List Price: $24.99 Our Price: $22.49YOU SAVE $2.5!
Buy it
DVD Bill Wyman: Blues Odyssey
He was called "the quiet Stone," but it turns out that former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman actually has a lot to say--along with an abiding love for the music that inspired him and his erstwhile bandmates in the first place. This two-part documentary (each section is about 55 minutes long) features many of the elements common to such programs: history; nice footage of bluesmen both famous and obscure, both vintage and contemporary; plenty of music; interviews, and so on. But it's Wyman's personal touch that separates it from the pack. Not only does he have an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and a photographic memory (no one who has read his amazingly detailed Stones memoir, Rolling with the Stones, will be surprised that he can tell you exactly where he was when Robert Johnson made his first recordings in the '30s, when Wyman was a baby); but some of the later blues giants, like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, are people he played and/or recorded with. The Stones themselves appear only briefly, but Wyman's odyssey is still an entertaining and enlightening trip. --Sam Graham
It has been obvious for a long time that there is much more to Bill Wyman than his many years of bass-playing with the Stones. He is a life-long fan/disciple/collector of blues music, and a true expert on this genre.
As a blues fan myself, I bought his "Blues Odyssey" book, and devoured it, cover to cover. It is a gorgeous book, well-researched and lavishly illustrated--much, much more than a coffee table book. No blues fan should be without it.
So--having read the book, I was anxious to see the DVD of the television programs based on the book. There are two episodes, each slightly under an hour, and they are fascinating. Of course, in less than two hours, there is no way these programs could ever be as exhaustive as the book, but they are highly instructive and enjoyable in their own right.
What we have here is not a complete, chronological history of the blues, but rather a personal view on the blues from someone who is a real devotee. Of course, as one of rock n' roll's giants, Bill has been in a unique position over the years to meet and even record with many of his heroes. When you can sit and chat with BB King and Buddy Guy, as Bill does here, you know you are getting the straight goods from these living legends. Sadly, many blues giants are no longer with us, although we see a lot of them in action during these marvellous programs--Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf and many more.
We are shown areas of the southern US that formed the cradle of blues music--some excellent colour film here--as well as Bill's personal memories of growing up in the London area, discovering the magic of music, and some of the UK artists who also loved the blues--Lonnie Donegan, Brian Jones, Eric Clapton to name a few.
We also get a taste of Bill's more recent band--"The Rhythm Kings"--in action, including people like Gary Brooker and Albert Lee. It is a group that Bill pulled together just to play small clubs, and have fun with old blues and rock n' roll songs. For a guy who loves blues, Bill comes across as a very happy man !
A personal note from me--I was in London a couple of years ago, and luckily Bill was in a book store signing autographs. I lined up with other fans and finally it was my turn--of course, there was no chance to sit down for a "chat", but he was very friendly and gracious. It is the same approachable, unpretentious personality that comes across on this DVD.
Bottom line--if you like the blues, I'm sure you will enjoy this personal journey with Mr. Wyman--his love and enthusiasm for this music is infectious. Highly recommended.
What better way to cap off 2003, the "Year of the Blues," than with this eminently watchable documentary about Chester A. Burnett, better known as Howlin' Wolf? Arguably second only to Muddy Waters among the Mississippi Delta singers who traveled north and pioneered urban electric blues (their supposed rivalry is the subject of one of this DVD's bonus features), Wolf was a big, imposing man with an inimitable, booming voice and a lasting influence on generations of rock & rollers--all of which comes across in the 90-minute film. Not only do we get a history of his life (told by family members, musical associates like longtime guitarist Hubert Sumlin, and Wolf himself) that's far more entertaining than the norm for this genre, we also get some history of the blues in general. And not only... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Chester Burnett DVD Release Date: Released the 04 November 2003 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $17.98YOU SAVE $2!
Buy it
Unearthed some 40 years after the fact, this has to be one of the finest blues collections ever assembled on video. Thanks to a couple of young promoters who brought the musicians to Europe--where they were treated with a good deal more respect and dignity than in America--we get an extraordinary lineup of bluesmen and women: Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Sippie Wallace... the list goes on. Their concert performances (several in stagy but effective down-home settings) before a rather formal but appreciative German audience have them playing in some cool combinations (T-Bone Walker backing Memphis Slim, Otis Rush with Junior Wells), even introducing one another (Williamson on guitarist Lonnie Johnson, an elder statesman on the tour: "A very nice... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 26 August 2003 Usually ships in 6 to 8 days
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $15.98YOU SAVE $4!
Buy it
Three songs by Howlin' Wolf are the highlight of this second set of blues performances recorded in the 1960s, when an extraordinary lineup of musicians (among the 18 tracks here are tunes by Lightnin' Hopkins, Willie Dixon, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Big Mama Thornton) toured Europe, thrilling (among many others) the young Englishmen playing in bands like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds. As with Volume 1, the monaural sound and black-and-white video are superb, making the release of the footage four decades later even more welcome. And Wolf? He was still in his prime in '64, perhaps equaled only by Muddy Waters (who appears on the first volume). "Did you ever been in the groove?" he asks at one point. "Well, I'm gonna put you way down in the woods." That he does, and blues... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 26 August 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $17.98YOU SAVE $2!
Buy it
This DVD, with its excellent interviews and fabulous music, would be a treasure chest of memories in and of itself. Watch it now, though, and realize that since it was made R.L. Burnside and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown have both passed on, and remind yourself that no one, not even great Bluesmen, live forever.
Watch this DVD and appreciate the rich Blues heritage these incredible men and women represent. More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 30 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $17.98YOU SAVE $2!
Buy it
