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The BBC documentary on legendary rock band Queen titled Days of Our Lives is now out on Blu-ray/DVD here in the U.S. I had a chance to sit down and view the blu-ray over the weekend and I’m pleased to say that the two-part overview of the band’s musical career is very well done. All the major events are covered by archival footage and interviews both old and new. Surviving members Roger Taylor and Brian May do most of the talking. Bassist John Deacon declined to participate in the new documentary so archival interviews are used for his point of view. Of course Freddie Mercury is very much the focus of the program and there’s generous amount of live footage as well as interviews he had done in the past. For such an influential band, I would have preferred a more expansive look at their career along the lines of the “Beatles Anthology” but I guess the BBC only commissioned for a two hour program.

At least the Blu-ray features extra bonus footage for fans to enjoy – approximately 100 minutes more. The bulk of the extras are interview segments that were edited out of the original program due to time limitations. It would have been nice if the director went back and incorporated these into the documentary as an “expanded director’s cut” instead of having to view these separately but it is what it is.

I was very keen on viewing the segments about the post-86 era of the band. After the ’86 album “A Kind of Magic”, I didn’t follow Queen’s musical output as closely as their previous stuff so the stories behind the albums “The Miracle” and “Innuendo” are fairly new to me. Also the segment about Freddie’s last days in the studio was very moving.

Longtime fans probably already know the story inside and out but the documentary is so well done that it’s worth seeking out just to have it in their video collection. For casual and new fans of Queen, this is a must-buy!

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NO, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. I’m hosting another DVD giveaway! As a followup to my BONES: The Complete Sixth Season DVD giveaway that I posted last night, I’ve got the new Paul McCartney documentary titled The Love We Make to give out to one lucky retroblog reader.

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES PAUL McCARTNEY DOCUMENTARY THE LOVE WE MAKE
Out on DVD and Blu-ray December 6, 2011
It was one of the most emotional documentaries ever aired on the Showtime Cable Network. Now, for the first time, on December 6, fans will have a chance to own The Love We Make, a look back at Sir Paul McCartney and his efforts to plan and perform a benefit concert in the aftermath of the worst day in the history of New York City.
Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the film, directed by Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) and Bradley Kaplan, on DVD and Blu Ray. Shot in stark 16 mm black and white, complete with color concert clips, The Love We Make juxtaposes dramatic images of “The Concert For New York City,” held mere months after 9/11, with that of scenes of McCartney himself as he walks the streets of the town that his former songwriting partner, John Lennon, loved so much.
“It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history,” said McCartney of the concert. “There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music and the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all.”
Recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo, the 90-minute film features cameo appearances by President Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Jay Z, Billy Joel, Elton John and many more in onstage and backstage moments.
It is a film that no music fan can afford to miss.
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Here’s how to enter to win the Paul McCartney DVD!

- Leave me a comment on this page – please share a little tidbit about your favorite Paul McCartney tune. It can be anything… something personal about yourself or some trivia about the song. be creative! (be sure to log the entry in using the rafflecopter widget to get counted!)

you can earn bonus points by doing the following:
- LIKE my facebook page and follow me on twitter.
- you also have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- and finally, you can also tweet about it. (you can do this once per day, just be sure to log them into the rafflecopter widget!)

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Currently in the middle of its 7th season, Fox TV series Bones continues to bring in solid ratings. Normally a typical TV series is on its last legs by the 7th season but this particular show seems to be chugging along nicely. With solid writing and well developed characters, Bones keeps viewers coming back for more.

And you can win the 6-DVD set of the 6th season of Bones by entering in the latest Retroblog giveaway. You’ll notice that I’ve jumped on the rafflecopter bandwagon. There are a ton of blogs utilizing the rafflecopter app for contests/giveaways so I thought I’d give it a try. It should streamline the whole process which might ultimately allow me to host even more giveaways on this site.

But first things first. Here’s what you need to do to enter.

- Leave me a comment on this page – let me know what you like about the TV series Bones!
- earn bonus points by liking my facebook page and following me on twitter.
- you have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- you can also earn points by tweeting about it. (once per day)

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Like most Netflix subscribers, I’ve been complaining and whining about the upcoming price hike. I can’t really afford to pay the new monthly fee for the DVD + streaming option so I’ll probably settle for just streaming only. With the absence of newly released titles on streaming, I’ll have to dig deep to find interesting titles to watch each month. and unfortunately, the search function on Netflix is a bit cumbersome but as the saying goes… it is what it is.

Anyway, I thought I’d list some concerts and music documentaries available via Netflix streaming that might be of interest for some…

Yes: 9012 Live – Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh directs this musical tribute to Yes, filmed before he made the Hollywood A-list with hits such as Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s Eleven. Bonus features include live performances of “Cinema,” “Leave It,” “Hold On,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Changes,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and City of Love”; all-access band interviews; and the rarely seen Soderbergh mockumentary “Access All Areas!”

Todd Rundgren: Live in Japan – Rock’s original Renaissance man, Todd Rundgren — who’s also a producer, writer, founder of the band Utopia and general music maverick — rocks the house in this live show. Recorded at the Tokyo Sun Plaza Hall and featuring a remastered soundtrack, this dynamic performance includes the songs “Real Man,” “Unloved Children,” “Parallel Lines,” “Can’t Stop Running,” “Compassion,” “Secret Society,” “Love of the Common Man” and more.

The Van Halen Story: The Early Years – With flamboyant David Lee Roth as its front man and Eddie Van Halen as its guitar icon, Van Halen was one of the most visible hard-rock bands of the 1970s and ’80s. This retrospective documentary takes viewers back to the group’s beginnings, charting its rise from backyard beer-bash performances to stadium shows through footage of the boys and interviews with Van Halen, Roth, friends, fans and musical colleagues. J.J. Jackson narrates

Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 – Six-string impresario Eric Clapton cherry-picks a panoply of guitar rock heroes — from B.B. King to ZZ Top — for this blues-drenched all-day festival held at Chicago’s Toyota Park to benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Over the course of 11 jam-heavy hours, such greats as Robert Cray, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill and Jeff Beck range across the stylistic map, with Bill Murray hosting the proceedings and Clapton a masterful presence throughout

Todd Rundgren: Live in San Francisco – Rock’s original Renaissance man brings his vast array of musical styles to the stage in this raucous live concert at Maritime Hall in San Francisco. Rundgren performed his greatest hits and a wealth of new songs, including “I Hate My Frickin ISP,” “Black and White,” “Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator,” “Open My Eyes,” “Bang the Drum All Day” and many more.

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Our Kind of Soul Live – Popular 1980s soulsters Daryl Hall and John Oates return to their musical roots in this live concert that celebrates the classic tunes that influenced the duo’s artistic direction. The pair perform faithful renditions and fresh updates on songs such as “I Can Dream About You,” “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me,” “Fading Away,” “Neither One of Us,” “After the Dance,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Rock Steady” and more.

The Story of Anvil – Formed by two 14-year-olds in the 1970s, heavy metal band Anvil influenced the great acts that followed, such as Anthrax and Metallica. This documentary joins Anvil’s now middle-aged founders as they recover from a disastrous tour of Europe. Hoping to end their youthful dreams and careers on a high note, Robb Reiner, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and the band set out to record their 13th album, “This Is Thirteen.”

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: the 25th Anniversary Concerts – Celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary with this star-studded concert, which features rousing performances from such rock luminaries as Metallica, Simon & Garfunkel, Jeff Beck and Bruce Springsteen. Recorded live at Madison Square Garden in New York, the event includes unique duets that pair Stevie Wonder with John Legend, Aretha Franklin with Annie Lennox, and U2 with Mick Jagger.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog – When he’s not busy breaking the law or trying to get close to his secret crush, Penny (Felicia Day), supervillain wannabe Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) boasts about his exploits via his Internet video blog and dreams of defeating his nemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). Conceived during the 2008 Hollywood writers’ strike, Joss Whedon’s quirky musical comedy originally debuted as an online miniseries.

Queen: Making of a Night at the Opera – With the release of “A Night at the Opera” in 1975, Queen catapulted into the rock ‘n’ roll mainstream and broke new ground with the wildly inventive single “Bohemian Rhapsody.” This installment of the Classic Albums series examines the creative process behind the landmark recording, featuring interviews with late singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and the album’s original producer, Roy Thomas Baker.

and of course, a movie that never gets old no matter how many times you’ve seen it…
This is Spinal Tap – Rob Reiner’s cult satire about a fictional heavy metal group named Spinal Tap spoofs nearly every facet of rock ‘n’ roll — from vacuous modern songwriting and half-baked album promos to pyrotechnic concerts. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer portray the washed-up, aging British rockers whose tresses and egos outstrip their talent, with Reiner appearing as the filmmaker who’s chronicling the band’s calamitous comeback tour.
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it was great to see Todd Rundgren appear on network TV again. Rundgren was the musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. He played with Fallon’s house band The Roots in and out of commercial breaks and performed “I Saw the Light” at the end of the show. I’m sure it was a treat for the studio audience to see and hear the full performances. TV viewers only got to hear snippets of other Rundgren songs like “Can We Still Be Friends”, “Hello It’s Me (Meester)”, “Under the Ice”, “I Went to the Mirror” and “Breathless”.

the NBC site also features a bonus clip of Todd and the Roots doing Couldn’t I Just Tell You that wasn’t part of the broadcast.

kudos to Jimmy Fallon, the Roots and Paul Myers (who reportedly helped get Todd on the show) for featuring this underappreciated musical genius!!

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Purchase the latest TR rarities collection titled For Lack of Honest Work via CDUniverse

Also, I highly recommend Paul Myers’ book on Todd – A Wizard A True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio. it’s a great overview of Todd’s production work.

Have any of you been wondering about the musical duo featured in the latest series of holiday-themed TV commercials by automaker Hyundai? Well, the band is called Pomplamoose and they’ve been steadily gaining popularity for their catchy videos on youtube. The indie duo (Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn) took the unique approach of building a fanbase online via youtube. And it seems to have worked. They are now featured in a nationally run ad campaign thanks to Hyundai. Kudos to the ad men at Hyundai for giving this duo the national spotlight. I love Nataly’s voice as well as their choice of filming all parts of their recording process.

learn more about the duo on their official website – Pomplamoose.com. You can also check them out on their MySpace page.

And if you can’t get enough of their Christmas music, you can download their Christmas album by donating a book to the Richmond Book Drive.

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It’s hard to believe that Rod Stewart is on his 5th volume of his Great American Songbook album series. Come on, who’s buying this crap? There’s absolutely no creativity involved in this project and his vocals are pretty much straight interpretations of these old standards. It’s sad what this ol’ rocker has become. whatever sells, right Rod?

For those that missed it, here’s Stewart’s performance (if you can call it that) of “I Get a Kick out of You” from last night’s Dancing With the Stars.

Hot on the heels of Rush‘s 2010 Time Machine Tour, Eagle Rock Entertainment is releasing the latest installment of their Classic Albums series featuring 2112 and Moving Pictures. The brand new documentary is coming out at the perfect time since the band performed the entire Moving Pictures album during the Time Machine Tour. Both 2112 and Moving Pictures are among the most significant albums in Rush’s long career.

Personally, “2112: Overture/The Temples of Syrinx” holds a special place in my heart since I had to memorize this amazingly complex piece for a cover band way back in my younger days. It was an absolute thrill to play once we figured out how to get through the whole thing without sounding like a trainwreck. As for Moving Pictures, it’s the best selling Rush album of all time. You simply can’t argue with classics like “Tom Sawyer”, “Red Barchetta” and “Limelight”.

Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures – Classic Albums is out in stores NOW, available both on DVD AND Blu-Ray. This edition of the “Classic Albums” series is 112 minutes long with an additional 50 minutes of bonus footage that wasn’t shown in the broadcast version. Besides brand new interviews with Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, we get interesting commentary of the multi-track tapes with original producer Terry Brown. Also making an appearance in the doc is Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Check out this clip from the DVD:

Rush – "YYZ" from '2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums'

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I think a lot of people take Tom Petty for granted so it’s nice to be reminded of how talented this guy really is. Petty is a bonafide American Rock icon, no doubt. He has recorded fifteen studio albums, most of which went either gold or platinum. And he has toured, along with the Heartbreakers, extensively over the last three decades. Watching the newly released Damn the Torpedoes documentary just reaffirms why Petty and the Heartbreakers have had such a long career in the music business.

First of all, Damn the Torpedoes is Petty’s breakthrough album. It sat at the number two spot for seven weeks on the Billboard album chart and went on to sell over two million copies. With classic songs like “Don’t Do Me Like That”, “There Goes My Girl” and “Refugee”, the album has stood the test of time. And with producer Jimmy Iovine and engineer Shelly Yakus behind the recording console, the record still sounds great even to this day.

If you’ve never seen a “Classic Albums DVD” before, it’s essentially a detailed look back on how a particular album was put together with all the major contributors interviewed on camera. For this Damn The Torpedoes DVD- Petty, Yakus, Iovine, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench and Ron Blair were brought into a recording studio to go over the multi-tracks of this album. For a “music nut” like me, it’s a huge treat to see and hear what went on “behind the scenes” especially concerning the songwriting and recording of it all.

Petty and Campbell obviously got most of the screentime but it was nice hearing insight from producer Iovine and from keyboardist Tench. It was a bit of a surprise to hear that Iovine demanded full live performances from the band in the studio instead of building songs track by track. But the interplay among the musicians really made the songs come alive which you may not have gotten if they had decided to record the album piece by piece.

Iovine also reveals the “secret” to the song “Refugee”. The key rhythmic ingredient, according to Iovine, is the *shaker* that was added by legendary musician Jim Keltner. Keltner just happened to be hanging out in the studio at the time and they got him to add a shaker to the track and it was like magical fairy dust sprinkled onto the song. heh. funny stuff.

Oh and speaking of “Refugee”, be sure to check the bonus material on the DVD. Studio engineer Yakus explains that the bass drum was intentionally recorded “out of phase” with the rest of the drums. And by doing so, the bass drum stood out in the overall mix, making it almost “pop out” from the speakers.

Another nugget from the bonus material, is Petty’s Rickenbacker guitar that’s featured on the album cover. It turns out that the Rickenbacker is actually Campbell’s. And get this, Campbell bought it used for only $150!! And by the serial number, he found out that it was the next guitar the shop made after they made George Harrison’s famous Rickenbacker. Man, I wonder if the original seller of that guitar ever found out what the guitar was really worth??

Anyway, there’s tons of neat info like that about the band and the album. It’s definitely worth viewing especially nowadays where professional recording studios are going the way of the dinosaur. The classic album series highlights the achievements that were done in a real recording studio using analog multi-track tapes. In this day and age of ProTools and bedroom recordings, a lot of these techniques and methods will unfortunately be lost. Can you imagine 20 years from now when the Classic Albums series features an album from 2010? The documentary will probably feature just some dude in a bedroom looking at waveforms on a computer screen. yikes!

retroGrade: A

Classic Albums: Damn the Torpedoes DVD
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
DVD U.S. release date: August 3, 2010
also available on Blu-Ray
running time: 98 minutes
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Directed by: Matthew Longfellow

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Did you guys catch the premiere of Louis C.K.‘s new show “Louie” on FX this week? They’ve been promoting the hell out of the show for months so it’s great to see that it lived up to the hype. As a matter of fact, “Louie” is probably my favorite new TV show right now. I’m not that pleased with the 11pm time slot but with the R-rated language, I guess that’s what they had to do to be on basic cable.

The show is a bit like Seinfeld with stand-up bits weaved-in with the storylines but there are unexpected left turns (i.e. the opening poker scene and the part when Louie’s date got into a helicopter for a quick getaway. heh) that definitely brings the tried and true framework to another level.

“Louie” is a must-see in my book. check it out – Tuesdays on FX at 11pm.

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