Martina McBride - Martina (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)AUDIO QUALITY
I had waited a long time for the video to the song, "Where Would You Be" to come out on DVD. I was naturally excited to find this DVD for $4.99 at Target. I came home and played the video of Martina performing 'Where Would You Be' live at the CMT (Country Music Television) awards show. Upon my first time of watching and listening to the video, I was really disappointed of the audio quality. At the beginning of the 'Where Would You Be' video an announcer-at the CMT awards show-says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, nominated for three CMT flameworthy awards tonight ... Martina McBride." The announcers voice was loud and clear, and once Martina started singing the volume dropped dramatically-it was like going from a normal speaking voice to a whisper. I even watched the equalizer on my sound system and only once or twice during the duration of the song, did Martina's voice reach the output as the announcer did. This is really sad especially considering that there are very high notes in the song!
The poor audio quality can be simply stated by saying that this DVD is not recorded in a Dolby Digital format like her 'Greatest Hits' DVD is. I even went back and forth playing the 'Independence Day' video from both the Greatest Hits DVD and this DVD to make sure. There is a huge sound difference between the two!
With that said, I don't think most people will catch the lack of digital sound quality. Instead they will compensate by turning up the volume a lot more than usual. As usual Martina's passionate voice, great songs, and charisma will make up for the fallacies of various video producers/managers that STILL haven't managed to put out a DVD that delivers 100%.
GREAT VIDEOS:
Here is a short summary for those that are new to Martina McBride...
1) THIS ONES FOR THE GIRLS ----- This song is a musical slumber party for the girls from '1 to 99' years old. It celebrates the joy of being a girl, and tells girls everywhere "You are beautiful the way you are".
2) CONCRETE ANGEL---- This is a sad, song, that reminds me of John Michael Montgomery's song, "The Little Girl". Both songs deal with young children that are physically abused. Sadly, in this video, the child dies from the abuse. And in the end, the friend she made prior to her death was actually an angel that takes her to heaven... where she is finally loved. It's a tear jerker! [A plug at the end of the video reads: "If you need help or suspect abuse call the National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD. www.childhelpusa.org."]
3) WHERE WOULD YOU BE --- This song is by far one of the most compelling country music songs about a relationship on the rocks. The lyrics are written from the heart, and Martina delivers the power and emotion in this song. As stated earlier, this video is of her live performance at the CMT awards show, and not an actual 'video' per se.
4) BLESSED --- If you love life, love your children, are more happy that you have a happy family rather than a Mercedes Benz then this is the song for you. It is about appreciating the simple things in life that cost nothing.
5) WHEN GOD FEARING WOMEN GET THE BLUES --- This is probably one of my least favorite videos. It is on her greatest hits DVD as well.
6) INDEPENDENCE DAY --- There was a lot of controversy about this song when it was released. The low down: a battered wife finally decides to end her abuse by setting fire to their home-presumably with the abuser still in it. Hence, the reference to 'Independence Day' refers to the freedom the abuse she put up with, which, coincidentally also happens on the 4th of July.
All in all the DVD, is still worth the five dollars. However, if you don't have Martina's Greatest Hits DVD, and are willing to pay a little more for it, I would strongly suggest getting that DVD instead.

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Released to coincide with her studio album of the same title, this six-song compilation of material from Martina McBride amply demonstrates her prowess in the country-rock genre. Songs include "Concrete Angel," "Blessed," "Independence Day," "This One's For The Girls," and more.

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Faith Hill - When the Lights Go Down (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)This dvd is chopped up by interrupting several of the performances. This behind the scenes footage is ok between songs, but literally intrudes into some of the songs. Would have
been much better if the performances were uninterrupted, and you could access directly to the start of each song. The behind
the scenes stuff is ok the first time you watch, but after that you are still forced to watch it. Someone made a big mistake with this idea. If they wanted to include the behind the scenes stuff, it should have been added at the end as "bonus footage".
However, when you get Faith Hill singing, it is great.

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN - DVD Movie

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Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have no hesitation in recommending this DVD -- it's probably the best documentary produced about a country artist so far. Hank's life is told intelligently through expert commentary and interviews with Hank's friends, Drifting Cowboys (eg Don Helms), family (eg Hank Jr, Hank III, Lycrecia and Jett), contemporary country artists who knew him (eg Ray Price, Billy Walker, Charlie Walker, Big Bill Lister), his second wife, Billie Jean, and people like Charles Carr. The producers have included parts of Hank's appearances on the Kate Smith Show -- and thankfully haven't overdubbed commentary over the soundtrack, so we get to hear, for example, Anita Carter singing with Hank -- as well as fascinating snippets from home movies. Thankfully, the producers have used this type of first-hand material rather than, for example, shooting album covers and having the usual lineup of modern-day Nashville stars telling us how important Hank Williams is to country music (all too often used in other documentaries).
Thanks to the producers for an intelligent and fascinating insight into the life of one of the all-time country music greats.

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HONKY TONK BLUES - DVD Movie

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Paul Simon And Friends: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)A very special DVD. Using Simon's own band to back up the other artists performing his songs was a brilliant move, as it maintained the integrity of his works in their new forms. It did seem like the videographer (or editor) was enamored of Simon's band manager Mark Stewart, as he appears prominently in an extraordinary number of scenes.
The inserted clips of Simon singing "Mrs. Robinson" at the Yankee Stadium tribute to DiMaggio was as awkward here as it was originally. The clips of Simon's recorded duets with Miriam Makeba and George Harrison were priceless, welcome additions.
The only real downer of the whole experience was Philip Glass's piano mangling of "Sounds of Silence". It was tortured and barely recognizable!
Overall, this purchase was well worth the money!

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In May of 2007 the Library of Congress gathered an unprecedented group of musicians together in Washington, D.C., to honor Paul Simon as the first recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Alison Krauss, Stevie Wonder, Lyle Lovett, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Marc Anthony, Art Garfunkel and a host of others joined Paul onstage in a multicultural tribute to the music of a great American artist and a great American art form. This gala event, called "the greatest night of popular music ever presented in our nation's capital," was beautifully filmed and captured with stunning 5.1 Surround Sound for a truly pure concert experience. Performances: Introduction - Bob Costas 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Lyle Lovett The Boxer - Alison Krauss, Shawn Colvin and Jerry Douglas Mother And Child Reunion - Stephen Marley Under African Skies - Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon clip from Paul Simon Graceland: The African Concert (Zimbabwe, 1987) Homeless - Ladysmith Black Mambazo Mrs. Robinson - Paul Simon clip from Yankee Stadium tribute to Joe DiMaggio (April 25, 1999) Slip Slidin' Away - James Taylor and the Dixie Hummingbirds Sunday Morning With The Sensational Nightingales (poem) - Billy Collins and the Dixie Hummingbirds That Was Your Mother - Buckwheat Zydeco and Lyle Lovett Homeward Bound - Paul Simon and George Harrison clip from Saturday Night Live (November 20, 1976) Still Crazy After All These Years - James Taylor El Condor Pasa - Marc Anthony Late In The Evening - Marc Anthony Gone At Last - Yolanda Adams and Jessy Dixon Something So Right - Dianne Reeves The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) -The Muppets (Grover and Elmo) Graceland - Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes - Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo Bridge Over Troubled Water -Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel Father And Daughter -Paul Simon Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder Loves Me Like A Rock - Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder with the Dixie Hummingbirds Sounds Of Silence - Philip Glass

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America - A Tribute to Heroes (Telethon Broadcast) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this with a group of ten or so friends when it originally aired. We sat there in awe for two hours. I think it was the power of the people who spoke and of those who performed. The DVD was on my wish list nearly immediately after. Their selection of songs, was nearly impeccable. I didn't care for Iglesias mostly because it was more a love song, but maybe it was appropriate to others. The highlights for me were Neil Young doing "Imagine." That alone is worth the admission. Also the appearence of Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits of "NYPD Blue" standing together like partners again, and talking, appropriately enough, about the cops who risked their lives, and died saving others. Limp Bizkit with Johnny Rzeznik (of Goo Goo Dolls) doing Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" was equally awesome. Fred Durst looked to me like he was talking to us as he sang many of the lyrics. The Boss, Billy Joel, Eddie Vedder (with Neil Young on the organ), Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi (a spectacular rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer") round out the cream of the crop musically. Superb speeches by Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jim Carrey, Will Smith and Ali, and many more strike a chord both uplifting, and I think heart-breaking at times. It closes out with awesome speeches by Robert DeNiro (wow!) and Clint Eastwoood (wow! wow!) along with a performance of "God Bless America" by Celine Dion and a moving performance of "America the Beautiful" by Willie Nelson, with backup by everyone present. WOW! is the least I can think of to describe it as a whole. GOD BLESS the USA!

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The unprecedented broadcast of the live, star-studded, two-hour entertainment spectacular America: A Tribute to Heroes on Friday, September 21, 2001, served to both raise money for the victims of the September 11 tragedy and to bring our nation together to salute the American spirit. All net proceeds of this DVD will be donated to the United Way's September 11th Fund. Songs: My City of Ruin (Bruce Springsteen), Love's in Need of Love Today (Stevie Wonder featuring Take 6), Walk On (U2), There Will Come a Day (Faith Hill), I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Hero (Enrique Iglesias), Imagine (Neil Young), Someday We'll All Be Free (Alicia Keys), Wish You Were Here (Limp Bizkit with John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls), New York State of Mind (Billy Joel), I Believe in Love (Dixie Chicks), Everyday (Dave Matthews), Redemption Song (Wyclef Jean), Hero (Mariah Carey), Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), Safe and Sound (Sheryl Crow), Fragile (Sting), The Long Road (Eddie Vedder), Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon), God Bless America (Celine Dion), America the Beautiful (Willie Nelson). 120 minutes.

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Legendary Performances (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Tammy Wynette: Legendary Performances
Distributed by Sony BMG
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Selection No.: 826663-10979
Suggested List Price: $14.98
Performances
1. Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) The Stonemans (1967)
2. Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad The Bill Anderson Show (1967)
3. I Don't Wanna Play House The Bill Anderson Show (1967)
4. D-I-V-O-R-C-E CMA Awards (1968)
5. Stand By Your Man The Wilburn Brothers Show (1969)
6. Reach Out Your Hand CMA Awards (1972)
7. We Loved It Away (duet with George Jones) Pop! Goes The Country (1974)
8. Woman To Woman Pop! Goes The Country (1974)
9. 'Til I Can Make It On My Own Johnny Cash and Friends (1976)
10. Golden Ring (duet with George Jones) Country Music Hit Parade (1977)
11. You And Me Country Music Hit Parade (1977)
12. Near You (duet with George Jones) Country Music Hit Parade (1977)
13. Cowboys Don't Shoot Straight (Like They Used To) Country Comes Home (1981)
14. He Was There (When I Needed You) NBC Tammy Wynette Special (1982)
15. We're Gonna Hold On (duet with George Jones) NBC Tammy Wynette Special (1982)
Extras
Tammy Wynette's Hall of Fame Induction
Vintage Interviews with Tammy Wynette
Huell Howser Exclusive: Wynette/Richey Wedding Footage
This looks like the set list, this should be ab fab, cannot wait to see these performances from Tammy.

DVD review: Tammy Wynette, 'Legendary Performances'
Mick LaSalle
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I had no intention of watching this entire DVD. I popped it into the machine only because I realized that I'd never actually seen Tammy Wynette in performance, only heard her. Well, she was brilliant. She arrived as an artist fully formed, in her early 20s, having already endured poverty, child labor, a marriage (with kids) and a divorce. The DVD, which consists of television performances over the course of 14 years, begins with Wynette singing on Southern TV stations, and there's no mistaking that hers was an authentic voice of rural poverty. She was, from the beginning, a brilliant singing actress. She had great intelligence and a quiet but unmistakable toughness. And her voice was amazing. In her earliest performances, she keeps sending the sound mix into distortion because her voice is overpowering the equipment. Even as her wigs got bigger and the music took on a schmaltzy quality, she was amazingly consistent in her focus and emotional honesty. It's funny how artists can get written off in convenient shorthand. For those not fans of country music, Wynette is merely the voice of "Stand By Your Man" (albeit a great song), but she was much more - a poet of marital misery, who co-wrote some of her best-known songs. When Wynette sang it, she meant it. The special features are modest but helpful: snippets from 1980s interviews, footage from her 1978 wedding and scenes of her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, months after her premature death in 1998 at age 55.
TAMMY WYNETTE: LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES
1967-81
NOT RATED
SONY BMG
$14.98
This article appeared on page N - 27 of the San Francisco Chronicle


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Tammy Wynette reigned supreme on the country charts, scoring 20 #1 hits on her way to becoming the First Lady Of Country Music. With rarely-seen versions of "Stand By Your Man," "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," plus two unreleased interviews, wedding footage, and more, this DVD traces the rise of one of country music's finest performers. Song Listing: Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad I Don't Wanna Play House D-I-V-O-R-C-E Stand By Your Man Reach Out Your Hand We're Gonna Hold On (with George Jones) We Loved It Away (with George Jones) Woman To Woman 'Til I Can Make It On My Own Golden Ring (with George Jones) You And Me Near You (with George Jones) Cowboys Don't Shoot Straight (Like They Used To) He Was There (When I Needed You) EXTRAS Two mid-'80s interviews Country Music Hall of Fame induction Footage from her wedding with George Richey

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Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the summer of '05, Neil Young, having just survived a close call with a brain aneurysm, performed two concerts at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium. Documented here, the concerts premiered Young's most recent, and critically acclaimed release, Prairie Wind, followed by many classics from the gentler compartment of his massive, magnificent catalog. From the opening interview snippets to the final scene of Neil Young alone on stage, Jonathan Demme, as one would expect, has created a masterpiece, a film suitable to its subject. No two-second ADD camera work here, this wonderful film was shot with the same grace, intelligence and intimacy as the music Young and his friends--including Emmylou Harris!--perform. I saw this film four times while it was in town, and now I can't wait for the DVD release. Don't miss this (literally) glowing tribute to one of rock/blues/folk/country's genuine icons.

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Academy-award winning director Jonathan Demme beautifully captures Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend, Neil Young as he prepares and presents the performance of a lifetime with the help of his wife Peggi and friends country star Emmylou Harris, steel guitarist Ben Keith and more at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

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Legendary Performances: Merle Haggard (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)A "must have" for Merle fans, this dvd shows a tv performance sampler of some of his great hits throughout his songwriting career. I'ts great to see Merle up close with his band, hearing these great songs being done at the time they were hits. If they have some more fabulous clips for a second dvd, sign me up!

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From the vaults of the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, this collection features nearly two decades of Merle Haggard performances in his prime not seen since their original broadcast. Now, for the first time on DVD, experience the hits through a chronology of vintage live performances such as "Branded Man" (Country Music Holiday,1968), "Mama Tried" (Billy Walker's Country Carnival, 1968) and "Okie From Muskogee" (The Porter Wagoner Show, 1970).When Merle Haggard left prison in 1960, he went on to achieve 38 #1 hits (to date) and establish himself as one of the greats in country music. But getting out of prison didn't quite mean leaving his rebel ways behind. His songwriting depicted the truths of a rough-and-tumble life which he fused with a musical style derived from hardcore country, jazz, blues and folk to create a sound no one had ever heard, with lyrics many could relate to. From the walls of San Quentin to his free-spirited life as an irreverent and unique voice outside the Nashville establishment to his induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Merle Haggard has never left a doubt that he is country's original outlaw. Program listing: Branded Man Country Music Holiday (1968) The Bottle Let Me Down Country Music Holiday (1968) Swinging Doors Country Music Holiday (1968) Mama Tried Billy Walker's Country Carnival (1968) I Started Loving You Again Billy Walker's Country Carnival (1968) I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am Billy Walker's Country Carnival (1968) The Fightin' Side Of Me The Porter Wagoner Show (1970) Okie From Muskogee The Porter Wagoner Show (1970) Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man) CMA Awards (1972) Workin' Man Blues Pop! Goes The Country (1974) Movin' On Pop! Goes The Country (1975) The Roots Of My Raising The Porter Wagoner Show (1977) Ramblin' Fever Pop! Goes The Country (1977) That's The Way Love Goes CMA Awards (1983) San Antonio Rose Johnny Cash Christmas Special (1983) Extras: Merle Haggard Interview (1981) Merle Haggard's Hall Of Fame Induction (1994)

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