"'83 US Festival: Days 1-3" DVD

US pop festival highlights

After 30 years, this landmark US pop festival (instigated and funded by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak) finds a release on DVD. Mind you, this is merely highlights, but it works well, especially as there are added present-day commentaries from Wozniak and others involved.

Let's see, what else need I say about this "best of"? I could just name the artists. You get (mostly single tracks) by Divinyls, INXS, Stray Cats, The Clash, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Berlin (who's great "Sex (I'm A...)" is sadly truncated), U2, Missing Persons, and others. It's all filmed exceptionally well and professionally, though the transfer is from analogue (aka VHS) sources.

In short, this is a fine look at a legendary music festival with some great top-of-their-game talents. Maybe not essential for anyone but the staunchest collectors, but a worthy and entertaining watch, nonetheless.

MVD Visual

Michael Schenker - "Temple Of Rock - Live In Europe" DVD + CD

German metal guitarist Schenker is a true rock legend. This live DVD and CD (packaged and sold separately) are the same recordings from 2012, and together, they showcase the virtuosity and power that Schenker has been known for over the course of his 40-year career with UFO, the Scorpions, and his own MSG (Michael Schenker Group).

There are 24 tracks here (on both the CD and DVD), recorded live in Tilburg and London. Schenker and his band (including some guests like his brother Rudolf) storm through plenty of classic stadium-style rockers. We even get two versions of the Scorpions' classic "Rock You Like A Hurricane". And although his band is pretty well spot-on, the real star here is Schenker, who is a guitar monster, rolling off licks like it's his second nature (and I'm sure it is). It all sounds superb, and the video footage is multi-camera, multi-angle, and quite professional. Solid work, and a must-have for serious Schenker fans. 

(Inakustik)

Schenker himself website

Michael Schenker Group - "Rockpalast" DVD

Formerly a member of German pre-metal acts UFO and the Scorpions, Schenker's pedigree as a hard rock guitarist is impeccable, and he's largely considered one of the greatest metal guitarists around. When he struck out on his own, he enlisted the help of vocalist Gary Barden, bassist Chris Glen, keyboardist Paul Raymond, and drummer Cozy Powell to fill out his band.

Captured live in Hamburg in 1981, just after the release of the first MSG album, this concert was filmed for German TV, and is only now being re-released onto DVD. It's a solid quality, multi-camera affair, capturing plenty of different angles and intimate close-ups of a classic metal outfit in their heyday. A solid document of an influential guitar figurehead and his impressive band. (MIG-Music.de via MVD Visual)

Schenker's website