Eagle Rock Announces Release Date, Specs For Bob Marley Live Recording

Eagle Rock Entertainment has partnered with the Bob Marley Estate to honor the late great musician.

The organizations will release Uprising Live Nov. 13 on separate 3LP and limited edition 3LP Deluxe colored vinyl pressings. Pre-orders are open.

The June 13, 1980 concert featured in the presentation is taken from Marley’s “Uprising Tour.” The tour launched May 30, 1980 in Zurich, Switzerland and ended Sept. 23, 1980 in Pittsburg, PA.

The concert featured in the forthcoming recording was held at the Westfalenhalle arena in Dortmund, Germay. It has become well-known among audiences in part because of the fact that it was broadcast as part of the nation’s Rockpalast concert series. It was also part of what would go on to be Marley’s final tour before his death from cancer at age 36 in 1981.

The performance featured in the forthcoming live recording features songs, such as That’s The Way Jah Planned It,’ ‘Redemption Song,’ and ‘Could You Be Loved.’ The concert’s set list is noted below.

TRACKLISTING
Side A
1) Precious World
2) Slave Queen
3) Steppin’ Out Of Babylon
4) That’s The Way Jah Planned It

Side B
1) Marley Chant
2) Natural Mystic
3) Positive Vibration
4) Revolution
5) I Shot The Sheriff

Side C
1) War / No More Trouble
2) Zimbabwe
3) Jamming
4) No Woman, No Cry

Side D
1) Zion Train
2) Exodus
3) Redemption Song
4) Could You Be Loved

Side E
1) Work
2) Natty Dread
3) Is This Love
4) Get Up, Stand Up

Side F
1) Coming In From The Cold
2) Lively Up Yourself

More information on the recording is available along with all of the latest Bob Marley news at:

Website: http://www.bobmarley.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BobMarley

Twitter: http://twitter.com/bobmarley

More information on this and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Stray Cats Live At Rockpalast Is One More Of 2015’s Top New Live Recordings

Courtesy: MVD Entertainment Group

Mig Music will release a new pair of archived concerts from the famed rockabilly band Stray Cats tomorrow in the form of Stray Cats: Live at Rockpalast. The concerts, taken from two of the band’s Rockpalast concerts (its 1981 show in Cologne, Germany and its 1983 show at Loreley Open Air), will be available both as a single-disc DVD and a triple-disc DVD/2CD combo pack presentation. Their release this week will mark the first time that they have ever been released to the public. It will also mark the first time ever that they have been released together. That being the case, these concerts are a good fit for anyone that grew up a fan of Bryan Setzer both today and in his youth. There is plenty for fans to enjoy about this ne wpairing of concerts beginning with its dual packaging. The shows will be presented both on a single-disc DVD and on a triple-disc DVD/2-CD combo pack. That dual packaging lies at the center of the recordings’ success. It is just one part of what makes the new release worth the watch and/or listen, too. The presentation of two separate shows with two separate yet similar set lists adds even more interest to the recording. Last but hardly least worth noting of Mig Music’s new Live at Rockpalast concerts are the collective production values incorporated into both concerts. The concerts are presented on each platform exactly as they were presented in their original recordings. That presentation goes to show how far recording technology has come over the course of the past four decades-plus. At the same time, the fact that both shows look and sound as good as they do even with lesser recording technology is a statement to the recording technology of the day. The footage has obviously stood the test of time quite well. Being that it has, it makes both concerts that much easier to see and hear, and in turn enjoy that much more. In being able to enjoy both concerts, audiences will agree that regardless of which platform one chooses (the DVD or DVD/2CD platform), both presentations are equally enjoyable for anyone that is a Stray Cats fan and show once again to be well worth the addition to their home collection.

Courtesy: MVD Entertainment Group/MIG Music

Mig Music’s new Stray Cats live recording Live at Rockpalast is a welcome addition to any Stray Cats fan’s home collection. It shows this primarily through its dual platform packaging. It would have been so easy for the people at Mig Music to take the route taken by so many other labels and present the one of the included concerts on one platform and the other on another (E.g. Cologne 1981 on DVD and 1983 Loreley Open Air on DVD/2-CD or vice versa). This is a route that is all too often taken by American record labels. And it is annoying to say the least as it robs audiences of a full concert experience. Luckily for Stray Cats fans, Mig Music didn’t take that route. Rather it provided fans with both shows not only on a single-disc DVD platform but also on a DVD/2-CD combo pack for true hardcore fans. While the triple-disc platform might cost a little more it still is worth the money shelled out for said fans. In the same vein, having both concerts on a standalone DVD is just as worth the money for those that are perhaps not as hardcore as others in their fandom. It still gives those fans the same two concerts as those presented to the band’s more hardcore fans. It’s just the beginning of what fans will appreciate about this new release. The fact that the set lists are presented in exactly the same order on both platforms makes them even more worth the purchase by fans of every level.

The presentation of Stray Cats’ 1981 and 1983 Rockpalast shows on two separate platforms lies at the center of the recordings’ enjoyment and success. Regardless of audiences’ fandom, it gives every fan the same two concerts only on different platforms. It is only one part of what audiences will appreciate about these soon to be released recordings. While it may seem minor on the surface, the fact that the set lists for each show are presented in the same order regardless of platform is important in its own right. Far too often, it is taken for granted that when record companies release live recordings across multiple platforms, said recordings will be presented in the exact same order. The reality is that there are those labels that for one reason or another change up the set lists of those recordings from one platform to another. This critic in particular has seen that happen more times than can be recalled. So for Stray Cats fans to get the same concerts in the same order on two separate platforms says a lot for the efforts of those at Mig Music. It shows that their aim really was to give fans the fullest experience possible at the best possible prices. Considering this, both the DVD and DVD/2-CD presentation of Live at Rockpalast become all the more of a welcome addition to any Stray Cats fan’s library. The positives still don’t end here. Having examined the extrensic values of Live at Rockpalast, all that is left to examine here are the concerts’ collective production values.

The collective production values of both Rockpalast shows presented here are noteable in their own right in the concerts’ enjoyment. What audiences get in both concerts in terms of their production values are two shows that look like they were lifted directly from the concerts’ masters and sound like it, too. The immediate thought here that most might have is that that is not a good thing. After all the recording of the Cologne, Germany show is thirty-four years old. The second of the shows is thirty-two years old. Despite this both shows sound surprisingly impressive in themselves. The video mix is just as surprisingly impressive. Neither concert looks like it has been touched since having been originally recorded more than three decades ago. Yet neither concert looks that bad, either. It just goes to show on one hand how far recording tech has come since the days of these concerts. At the same time, it goes to show the surprisingly impressive quality of recording tech alll those years ago. The audio and video set alongside each other, they prove in the long run to be quite impressive even despite the tech available to record the concerts presented here. They round out the ways in which Live at Rockpalast proves itself a welcome addition to any Stray Cats fan’s home music library. Together with the presentation of the concerts’ set lists and their availability in multiple platforms, the concerts that make up Live at Rockpalast prove to make it one more candidate for a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s best new live recordings.

Whether it be for the availability of its concerts on multiple platforms, the equal presentation of the concerts’ set lists, or for the surprisingly impressive production values of both shows, Stray Cats fans have plenty to like about the band’s new concert recordings. All things considered, Live at Rockpalast proves itself in whole to be one more candidate for a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s best new live recordings. The complete listing for both the DVD and DVD/2CD presentation of Stray Cats Live at Rockpalast is included below.
TRACKLISTINGS

DVD

Loreley, August 20th 1983:

1. Baby Blue Eyes 03:41

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 04:11

4. Drink That Bottle Down 05:26

5. Something Is Wrong With My Radio 02:39

6. Built For Speed 06:30

7. Look At That Cadillac 04:25

8. Runaway Boy 03:46

9. Lonely Summer Nights 04:22

10. Too Hip, Gotta Go 02:39

11. Stray Cats Strut 05:42

12. She’s Sexy And 17 04:40

13. Banjo Time (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) 02:16

14. The Race Is On 02:14

15. Tear It Up 04:03

16. Oh Boy 03:03

17. Rock This Town 06:50

Cologne, July.16th 1981

1. Sweet Love On My Mind 03:58

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 03:34

4. My One Desire 04:38

5. Ubangi Stomp 04:16

6. Drink That Bottle Down 05:34

7. Storm The Embassy 05:05

8. Stray Cats Strut 04:09

9. Fishnet Stockings 02:48

10. Important Words 04:32

11. Rock This Town 08:28

12. Runaway Boy 04:40

13. Sometin’ Else 04:45

14. Gonna Ball 04:14

CD 1, Loreley, August 20th 1983:

1. Baby Blue Eyes 03:41

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 04:11

4. Drink That Bottle Down 05:26

5. Something Is Wrong With My Radio 02:39

6. Built For Speed 06:30

7. Look At That Cadillac 04:25

8. Runaway Boy 03:46

9. Lonely Summer Nights 04:22

10. Too Hip, Gotta Go 02:39

11. Stray Cats Strut 05:42

12. She’s Sexy And 17 04:40

13. Banjo Time (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) 02:16

14. The Race Is On 02:14

15. Tear It Up 04:03

16. Oh Boy 03:03

17. Rock This Town 06:50

CD 1 total run time: 70:33
CD 2, Cologne, July.16th 1981

1. Sweet Love On My Mind 03:58

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 03:34

4. My One Desire 04:38

5. Ubangi Stomp 04:16

6. Drink That Bottle Down 05:34

7. Storm The Embassy 05:05

8. Stray Cats Strut 04:09

9. Fishnet Stockings 02:48

10. Important Words 04:32

11. Rock This Town 08:28

12. Runaway Boy 04:40

13. Sometin’ Else 04:45

14. Gonna Ball 04:14

CD 2 total run time: 64:27

More information on this and other titles from Mig Music is available online now at:

Website: http://www.mig-music.de

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/migmusic.de

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Latest Live Recording Is Another Great Addition To Any Fan’s Music Library

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Next month, Lynyrd Skynyrd will release its new archived concert recording Sweet Home Alabama. The double disc recording is the first of a handful of archived recordings to be released by the band this year. And it is also the best of said recordings. The main way in which it impresses so easily is the list of songs included on both discs. The set list featured in the main concert (Disc 1) features mostly music from the original LS lineup. The only more recent song included in the main set is the song ‘Down South Jukin,’ which is included on the band’s 1994 compilation record Endangered Species. Other than that one song, the rest of the concert’s set list is pure, classic Lynyrd Skynyrd. The recording’s second disc features its own share of classic Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes, too. For that matter, it includes what are perhaps two of the biggest of the band’s many hits. It does so twice over, too which leads to another of the recording’s positives. Not only do fans get a complete set from the then current Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup in this recording but they also get a few songs from the original Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup from its 1974 performance at the famed Rockpalast festival. Last but not least of all worth noting of this recording is its audio mix. The audio mix stands out in a subtle yet important way in this recording. This will be discussed later. Being taken into consideration with the recording’s set lists and its presentation of Skynyrd from two eras, the whole of Sweet Home Alabama proves to be another great addition to any Skynyrd fan’s music library. What’s more it proves yet again why Eagle Rock Entertainment is the leader in live recordings.

Eagle Rock Entertainment’s upcoming archived Lynyrd Skynyrd performance Sweet Home Alabama is a great addition to any Lynyrd Skynyrd fan’s music library. The double disc CD set is a follow-up of sorts to the concert’s DVD presentation, which was originally released in 2008. It hasn’t been until now that the concert’s CD presentation will have seen the light of day. For those that have not had the pleasure of seeing the original DVD presentation of Sweet Home Alabama its 2-CD platform is just as welcome as the DVD. The main reason that it is such a welcome addition to any LS fan’s music library is its set lists. Presented here are two set lists from two completely different eras of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s life. By and large, both set lists are composed of classic LS songs. The only “newer” song featured in the whole of the presentation is ‘Down South Jukin.’ That song was taken from the band’s 1994 album Endangered Species. Other than that one song, the rest of the recording is made up of nothing but classic LS dating all theway back to the band’s debut 1973 record (Pronounced leh-nerd Skin-nerd). It includes some of the band’s biggest hits including ‘Saturday Night Special,’ ‘Workin’ For MCA,’ ‘Swamp Music’ and of course perhaps the biggest of the band’s many hits ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Free Bird.’ In regards to ‘Free Bird,’ audiences will be happy to know that both in the band’s 1996 performance and that from 1974, it is featured in its entirety. The only real surprise of the whole recording is that there’s no sign of ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ or ‘The Ballad of Curtis Loew.’ Beggars can’t be choosers, though. Even with the absence of either song, audiences still get quite the impressive collection of songs considering the makeup of these two shows. It’s just one way in which Sweet Home Alabama proves itself a welcome addition to any LS fan’s music library.

The songs that make up Sweet Home Alabama’s two set lists more than make for a great concert for fans. They are tied directly in to another way in which it proves itself a great addition to any LS fan’s music library–its presentation of LS in two different lineups and eras. Audiences get in the main concert LS in its then present lineup featuring former front man Ronnie Van Zant’s brother Johnny on vocals. He is joined by many of Ronnie’s old band mates and some new members including: Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Dale Krantz-Rossington, and Carol Chase. The bonus 1974 concert features a handful of performances by the original LS lineup of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Ed King, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, Owen Hale, and Bob Burns. Listening to both lineups, it is amazing to hear the strength and fire that still burned bright under the band in 1996, nearly two decades after one of the music world’s worst tragedies. Of course that could be chalked up to the fact that the surviving band members did in fact take some time away for themselves after that fateful plane crash in 1977. Considering the band’s strength and stage presence in its 1974 show, it makes that plane crash all the more tragic. That is because the ’74 show presented a band at the top of its game. One can only imagine what the original LS lineup would have sounded like if not for that horrible tragedy only three years later. Sadly the world will never know. Regardless, it is clear that LS was obviously back on top of its game in its ’96 show. Considering the band’s strength and stage performance in both shows, it paints a vivid picture of the band’s bond both in its old era and its then new era. That picture of strength in both lineups makes even more clear what makes Sweet Home Alabama a welcome addition to any LS fan’s music library.

The set lists that make up Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1996 and 1974 Rockpalast performances make for plenty of reason that any of the band’s fans will want to add this recording to their music libraries. The strength and solid stage presence presented by both lineups adds even more interest to the recording. That is because it puts on exhibit LS before the tragedy that would forever change it and the band years after that tragic crash. Both elements are important in their own way to the whole of Sweet Home Alabama. They are not all that makes it another impressive live recording from LS and Eagle Rock Entertainment. The concerts’ production values should be taken into consideration in examining the recording, too. Every part within the songs is expertly balanced. Even with recording technology having changed a lot since 1974 that recording sounds just as good as the band’s ’96 show. On another, more subtle level, those charged with handling the shows’ audio mixes both at the concerts and in post production are to be commended for their efforts. They are especially worthy of praise for balancing the audio levels both during the band’s performances of its songs and in the interludes in which the Van Zant brothers each interact with the audiences. This means that audiences don’t have to constantly turn up and down the volume on their radios from one song to the next. It’s an aspect of live recordings that far too few audio engineers take into account when preparing live shows for purchase. Thankfully those handling these concerts’ audio did. The end result of their efforts is two concerts that are just as enjoyable for their expert audio production as for the shows’ set lists and the band’s stage presence. It is one more way in which Sweet Home Alabama shows itself one more welcome addition to any LS fan’s music library and why once again Eagle Rock Entertainment has proven itself the leader in live recordings.

Staying on the element of the recording’s audio mix, the clarity of the concerts’ interludes reveals some language that older audiences might find objectionable for some younger listeners. This includes both the performances of the songs and the interludes. Being that this is not noted anywhere on the packaging for the dual-disc set, it should at least be noted here. It means that audiences should use their discretion in listening and letting younger listeners hear this recording. That aside, it is still a recording that at least older LS fans will enjoy. That’s not to say that younger audiences can’t enjoy these two concerts. But older audiences should use their discretion in letting younger listeners hear certain parts of the concerts.

Sweet Home Alabama is not the only live Lynyrd Skynyrd recording to be released this year. It is however the best live Lynyrd Skynyrd live recording to be released so far. When comparing it to the others planned for release this year, it proves in the end to be potentially the best of the band’s planned live releases. That is thanks first and foremost to the set lists that make up both concerts. The set lists are composed mainly of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classics save for just one song. Getting to hear Lynyrd Skynyrd both before and after its untimely tragedy paints a vivid picture of a band that has proven just as strong both before and after. Each element by itself shows why Sweet Home Alabama is another welcome addition to any LS fan’s library. All three elements together show it not only to be a great addition to any LS fan’s personal music collection but yet another reason that Eagle Rock Entertainment remains to this day the leader in live recordings. It will be available Tuesday, June 2nd in a double-disc presentation and will retail for MSRP of $17.98. A 2-LP is also scheduled for release later this year. More information on this and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

MVD Entertainment Group To Release Two Classic Stray Cats Concerts This Summer

Courtesy: MVD Entertainment Group

Brian Setzer and his former friends in the famed neo-rockabilly band Stray Cats went their separate ways long ago. But even in all the years since, the band has still remained a favorite among thousands of audiences the world over. And thanks to that continued demand, MVD Entertainment Group will release a new pair of classic archived concerts from the band this summer.

Courtesy: MVD Entertainment Group

MVD Entertainment Group will release Stray Cats Live at Rockpalast on Tuesday, July 7th. The recording will feature the band’s performances at the famed annual concert festival in 1981 and 1983. The first of the performances was recorded on July 16th, 1981 and the second on August 20th, 1983. Both performances will be featured on a DVD release and a separate DVD/2CD platform. Their upcoming release marks the first time that either performance has ever been released for fan consumption. The complete listing for both the DVD and DVD/2CD presentation of Stray Cats Live atRockpalast is included

below.
TRACKLISTINGS

DVD

Loreley, August 20th 1983:

1. Baby Blue Eyes 03:41

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 04:11

4. Drink That Bottle Down 05:26

5. Something Is Wrong With My Radio 02:39

6. Built For Speed 06:30

7. Look At That Cadillac 04:25

8. Runaway Boy 03:46

9. Lonely Summer Nights 04:22

10. Too Hip, Gotta Go 02:39

11. Stray Cats Strut 05:42

12. She’s Sexy And 17 04:40

13. Banjo Time (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) 02:16

14. The Race Is On 02:14

15. Tear It Up 04:03

16. Oh Boy 03:03

17. Rock This Town 06:50

Cologne, July.16th 1981

1. Sweet Love On My Mind 03:58

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 03:34

4. My One Desire 04:38

5. Ubangi Stomp 04:16

6. Drink That Bottle Down 05:34

7. Storm The Embassy 05:05

8. Stray Cats Strut 04:09

9. Fishnet Stockings 02:48

10. Important Words 04:32

11. Rock This Town 08:28

12. Runaway Boy 04:40

13. Sometin’ Else 04:45

14. Gonna Ball 04:14

CD 1, Loreley, August 20th 1983:

1. Baby Blue Eyes 03:41

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 04:11

4. Drink That Bottle Down 05:26

5. Something Is Wrong With My Radio 02:39

6. Built For Speed 06:30

7. Look At That Cadillac 04:25

8. Runaway Boy 03:46

9. Lonely Summer Nights 04:22

10. Too Hip, Gotta Go 02:39

11. Stray Cats Strut 05:42

12. She’s Sexy And 17 04:40

13. Banjo Time (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) 02:16

14. The Race Is On 02:14

15. Tear It Up 04:03

16. Oh Boy 03:03

17. Rock This Town 06:50

CD 1 total run time: 70:33

CD 2, Cologne, July.16th 1981

1. Sweet Love On My Mind 03:58

2. Double Talkin’ Baby 03:37

3. Rumble In Brighton 03:34

4. My One Desire 04:38

5. Ubangi Stomp 04:16

6. Drink That Bottle Down 05:34

7. Storm The Embassy 05:05

8. Stray Cats Strut 04:09

9. Fishnet Stockings 02:48

10. Important Words 04:32

11. Rock This Town 08:28

12. Runaway Boy 04:40

13. Sometin’ Else 04:45

14. Gonna Ball 04:14

CD 2 total run time: 64:27

More information on this and other titles from MVD Entertainment Group is available online now at:

Website: http://www.mvdb2b.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MVDEntertainmentGroup

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd To Release Classic Concert Recording This Summer

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

This summer, veteran southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will release a new archived live recording to its fans via the leader in live recordings, Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Lynyrd Skynyrd will release Sweet Home Alabama on Tuesday, June 2^nd.  The double-disc CD set features the band’s classic Rockpalast concert from 1996.  It marks the first time that the recording has ever been released for purchase.  The show’s set list includes some of the band’s biggest hits including: ‘Freebird,’ ‘Working For MCA,’ ‘Saturday Night Special, ‘Gimme Three Steps,’ ‘I Ain’t The One,’ and of course the recording’s title track and fan favorite ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ among many other songs.

The show’s set list is a big part of this recording’s success.  But it isn’t all that make the recording great.  As a bonus for true fans, Eagle Rock Entertainment has included a handful of rare performances featuring the original Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Ed King, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, Owen Hale, and Bob Burns.  The lineup for the 1996 show features Ronnie’s brother Johnny on vocals.  He is joined by many of Ronnie’s old band mates and some new members including: Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Dale Krantz-Rossington, and Carol Chase.  The complete track listing for Sweet Home Alabama is listed below.

TRACK LISTING:

Disc 1: 

1.  Workin’ For MCA
2.  I Ain’t The One
3.  Down South Junkin’
4.  Double Trouble
5.  I Know A Little   
6.  Saturday Night Special**   
7.  Swamp Music   
8.  What’s Your Name   
9. That Smell   
10. Simple Man***   
11. Gimme Three Steps   
12. Call Me The Breeze

Disc 2:

1. Sweet Home Alabama****   
2. Free Bird

CD Bonus Tracks From Hamburg 1974: 

3) Workin’ For MCA

4) Free Bird

5) Sweet Home Alabama

Sweet Home Alabama will be available Tuesday, June 2^nd in a double-disc presentation and will retail for MSRP of $17.98. A 2-LP is also scheduled for release later this year. More information on this and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Blackmore’s Rainbow Rocks In New Archived Live Show

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment/Eagle Vision

Eagle Rock Entertainment has built quite the reputation over the years as one of the leaders in live recordings.  Releases from the likes of Queen, The Rolling Stones, and even Slipknot and Stone Temple Pilots last year show why Eagle Rock has justifiably earned that reputation.  Already, Eagle Rock has maintained that reputation in 2013 with even more top notch live recordings already released and more on the way.  Among the most anticipated recordings to come are the likes of Dream Theater’s Live at Luna Park and The Rolling Stones’ Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live.  Getting back to already released live recordings, one of the most notable of Eagle Rock’s most recent live recordings released in 2013 is the newly released Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow: Black Masquerade.  This DVD recording was released just a couple of weeks ago.  And it’s one that was well worth the wait for any purist fan of rock and roll.

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow: Black Masquerade is a great live recording from the band’s post Ronnie James Die lineup.  It was originally recorded in 1995 at Dusseldorf’s famed Rockpalast TV series.  Considering that nearly two decades have passed since this concert was originally recorded, those responsible for uncovering the footage and transferring it to DVD are to be commended.  Both the audio and video quality of the concert is impressive to say the least.  They are both just as clear as they must have been in the show’s original recording if not better than said recording.  Director Gerd F. Schultze is deserving of credit here, too.  It was under Schultze’s watch that audiences catch the band’s nonstop energy and enjoyment from start to finish of the roughly ninety-minute-plus concert.

The quality of the footage in its transfer from tape to disc plays a big part in the success of this recording’s overall success.  It’s not all that audiences will appreciate here, either.  Just as much as fans will appreciate the quality of the show’s footage in its transfer, fans will also appreciate the performance itself.  Blackmore breezes through the show, exhibiting his abilities as both a modern guitarist and even as a classical guitarist.  He proves why he was still considered one of the industry’s most respected guitarists at the time as he made his way effortlessly through each song.  That’s not to say that he isn’t still considered one of the greats today.  It just serves to show that even after so many years with Deep Purple, there was still plenty of fire left in him at the time.  Suffice it to say that it is in its own way, a tribute to him and his abilities.  He isn’t the only member of the band that gets to shine in this concert, either.  Singer Doogie White is a fitting replacement for RJD.  His vocals soar with such power from one song to another.  And his interaction with both the band and the audience in attendance helps to build the show’s overall energy.  One would be remiss to ignore the talents of keyboardist Paul Morris and Chuck Burgi here.  Morris is right up there with the likes of Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and so many others of that ilk in his performance.  And Burgi’s drumming is classic rock at its finest.  From his over the top outfit to his talents and showmanship, he plays his own part in bringing fans a memorable show.

The performance by the post RJD lineup of Rainbow is in itself more than enough to make buying or ordering this new DVD well worth it.  The talent of each member of the band shows true musicianship all the way around.  And the set list that spans both the Deep Purple and Rainbow catalogue adds another element of enjoyment to the show.  And then there is the quality of the footage in its transfer from tape to disc.  All of these aspects work hand-in-hand so to speak to make Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow: Black Masquerade one more impressive piece from Eagle Rock Entertainment.  There is one more factor to be considered in the presentation’s overall enjoyment.  It’s a factor to which most people don’t pay attention but should.  It is the included liner notes in the DVD’s bonus booklet.  Writer Jeff Katz puts it even better than this critic could have in the liner notes, that “what we see in this concert is a band firing on all cylinders.”  Katz goes into painstaking song-by-song detail in his liner notes, explaining why this recording was such an important performance to be unearthed.  In doing so, he explains to audiences that in examining this release, he had to look back at his own experiences in seeing Rainbow live in person.  Those ruminations do an excellent job of setting up his take on each song.  All together, his analysis is more than just an analysis.  It’s like a program for a rock concert.  Audiences can almost read each song’s notes as each song plays, and get a better understanding of each opus.  Together with the other mentioned factors to consider in this recording, it turns out to be the icing on the proverbial cake.  It makes the performance whole and all the more worth picking up now that it is available in stores and online.  It can be ordered from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPH7QFM/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1CF1TH81AXSD69D1EDKF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846.

For more information on this and other releases from Eagle Rock Entertainment, audiences can go online to http://www.eagle-rock.com and http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt.

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