1969 American tour neared its end. By following the band to the Altamont Speedway near San Francisco for a fatally mismanaged free concert, the Maysles and Zwerin wound up shooting what's been accurately dubbed rock's equivalent to the Zapruder film. The cameras caught the ominous undercurrents of violence palpable even before the first chords were strummed, and were still rolling when a concertgoer was stabbed to death by the Hell's Angels that served as the festival's pool cue-wielding security force.
By the time Gimme Shelter reached theater screens, Altamont was a fixed symbol for the death of the 1960s' spirit of optimism. The Maysles and Zwerin used that knowledge to shape their film: their chronicle begins in the editing room as they cut footage of the Stones' Madison Square Garden performance of "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and from there moves toward Altamont with a kind of dreadful grace. The songs become prophecies and laments for broken faith ("Wild Horses"), misplaced devotion ("Love in Vain"), and social collapse ("Street Fighting Man" and, of course, "Sympathy for the Devil"). Along the way, we glimpse the folly of the machinations behind the festival, the insularity of life on the concert trail, and the superstars' own shell-shocked loss of innocence.
Gimme Shelter looks into an abyss, partly self-created, from which the Rolling Stones would retreat--but unlike its subject, the filmmakers don't blink. --Sam Sutherland
Called "the greatest rock film ever made," this landmark documentary follows the Rolling Stones on their notorious 1969 U.S. tour. When 300,000 members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hell's Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, direct cinema pioneers David and Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin immortalized on film the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment.
Tina Turner: Live In Amsterdam/One Last Time (2 DVD Set)
from Eagle Rock Ent
For the first time ever, 2 David Mallet-directed concert films of the one, the only Tina Turner are packaged together in this Special Edition 2-DVD set.
"Live In Amsterdam" sees Tina Turner tear the roof off the Amsterdam Arena for three sizzling nights in September 1996, in front of 150,000 people, as part of her record-breaking "Wildest Dreams" European Tour. On this tour, she performed over 150 shows to 3 million people.
"One Last Time Live In Concert" was shot at Wembley Stadium during Tina's "Twenty Four Seven Millenium Tour 2000". Blasting out hit after hit from her amazing four decade career, Tina proves herself once again to be simply the best.
Tracklisting:
(Live In Amsterdam)
1. Whatever You Want
2. Do What You Do
3. River Deep Mountain High
4. Missing You
5. In Your Wildest Dreams
6. Goldeneye
7. Private Dancer
8. We Don't Need Another Hero
9. Let's Stay Together
10. I Can't Stand The Rain
11. Undercover Agent For The Blues
12. Steamy Windows
13. Givin' It Up For Your Love
14. Better Be Good To Me
15. Addicted To Love
16. The Best
17. What's Love Got To Do With It
18. Proud Mary
19. Nutbush City Limits
20. On Silent Wings
Bonus Track: Something Beautiful Remains
Bonus Features:
Interview with Tina Turner
Music Video: Whatever You Want
(One Last Time)
1. I Want To Take You Higher
2. Absolutely Nothing's Changed
3. Fool In Love
4. Acid Queen
5. River Deep Mountain High
6. We Don't Need Another Hero
7. Better Be Good To Me
8. Private Dancer
9. Let's Stay Together
10. What's Love Got To Do With It
11. When The Heartache Is Over
12. Help
13. Whatever You Need
14. Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
15. Try A Little Tenderness
16. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
17. Addicted To Love
18. Simply The Best
19. Proud Mary
20. Nutbush City Limits
21. Twenty Four Seven
Bonus Features:
Exclusive Backstage Interview
Behind The Scenes Footage
Tina Turner - One Last Time: Live in Concert
by David Mallet
from Eagle Rock Ent
Shot at Wembley Stadium during Tina's "Twenty Four Seven Millennium Tour 2000," Tina Turner's usual powerful performance makes this, her final stadium tour, an event never to be forgotten. Blasting out hit after hit from her amazing four-decade career, Tina proves herself once again to be... simply the best. Though Tina will give her famous dancing shoes a rest, this title will still stand as a repeatable, collectable performance experience to her millions of fans. 120 minutes.
We Are the World - The Story Behind the Song (20th Anniversary Special Edition)
by Tom Trbovich
from Image Entertainment
A dream that became a song... an event... and a worldwide movement! See the making of a milestone as 45 of the biggest names in American popular music combine to record a song to help alleviate the suffering of starving millions in Africa and America. Narrated by Jane Fonda, this program provides a behind-the-scenes look at the night of January 28, 1985, to provide more than a moving collection of words, pictures and music - it's a living piece of history.
Prey for Rock & Roll
by Alex Steyermark
from Lions Gate
The not-so-glam side of rock is on defiant display in Prey for Rock & Roll, another well-cast Gina Gershon flick (after Showgirls and Bound) poised for cult-favorite status. Serving as co producer and star, Gershon (looking hotter than ever at age 41) is note-for-note perfect as Jacki, the tattoo-clad, pushing-40 leader of Clam Dandys, an L.A.-based all-girl rock band that's never risen above low-paying club gigs despite Jacki's 20-year experience as a wannabe rock star. On the verge of a possible recording contract, the band is close-knit but troubled: ace bassist Tracy (Drea de Matteo, from The Sopranos) has a nasty boyfriend and a drug-and-alcohol problem, while lead guitarist Faith (Lori Petty) and her lover, the band's drummer Sally (Shelly Cole) cope with the unexpected arrival of Sally's ex-con brother Animal (Marc Blucas), an unlikely virgin who's attracted to Jacki. Based on a play by rocker Cheri Lovedog (who wrote and performed most of the band's '80-styled girl-punk music, with Gershon ably handling lead vocals), this down-and-dirty chick flick falls prey to forced melodrama and obligatory tragedy, but it looks, feels, and sounds remarkably authentic, and the cast is terrific. Easily recommended despite its faults, Prey is a feminist cautionary tale for anyone who chooses rock & roll not merely as a profession, but a lifestyle that can't be denied. --Jeff Shannon
Soul to Soul (DVD with Soundtrack CD)
by Denis Sanders
from Rhino / Wea
Explosive performances by Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Santana, the Staple Singers, and others power Soul to Soul, the filmed documentary of a 1971 concert by American artists in Accra, Ghana. There's some great music here, with versions of "Land of 1000 Dances" (Pickett), "When Will We Be Paid" (the Staples), and "The Price You Gotta Pay to Be Free" (jazzmen Les McCann and Eddie Harris, who also feature the amazing African musician Amoah Azangeo) that are as good or better than anything found on other concert films from the period, including Wattstax and Woodstock. But witnessing this predominantly black group of Americans as they respond to being in Africa for the first time is fascinating and moving as well (check out the uncontained emotion of Ike Turner, just one of the nine folks who supplied voice-over commentary for the DVD, to see just how profound an experience it was), to say nothing of the sometimes bemused, often ecstatic response of the African audience. 5.1 surround notwithstanding, the sound can be a little dodgy, but the remastered, restored film, which includes plenty of non-concert documentary footage (including a trip to a seaside "castle" from which slaves were shipped across the Atlantic) looks good, and what's on the film looks first rate. --Sam Graham
On March 6, 1971, some of the greatest artists in popular music history traveled from the United States to Ghana, West Africa, to take part in a 14-hour musical celebration, Soul To Soul. Over 100,000 enthusiastic locals gathered for this unique cultural exchange between two continents. This award-winning film combines classic concert performances with scenes documenting the artists getting in touch with their roots as they return to the cultural motherland. SOUL TO SOUL chronicles this historic event and is considered by many to be one of the greatest music films of all time. Now available for the first time on DVD, this 2-disc set features the 95-minute, full-length feature film, newly remastered and restored from the original 35mm negative by the Grammy Foundation. The second disc features a remastered and expanded original soundtrack (also making its debut on CD), including performances not featured in the film.
The Legends Ike & Tina Turner - Live In '71
from Eagle Rock Entertainment
One of the most dynamic R&B duos of the '60s and early '70s, Ike and Tina Turner were a force to be reckoned with. Their live shows, nothing short of legendary, were high-octane performances of carefully orchestrated music from Ike turner combined with the raw sexual energy of vocalist Tina Turner. This spectacular CD/DVD set is from Holland in 1971, during the peak of Ike & Tina's tumultuous career.
Track Listing (DVD):
1. Them Changes
2. Sweet Inspiration
3. I Want To Take You Higher
4. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
5. A Love Like Yours, Don't Come Knockin' Every Day
6. River Deep, Mountain High
7. Come Together
8. Honky Tonk Women
9. Proud Mary
10. I Smell Trouble
11. There Was A Time
12. Shake A Tail Feather
13. I Want To Take You Higher
Track Listing (CD):
1. Them Changes
2. Sweet Inspiration
3. There Was A Time
4. Shake A Tail Feather
5. I Want To Take You Higher
6. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
7. A Love Like Yours, Don't Come Knockin' Every Day
8. River Deep, Mountain High
9. Come Together
10. Honky Tonk Women
11. Proud Mary
12. I've Been Loving You Too Long
13. Respect
14. Land Of 1,000 Dances
15. I Want To Take You Higher
16. I Smell Trouble
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