August AV Reviews

 

August Reviews
 

DVD Review

Belle and Sebastian                  

                                                                

Eye Movement Films

This award winning movie is an adaptation of a classic children’s book by Cécile Aubry and takes place in a small village in the French Alps during World War II.

A boy named Sebastian, living with his adopted grandfather and his niece, befriends a large white fluffy dog that he names Belle. The villagers feel that Belle is responsible for the death of their sheep but Sebastian doesn’t think so.

The two of them roamed the hills and encounter adventures along the way. Part of their adventures is helping save Jewish refugees from the Nazi occupation of France by leading them over the French Alps into Switzerland. 

This is a great children’s film with beautiful scenery and beautiful story of a boy and his dog.

Street Date: 7/7/15
ISBN: 9786316071941
UPC: 00857692005222
SLP $24.95

 

Sharon Cole-Isner

Baker & Taylor

 

 

 

Music CD Review

 A great season for quality releases, headlined by Richard Thompson’s Still    

 This has been an excellent few months for singer songwriters and groups known for their acoustic sound, releasing CDs which as lover of acoustic music I call voltage enhanced.  In March we were treated to Mark Knopfler’s latest release, Tracker (00602547169792, Universal Music Group, $19.98,) and in May Mumford & Sons released Wilder Mind, 00810599020736, Glassnote/Universal Music Group, $19.98,) a significant electric departure from the Grammy winning Sigh No More, and their second CD Babel. 

The CD for which I was waiting most anxiously was Richard Thompson’s, Still.  (00888072372740,  Fantasy Records/Concord Jazz, $16.98.)  Richard Thompson is the best acoustic guitar player that I have seen in person in my life time.  In addition to his skills with the acoustic instrument, he’s an exceptional electric guitar player and, one of the finest songwriters in the second half of the 20^thcentury and thus far this century.  His latest release is exceptional lyrically and musically.  In addition to Thompson, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy produced and plays on the CD.  Still belongs in all rock collections especially those that highlight artists that can write and perform at the highest level.  In addition to this latest release from Thompson, collections should include his 2014 release, Acoustic Classics, (00766930016527, Beeswing/Red Distribution, $12.98,) which represents a good sampling of forty plus years of Thompson’s work.

Street Date: 6/23/15

ISBN:  9786316083456
UPC: 00888072372740
SLP $16.98

Martin Warzala

Director, Collection Development

 

 

Live Music Concert Review

Peter Frampton  / Cheap Trick                        

                             

July 11, 2015

CMAC

Canandaigua, NY

Presented by Bowery Presents                                                                                             

 Classic rock acts, Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick brought their 2015 summer tour to the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, NY on a wonderful Saturday night recently and B&T was there.

Cheap Trick has been in the opening slot on this summer’s run  and their were faced with some sound system issues.  A poor mix or technical problems I’m not sure which, but their three initial tunes  were a muddy blob but things fortunately improved into their set and the vocals and guitars came into and finally showed off Robin Zander great vocal form.  Mr Zander was dressed up in a white uniform and hat, sailor style? and lead the group on every song. And, as expected, guitarist Rick Nielsen kept the crowd entertained with his constantly changing set of guitars including his famed five-neck model on their set’s closer, Goodnight.

They opened with four songs from the band's first two album (Cheap Trick and In Color) which were also the openers on 1979's Live at Budokan. During the evening, eight of the ten songs from the Budokan album were included this night.

After a break which, require some extra keyboard set up by PF’s crew, Peter Frampton hit the stage and, opened with music from his classic 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive including a surprise early playing of his signature hit, Show Me the Way. 

 

Frampton is certainly amazing in not just his guitar skills but in working (in a good way), the audience.  His set was most surely in the 70's, and the crowd loved it,  with seven of the nine tunes in the main body of the show from the albums Frampton's Camel (1973),  Somethin's Happening (1974) and Frampton (1975), all of which were also part of Frampton Comes Alive.  He added a fun cover of Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) and of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun from the album Fingerprints.

Mr Frampton wrapped up the summer night with an electrifying performance of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Despite some technical glitches, the trip back to the rock heyday of the ‘70s was well worth it and great to see two artists with their talents and drive still intact

 

Peter Frampton, Hummingbird in a Box, $7.98 SLP

Phenix Phonograph/Red Distrib

CD
UPC  00766930015926

 

 

The Box Set Series; Cheap Trick. $21.98 SLP

Legacy/Sony

CD
00888837867726

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker & Taylor Scene & Heard AV  * 800.775-2600 x 2050  * AVInfo@Baker-Taylor.com