Miles Davis: Live At Montreux Highlights 1973-1991

Eagle Rock

The late legend Miles Davis single handedly changed the course of jazz history to bring it closer to funk and rock, confounding the critics and all who came before him.  He remained a reclusive figure, enigmatic and indefinable, both onsage and off.  Now, for the first time, Eagle Rock has collected the "Highlights" of his numerous headline appearances at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Taken from seven performances over the course of 18 years, it's a mind-bending time-travel that shows the chameleon-like tenacity that Miles brought to his ever-evolving sound.  With Miles, the only constant was change.  From his debut 1973 performance of "Ife" to his final appearance in 1991, where he looked back unsentimentally at one of his greatest moments, Sketches of Spain, the 1960 collaboration with producer Gil Evans, each performance is as varied and different as can be.

The 11-year silence between the '73 debut and the '84 comeback only makes the '84 performacne all the more dramatic.  Then comes a flurry of activity.  He hit the Montreux stage in '85, '86, '89, '90 and, only months before his death, in 1991.  Representative highlights from all those years are included.  Also included is an interview with Miles disciple, Carlos Santana.  

This one is a must-own for music fans of all stripes!  Eagle Rock will also release the Miles Davis Definitive Montreux DVD boxed set later this year.

Primal Scream: Screamadelica

Eagle Rock Entertainment

Eagle Rock Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray and DVD/CD package celebrating one of the seminal albums of the 1990s, Screamadelica by Primal Scream.

The DVD and Blu-Ray contains the full Screamadelica Live! concert production as performed by Primal Scream in 2010 at London's Olympia, the first time it had ever been performed in its entirety. Additionally, a second eight-song "Rock Set" of the band's most powerful tracks is included.

The DVD/CD package, with the full two sets (Screamadelica and the "Rock Set"), and the CD with only the Screamadelica portion, showcases the band accompanied by a full brass section, a gospel choir and specially-made background visuals. The Blu-Ray edition not only boasts the full concert and rock set, but gets the full "Classic Albums" treatment, running three and a half hours of pure Primal Scream.

Screamadelica defined a generation. The band, originally formed in 1982 Scotland by Vocalist Boby Gillespie (who also served as drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-'80s) and guitarist Jim Beattie, made its mark in London with its 1987 Sonic Flower Groove debut. Screamadelica, in 1991, was their third album and made them international kingpins of alternative British rock. Utilizing ample parts indie-rock, house, dance, dub, gospel, pop and more, it set the scene for dozens of like-minded bands on both sides of the Atlantic.

Apathy for the Devil

Nick Kent

De Capo Press/Perseus Books Group

After years of chronicling and criticizing the music and misadventures of famous seventies musicians as on of the UK's most influential rock critics, Nick Kent plunges readers into his own memories of the sordid and legendary decade with Apathy for the Devil: A 70s Memoir.

Full of up-close and personal encounters with musicians like the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Sex Pistols, and Chrissie Hynde,  Apathy for the Devil delves beyond journalistic writing to provide a hands-on, eyewitness account of the drugs, drama, tragedies, and climaxes of the seventies rock music scene. Far from being a sensational gossip, Kent relays his exploits in the casual tone that can only be achieved by one who was really there: "Suddenly I was a Sex Pistol. 'Well, why not'" He never shies away from the gritty and disparaging, describing in detail the way his own descent into drugs and excess grew to mirror that of the musicians he interviewed.

A decade and a half in the making, Apathy for the Devil  is more than just a memoir. In addition to his own seemingly endless supply of anecdotes, Kent interweaves music with memory, sharing a self-compiled "Soundtrack for the Seventies" listing the particular songs and albums that meant the most to him during the years he recounts in the book. Part musical history, part autobiography, and part pure entertainment, this book speaks to music lovers as well as anyone who wishes to peek behind the curtain of one of the most fascinating decades in music history.

The Right to Be Lazy: Essays by Paul Lafargue

Paul Lafargue

Charles H. Kerr Co. & AK Press

Paul Lafargue, the multi-racial French son-in-law of Karl Marx, is best known as the author of the Right to be Lazy, the most popular radical text after The Communist Manifesto. This new collection of this essays spotlights his compelling satiric wit.

Lafargue unmercifully attacked the work ethic, before it was defined by Max Weber, advocated maternity leave in the French Chamber of Deputies in the 1890s, promoted voting for a popular race horse to ridicule an electoral circus, exposed the farce of papal infallibility and generally advanced the widest range of cultural critiques in the 19th  Century, and yet he remains largely unknown.

Correcting the historical record however is not the ultimate aim of this volume. Lafargue’s criticisms and caustic attitude serve as an antitoxin in our age of mass manipulation.

Deep Purple: History, Hits & Highlights, 1968-76, 2 DVD Set

Eagle Rock

Deep Purple are easily one of the most influential and dynamic British rock bands of the 20th century. Eager fans have the opportunity to experience highlights from the early days of this legendary band, when Eagle Rock Entertainment releases History, Hits, & Highlights, a special 2 DVD set.

A vivid compilation of rare and unreleased material, live performances, archival interviews and studio/television footage, "History, Hits & Highlights" chronicles the years 1968-1976 when the band survived four line-up changes and produced such classic albums as "In Rock," "Fireball," "Burn" and "Machine Head." It was at this time that essential tracks like "Hush", "Speed King", "Black Night", and, of course, "Smoke On The Water," were produced. These solid rock staples, plus many more, are prominently displayed on this set. As a bonus, a photo gallery is included on the second disc.

Hot on the heels of front man Ian Gillan's CD, One Eye To Morocco, this 2 DVD set is a revealing look at the band, which includes Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir

Mickey Leigh with Legs McNeil

Touchstone / Simon and Schuster

When the Ramones recorded their debut album in 1976, it heralded the true birth of punk rock. Unforgettable front man Joey Ramone gave voice to the disaffected youth of the seventies and eighties, and the band influenced the counterculture for decades to come.

With honesty, humor, and grace, Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh, shares a fascinating, intimate look at the turbulent life of one of America’s greatest—and unlikeliest—music icons. While the music lives on for new generations to discover, I Slept with Joey Ramone is the enduring portrait of a man who struggled to find his voice and of the brother who loved him.

Demenita 13 (in HD)

Roger Corman & Francis Ford Coppola

Film Chest / HD Cinema Classics / Cultra / Virgil

Future filmmaking legend Francis Ford Coppola made his big screen directorial debut in 1963 with this cult horror classic, available for the first time in spectacular High-Definition Blu-ray.

Following the abrupt death of her husband from a heart attack, the scheming Louise Haloran (Luanda Anders) travels to her in-laws estate in Ireland, only to find herself trapped in a creepy, decrepit castle with her ex-husband's demented family. Upon arrival, she is introduced to a pair of maladjusted brothers (William Campbell, Bart Patton) and a distraught mother-in-law (Eithne Dunn), still grieving for the daughter she lost in a drowning accident many years earlier. When a mysterious axe-wielding psychopath enters the fray, leaving blood-spattered corpses in his wake, the family's doctor (Patrick Magee) takes it upon himself to try to get to the bottom of things - before it's too late!

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Infinity Entertainment Group

The all-star critically acclaimed classic network musical extravaganza, Alice Through the Looking Glass, falls onto DVD from Infinity Entertainment Group.

The enchanting characters of Lewis Carroll come to life in NBC's exuberant and colorful 1966 musical adaptation of the novel Through the Looking Glass (a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) and is one of the most expensive productions of its day.

Alice (Judi Rolin) is playing chess in her father's study when the Red King (Robert Coote) comes to life and beckons her through a mirror into Looking Glass Land. She is greeted by the Red Queen (Agnes Moorehead) and the White Queen and King (Nanette Fabray, Ricardo Montalban) who lament that their subjects are being terrorized by the evil Jabberwock (Jack Pallance).

Deciding she would like to become a queen herself — thus ending the Jabberwock's harch rule — Alice sets out on her own adventure. A she travels through the Garden of Talking Flowers and other magical places, Alice encounters familiar characters and new friends.

A clever blend of song, dance, and whimsical humor, this captivating journey is for both the young and the young-at-heart.

My Girlfriend's Back

Steven Ayrolooi

Barnholtz / Lion's Gate

A hilarious romp through the complexities and realities of relationships, the smart, urban, romantic comedy, My Girlfriend’s Back – featuring an all-star cast – hits stores from Barnholtz Entertainment.

 The focused and diligent pursuit of success by Derek Scott (Malik Yoba, the upcoming Vivica A. Fox feature, Caught on Tape, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? & Why Did I Get Married Too?, FOX’s Defying Gravity) is about to pay off big time … before he hits an unexpected detour.

 When a beautiful ex-girlfriend (Tangi Miller, Love… & Other 4-Letter Words, Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, WB’s Felicity) shows up out of the blue, he considers throwing away his entire well-orchestrated life to experience the one thing his plan has overlooked … love.

 
  Directed by Steven Ayromlooi (Love… & Other 4-Letter Words, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood).

Tikki Tikki Tembo…and more stories to celebrate Asian Heritage

Scholastic Storybook Treasures

Timed to release for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Tikki Tikki Tembo…and more stories to celebrate Asian Heritage brings together a unique collection of six best-selling, award-winning stories highlighted by the title tale, a classic childhood gem which has been beloved for over 20 years and has sold millions of copies. Along with celebrity narration from B.D. Wong and Ming-Na Wen, the DVD features a read-along function that highlights the words as they are read, allowing a child to follow the narrator, promoting literacy skills.

Collect the entire library of Scholastic Storybook Treasures and read along on screen with your favorite classic children’s stories, brought vividly to life on DVD.

TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO (Writeen by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent) This Chinese folktale explains why great long names are no longer chosen for their childdren.

THE TALE OF THE MANDARIN DUCKS (Written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon, narrated by B. D. Wong) A compassionate couple risks their lives to reunite a pair of Mandarin ducks.

GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY (Written and illustrated by Allen Say, narrated by B. D. Wong) A touching story about Grandfather’s travels from Japan to the United States and back again.

THE STONECUTTER (Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott) Tasaku is a lowly stonecutter who longs for more power in this Japanese folk tale.

LON PO PO: A RED-RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA (Written and illustrated by Ed Young, narrated by B. D. Wong) This Asian version of the classic fairytale brings lessons about strangers, trust, and courage.

SAM AND THE LUCKY MONEY (Written by Karen Chinn, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, narrated by Ming-Na Wen) On Chinese New Year Sam meets a stranger who helps him make the perfect decision on how to spend his lucky money.

Is This The Real Life? : The Untold Story of Queen

Mark Blake

Da Capo / Perseus

Queen remains unquestionably one of the most popular bands on the planet. With sales second only to the Beatles, they have sold over 300 million albums globally. Yet the full story of their extraordinary success has never been told–until now.

Delving beyond Queen's public persona and mega-success, Is This the Real Life: The Untold Story of Queen will shed light on the four wildly diverging personalities of the band members, particularly lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Acclaimed music writer Mark Blake draws on earlier personal interviews with the band as well as almost 100 brand-new eye-witness testimonies with record producers, personal assistants, ex-band members and friends to present a detailed picture of the band's rise from suburbia to worldwide stardom.

It all began with Farrokh Bulsara, a young man who embraced the music and fashions of Swinging London, and formed a rock band with a dentistry student/part-time drummer by the name of Roger Taylor and a would-be physicist/aspiring guitar hero named Brian May. When Farrokh Bulsara changed his name to Freddie Mercury, Queen was born. Mercury's flamboyant presence on stage and lifestyle choices off stage attracted attention from the tabloid press, but music critics ridiculed the band. It was not until 1975 that the band's single-mindedness and sheer ambition paid off—Queen's six-minute operatic single "Bohemian Rhapsody," became a Number 1 hit, changing their lives and the public's attitude toward them forever.

From then on, Queen's story was one of constant musical and stylistic reinvention. Their astonishing transition from a heavy rock band to a pop group brought new audiences and life to the music. Their stadium shows were legendary. The Queen story spans four decades incorporating fame, money, sex, and rock'n'roll and hypnotizing a fan base ranging from screaming females, to committed rock fans, to casual record buyers, to contemporary artists such as Lady Gaga (who took her name from Queen's "Radio Ga Ga"), Axl Rose, Katy Perry, Dave Grohl, and Mika, among others.

Mercury's untimely death from AIDS in 1991 robbed Queen of their lead singer, but the surviving band members have found ways to keep their music alive. Queen's phenomenal sales have continued, their stage show We Will Rock You has broken  box-office records, and their songs are a staple for American Idol contestants. Brian May and Roger Taylor also recently resurrected the Queen band for a new studio album and several tours.

Is This The Real Life?: The Untold Story of Queen reveals—for the first time—how the band became champions of the world. We dare you to read this fascinating look at Queen and not go buy an album.

Nils Lofgren: Cry Tough (2 DVD Set)

Eagle Rock

A kaleidoscopic view of his success as a solo artist, this DVD captures three performances from difference stages in Lofgren's career. With over four hours of footage and 35 tracks deep, it showcases Nils stepping out into the spotlight on his own. Lofgren, formerly of the E Street Band, and Neil Young's Crazy Horse, wowed this crowd with his unfettered six-string talent, charasmatic stage presence, moving songs, and impressive showmanship.

Disc 1 features his 1991 performance, when Lofgren returned from a stint with the E Street Band with his 1991 album "Silver Lining." Disc 2 bactracts to his earlier days playing solo, with sets from 1976, just after the release of his solo debut.

Arm the Spirit: A Woman Journey Underground and Back

Diana Block

AK Press

In June 1985, Diana Block, her two-week old son and five companions—all of them active in the struggle for Puerto Rican independence—fled L.A. after finding a surveillance device in their car. Facing the possibility of arrest because of her militant activities, Diana spent the next decade living underground, on the run from the FBI, raising two children and juggling security, solidarity and motherhood.

In a perfect demonstration that the personal is political, Diana's memoir offers unique insights into the reasons why many people took up arms against the U.S. government in the 1960's and 1970's in response to racism, male supremacy and war. The book also traces Diana's political development on either side of her time underground, offering a fresh look at the history of the 1970's and an analysis of the social terrain of the 1990's when she resurfaced and tried to reintegrate into a very different world.

Relayed with emotional depth and a poetic style, Arm the Spirit brings a woman's perspective to a subject typically dominated by heroic, male discourse. The book paints a vivid, complex picture of underground life and its many challenges. What is it like to raise children who don't know their mother's real name and birthday? How does it feel to see your own history distorted on an episode of "America's Most Wanted"? Which aspects of underground life are terrifying, which are stultifying, and which ultimately strengthen the spirit and will to resist? A captivating tale of struggle and solidarity - told from the inside.

Diana Block has been an activist for thirty-eight years. She has written for political journals and women’s magazines and currently edits The Fire Inside, the newsletter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Piano Exercises

Karen Berger

Complete Idiot's Guides / Alpha

Make sure you hit all the right notes.

Playing the piano is much more than just learning notes and reading music; having good dexterity, building independent finger strength, and learning proper technique is absolutely essential to mastering the instrument. Packed with everything a player needs to become a great pianist, The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Piano Exercises is the perfect companion to the best-selling The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Playing Piano, Third Edition.

• More than 100 challenging exercises designed to improve playing skills, including pedaling, hand crossovers, virtuoso arpeggios, playing dynamics, and more

• The author owns and operates a very successful home studio, and is a virtuoso pianist

•Advice on getting your sitting position right, hand position, and fingering correct, right from the start.

• Complete coverage of scales, the building blocks of successful piano playing, including minor scales, modes blues scales, chromatic scales, and more.

• Hints for plaing advanced pieces that seem to require more than two hands, plus other technically challenging skills that will really wow you audience.