FRIDAY MAY 26 2006 ■ WINNIPEG SUN 25 AVDVD Rockin’ Metal gets two devil-horns up aging fan-boy’s rock road-trip. Along eavy metal has a lot in com- the way, Dunn (and co-writer/direc- mon with Jason, Freddy and tors Scot McFayden and Jessica Joy H Keith Richards: It cannot be Wise) do their best to get the real killed. Grunge couldn’t stop it. Teen- number of the beast. They probe the pop couldn’t stop it. Rap roots and origins of metal. couldn’t stop it. At this They anaylse the sound. point, we suspect nothing They discuss issues like short of nuclear holocaust censorship and the PMRC, could stop it. (And of gender and sexuality, reli- course, that would still gion, death and violence. leave Keef.) A lot of it, to be sure, is Cream Considering how invinci- already familiar turf. Yes, Disraeli Gears ble heavy metal is — and DARRYL Black Sabbath were the how long it’s been around STERDAN first true metal band. Yes, Eagle Rock | EMI — there haven’t been many it’s a way for kids to simul- Perhaps you’ve seen the Classic great documentaries on the [email protected] taneously rebel and con- Albums series on TV. Perhaps you’ve genre. And the few there form. Yes, Ronnie James also seen the DVDs in stores. Perhaps are — Heavy Metal Parking Lot and Dio is practically a dwarf. But Dunn you’ve wondered why you should Decline of Western Civilization: The does cover some ground that hasn’t shell out for something you could see Metal Years spring to mind— aren’t been trod to death. A segment on the for free. Episodes like the one on exactly complimentary or insightful. Norwegian black metal scene — one Cream’s Disraeli Gears So it’s high time somebody looked at of whose stars went on a church are why. Not just the world of heavy metal with some burning spree several years ago — is because the 47-minute intelligence and enthusiasm. fascinatingly chilling. Dio’s schoolboy show — a track-by- That someone is Sam Dunn. A rivalry with Gene Simmons over who track appraisal of the while back, the 30-year-old Victoria invented the devil-horn hand sign is a album — is a standout, anthropologist and metalhead decid- hoot. And Dee Snider’s take on the with recollections and ed to merge his two passions. So, homoerotic nature of metal — in anecdotes from former armed with a film crew and his undi- which young males idolize men who bandmates Eric Clapton, Ginger minished enthusiasm for all things are either dolled up like women or Baker and Jack Bruce. Not because loud, fast and heavy, the long-haired dress in skin-tight leather — is hilari- you also get interviews from freaky Dunn travelled the globe and hung ous, if only for all the homophobic lyricist Pete Brown and others. And out with a host of hard rock heroes: sputtering it’s going to spark from not because it finally explains what Alice Cooper, Lemmy, Rob Zombie, metalheads. SWLABR means. No, the real appeal Tony Iommi, Bruce Dickinson, Geddy Put it all together — and toss in a of Disraeli Gears — as with all the Lee and plenty more. On the flip side second disc with extended bonus Classic Albums DVDs — is the bonus of the coin, he talks to fans, super- interviews, more footage on the footage. Here, that consists of half an groupie Pamela Des Barres, profes- Norwegian scene, a massive metal hour of goodies like: Vintage live sors and scribes. He even does his genealogy chart / family tree and footage of Tales of Brave Ulysses and fair share of headbanging at more — and you’ve got one of the We’re Going Wrong; a drum clinic Germany’s infamous Wacken festival. smartest and best-researched DVDs from Bruce; solo acoustic perfor- But the result — the 96-minute to focus on the devil’s music. We mances of Sunshine of Your Love and documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s give it two horns up. Outside Woman Blues by Clapton; Journey — is more than just some ★★★★1/2 and more. Perhaps you want to check it out. ★★★ Captain Beefheart 1/2 Nick Cave The Velvet Underground Road to God Knows Where Under Review | Live at the Paradiso Sexy Intellectual | MVD You’d be hard-pressed to find two more critically Mute | EMI acclaimed American musical acts than The Velvet If some Nick Cave is good, more is Underground and Captain Beefheart. And you’d be better. And this twofer reissue may harder pressed to find much decent video of either. be best of all. It certainly delivers the That is, until Beefheart and The Velvets became the best of both worlds from this bleak latest subjects of the outstanding British music murder balladeer. Disc 1 has The series Under Review. If you haven’t seen one of the Road to God Knows half-dozen Review episodes on Small Faces, Kate Where, a 113-minute Bush, Syd Barrett or The Smiths, rest assured they’re black-and-white tour a fan’s dream, with in-depth analysis, tons of rele- doc that follows Cave vant interviews — and best of all, acres of vintage and his Bad Seeds performance footage. The Beefheart set offers nearly across North America two hours on the fiercely original dada-blues poet, as in 1989, with all the told through the recollections of a dozen former petty bickering, Magic Band members and illustrated with stunning cheapskate promoters, drunken fans live clips and videos from his two-decade career. and grinding repetition you’d expect Ditto the 85-minute Velvet Underground episode, which is anchored by — but sadly, less live fare than you’d lengthy new interviews with drummer Moe Tucker and late-period mem- like. Good thing Disc 2 makes up for ber Doug Yule, intercut with plenty of rare live film. Extras in both sets it with Live at the Paradiso, a 1992 include leftover interview footage and interactive quizzes. Admittedly, it set taped at the Amsterdam venue would be better if main men like Lou Reed and Beefheart were inter- and featuring intense performances viewed — and if the discs included uncut versions of all that old perfor- of The Mercy Seat, Papa Won’t mance footage. But hey, beggars can’t be choosers. And unless some- Leave You, Henry, In the Ghetto and body else decides to put Beefheart and the Velvets in the video spot- 10 more. Plus there are a couple of lighit, these two are the benchmark. short films as bonus footage. Who ★★★★ could ask for more? Both: ★★★★