MEDIA
Preview
beginning with what prompted it, a bout of
OxyContin addiction following an emergency
surgery, following a Kiss concert in Tampa that
he describes this way: “Then there’s the circus
make-up plastered all over their faces, their
stage clothes like Batman and Robin on acid,
their huge clumping high-heeled boots, and just
in case their zillion watts of amplification haven’t
bludgeoned us into quivering submission, they
end every show with massive explosions and
pyrotechnics designed to deafen us completely.
If you like rock music just slightly quieter than an
Apollo launch, then Gene’s your man. It’s brilliant.” And this is just the first page.
Forbes’s obvious enthusiasm for rock ‘n’ roll
and the troubadour lifestyle is matched by
his obvious zeal for storytelling. His meandering road-tale is filled with the observations
of places and events—and most of all the
characters—that are the stuff of a touring
musician’s catalog of experiences. Unlike the
shaggy-dog stories of many a lifelong musician, Forbes’s anecdotes and yarns are full of
only half-gestured-at significance. His narration
seems to be in no hurry, and he feels no urge
to sermonize, or beat his readers over the head
with profundity. The result is a book that turns
out to be deeply moral without moralizing, and
a highly rewarding read. Forbes takes pleasure
in his passion for the music and the scenes, and
he celebrates that passion in the people who
surround him in with effortless, exacting detail.
That is all, and it’s more than enough. —CB
List $15.95
northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/its/uni_press/
Video
Shovel Headed Tour Machine:
Live At Wacken & Other Assorted
Atrocities (Exodus)
Exodus has
released 11 albums
and toured heavily,
all while dealing
with numerous
lineup fluctua-
tions—notably Kirk
Hammett left
for some other
band and vocalist
Paul Baloff died.
Yet, they still keep true to their core initiatives: play thrash and play it fast. And Shovel
Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken &
Other Assorted Atrocities captures them still
doing it nearly 30 years later.
Let me say this right here and now: that crowd
should be bigger… much, much bigger, definitely in the household name ranks as their contemporaries Anthrax and Slayer. Their latest DVD
set was taped live at their Wacken, Germany,
performance on the Shovel Headed Kill Machine
tour, is a true testament to this statement. Not
since first hearing Pantera’s
101 Proof Live
have I been this utterly blown away by a live
metal band on tape. The band is unbelievably
tight starting with guitarists Gary Holt and Lee
Altus showing what thrash metal is all about
with complex and diametric, yet complimentary
guitar riffs. Rob Dukes’ vocals are only overshadowed by how fantastic his frontman abilities are.
Production-wise, the sound is excellent, with no
woofy overtones and clipping bass frequencies
that often plague live recordings such as these.
The set includes an audio CD with the tracks
from the DVD, plus a documentary five years in
the making with photos, even more live performances, and antics from the band on the road.
The sheer amount of material provided in the
set really shows just how much the band appreciates their fans. For Exodus fans, getting the
DVD set is a no-brainer. For casual metal fans
that really want to see just how well the genre
can be presented, look no further. This honestly
is the best live metal DVD set that I’ve seen
(and heard) in a very long time. —JW
List $29.98
nuclearblastusa.com
The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector’s Edition
In the T.A.M.I.
Show: Collector’s
Edition DVD you
get to see one of
the Rolling Stones’
biggest mistakes
ever—and that’s
coming from Keith
Richards. That
mistake was deciding to close the
show after one of
James Brown and the Famous Flames’ greatest performances captured on film. Brown is
at the top of his game with maximum energy,
untouchable dancing and unwavering grace
even when he fakes two heartaches only to
juke ‘n’ jive with more fervor than before. But
to say that’s the only thing this DVD has to
offer would be a complete injustice.
The TAMI (Teenage Awards Music International
or Teen Age Music International) was a live concert held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
on October 29, 1964. This first-time ever on
DVD collection features guitar legend Chuck
Berry ripping through “Johnny B. Goode,”
“Maybellene” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.”
Then for surf-rock fans you have the Beach
Boys performing the classics “Surfin’ U.S.A.,”
“Surfer Girl” and “I Get Around.” A special
treat for purists is that this lineup includes
Brian Wilson on bass and vocals—shortly after
in 1965 he stopped touring until the mid-70s.
As mentioned earlier, the Rolling Stones close
the show with five songs including “Time Is
On My Side” and “It’s All Over Now.” While
the Rolling Stones performance is nothing to
snicker at – except maybe their haircuts and
clothing – the shock and disbelief of what they
saw from Brown is very apparent on their faces.
We are a guitar magazine, but the performances from Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson
and the Supremes—who perform three 1
hits back to back to back—are all knockouts.
If all these nostalgic, can’t miss performances
weren’t enough, TAMI also has commentary
from director Steve Binder, original radio spots
and a 20-page booklet with liner notes, rare
photos and memorabilia. —CK
List $19.93
shoutfactory.com
