An unexpectedly emotional surprise arrives as a Blu-ray/CD combo pack from Eagle Rock Entertainment in the form of Brian May and Kerry Ellis’ The Candlelight Concerts – Live at Montreux 2013. May, of course, needs no introduction for fans of classic rock. He’s a founding member and guitarist extraordinaire for Queen. Less familiar to most potential listeners is Ellis, a...
Interview: Mike McGear McCartney Shares Extraordinary Life in New One-Man Show
“What an extraordinary life you’ve led,” one attendee tells Mike McCartney at the conclusion of his new one-man show, a nostalgic look back on his colorful life. “What’s extraordinary about it,” McCartney answers, “Is that it’s all true.” One only need glance at Mike McCartney’s resume for a reminder of why it’s only natural that he share his life story...
Cross Fit: Interview with Motive’s Warren Christie
Changing of the guard — it happens all the time in the workplace when a new boss takes over the reins. In season two of the Canadian police procedural TV drama Motive, Vancouver city police Detective Angie Flynn and her partner Detective Oscar Vega along with their colleagues wish good luck to their newly promoted supervising officer Staff Sergeant Boyd...
Blu-ray/DVD/CD Review: Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
I videotaped this concert when it aired on PBS decades ago and have been watching it periodically ever since. Every time I see it, I ask myself the same question: Why on earth has this incredible show—which has long been available on CD—never been issued on DVD? As I discovered a while back, I wasn’t alone in my bewilderment: just...
DVD Review: Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map
Aimed at the very youngest Scooby-Doo! fans, Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map offers a truly unique take on the classic Mystery Inc. gang. For the first time in the franchise’s 40-plus-year history, we see the Scooby universe populated entirely by puppets. Keep in mind this isn’t the type of puppet film that’s as fun for adults as it is for...
Blu-ray Review: Zulu – Twilight Time Limited Edition
Zulu is a 1964 film that depicts the epic Battle of Rorke’s Drift that occurred in 1879 between the British Army and Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War. That line alone may very well be enough to either inspire or repel prospective viewers. The Cy Endfield-directed production already has its share of devoted followers who will be happy to grab...
The Beatles Again… Semi-American Style: Thoughts on The U.S. Albums
With The U.S. Albums 13-disc box set, Capitol Records has finally brought the “Americanized” Beatles catalog to CD and iTunes. Though not without controversy, fans can now choose between the original, Beatles-sanctioned U.K. albums or the rejiggered U.S. versions. It should be made clear up-front —these new reissues are, with a handful of exceptions, the same remastered stereo and mono...
The Sochi Olympics: A Travel Alert and A History Lesson
Written by Ray N. Olsen, Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians The U.S. State Department has issued an unusually long and comprehensive alert for travelers to the Sochi Olympics. This update of threats and concerns should be of interest to anyone interested in the outcome of the 2014 Games, which start on February 7. The Department of State...
New Music for Old People: A Tribute to Don Everly and the Late Phil Everly
I literally grew up on the Everly Brothers, as I am sure many of you did. They were amazingly consistent and had a unique blend and sound that will remain untouchable forever. Our paths crossed starting about 1958 when, as a non-shaving member of the group The Royal Teens, I played shows alongside many of the big acts of those...
Book Review: Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him by David & Joe Henry
Sadly, unconscionably, Richard Pryor has been largely erased from the pop culture landscape in the eight years since his passing. His ardent fans remain, but it’s hard not to wonder what will become of Pryor’s legacy once that ever-shrinking demographic eventually slips away. Ask a random teenager, or even a 20something, if they know who Richard Pryor was and (save...