Bruce Springsteen
“Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition”
Arguably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll album of all time gets remastered and rereleased with a making-of documentary, a previously unreleased pre-“Born to Run” live concert DVD and a photo-filled booklet. Boxes like this, baby they were born to own.
The Ramones
“Weird Tales of the Ramones”
The Ramones’ catalog has been repackaged every way but with 3-D glasses. Until now. Twenty-five of the top comic-book artists pen screwy strips about the band (including one in 3-D). Three CDs round up the band’s best, and a DVD has the Ramones commenting.
Talking Heads
“Brick”
Immediately making the horribly packaged boxed set “Once in a Lifetime” obsolete, “Brick” consists of all eight Talking Heads studio albums plus choice rarities and remixes to appeal to anyone who already owns the originals. The only thing “Brick” is missing is a little mortar, specifically the landmark live album “Stop Making Sense.”
Tragically Hip
“Hipeponymous”
They probably staged midnight madness campaigns for “Hipeponymous” in the band’s Canadian homeland. In the U.S., the roots rockers remain largely hip-anonymous. Regardless, the two-DVD/two-CD set–filled with fan-picked favorites, day-in-the-life style documentaries and a lot of live stuff–should put them on the U.S. map.
The Motown Box
While derivative of the “Hitsville USA 1” boxed set, The Motown Box boasts first-time and rare stereo mixes of classics such as The Miracles’ “Shop Around” and The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go,” along with a functional primer on the history of the record label.
Rush
“R30”
Rush follows the 2003 double-live album “Rush in Rio” with, well, another live album. Suddenly, they’re the prog-rock Grateful Dead. However, this is no ordinary live album. Two DVDs, two CDs, two guitar picks and one backstage page highlight this gluttonous collection that largely documents the band’s recent 30th anniversary tour. Extras include archival concert footage and band interviews from throughout the trio’s career.
Billy Joel
“My Lives”
He could have called it “My Wives” (he’s had three) or “My Drives” (they usually end in crashes), but “My Lives” works too. His first boxed set, “1973-1997 Complete Hits Collection,” is the better buy, but the addition of a live DVD and some nascent versions of hits (“Piano Man,” “Only the Good Die Young”) make this boxed set a worthy sequel.
The Who
“Tommy and Quadrophenia Live with Special Guests”
On the “Tommy and Quadrophenia Live” visual commentary, The Who’s Pete Townshend brazenly admits the impetus behind the 1989 “25th Anniversary Tour”–partially documented on this gluttonous, 5 1/2-hour, triple-DVD–was money. Always a straight shooter, Townshend’s insight behind his two rock operas and, of course, the performances themselves are worth the price. And wait ’til you get a load of Roger Daltrey’s mullet.
Duran Duran
“Live From London”
Simon LeBon’s a bit puffier than he was during Duran Duran’s heyday, but the tunes (“Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film”) have stood the test of time. A documentary that takes the band through its origins (both figuratively and literally) and a bonus live CD (their first) rounds out the “Deluxe Edition.”
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CHICAGO HOLIDAY HOT PICKS
Chicago gets its due this holiday season with CDs and music DVD releases. Here’s a look at some local offerings.
[ blair r. fischer, redeye special contributor ]U2
“Vertigo 2005/
U2 Live From Chicago”
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Demand this double-DVD. Not only are the performances–all recorded during two shows at the United Center in May–top-notch, but the documentary sucks up to the Windy City so much, you’d swear the lads were from Dunning, not Dublin.
Wilco
“Kicking Television: Live in Chicago”
Documenting Wilco’s four-night stand at the Vic Theatre in May, this double-disc finds Jeff Tweedy and the guys mastering the live domain with dazzling jams and mellow y’allternative confections.
Ween
“Live in Chicago”
On “Live in Chicago”–recorded at the Vic in November 2003–bizarro duo Ween serve up an eclectic set full of cartoonish hooks and sardonic wit. “I hope we make a good DVD,” Dean Ween says from the stage. Sure did, but don’t forget the bonus CD.
Blind Melon
“Live at the Metro, September 22, 1995”
Recorded almost exactly a month before Blind Melon frontman Shannon Hoon died from a drug overdose, “Live at the Metro,” in retrospect, is some damning evidence of an odd spirit about to join the immaterial world. The neo-hippies plow through tunes from their two studio albums–including their hit, “No Rain.”
Chicago Blues Reunion
“Buried Alive in the Blues”
Guitar legends Eric Clapton, BB King and Carlos Santana weigh in on the impact of the North Side Chicago blues scene, and venerable Chicago bluesmen Barry Goldberg and Nick Gravenities, among others, give their words purpose, taking to the stage at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn to wail again both on CD and DVD.
