Great Video of Music Performances

Films about musicians and their performances.

Last week I wrote about some of the Cool Movies I Had Never Heard Of. Those were the movies I had stumbled upon without knowing anything about them. This week, we'll be discussing some of my favorite musical performances or documentaries available on video.

Here are some of the videos that are available showcasing some really great bands and musicians. These videos are not only fun to watch but are historical recordings of some of the finest musicians.

• Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon - An in depth look at the making of the 1973 album. All four members of the band: Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright are featured in exclusive interviews. Roger, David and Richard play songs and demonstrate themes from the album. Alan Parsons (the original engineer) takes you through the multi track tapes giving a unique insight into the musical fabric. It's cool to be able to listen to some of the isolated tracks of the songs and hear them before the final mix.
  


• Extreme: Take Us Alive: Boston 2009 - If there is one word to best describe what Extreme is like live, it would be PERFORMANCE. Nuno Bettencourt's guitar work is electrifying and to hear some of the earlier material with this live treatment will certainly excite fans both and old and new. The energy of the band is unrelenting, led by frontman Gary Cherone's command of the stage. I was at this show and this video does a great job in capturing the energy of Extreme's  performance.
  


• Imagine: John Lennon - "Narrated" by Lennon himself and culled from hundreds of hours of footage, much of it home movies shot by John and Yoko Ono, Imagine is a substantial, reasonably illuminating portrait of the man, warts and all, from childhood through the Beatle years, his solo career, and his life with Yoko straight up to his final days.
  


• Pearl Jam Twenty - In honor of the twentieth anniversary of Pearl Jam, director and music journalist Cameron Crowe has created a definitive portrait of the seminal band. This film chronicles the years leading up to the band's formation, the chaos that ensued soon after their rise to megastardom, their step back from center stage, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. Pearl Jam Twenty is the definitive portrait of Pearl Jam: part concert film, part intimate insider-hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists.
  


• Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage - This is the first comprehensive exploration of the extraordinary power trio. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with notables such as Jack Black, Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Gene Simmons. The film explores the forty-year career and phenomenon behind what could be considered the world's biggest cult band.
  

All of these films provide an up-close look at some amazing musicians and their obvious passion for the music. If you have a chance, check them out.