Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 17th, 2012
Some bands stand the test of time. Rolling Stones, Beatles, Bon Jovi, Village People, errrr, okay let’s continue. Another of those bands is Queen who some experts have estimated that the band has sold over two hundred million records. Their most famous lead singer is of course the legendary Freddie Mercury. But Freddie Mercury was such a unique personality that he was not always interested in making music with Queen. He had many other interests and this documentary we have today explores them.
At the Rio festival in January of 1985, Freddie Mercury decided to perform in front of 350,000 people in a pink sweater and fake breasts. The next day, he is interviewing with David Wigg in suspenders and a seemingly normal t-shirt. When asked about whether or not he was intimidated by the size of the crowd he preformed at. He simply smiles and says that bigger is better in everything. The Emperor of Rock has found some new clothes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 13th, 2012
“I thought this was a family show.”
“Well, it depends on your family.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 20th, 2012
The voice of Etta James — specifically on her rendition of “At Last” — has launched 1,000 wedding receptions. The singer, who passed away earlier this year, also had a long history with the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Though this Blu-ray includes performances from the 1970s and 1980s, the focus is on her 1993 show, which came the same year James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and followed a late ‘80s comeback from drug and alcohol addiction.
The concert doesn’t waste any time jumping right into the music. Unfortunately, we have to endure two instrumental tracks — and approximately 8 ½ minutes of screen time — before the star of the show takes the stage. (Appropriately, the second of those tracks is “Hold On, I’m Coming.”) At least we get to marvel at the band members' unfortunate early ‘90s fashions — one of the trumpet players looks like Super Mario — as we wait for James to show up.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 4th, 2012
Before watching this Blu-ray my knowledge of Staind consisted of only what I’ve heard in passing on the radio. I wouldn’t call myself a fan or go so far as to say I dislike them, I simply view (or hear) them as something to fill the void when the radio is on. Where I did grow a bit of an appreciation for the band was in an interview that’s included on the disc that turned out to be more insightful than the standard fluff piece you may expect.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on August 24th, 2012
My wife listens to a lot of different music. We share some bands, but we do vary quite a bit. So normally, even if I have not heard the band before, I ask my wife whenever we here at Upcomingdiscs receive a new music disc. In this case, I had already known the band but it was a curiosity for me at best. My wife I come to find out though is a huge fan of Slipknot which leads us to our music Blu-Ray review: Slipknot: (sic)nesses. Let us see what really “heavy” metal is all about.
Slipknot was formed in 1995 out of Des Moines, Iowa. The founding members were percussionist Shawn Crahan and late bassist Paul Gray. The original name of the band was actually the Pale Ones. It was only after Joey Jordison (main drummer) suggested a name change in 1995, that the real Slipknot was born. Later in the same year they began recording material at SR Audio, a hometown studio. The album was self-financed and with only forty thousand between them, things were not going to be easy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 15th, 2012
I can still remember the day I first rented the movie Say Anything from the mom and pop video store that I used to hang out at through most of my childhood. It was a movie that stuck with me over the years, and it was that movie that introduced me to Peter Gabriel because of the infamous boom box scene. Ever since that movie “In Your Eyes” has been what I equated to the go to song to play for a girl any time I do something stupid (which is often) or when I say something stupid (happens more often). And for those of you old enough to remember when MTV actually played just music videos, it was hard to resist the awesomeness of the animated video Gabriel had for “Sledgehammer”. I wouldn’t call myself a super fan of the artist, but “Solsbury Hill” is one of those songs that could squeeze into my desert island top 10 songs if I was forced to actually make a list of favorites. So needless to say, when given a chance to review this concert I took it with open and eager hands.
When I put in the Secret World Live Blu-ray, I expected to get a well-shot concert with some good live performances, but instead I got so much more. This isn’t simply a man with his band belting out a few hits. This is a production filled with elaborate production numbers that take place on two stages with a long catwalk connecting the two. From the moment Gabriel emerges from a red telephone booth to perform “Come Talk to Me”, the man sets out to put on a show for the audience that is simply incredible. The opening number, done as a duet with a young Paula Cole, is beautifully choreographed, and this is only the beginning.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 2nd, 2012
"It's one thing to see a great white shark on television or from the safe confines of a boat. It's another experience entirely to see the animals in their natural element. There simply is not a single creature on Earth that we're more afraid of."
Man’s always had a rather natural, and healthy, fear of sharks, but it was perhaps the 1975 film Jaws that brought all of those primordial fears bubbling to the surface of our pop culture. Since then sharks have taken an almost mythic position in our culture. They invade our fears, but more importantly they fascinate the heck out of us. Young or old, it doesn’t matter. Sharks are the new dinosaurs, and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Come face to face with some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, with a level of clarity and detail that was once reserved only for those who shared their waters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on July 9th, 2012
When Duran Duran's new concert film arrived at UpcomingDiscs headquarters, the staff was practically fighting over the Blu-ray. ("You take it!" "No, YOU take it!") Needless to say, no one was tripping over themselves to spend a significant amount of time with a band once dubbed "the prettiest boys in rock." When I expressed admiration for a few of their songs, I became this site's Duran Duran Fan (By Default). After watching this lively 2011 performance, I feel pretty good about removing the "By Default" portion of my title and simply calling myself a fan of the band.
Filmed in Manchester's MEN Arena in December 2011, A Diamond in the Mind capped a roller coaster year for the band. (More on that in the Special Features section.) Duran Duran was formed in Birmingham, England in 1978 and quickly achieved superstardom in the early 1980s. Though there have been several different groupings throughout the years, the "classic" Duran Duran lineup — singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist Andy Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Taylor (believe it or not all the Taylors are unrelated) — reunited in the early 2000s. That same lineup (except for Andy Taylor, who left in 2006 and was replaced by Dom Brown) is featured in A Diamond in the Mind.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on July 6th, 2012
It’s a little hard for me to realize it really has been 20 years since Stone Temple Pilots emerged out of the grunge scene with their album Core. I remember hanging out at my friends house playing Sega Genesis while listening to this tape (yes, cassette tape) over and over with some Pearl Jam and Nirvana thrown in as well. For me these guys are like moments of time from my past that I’ll always look fondly upon. Whether it was my first mosh pit or first house party, this was the music that surrounded me. I feel the need to divulge this simply because no matter how impartial I may try to be, it’s hard to be critical and removed with every review that comes along.
With that being said, I’m going to come out and say I love this performance. Once I put this in my player, I cranked up the volume and just allowed my ears to ingest this musical delight. Sure my neighbors may not have been happy after all the sound hits like a punch, but this is what I’ve come to expect from STP.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on July 5th, 2012
Even though by many standards, I am probably considered old, I would like to think I can still experience new music, especially when it comes to me for review. Of course, you are also reading the guy who loves to annoy others driving down the street with Whitesnake and Motley Crue. Anyway, I was definitely interested to take a gander at this blu-ray that showcased the talents of a band called Kasabian who performed in late 2011 at the O2 Arena in London. Let's take a look.
In 1997, Tom Meighan (vocalist), Sergio Pizzorno (guitarist), Chris Edwards (bassist), and Christopher Karloff (lead guitarist) formed the band Saracuse. They all resided from England (Countesthorpe and Blaby) and put out their first demo EP in 1998. It only had three songs: "What's Going On", "Life of Luxury" and "Shine On" and they were recorded live. However, it helped to launch a band who was struggling to finds its mark.
