Artist: U2Title: From the Sky Down
Worth buying: Yes
For fans of: Coldplay, Snow Patrol
Tell Me More: First shown at the Toronto International Film Festival last September and then for a brief run on Showtime, From the Sky Down(UMe/Mercury/Interscope) was directed by Davis Guggenheim, best known for the Oscar-winning expose An Inconvenient Truth. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, the 95-minute documentary is a fascinating glimpse of the difficult genesis behind 1991’s Achtung Baby, one of the superstar Irish rock band’s strongest, most experimental and successful albums.
The initial shot finds U2 about to take the stage for their 2011 headlining slot at England’s Glastonbury Festival. The musicians – primarily Bono and The Edge - are interviewed and shown during rehearsals earlier that year amid a return trip to Berlin’s Hansa Studios (where much Achtung work was done).
A history of the band leading up to ’91 includes rare footage, plus archival and latter-day interviews with manager Paul McGuinness, studio personnel Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Flood, longtime art director Anton Corbijn and tour designer Willie Williams. Guggenheim was given free reign without interference and dug up some unseen Rattle and Hum footage.
One section showing how the hits “Mysterious Ways” and “One” were put together will have diehard fans riveted to the screen. Bonus material comprises excellent ’11 acoustic in-the-studio performances of “So Cruel,” “Love is Blindness” and “The Fly” by Bono and Edge, the Toronto press conference and a photo gallery.
What about the packaging? The DVD is housed in a non-standard, rectangular jewel box case. The 14-page booklet and front/back cover has a recent large color and several archival B&W photos – primarily by Corbijn, from the Achtung Baby period. Note: the film was included in the Uber Deluxe box set for the 20th Anniversary of Achtung.
Get U2 from the Sky down here
--- George A. Paul
Artist: QueenTitle: Days of our Lives
Worth buying: Yes
For fans of: Mott the Hoople, Aerosmith, Styx
Tell Me More: Last year marked the 40th anniversary of Queen’s inception. Among the commemoration activity was Hollywood Records’ back catalog reissue campaign and this superb new documentary. The band tells its own story here - reportedly for the first time - via fresh, candid interviews with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, plus marvelously sequenced archival clips from singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon.
Divided into two hour-long segments, Days of our Lives (Eagle Vision) is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Originally broadcast as a BBC2 special in the U.K. to high ratings, it opens with the British group’s triumphant 1986 Wembley gig and goes all the way back to pre-Queen group Smile. Producers Rhys Thomas, Simon Lupton and director Matt Casey do an expert job at showing what a unique performer Mercury was and distilling the Queen legacy without missing much.
May and ex-manager John Reid return to old haunts, details are provided about those influential ‘70s multi-tracking studio techniques, how “Under Pressure” actually was recorded with David Bowie, Live Aid, Sun City and more. Rare TV, live performance, studio and video shoot footage is interspersed throughout; much of it is fashioned into seven new music videos. Other bonus material includes 20 minutes of extra documentary footage (the Blu-ray edition encompasses an hour). Highly recommended.
What about the packaging? A regular DVD case and minimal 2-page booklet consisting of two small band photo collages.
Get Queen The Days of Our Lives Here
--- George A. Paul
Artist: Owl CityTitle: Live from Los Angeles
Worth buying: Yes
For fans of: Postal Service, Hellogoodbye, Death Cab for Cutie
Tell Me More: Adam Young - the shy, 25-year-old Minnesota keyboardist who records under the name Owl City - made a couple independent albums in the mid-2000s, before becoming a viral phenomenon and attaining a large MySpace following. His ’09 major label bow Ocean Eyes was a major success, going platinum and spawning the international No. 1 single “Fireflies.” Last year’s follow up All Things Bright and Beautiful featured more of his endearing synth-pop.
Filmed at Club Nokia for that album’s tour, the Live from Los Angeles (Eagle Vision) DVD and Blu-ray includes a 95-minute show that displays why the warm alt-pop sounds garnered so many high school and college enthusiasts. Although Young basically does everything in his home studio, onstage he comes out of his shell. The music is fleshed out live by a full band consisting of two string players and prominent contributions from keyboardist/backing vocalist Breanne Duren.
Standout moments among the 22-track set are Young’s vulnerable vocals on “Angels,” regal cello/violin and percolating synths through “Jan. 28, 1986,” an upbeat and infectious “Deer in the Headlights,” crowd sing-along “Fireflies” and the high-flying “Umbrella Beach” (where Young makes prodigious use of vocoder). Bonus material is 15-minute of behind-the-scenes tour footage and a short Q&A session with fans. In a rare move, Young mixed the concert audio, so it sounds great. Additionally, the show can be downloaded from iTunes.
What about the packaging? The cardboard casing folds out to include a couple concert photos and brief biography.
Get Owl City Live From Los Angeles Here
--- George A. Paul
Artist: AdeleTitle: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Worth buying: Yes
For fans of: Duffy, Beth Orton, Lisa Stansfield, Etta James
Tell Me More: With the Grammy Awards slated for Feb. 12 and Adele scheduled to make a much heralded live re-emergence at the ceremony following throat surgery (not to mention an expected sweep of several categories), it’s a good time to revisit Adele’s recent Blu-ray and DVD+CD,Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Columbia).
The English retro soul/pop sensation had the biggest album of 2011 in America with “21” (6 million copies and counting). This concert collection topped the Billboard home video chart over the holidays and was the best-selling DVD in four years. Adele’s beautifully shot, 102-minute concert at the prestigious London venue includes 17 songs geared heavily toward “21” selections.
Performing with a full band in various configurations, the robust singer is quite jovial between selections (note to parents of young children: plenty of swearing ensues) and talks to the crowd like they’re right in her living room while she’s seated and sipping tea. It proves quite a contrast to the heart-wrenching lyrics about broken relationships. In addition to belting out her own soulful “Rolling in the Deep,” “Rumour Has It,” “Chasing Pavements” and “Someone Like You,” Adele ably tackles covers of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” obscure Nashville folk band The Steel Drivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been For Love,” Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” and smolders during an elegant version of The Cure’s “Lovesong.” An eight-minute bonus segment, “You, Me and Albert,” has interviews with Adele and her fans.
Get Adele Live At The Royal Albert Hall Here
--- George A. Paul
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