Moby - Play the DVD (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was literally floored by this DVD. I was expecting mostly a video collection with some extras, but imagine my surprise when the 'extras' such as the megamix of remixes end up making this one of my favorite music DVDs ever.
The videos themselves are nice, with a number of them not before seen in the US (the European ones look like they were made on a smaller budget, but are still good fun to watch). Having the videos for songs like Honey and the original "audition" Bodyrock treatment are a blast. The live songs are amazingly well produced, and it's fun to see Moby with full backup band in tow. He even throws in 'go' and 'new dawn fades' from older releases. The video and sound quality for these segments is really topnotch.
But my favorite part of the DVD, by far, is the megamix of the various 'play' remixes, with new tripped-out visuals to accompany the songs. It's actually quite engrossing. Some of the visuals are your standard G-Force trippy screensaver type deals, but others are wildly imaginative and quite arresting. The remixes are also great in their own right, giving the original songs wildly different interpretations. The 20-minute camcorder bit in Moby's studio is fun, but not exactly arresting.
This DVD instantly jumps into the company of the Criterion Beastie Boys collection and the 'Everything, Everything' DVD from underworld. The megamix part of the disc alone would justify the purchase price.

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This, the perfect companion piece to the multi-platinum CD Play, highlights Moby as not just an artist and musician, but a personality. Includes 10 music videos for 7 songs, 20 minutes of live footage from "Later with Jools Holland," Moby's 90-minute "Megamix" (the best of the "Play" remixes set to original, incredible visuals) and his hilarious 20-minute home movie "Give an Idiot a Camcorder." Videos: Bodyrock (U.K. auditions), Honey, Find My Baby, Porcelain (U.K. version), Natural Blues, Bodyrock (U.K. version), Run On, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad, Natural Blues (animated), Porcelain. Live: Natural Blues, Porcelain, Go, New Dawn Fades (If We Can), Machete, Hymn, Everloving, Porcelain (acoustic). DVD-ROM feature: Re-mix 2 Moby songs

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Sports Songs and Beyond Review

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(More customer reviews)Professional baseball needs more songs. Even if you adore baseball, aren't you just a little tired of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"? Professional baseball in North America is about 100 years old and the game's origins are much older. Lots of legends and colorful folklore evolved to celebrate baseball's heroes, but the one song closely associated with the game is the tired old "peanuts and cracker jacks". It's a fine tune for taking the seventh inning stretch, but it's time for baseball history to get some original music into the legendary history books. Indeed, King of the Road Music, with folk singer Phil Coley and songwriter Joe Pickering, came up with a series of musical baseball themes to choose from, complete with clever lyrics, in an entertaining "Sports Songs and Beyond", tuneful CD.
Pickering and Coley are the artistic duo who produced a fine bunch of baseball songs a few years ago on a CD titled, "Baseball Songs Sports Heroes". This CD included a litany of witty folk songs lamenting the Boston Red Sox nearly 100 years without a World Series pennant - until the 2004 championship season. Now, Coley and Pickering are hailing the triumph with the tune "Hell Freezes Over", a perky recognition of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox - getting the coveted trophy in eight straight wins.

"Sports Songs and Beyond" includes 24 total tracks, 10 are baseball songs, with terrific lyrics, many with a baseball theme. Some relating to other sports and beyond.

Coley's clearly poetic voice articulates each musical tale.
"Let Buck Back In" is a well told musical story of 1919, when Buck Weaver was accused of blowing the White Sox World Series. Coley sings the pleading lyrics: "Will the White Sox Ever Win? Not `till baseball let's Buck back in".
Pickering even writes a cheer for Pete Rose, accused of betting on his own Cincinnati Reds baseball team. In the song "They Called Him Charlie Hustle", the cause for Rose's entry to Baseball's Hall of Fame is given musical support.
A particularly beautiful song, "This Is Your Season to Remember", is a heavenly tribute to honor Dorothy Pearl Pickering, the songwriter's late mother who enjoyed a lifelong passion for the Boston Red Sox. There are probably millions of baseball addicts who can relate to this tribute song by remembering their own family members who were dyed in the wool fans.
Perhaps some Baltimore Oriole's fans like me will take issue to the tune "Baseball's Back in D.C.". Supporting a rival team to the beloved "O's" might put Baltimore fans at risk in a city where devotion for baseball is deep rooted.
Baseball isn't the only theme in the 24 folk-country tracks. In fact, there's something musical for every red while and blue blooded sports patriot to celebrate in "Sports Songs and Beyond". "Our Dynasty of Heart", celebrates the New England Patriots football champions, lyrically called, "a team of esteem".
Some songs are beyond sports altogether, but all the lyrics are loaded with charm.
"Sports Songs and Beyond" is a handsome duo when paired with "Baseball Songs Sports Heroes". Sports history fans will find "Sports Songs and Beyond" especially entertaining.
Picking a song from the CD to replace the popular, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is tough, but I'd choose Pickering's lyrics to "Wait `till Next Year". Nevertheless, the lyrics would likely only resonate in Boston's Fenway Park.
"Sports Songs and Beyond" and "Baseball Songs Sports Heroes" were both accepted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame into their Library Collection.
Count on "Sports Songs and Beyond" to bring a smile to every sports enthusiast and to touch each fan's musical heart.


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Sports Songs and Beyond is the second CD Album of the team of Joe Pickering Jr. songwriter and Phil Coley music arranger, producer, musician, and singer.The first was the CD Baseball Songs Sports Heroes.Songs from this Album played in an HBO movie, the Fox Network, and many other TV and radio stations.It is now included in the National Baseball Hall of Fame Sound Library.It has a special place in Americana.The CD Sports Songs and Beyond promises to be as successful.It is already being touted highly on Baseball Almanac the Internet bible of baseball!It has a wide variety of songs. It is a happy, magical, merry, and momentous sometimes-heartbreaking tour of life. Of the 24 songs,10 songs are about baseball teams such as the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and World Champion Boston Red Sox. There are also baseball figures and heroes such as Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, George Buck Weaver and the greatest female pitchers of all time Jackie Mitchell. This CD includes 2 football songs, one about the World Champion New England Patriots, another song about the professional sports teams in Philadelphia, and even a baseball song about Baseball returning to Washington D.C.There are also 5 rodeo or rodeo related songs plus, many bonus songs; 3 love songs, one song to which every woman in the world can relate, called Every woman needs a wife!It is wonderfully sung by Sherri Henley. Shesings it with an attitude!Plus, there are three great Christmas songs.If Christmas is too early wait till Christmas before you listen.You won't be disappointed. You might even learn some secret fascinating facts.

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Moby: Live - Hotel Tour 2005 (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the years Richard Melville Hall has copped a lot of flack from various music circles. To rave aficionados he's the bastard child who betrayed his roots by disputing the genre's relevance. To dance purists he's the sell-out who chased the mighty dollar via multiple advertising deals. To lovers of Deep South Negro spirituals he's the man who whored Alan Lomax field recordings for hits such as Honey, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? and Run On. And to Eminem, he's eternally the "36-year-old boy in fag clothing".
It's true that he takes himself to seriously and has confusingly mixed morals when it comes to politics, drug use and animal activism, but Moby's 20 years of music making ensures his live shows are a blast. From early dance party successes such as the Twin Peaks-sampling Go to his latest David Bowie-aping single Spiders, on the new DVD Live - Hotel Tour 2005 Moby takes his audience through a diverse range of music styles.
Covering seminal punk, rock and dance tunes such as That's When I Reach For My Revolver, Walk On The Wild Side and Temptation is a risky proposition, but apart from Moby's quivering vocal style the overall package is solid. Moby's female vocalist Laura Dawn makes her mark on hits Find My Baby, Dream About Me and Feeling So Real, with her pint-sized New York boss doing the rock star guitarist thing on We Are All Made Of Stars, Bodyrock and Lift Me Up.
As with previous Moby DVDs, value for money comes via a host of extras, this time including Hotel videos (including the bizarre costume animal wife-swapping debauchery of Beautiful), bonus live tracks, home movies and a remix CD of Moby's latest tracks featuring hot producers Steve Angello, Tiga and Mylo.
Hotel might have been pretty vacant, but Live is a five star stay.

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Mylenium Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)In France, Mylène Farmer represents the link between the 20th century and the spirit of the new millennium, and she implicitly states it, entitling her new release Mylènium: a compound of her own name and of the over-advertised-over-used term millennium. Long time considered as a diva with a huge gay following (in the DVD, you will notice some rainbow flags but also hundreds of same-sex couples...), at 40 years old, she became less provocative and no one care anymore about her real sexual orientation. What's for sure is that she achieved a fine lyrics writing. Her songs are poems very difficult to translate into English, or any other language than French. Mylène Farmer knows how to play with meanings, but not only that.
This Canadian born lady also knows how to entertain her public, reaching levels of high qualified performance that only professionals such as Janet Jackson and Madonna could attend. In Mylène's discography, life albums have great importance: in her 15-year-long career, she only released five studio albums, whereas she published three double CDs life (En Concert, 1989; Live à Bercy, 1997 and The Mylènium Tour, 2000).
"Mylènium Tour" is a good work, presented in an original steel case, but not excellent: sometimes the quality of the recording is poor, although we have the feeling that it is made on purpose. In fact, Mylène has been told to sing in playback (lipsync) most of her songs. After this release, no more doubt that she performs, breathes, sings, speaks, whispers and coughs on life. She is supported by two excellent background voices, though, and her faithful musicians are at their best.
I personally think that "Live à Bercy" (1997) contains material which is more representative of Mylène's work. In fact, 10 songs out of 18 (+ 1 intro) on "Mylènium Tour" come from her most recent and multi-platinum studio release "Innamoramento" (1999), which includes six tracks released as a single. Furthermore, on "Mylènium Tour" are missing tracks such as "Libertine" and "Sans contrefaçon" (only 20 seconds each in the Medley), but also "XXL", the lead single from her best selling release "Anamorphosée" (1995). Finally, there is no previously unreleased material on this album, whereas in her 1989 and 1997 life albums she included new songs ("A quoi je sers..." on the first, and "La poupée qui fait non" in duet with Rai-Superstar Khaled, on the latter).
Let's come to the positive aspects of this album, though: "Mylènium" has a reason on its own to be bought, that is the outstanding version of her 1991 hit song "Désenchantée". It's probably one of her best re-arrangement of a song, along with "California" on "Live à Bercy". "Dernier Sourire" (The last smile: track #8 on Disc 2) also represents an extra on this album: this song has been previously released only on a Various Artists release to arise funds for the HIV/AIDS research. Mylène performs it with her voice several times broken by emotion, while she sings sentences about her loved one resting on her/his bed, waiting for the death to come. "If you want", Mylène sings, "I could come with you". This was a thrilling moment during both the shows I saw, and several people among the public shed some tears.
I think that one needs to see the show to better appreciate this album: if you can, buy the DVD. It is wonderful and code free (but as for NTSC / PAL compatibility, I have no clue - music industry should stop to stuck artists into their countries by means like Zone 1 and 2 and so on... that's a shame). You will notice the real involvement of the public and you will be puzzled by Mylène sexy person crying tears while singing her most moving songs.
I would also suggest you to buy her "Live in Bercy" and her studio album "Innamoramento", which will give you a wide representation of Mylène's work. By contrast, if you are a fan... why are you still reading this? Put it in your basket and proceed to check out!!!

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2001 live release for the French Canadian superstar who, with her collaborator, Laurent Boutonnat, have been compared to Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. 19 tracks. Beautifully packaged in a standard jewel case size gold metal box with t he artist's name and the title embossed on two doors. 24 page full color booklet/tour program.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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