New Videos Offer Rock History Bonanza

Jun 27, 2011 Music Info

MVD Visual just released (June 21) a cornucopia of videos that adds muscle to rock and rock history DVD libraries, and will soon release several more notable titles. Fans of Yes, Rick Wakeman, Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers, Neil Young, Kate Bush, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, Radiohead, and a host of other artists can indulge in documentaries and performance videos that cover a huge chunk of rock ‘n roll history.

My favorite in this big batch of goodies is, without a doubt, Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Season Two (available on DVD and Blu-ray) starring, of course, the irresistible Elvis Costello. If you can resist Costello, you may not be able to turn your back on seven hours of interviews and music with the likes of Bono, Sheryl Crow, Jesse Winchester, Nick Lowe, Levon Helm, Lyle Lovett, and Bruce Springsteen (among others). The two-disc set includes “over 40 unique musical performances and collaborations.”

Yesspeak is two discs—nearly three hours—celebrating the 35th anniversary of Yes. It documents their European tour and provides the history of the group and its members. There are extended interviews, archive material, and glimpses into the five men who represent the Yes classic line-up: Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, and Rick Wakeman. Yesspeak is narrated by Roger Daltry and should satisfy long-time Yes fans.

Rick Wakeman: Made in Cuba is a close-up of the April 2005 concert series performed by Rick Wakeman and The English Rock Ensemble in Havana at the Karl Marx Theatre. Wakeman and his band’s high-energy performances of familiar and not-so tunes are stunning. Included on Made in Cuba is The Road to Cuba, a documentary “capturing the behind the scenes action on Rick’s visit to Cuba,” as well as a photo gallery.

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