Josh Groban In Concert (with Bonus CD) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a Josh Groban fan ever since I saw his performance on Sarah Brightman's La Luna concert DVD. I was ecstatic when I found out he was releasing his own CD, and was doubly excited to learn he was releasing a DVD.
I rushed to buy this DVD the day it was released, and all I have to say is the other viewers aren't lying when they're saying this is good stuff. The quality of this recording is second to none. Everything from technical quality to artistic quality is superb. Josh's style is very simplistic; he's a minimalist. However, as the saying goes: "The simplest melodies are the hardest to play." Josh truly proves that. He has just enough flair- not too much as to detract from his voice- and it's just enough pizazz to come off as classy and sublime.
Josh Groban is on his way to becoming one of the greats. He is truly the only singer who's managed to unite heavy metalheads, rap fans, sugar high pop fans, grunge fans, and classical fans under one roof. I have not met a single person who's listened to him and not replied with something to the effect of "Wow" regardless of their musical preference. Such is the power of Josh Groban. Rick Dees even dubbed him "the annointed one."
His genius is his ability to channel into a deep reservoir of emotion, so even though he might be singing in a different language, listeners can understand the song through feeling... and he's only in his early 20's! If you enjoyed his CD, just wait till you get this DVD and can watch him!
Aside from Josh, the thing I was most impressed with on this DVD was the sound. This DVD features CD quality sound, which is a delight.
There's also a whole debate about Angie Stone singing with Josh on 'The Prayer.' I'll have to admit I actually enjoyed Ms. Stone's version more than the CD version with Charlotte Church. I felt, personally, that Ms. Stone's technique was better than Charlotte's. No, I'm not saying Charlotte doesn't have talent- she is a powerhouse of talent- but experience counts for just as much. Charlotte, lately, has a tendency to waver just below or just above the actual note. She falls either flat or sharp of the note. Ms. Stone may hail from an R&B background, but she hit each note on key, and she brought a different flavor to the song, one that was very vibrant and natural. Suffice to say, I really enjoyed the change-up. To each his or her own =)

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JOSH GROBAN IN CONCERT (DVD+CD) - DVD Movie

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The Weird Al Show - The Complete Series (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me first state that I love, worship, and adore Weird Al. I went through a great deal of trouble to get VHS copies of this show off the internet, and remember being simultaneously joyous and disappointed by the incredibly uneven show that resulted. While on the one hand, hey, it's Weird Al, on the other, it was painfully obvious where the hand of the network was tooling our friend around. I noticed that the wonderful person I knew was, in the show, an unlovable jerk who constantly screwed over his friends who strangely kept coming over anyway. I noticed the lessons were often weak, contradictory, or a lie. And yet, there were the shining spots - the rare Fatman cartoons, the home movies, the riotously funny phony educational films, Fred Huggins, the brief song parodies sprinkled in. Basically, any moment where Al wasn't getting stomped on by a network censor and allowed to just be himself is pure gold.
Then a funny thing happened - this DVD came out and every episode had a commentary track from the director, the head writer, and oh yea, Weird Al. And I learned that not only were they aware of every single thing I noticed that was wrong with this show, they hated it as much as I did. They mercilessly assault their own program and take no prisoners. The network censors, the educational mandates, the lost sketches, the ridiculous changes...they list them and lambast them all. It proves that Al's excellent UHF commentary was not a fluke - he's very good at keeping these amusing. There's a few guest stars from his close personal friends, but the real highlight is how savagely Al attacks his own program and the difficult working environment that his show was filmed in. And ss one last snub, material such as bloopers and cut scenes are not included because Dick Clark Productions threw out everything except for the master tapes themselves.
This show belongs on every Weird Al fan's shelf - for the commentary, and to remember the few sparkling moments when this show shined inspite of the network's desperate attempts to snuff it out.

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Ever since his 1983 self-titled breakthrough album, "Weird Al" Yankovic has been unsurpassed as a proven purveyor of parody.His classic film UHF, a string of Grammy awards® and his undisputed fanbase made his 1997 television series on CBS a cosmic inevitability.For the first time EVER on DVD, The Weird Al Show - The Complete Series pulls together all 13 episodes in one expansive 3-DVD box set.Yankovic’s signature warped comedy, original songs, TV and movie spoofs, twisted animation and ability to attract a wonderful and motley collection of special surprise guests are what make this a treasure chest of all things Al. TONS Of Guest Appearances From Comedy Favorites… • Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap) • Patton Oswalt ("The Comedians Of Comedy", "The King Of Queens") • Judy Tenuta • Emo Philips • Drew Carey • Fred Willard (Best In Show) • Victoria Jackson ("Saturday Night Live") • Gilbert Gottfried • Dr. Demento…And Some Guest Appearances That Are Just Plain WEIRD: • Fabio • John Tesh • Alex TrebekWith Musical Performances By: • Barenaked Ladies • Hanson • RadishAl’s Weird Special Features: • 13 Commentaries with Weird Al, Cast & Crew• The Evolution of "Fatman" - Original Concept Art Gallery • Concept Art Galleries • Animated "Fatman" Storyboards with Commentary by Keith Alcorn ("Fatman" Animator and Director), Animator Paul Claerhout and Production Artist Tim Hatcher • "Weird Al Show Theme" Karaoke

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Jethro Tull: Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 (DVD/CD) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Do this: buy this set. Insert the DVD into your video player. Choose 'Track select: Opening.' Then enjoy an hour of the most exceptional Jethro Tull footage heretofore released. Ask: When have you been so richly entertained for $20? But wait, there's more: add the audio tracks that precede and follow the DVD footage, and the companion CD you get, too.
We probably have this in common: the whole CD catalog, all the video released to date, the album where the band stands up, and the one that folds out as a newspaper. If I were to select a single favorite Jethro Tull product, it may very well be the concert telecast featured on this DVD. I simply can't recommend it more highly.

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Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)When my wife called me to ask if I minded her getting this video for my three-year-old daughter, I of course told her that it was fine. I knew I would be stuck watching it over and over because my little girl loves to watch things with her daddy. We sat down before bedtime and popped it in the VCR, and I committed myself to being a good daddy and to spending some quality time with my little one. The movie opened with a rip-roaring musical number, and the quality of the computer animation was very impressive. Being a Mark Twain scholar (I did my thesis on Twain), I was expecting a goofy, silly movie adaptation of the story. After all, Barbie is about as interesting to me as fly vomit. However, what I found was a wonder. The story was excellent, but the songs were the best part of the film. The quality of the musical numbers rivals that of any Disney production. The VHS tape came with a CD with all of the major songs on it. My little girl sits and sings them to me and even asks her dad to join in on the "boy parts" of the song. What struck me about the movie most was the excellent character development in this short film. It was, I have to reluctantly admit, wonderful. Princess Annaliese, Erika, King Dominick, Julian, and the two cats are wonderfully portrayed. However, the stand out character is most definitely Preminger. This is a top-notch villain because he dosen't fit the established mold. He is prissy, vain, and feminine. However, he is also sly, conniving, and cruel hearted. His musical number "How can I refuse?" is among the best "villain songs," I have ever heard...bar none. There is also a great subplot involving the cats. Even the minor characters stand out. I've watched the film over and over with my little girl, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it every time. And I don't feel a bit unmanly at all.

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Singing In Her First Musical Movie!This adventure tells the story of a Princess and a pauper who were worlds apart in lifestyles yet identical in looks! When chance brings them together it becomes the beginning of a great adventure and a friendship that will last a lifetime. When Anneliese is captured Erika must pretend to be the Princess to help find out what has happened and to save her. In the end the magic of love and friendship triumphs and the kingdom is saved!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC:012236161516 Manufacturer No:A017367

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WWE The Music - A New Day, Volume 10 (Amazon.com Exclusive) Review

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(More customer reviews)Great set of tunes overall!
I know I've been looking everywhere for a lot of these songs long before this compilation came out, and I know that I'm probably not alone. There are a couple of tracks here that make downloading this comp worth it (not to mention the price), and there are plenty of others that will have you singing right along in the gym/car/house/etc.
I'm glad Jim Johnston expanded his horizons once again and got some real bands to help him make some good themes even better. Johnston's always been a Zen master of producing memorable entrance music for the most popular WWE stars, and he hit the mark again with this one. (He's done this before, of course, with "Forceable Entry" and "Wreckless Intent", and generally, it hasn't disappointed yet.) Many of the themes have a similarity to them as far as song structure, but the bands' contributions are what make each track unique. (Besides, on TV you're only going to hear the first minute or so of the songs anyway.) Story of the Year's take on Christian's theme is just the makeover that song needed, and is one of the best. Mutiny Within destroys Evan Bourne's theme as well, and just from the first few notes my adrenaline started flowing. It's an old-school-style heavy metal classic, complete with a blazing guitar solo in the middle. I've always liked Sheamus' theme; no matter what people may think about the wrestler, you have to admit the Celtic flavor spicing up the hard rock matches his persona perfectly. "Return the Hitman" and "Crank the Walls Down" are hidden gems, with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster adding some extra oomph to a grinding mash-up of Chris Jericho's and Big Show's themes.
Of course, as with every WWE Music compilation, not every track is a winner. "Radio" is pretty forgettable (just like the Zack Ryder himself), and the Diva tracks are just as much candy as the divas they represent. If you like sugary dance grooves, they're right up your alley. And I'd have gladly traded Primo's reggaeton-ish theme for another; it sticks out like an infected appendage on a comp full of driving hard rock tunes.
WWE and Jim Johnston seem to really be stepping it up with their music production. Overall, this is a great compilation that showcases not only some of the WWE's bright new talent, but introduces the listener to some cool new bands in the process. It's one of the best collections overall that WWE has put out. The only thing that would've really put this collection over the top is if they had included the new theme songs from RAW (Nickelback's "Burn It to the Ground"), Smackdown (Divide the Day's "Let It Roll"), and WWE Superstars (Adelitas Way's "Invincible"), but they can all easily be found elsewhere on Amazon. Definitely worth picking up if you're a WWE fan or just looking for some new bands, especially at less than five bucks.

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WWE The Music – A New Day is comprised of 14 new songs all composed, written and produced by WWE Music Director, Jim Johnston.

Some of the hottest acts in music today, including Adelitas Way, Kim Sozzi, Story of the Year and Mutiny Within performed the entrance themes for WWE Superstars and Divas. WWE The Music – A New Day captures these tracks and delivers them to the WWE Universe for the first time.

The album features entrance themes from WWE Superstars and Divas such as The Legacy, Dolph Ziggler, The Bella Twins, Evan Bourne, Big Show/Chris Jericho and many more.

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Zoom Tour Live (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)In what can only be described as an amazing compensation gift for having their tour cancelled, ELO's DVD literally pulls all the right strings. Being a lifelong fan of ELO after first seeing them on The Midnight Special belting out "In the Hall of the Mountain King", I have followed them religiously and was lucky enough to see them live on 3 separate tours. I even bit the bullet and saw ELO 2 a couple of years ago. I have clung to the hope for the last 9 or 10 years that Jeff Lynne would put out some of his own music for a change and my dream was realized earlier this year with the release of the wonderful Zoom. Although the record was horribly marketed as well as the subsequent ill-fated tour, my enthusiasm for the new music was not abated. In what can be considered a gift from the rock gods, this DVD will surely be a prized possession for years to come. The great surprise of this DVD is that Jeff Lynne has only improved upon his immense talent with the passing of time. Not only does he look like he still in a 1970's timewarp with his trademark fro, goatee and shades, his voice and musicianship have never been better. His singing is unparalleled and he hits every note flawlessly. He even displays some real guitar chops on hits like Ma Ma Belle and Roll Over Beethoven. His singing on Moment in Paradise, Can't Get it Out of My Head, Telephone Line and the surprising addition of One Summer Dream literally left me teary-eyed and speechless. The new band's playing is superlative and in my opinion, come the closest to duplicating ELO's studio sound I have ever heard from any incarnation of the band. There's a generous serving of hits scattered throughout the set and a bunch of new songs from Zoom. My only complaint, would have been to jettison a few of the weak songs like Easy Money and State of Mind from Zoom and to have inserted a few other hits. I know, they didn't perform Fire on High or Getting to the Point but the addition of those 2 favorite songs of mine would have really put it over the top for me. After getting my big screen TV and home theater system last year, I have become quite enamored at collecting rock concert DVDs like Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and The Moody Blues "Hall of Fame". But, I always longed for a state of the art ELO DVD to complete the set. The Live at Wembley disc just doesn't cut it because of the antiquated recording technology used then which sounds so hollow compared to today's digital quality. To me this DVD is important because it captures Lynne at his zenith and I will always have this moment captured in time forever to watch while I become a decrepit old man. This is truly a great show and I hope Lynne continues to record and perhaps launch a more modest and carefully marketed tour in the near future.

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Electric Light Orchestra took rock in a new direction, combining lush orchestrations with a pop sensibility, rapidly scoring 17 Top 40 hits. After a lengthy absence from U.S. stages, ELO, headed by Jeff Lynne, returns in this much-anticipated performance kicking off the new "Zoom" album at CBS Television City in Los Angeles with all of the lavish spectacle the band is famous for in this state-of-the-art concert. Songs: Do Ya, Evil Woman, Showdown, Strange Magic, Livin' Thing, Alright, Lonesome Lullaby, Telephone Line, Turn To Stone, Just For Love, Easy Money, Mr. Blue Sky, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle, One Summer Dream, Tightrope, State Of Mind, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Moment In Paradise, 10538 Overture, Ordinary Dream, Shine A Little Love, Don't Bring Me Down, Roll Over Beethoven. Interview with Jeff Lynne (9 min.); Fan Club segment (2 min.)

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