Month: November 2010

DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s VISION
MJJ Productions/Epic/Legacy
By David Chiu

Other than his music, the essential medium to really understand the impact of Michael Jackson is the videos (or as this new DVD set more artistically refers to as short films. Whatever the term you choose to prefer, it is extremely hard to separate the man from the groundbreaking (and sometimes controversial) videos he made—it’s been engrained in the minds and hearts of generations weaned from MTV. Continue reading “DVD Review: Michael Jackson”

CD Reviews

CD Review: Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix
West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology
Experience Hendrix/Legacy
By David Chiu

Forty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix still looms large thanks to the endless amount of previously unreleased recordings that has been packaged and repackaged for fans and future generations still yearning for more of the guitar legend’s music. It culminates in this new 4 CD/1 DVD box career spanning set which a majority of which are never before released music of alternate studio versions and live songs. Continue reading “CD Review: Jimi Hendrix”

Book Reviews

Book Review: Becoming Elektra

(from jawbonepress.com)
Becoming Elektra: The True Story of Jac Holzman’s Visionary Record Label
By Mick Houghton
Jawbone Press
Review by David Chiu

Sixty years ago, a St. John’s College student named Jac Holzman founded a record label called Elektra and the rest as they say is history. Along with Columbia and Atlantic, Elektra would forge an amazing path of musical artistry spanning from the label’s folk beginnings in the ‘50s and early ‘60s through today’s artists like Cee-Lo and Bruno Mars. Elektra’s legendary career is the subject of this fascinating book by music journalist Mick Houghton. Continue reading “Book Review: Becoming Elektra”

Book Reviews

Book Review: Joy Division

Joy Division
By Kevin Cummins
Rizzoli International Publications
Review by David Chiu

Just as Manchester band Joy Division were about to embark on their first American tour, singer Ian Curtis hung himself on May 18, 1980 the age of 23. Thirty years later, his short life and that of the band’s still continues to resonate in music, film and now this wonderful photo book by Kevin Cummins. Continue reading “Book Review: Joy Division”

CD Reviews

CD Review: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen
Songs From the Road
Columbia/Legacy
By David Chiu

A worthy sequel to the recent Live in London, Songs from the Road is a live document of Leonard Cohen’s concerts from 2008-2009. If you were fortunate to have been at the shows, you can immediately recognize how great Cohen and his band sounded marked by first class, elegant playing, arrangements, and Cohen’s weathered vocals. Continue reading “CD Review: Leonard Cohen”

CD Reviews

CD Review: Bee Gees

Bee Gees
Mythology
Rhino/Reprise
By David Chiu

The Bee Gees’ Mythology, released to coincide the 50th anniversary of the Brothers Gibb as a musical act, is not your typical boxed set. What makes this unique is the fact that each of the four discs is devoted to a brother, including the late Andy Gibb, who was never really formally a Bee Gee, but whose career was certainly impacted by his siblings’ contributions. Continue reading “CD Review: Bee Gees”