Rocking the stocking

Right-on sounds to unwrap this Christmas

This past year saw several notable anniversaries—and one death that shook the pop-music world. In his final years, Michael Jackson was controversial, to put it mildly, but if one of his many fans is on your list, a sympathetic look at his final days, and the star-studded memorial service that followed, can be found on the DVD The Life & Times of the King of Pop 1958–2009 (RockCity/MVD). It might make a good companion to the CD This Is It (Sony BMG), the soundtrack to the film of his last round of rehearsals.

2009 marked 40 years since the fun, filth and free love of the Woodstock music fest. The Woodstock and Woodstock Two double albums (Rhino/Warner) offer selections from the fest’s film soundtrack—get your Joan Baez, your Jefferson Airplane, and of course your Jimi Hendrix unleashing his infamous “Star Spangled Banner.”

Icons of that era, pop deities the Beatles (Apple/EMI) had their full catalogue—from 1963’s Please Please Me to 1970’s Let It Be—reissued this year, magnificently remastered and with lil’ docs you can watch on your computer.

From the same place and time comes The Who the Mods and the Quadrophenia Connection (Sexy Intellectual/MVD), a documentary that explores, through interviews and rare footage, the mid-’60s mania in the U.K. for parkas, Vespas, cheap pills and raw R&B, at which future arena-rockers the Who were at the epicentre.

Reindeer riffage

Who wants some metal in their stocking? Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, the dudes behind Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and Global Metal, followed their favourite band, Iron Maiden, around on an ambitious world tour by way of the band’s own airliner, Ed Force One, piloted by none other than Maiden’s wailer, Bruce Dickinson. The result is the film Flight 666 (Iron Maiden/EMI), and both the bonus DVD and the separate audio CD capture the tour’s full set in many locales—16 towns, 16 tunes.

Toronto’s pioneering power-metal unit Anvil never got their own jetpane, or the respect they deserved, but they did get a doc of their own, Sacha Gervasi’s Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a hilarious and surprisingly moving account of a couple of ’bangers who just wouldn’t give up. A real-life Spïnal Täp of sorts, and Canadian on top of it.

Matching Maiden for international scope is So-Cal’s finest, NOFX, whose blistering technical prowess is matched by their incisive humour. The Backstage Passport DVD set (Fat Wreck Chords) is essentially an eight-part TV series, well over five hours long, which follows Fat Mike and co. as they get into all kinds of trouble in Argentina and Indonesia, Russia and Israel, China and South Africa. Don’t call them white!

Fest quest

Nirvana fans, and there are plenty, will dig the Live at Reading DVD (DGC/ Universal), capturing the famous 1992 performance at England’s big music fest. It’s also available as an audio CD, but you might prefer to supplement the DVD with the 20th anniversary edition of their pre-breakthrough album Bleach, with a bonus CD of a live show from 1990 in Portland, OR, and a fat, 52-page booklet to boot. Hell, toss in Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits CD (Roswell/Sony BMG), with 16 chartbusters plus two new numbers and an acoustic version of “Everlong.”

On the topic of ’90s alt-rock, and the post-’00 stuff too, check out the DVD From the Basement (Eagle Vision), which packs in a stack of intimate performances—no host, no crowd—by Radiohead, the White Stripes, Beck, the Shins, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey and many more.

At the same time, there’s the DVD of All Tomorrow’s Parties (Warp/Sonic Unyon), the doc of sorts celebrating the superior-grade English music festival/vacation camp’s 10th anniversary. Footage shot by over 200 people, from seasoned pros to giddy fans, captures, on and off stage, the likes of Belle & Sebastian, Portishead, Mogwai, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, GZA and Iggy and the Stooges.

Ashes of American Flags (Nonesuch/Warner) is a DVD finding fan fave Wilco live at noted venues in Tulsa, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.—the latter the city that launched Fugazi, the alma mater of Brendan Canty, who co-directed this classy concert film.

Best bets

Roll the dice and take a chance on Beyoncé’s CD/DVD set I Am… Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas (Columbia/Sony BMG). It’s an expansive concert of 30 tunes that includes the hits, natch, plus a jazz medley, a tap-dance bit and a lot of revealing banter between songs.

Hip hop heads might appreciate the fancy new edition of a rap classic, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic Re-Lit & From the Vault (Death Row), with its contents remastered and supplemented by seven unreleased jams and a DVD of interviews, videos etc.

Jazz fiends will no doubt appreciate the 2009 DVD release Epitaph (Eagle Eye), on which, in 1989, a crew of 30 performs the posthumously discovered and restored composition—the most ambitious ever for a jazz orchestra—by Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. There’s also the DVD Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux 2008 (Eagle Eye), in which the legend is feted by Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Nana Mouskouri, Al Jarreau and so many more.

Hallelujah and oupalai!

The Priests, among the hottest classical acts around (take that, Il Divo), hit Ireland’s venerated house of worship on the DVD In Concert at Armagh Cathedral (Epic/Sony BMG)—19 numbers including “Ave Maria” (did you think they’d leave that out?), plus a heap of bonus stuff including the recording of “Ave Maria” and “Pie Jesus” with the Philharmonic Academy of Rome.

A little less ecclesiastical is the Leonard Cohen concert DVD and audio CD, Live in London (Columbia/Sony), which finds ol’ Lenny delivering the goods for over two hours at the O2 Arena in the summer of 2008.

On the subject of Montrealers, there’s one final anniversary to note—Cirque du Soleil celebrates a quarter-century of wowing crowds with 25 (Justin Time), a double CD divided between the “poétique” (tunes from Alegria, Zumanity and more) and the “dynamique” (Saltimbanco, Quidam and others). Suitable listening for your loved one’s next jaunt around the planet on a space station.

No lack of wax

The vinyl answer to your
holiday gift dilemmas

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

It’s hardly news that the compact disc is quickly headed to its final place of rest, next to lava lamps, slide rules and, one can only hope, Snuggies. With online sales growing exponentially, the recent spike in vinyl sales has almost single-handedly saved the independent record store from a premature extinction, thanks to ever more elaborate packaging, limited-edition vinyl-only releases and the convenience of digital download cards included with most new releases. Montreal in particular is truly blessed for the licorice-pizza fiend who craves 180g virgin vinyl, with a ton of wax shacks to choose from. Here’s a few:

Sound Central 4486 Coloniale
When it comes to metal and hardcore, it just doesn’t get any better than this. The friendly, knowledgeable staff are usually the first in town to carry new releases from Southern Lord, Relapse and Hydra Head. While perusing the racks, you can also enjoy a hyper-charged espresso at the in store café while the strains of Pig Destroyer puts the skip in yer step.

Sonik 4050 Berri
When it comes to raw rock ’n’ roll and early punk reissues, this is definitely the place. From all the new vinyl reissues of the spirit of ’77 to the recent raunch coming from labels like In the Red and Bomp, Sonik’s got ya covered.

Phonopolis 5403A Parc
Within their cramped confines, these affable folks put the needle in the grooves of all the current crop of experimental and indie rock. Their current releases are amazing but don’t miss their well-stocked reissues. This would be the place to go if you want to upgrade your rare Television, Big Star, Mission of Burma, Lee Scratch Perry or Sonic Youth records to a heavy slab of scratchless wax.

Aux 33 Tours 1379 Mont-Royal E.
Behind the doors of this seemingly tiny hole in the wall hides the biggest floor space and new vinyl stock in Montreal. Compared to the stores mentioned above, Aux 33 Tours doesn’t stick to a particular niche but really does it all. With an amazing ’60s soul reissue section and a well-stocked metal section as well as indie releases, Aux 33 Tours especially excels on major-label limited-edition releases and classic rock reissues. Better bring a fat wallet if you want to spend an afternoon here.