Queen Video Anthology Re-Issue An Important Piece Of Music History

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment/Eagle Vision

Queen’s newly re-released video anthology, “Queen: Greatest Video Hits”, is an important piece of music history.  It’s an important piece of music history not just for fans of Queen, but for music historians, music lovers and those in the business, too.  There are those who would like to speak and write negative things about this set.  Those same people obviously know little about what makes this anthology so important or about the history of music videos as a whole.  That includes music videos up to today.

In its earliest days, the music video was used mainly as a means to establish the identity of a given band and/or artist. With the advent of MTV, music videos began to slowly see a change from forming the identity for a band and/or artist to being an artistic outlet for directors.  Those newer music videos rarely had anything to do with the songs being performed by said bands and artists.  And in relation, those same videos also focused less and less on the bands and artists themselves.  Even music videos made today that actually do star a band and/or artist rarely have anything to do with the said band and/or artist’s song being featured.  In simple terms, music videos went from being excellent marketing tools for bands and artists–and their music–to being little more than excuses for overly artsy directors to do what they would consider flexing their “creative muscle.”  In direct contrast though, Queen did the opposite of what so many others bands and artists began to do over time.  It didn’t let those same overly artsy directors compromise its identity, staying front and center in every video released throughout its career.  What this did was maintain a certain balance between marketing the band as a unit and its music.  This is evident all the way from its hit, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ all the way to its much discussed video for ‘I Want To Break Free.’  And now audiences and music historians alike can look back and see that for themselves with this double disc set.   

The comparison of Queen’s music videos to those of so many other artists is just one significant factor that makes “Queen:  Greatest Video Hits” an important anthology.  Something else interesting occurs in watching the videos included here.  Viewers will notice that the band’s performance of ‘Spread Your Wings’ was likely recorded at the same time as the video for the band’s biggest hit of all, ‘We Will Rock You.’  The setting and attire is exactly the same in both videos.  The only difference is the music.  In relation, it’s interesting to note that ‘We Will Rock You’ has become a staple at hockey games across America and Canada to this day.  In relation, audiences will note in both videos that bassist John Deacon was actually sporting a Chicago Blackhawks coat.  Coincidence?  Probably.  But it’s interesting to note that.  Also, audiences will find equally interesting that the band’s video for ‘We Are The Champions’ was one of its standard live performance videos instead of what is presented in ‘We Will Rock You.’

The videos compiled in the collection by themselves exhibit the change not just in the industry, but musically in the band.  And in conjunction with the companion DVD and blu-ray, “Days of Our Lives”, the videos presented in “Greatest Video Hits” have an even deeper meaning.  Hearing the band discuss the different phases of the band’s career and everything that it went through in “Days of Our Lives” brings that much more meaning to this new anthology.  “Days Of Our Lives” was released earlier this year, also via Eagle Rock Entertainment and Eagle Vision.

Both releases are available now both in stores and online.  They can both be ordered direct via Eagle Rock’s website at http://www.eagle-rock.com.          

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Green Day To Tour This Fall And Winter In Support Of New LP’s

Veteran punk rock band Green Day has officially announced the dates for its upcoming Fall/Winter tour.  The band will hit the road beginning November 26^th in Seattle, Washington.  The band’s tour will take it first along the West Coast before making its way to the Northeast with a couple of stops in the Midwest along the way.  The band will play one show in the Midatlantic region in late January before heading back through the Northeast again and into Canada.  February will see Green Day make its way back to the Midwest on its way back to Nevada.

Courtesy: BB Gun press

 Fan club presales for the band’s upcoming tour will start this Wednesday, September 12th at 10am.  Audiences can join the band’s fan club and get a pre-order bundle online at http://splash.greenday.com.  Fans who order tickets online will also get one free digital download of the first of the band’s upcoming trilogy, “Uno.” 

The band’s upcoming tour is in support of its upcoming trilogy of new releases.  The first album in the new trilogy, “Uno”, will be available September 25^th.  “Dos” will hit stores and online outlets November 13^th.  And the trilogy’s closer, “Tre” will follow on January 15, 2013.  Fans can get all the latest news and tour dates from the band online at http://www.greenday.com, http://www.facebook.com/Greenday, http://twitter.com/greenday, and on its official YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/greenday.

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Mister Rogers & Me a wonderful tribute to a wonderful person

Courtesy: Wagner Brothers/PBS

The one thing that makes me mad is one person demeaning another.  That’s a near direct quote from the recently releaed documentary, “Mister Rogers & Me.”  That statement came from the lips of the legendary Mister Rogers himself before his death, as noted in this documentary.  As simple as that statement is, it speaks volumes about a man who lived a simple life both on camera and off.  It also explained what makes Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood one of the most highly revered children’s programs to ever be created.

“Mister Rogers & Me” isn’t so much about Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood so much as it is about the man after whom it was named, Fred Rogers.  In watching this new documentary, audiences get a glimpse at the impact that Mr. Rogers had (and still has to this day) on audiences young and old alike.  Mister Rogers was welcomed into countless households every day.  From authors to television personalities to regular every day families, Mister Rogers had a profound impact on people at every level.  The Wagner Brothers–David, Benjamin, and Christofer–interviewed personalities such as Arthur creator Marc Brown, NPR correspondent Susan Stamberg, and the late Tim Russert about the impact that Mr. Rogers had on their lives.  The sentiments shared by each one are enough to make audiences of any age tear up.  Their stories are that touching and powerful.  The stories shared by average every day audiences and their families are just as moving.

The stories shared by the Wagner Brothers’ intervewees make for an amazing story.  In an age when it’s next to impossible to know which adults can be trusted to be around our children, Mr. Rogers is still one of the rare individuals that parents have always been able to trust.  The Wagner Brothers explain what it was that that made Mister Rogers the beloved, trusted personality that he was, and even is today, even though he’s no longer with us.  Each segment of the documentary shares the values by which Mister Rogers lived, and in turn, shared with parents and children alike.  Each segment of the documentary is separated by a quote that explains Mister Rogers’ different values.  The separation helps to keep audiences’ attention from Benjamin Wagner’s first meeting with Mister Rogers to the final sentiments shared by the television icon with his audiences in his final broadcast.

Fred Rogers was everything that personalities on television today aren’t.  He was a simple person.  He lived a simple life.  He was genuine.  This documentary proves to audiences that the man they saw in front of the camera was the same one they saw behind the camera.  He wasn’t just some personality.  He didn’t try to push products.  He just wanted audiences of all ages to know that no matter who they were (and are) he liked them just the way they are.  And as the interviews shared in this documentary prove, one simple statement is all the world needs.  Call him a dreamer.  But if the entire world shared one kind word with one another each day, odds are, this world would be a much better place in whcih to live.  It would certainly be a fitting tribute to a man who lived this belief every day of his life.  Thankfully, with this new documentary, The Wagner Brothers and PBS have reminded everyone that all the world needs is a little kindness.  With any luck, this reminder will get more people to try to share that kindness and pay tribute in their own way, too.  And maybe one day, we’ll all be able to say to one another, “I like you just the way you are”, too.

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