Musoscribe’s Best of 2010: DVDs
2010 saw release (or re-release) of several noteworthy music-related DVDs. Perhaps the most significant of these is the new film Who Is Harry Nilsson? And Why is Everybody Talkin’ About Him? I just interviewed that film’s director and am working on a feature to be published soon. So for now that one’s not on this list.
What remains is quite worthwhile. The legendary T.A.M.I. Show – long a mainstay on the collectors’ circuit due to its rarity – has now gotten official release. It’s an important historical document, a groundbreaking technical achievement, and some great performances to boot. And the Beach Boys segment that was missing form bootleg copies has been restored. Must-see.
The shout-outs on the inner sleeve of Frank Zappa’s debut LP Freak Out offered great insight into the iconoclastic musician. The DVD The Freak Out List explores those name-checks and puts them into context with regard to Zappa’s career and worldview. It’s essential viewing for anyone who wants a better understanding of FZ.
Albert King was joined on a Canadian TV soundstage by young upstart Stevie Ray Vaughan. The results were released (audio only) not long after, but the complete show in both sound and video has never gotten official release until now. In Session is a delight.
Brian Wilson is rightly recognized as an important songwriter of the 20th century. The new 2DVD set Songwriter 1962-1969 takes a critical, historical and in-depth look at his work, and provides commentary from people who were there. Unofficial and unsanctioned, it’s nonetheless essential.
The King Crimson lineup that made 1969’s In the Court of the Crimson King never made a follow-up. But what if they had? It would sound an awful lot like the 21st Century Schizoid Band, a modern-day aggregation that’s essentially that band less Fripp and Lake, plus some of the heavy-hitters from subsequent early lineups. Stunning sound and video.
Next we’ll look at “vault” recordings and compilations.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.