MEDIA
Preview
Videos
Return to
Forever: Live
at Montreux
2008
Founded in
1972 by legendary keyboardist
Chick Corea,
Return to
Forever went
through several
stylistic and personnel changes
before settling on its final incarnation with
Lenny White on drums, Stanley Clarke on
bass and a 20-year-old guitarist named Al
Di Meola. It is difficult now to imagine that
time in the ‘70s when fusion bands could sell
out arenas and there were instrumentals on
the pop charts. But back then RTF was huge.
Other than fellow fusion guitar master John
McLaughlin, Di Meola’s chops were unlike
anything we’d ever heard or seen. RTF split
after several successful albums and Al went
on to other adventures, including the super
trio with McLaughlin and flamenco guitarist
Paco De Lucia.
Black Label
Society:
Skullage
CD/DVD
There’s no tried-
and-true formula
with Black Label
Society; its just
heavy, in-your-
face rock that
is brutally hon-
est and loud
with ferocious
drums, driving bass
lines, killer guitar tones and solos from the
bearded, leather-vest-adorned crew. This is
no more evident than with their latest offer-
ing Skullage. Packaged with a greatest-hits
CD featuring 13 tracks, including “ 13 Years of
Grief,” “Fire It Up” and four acoustic renditions
recorded live in Lehigh Valley, PA, the DVD is
the real treat of the combo.
The DVD provides a well-rounded retrospective of the band in several formats. It shows
off Zakk playing a solo version of “Spoke in
the Wheel,” full band renditions of various
live songs, a batch of the band’s most popular
music videos and never-before-seen footage
from Zakk’s “Slightly Amped” acoustic performances with Nick Catanese on their “Blessed
Hellride” promotional tour. While this all stacks
up as the meat and potatoes of the DVD,
some of the coolest footage features Zakk
at home in L.A. The BLS front man gives an
MTV Cribs-esque tour of his house, including
the coveted guitar room where many of his
legendary Gibson guitars and Marshall amps
and cabs from the “Wall of Doom” reside
when not on tour. A personal favorite of the
collection has to be the one-off paint job on
a Les Paul by none other than the prince of
darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Another gearhead
moment occurs when Zakk is shown working
on a George Metropoulos Marshall Plexi replica kit on the kitchen table. Also, in between
some beer swilling and weightlifting, Zakk
opens up about the lyrical concepts on some
of BLS’ more poignant songs. And to show
that some things, when done by certain people, can still be labeled metal, he shows off his
eclectic Barbie collection—rivaling his guitars
in number and personal value.
BY JOE COFFEY, CHRIS KIES, GAYLA DRAKE PAUL AND PAT SMITH
Fair warning, for those who don’t like beer
chugging, vulgar language and pick squeals
galore, this package may not be your type
of brew. But for those who can stomach it,
Skullage offers BLS fans—new and old—a
chance to own a cross section of the band’s
best recorded songs, stunning live performances and never-before-seen footage of
Zakk having some downtime at home. —CK
List $24.98
eaglerockent.com
Books
Motley Crue:
A Visual
History
1983–2005
There was hair
metal and then
there was the look
that killed. Mötley
Crüe’s visual aesthetic simply cannot be separated
from the band’s
music, and the
subject is due for reflection as we wade through
a new era of metal bands seeking to embody
the images created for them.
Now thirty some years later, RTF reunited
for a tour that coincided with the release
of their anthology, which brings us to this
offering. Available both in DVD and Blu-ray
formats, this is a beautifully recorded concert
from their 2008 appearance at the Montreux
Festival. We hear Di Meola wielding his classic Les Paul as well as his new PRS Prism
signature model, a beautiful tiger-top PRS
and some nice acoustics. While the fire of
youth may be spent, the wisdom of experience lingers and a fine performance is what
we get. Al can still burn it up, and the whole
band appears to be digging on the fact they
get to play their old tunes once again. The
sound and picture on the Blu-ray are perfection, with ideal camera angles and cuts that
enhance the viewing experience rather than
detract from it. It’s a pure pleasure to hear
and see these masters at work together. —PS
With his latest book, legendary rock photographer Neil Zlozower celebrates the
band that defined rock 'n' roll decadence.
Accompanied by first-person accounts from
managers, clothing designers, Nikki Sixx’s
tech, the band’s head of security and others
within the band’s inner pentagram, the 232-
page book offers a glimpse into the business
of rock imagery, not to mention debauchery.
List $14.98 DVD
List $24.98 Blu-ray
eaglerockent.com
Picking up in 1983, the band’s Too Fast For
Love years are missing, but the Crüe that is
probably tattooed on your brain—the big
hair, Road Warrior, Warlock bass, Shout at
the Devil-era Crüe—is preserved in all its
glory and evolves into more of a wicked circus as you turn the pages. The photographs
comprise Zlozower’s performance shots,
studio sessions with the band (including the
infamous “blood session”) and behind-the-scenes candids. Whether posing in straitjackets, kicking back in the studio between
takes, or strutting on a stage with full-on
