Elvis: That's The Way It Is

A truly amazing visual document of Elvis Presley just before he went off the rails. Chubby and playing Vegas to packed audineces of middle-aged women and their balding husbands, Elvis gives some engaging performaces but the real show is the circus that surrounds him. Plus, it's fun to play "what-drug-is-he-on-now." as he's slow moving off-stage but going a mile a minute onstage. Great for reasons the filmmakers never intended.

The Last Waltz

Perhaps the greatest concert film of all-time, The Last Waltz's 25th anniversary edition includes two sets of commentary, a meticulous color-corrected new film transfer approved by director Martin Scorsese and a new digital 5.1 surround audio mix supervised by producer Robbie Robertson. Most important to the music geek you are shopping for: extended "jam footage" of previously unreleased performances by members of The Band, Dr. John, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, Ron Wood, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young.

Jazz: A Film By Ken Burns

There may be a lot of quibbles about what was and what wasn't included in this documentary series, but there simply isn't a better way to introduce this American art to the young whipersnapper on your gift list. Packed with interviews from players who were there and footage of performances, this is also a good gift for those well familar with jazz.

Scratch


This is an amazing documentary about the development and growth of the turntabilist movement. It features appearances by DJ Q-Bert, DJ Shadow, Mix Master Mike, Cut Chemist and many more. It also comes packed with primo extras. An excellent gift for the hip-hop/DJ fan in your life.

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection

The original film is here, along with commentary galore and two hours of previously unseen performances by artists like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Quicksilver Messenger Service. There also is additional footage from The Who, Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas and The Papas as well as the complete sets of Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding. A must own for classic rock fans.

Wild Style

Wild Style is the document of the early days of hip-hop. It is full of great subway shots, break dancing, freestyle mc-ing and rare footage og Grandmaster Flash mixing and scratching. A must-see for anyone interested in hip hop culture and graffiti art.

Pavement - Slow Century

The perfect DVD gift for that indie-rock fan on your gift list. It includes all 13 Pavement videos with commentary from band & director on each, a 60-minute long documentary film by Lance Bangs incorporating original footage from 1989 to 2000 and two full live concerts: Seattle '99 and Manchester '99.

Gimme Some Truth - The Making of John Lennon's "Imagine"

Gimme Some Truth presents John Lennon, Yoko Ono, coproducer Phil Spector, and a host of musicians as they make "Imagine," "Jealous Guy," and "Gimmie Some Truth," among others.

A Hard Day's Night

The Beatles' first movie, and probably their best. The DVD is stacked with extras, including an extensive series of retrospective interviews with the survivng cast and crew-- outside of the The Beatles themselves.

Hullabaloo TV Series DVD Sets

For boomers who are looking to reconnect with their childhoods. For young rock fans who are interested in who else was on the charts when The Beatles first hit the scene. For fans of old television shows. There's gotta be someone in your life who will apperciate these sets, which feature commercial free, uncut versions of this music-variety show that aired on NBC from 1965-1966. A wide mx of talent (including The Byrds, Dionne Warwick, Chuck Berry, The Zombies, Junior Walker & the All-Stars, The Supremes and too many others to list here) lip syncing their hits of the day, plus the famous Hullabaloo Dancers!

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The Music Scene TV Series DVD Sets

These collections of episodes of the short lived 1969 ABC music-variety series features vintages performances (lip-synced and live) by James Brown, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Merle Haggard, Isaac Hayes, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buck Owens, Charley Pride, Sly & the Family Stone, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Temptations, Three Dog Night, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chuck Berry, Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 and many more. Also features some vintage corny comedy.

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This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)

The only rock documentary worth watching, really. It's funny becuase it's true. Sort of. A great gift for music fans of any genre, but heavy metal fans may get the most laughs.