The A.V. Club - Visual Audio

Music: Visual Audio:June 19, 2009

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:35:00 -0500

Because he died young, Jeff Buckley is perceived by many as a remote, mysterious dude; indeed, in the interviews on the comprehensive documentary/stray-concert-footage collection Grace Around The World (Sony Legacy), Buckley sometimes comes off as more than a little pretentious. Yet in the years surrounding the release of Buckley’s classic debut LP Grace, he toured the world several times over and had countless one-on-one encounters with his fans, all as part of his plan to tire himself out enough to become “unselfconscious” as an artist. The Buckley seen on Grace Around The World is part hustler, willing to ...

Music: Visual Audio:August 18, 2008

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:01:00 -0500

DISC OF THE MONTH All You Need Is Love (Voiceprint/MVD) In 1976, British television began airing All You Need Is Love, a seventeen-part, fifteen-hour docu-miniseries about the history of 20th century popular music, from the advent of jazz to the pinnacle of arena-rock. Filmmaker Tony Palmer solicited opinions from veteran show business types and young bucks alike about where music had been and where they thought it was going. (Given that the series was shot before the punk revolution gained traction in the UK, not that many correspondents were especially enthusiastic.) All You Need Is Love mixes stock footage ...

Music: Visual Audio:March 24, 2008

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:04:00 -0500

DISC OF THE MONTH They Might Be Giants Here Come The 123s (Disney) It's no great surprise that They Might Be Giants have become favorites on the kiddie-music scene, but it's still been a pleasant development for parents who want their kids to appreciate TMBG's brand of pop-addled whimsy—the kind that has always connected up the best family-friendly entertainment, from Schoolhouse Rock to The Muppets. Even more impressive is how John Flansburgh and John Linnell have taken advantage of the simplicity already built into their musical style to deliver memorable, semi-educational songs—and, on the accompanying ...

Music: Visual Audio:January 8, 2008

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:05:00 -0600

DISC OF THE MONTH Nirvana Unplugged In New York (Geffen) Just as Gen-Xers were once wary of Woodstock retrospectives—all with the same, smug "You shoulda been there!" message—today's kids might approach Unplugged In New York with some trepidation. Nirvana's mesmerizing 1993 appearance on MTV Unplugged went from merely being the series' best episode to becoming an eerily powerful epitaph for the era's defining rock band. An annoying 15-minute documentary included in the new DVD release is heavy on the kind of "most amazing, amazing show ever!" talk that used to come from self-reverential baby boomers ...

Music: Visual Audio:November 28, 2007

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:50:00 -0600

DISC OF THE MONTH Bob Dylan The Other Side Of The Mirror: Live At The Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 (Columbia Legacy) If nothing else, Murray Lerner's documentary The Other Side Of The Mirror: Live At The Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 provides a fuller context to the old legend that Bob Dylan was "booed off the stage at Newport" when he performed with a rock band in 1965. Lerner's film consists entirely of performances and interviews shot over three years of the festival, with no additional contextual material. We're just asked to watch Dylan develop, and to interpret ...