Описание: They're the most important and influential metal band ever, and more than 25 years into an incredible career they still have the power, energy, talent and creativity to produce the most enthralling rock music in existence; Metallica are nothing if not a phenomenon. This 2 DVD set is a documentary review concentrating on Metallica's music and career, from their earliest days as pioneers of the American thrash metal scene right up to their status today as global superstar and godfathers of the genre they still reign over. The film includes rare and classic performance footage of Metallica and of their influences, interviews with the band and those who know them best, exclusive contributions from friends, associates and the finest rock journalists and writers, location shoots and news clips, seldom seen photographs and a host of other features. The set also contains numerous 'extras' such as extended interviews, Metallica interactive challenge, digital discography, contributor...

Описание: Despite being on an indefinite hiatus since 1996, Pink Floyd remain one of the most critically and commercially acclaimed bands of the rock era. Having forged a reputation built on constant innovation, masterful musicianship and superlative songwriting, their influence and legacy is assured as long as people enjoy first rate music. This package covers the band's early years, from their inception and across the period during which the extraordinary talent that was Syd Barrett led the band, through the first few post-Barrett albums, before focussing on what many consider to be the first 'real Pink Floyd album', Meddle. Essentially, this two part film covers the period before Pink Floyd became a household name, prior to their huge global success, and in advance of the massive worldwide tours which later took up so much of their time and energy. Featuring interviews with Floyd members and those who knew them best, rare archive footage, live and studio...

Описание: They formed more than 30 years ago, have been releasing records almost as long, and still today they appeal to just about everyone, from mums and dads to teenage NME readers - a journal whose cover they have uniquely graced in each of their four decades as a group. It is no exaggeration to say that U2 are the first rock band ever to have remained both a commercial and critical success story across such an enormous timeframe, yet by the mid-1990s the game was almost up; the group were considering a split having lost credibility, much of their fan base and most of their enthusiasm. This film tells the story of the massive regeneration of U2 during the new millennium. Across two stunning and classic albums, a world tour to accompany each, numerous side projects and a fresh attitude that not only drew the old fans back in droves, but equally attracted huge swathes of new devotees, the "noughties" was just as much U2's decade as the eighties had been. Featuring rare and...

Описание: "A mighty achievement. Thank you." John Lennon "...it's the definitive musical history lesson for anyone interested in discovering just how dozens of different threads of sound can come together into one massive, magnificent musical tapestry." Neil Pond American Profile "...this is one of the music DVD releases of the year" Irish Times It is generally assumed that American popular music comes from the coastal regions of Africa; that the slaves brought drums to the United States; that jazz originated, somehow, in New Orleans; that the blues developed in the Mississippi Delta, and later became the cornerstone of every thing from rock 'n' roll to ragtime. All of these assumptions are untrue, and this episode will seek to uncover the real story - in Africa, on the edge of the Sahara; in Austria and the Salzkammergut; in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas; in New Orleans and in Texas.

Описание: "A mighty achievement. Thank you." John Lennon "...a monumental achievement that has influenced every music documentary since" New Classics For most of its history, popular music has rarely been that which most people like. Jazz, for instance, has always been a minority interest. But in the era which was dominated by swing, the music and its popularity were equally matched. White musicians became bored with the asinine popular music they were expected to play, music pumped out by Tin Pan Alley, and tried to emulate the style and freedom of their black counterparts. Most of them were too intelligent as musicians to indulge in mere imitation. What they created was the first white music based on black music which was not stolen from black music.

Описание: "A mighty achievement. Thank you." John Lennon "For an entertaining and informative history of popular music up through the mid-70's, you could not do any better than this engrossing series." Curt Fields Washington Post This episode takes place almost entirely on stage; fans are always seen from the performer's point of view. Thus, we begin to feel and experience first hand the pressures being put upon various individuals by the music industry. We are backstage with David Bowie as he makes himself up for a performance. We watch Alice Cooper ritualistically smashing up a doll, while the fans shriek for more and more. We are with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull as he prepares to face a screaming crowd. We watch Eric Clapton before drugs, during drugs and after drugs. We are on stage with Keith Emerson as he hurls his electric organ at the audience.

Описание: Michael Crawford has starred in some of the biggest box-office hits of all time. From Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, to the original Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, both in London's West End and on Broadway; from circus showman in Barnum to EFX, the multi-million extravaganza at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, then the biggest hotel in the world, which he dominated for over two years, playing Merlin, Houdini and H.G. Wells, and which broke all existing box office records. He is the only actor to have won an Olivier Award as 'Best Actor' at the same time as 'Best Actor in a Musical'. And then there was Hello Dolly with Barbra Streisand, The Knack, How I Won The War with John Lennon... And all this for a man whose first stage role was in an opera by Benjamin Britten! This is a behind-the-scenes intimate portrait of one of the funniest and most versatile of actors, whose popularity in the United States outshines any other British entertainer in the last 30 years, and whose...