The eclectic nature of my CD/DVD pile makes for an interesting week. It's great fun to be listening to everything from blues masters to the darkest of death metal. Here is the latest batch that caught my fancy.
DVD Review
BB King: Live in Montreux
Recorded at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival in 1993 this DVD shows the blues' master at the height of his powers really showing everyone why the world’s great guitarists look to him as a hero. His influence is legendary ranging from Eric Clapton through the latest metal guitar hero. The man truly makes his instrument sing along with him, instead of just moving the song along.
Backed by a big band, the most recent addition joined him in 1990, he rolls through songs both new (at the time) and old. He makes it looks so easy and the band gives the song the full flavour they so richly deserve. Amusingly one of them acts as MC for the whole performance by introducing King and outroing him with the requisite amount of engaging the crowd to cheer.
Songs like “The Thrill is Gone” and “Since I met you Baby” really make it clear why the guy continues to thrill guitar geeks and normal blues fans alike. You won’t even care that there are absolutely no extras on this DVD. Almost 100 minutes of BB King is all you really need. A classic performance from a guitar legend whose ability to thrill with a guitar is rarely matched.
The Blu-ray, looks better obviously, and includes 15 minutes of music from 2006 in the form of “Why I sing the Blues”, “Guess Who” and the great track “When Loves Comes to Town.”
CD Reviews
Native Window: s/t
What happens when a bunch of the band Kansas want to get together and record an album, but their chief songwriter is uninterested. When they are a motivated lot like this, they go off and record a new album under another name that hints at their background. So is this a half-baked album of material best left in the bin? Hardly, your ears will not notice this isn’t Kansas as all the dynamics of the band abound here.
Then again it is Kansas, without Steve Walsh so it's not too surprising. Despite they are without their main song-writer the band have pulled out all the stops and produced quite a good selection of tracks. This is violin-tinged melodic rock done with all the pomp needed, but never too much.
Article comments