Librarians in Society Movie Reviews

I'm a big fan of Zakk Wylde and his music. I have three of his cds and enjoy them very much, and plan on getting them all. I was really excited to learn he finally has a concert dvd out, and eagerly rushed out to the stores to buy it after reading all the Amazon reviews. My expectations were totally met and was i not one bit disappointed. This is a must-have for anyone into Zakk and his music. The concert is well-filmed and sounds amazing. The dvd is two-hours long and is packed with extras such as a guitar lesson that teaches you how to play three of Zakk's complex-sounding solos (i can't play guitar, but was fascinated by watching the lesson because he breaks the solo down in parts and does it slowly), a home movie of him playing one of his ballads while his little daugher sings along with him, interviews where he talks about the band and Ozzie and other stuff, Zakk playing the national anthem on his guitar at a hockey game, a music video directed by Rob Zombie from Zakk's new cd The Blessed Hellride (excellent cd!), some other concert footage, and some backstage goofing around and drunkenness that is funny to watch - you'll hear Zakk fart, and in one other scene he also sniffs his armpit and screws up his face. The man is very uninhibited and not shy on camera at all. He's hilarious! The whole dvd is well worth the money and highly recommended. It's full of good music, the guitar lesson should please the fans who play guitar, the interviews are interesting , and the silly stuff is funny. Zakk obviously put alot into this dvd and it shows. He's a true showman and he wanted to give his fans a ton of stuff to watch on the dvd. The concert is the highlight on the disc and you'll love watching it. It sounds great if you have surround sound. Hands down this is one of the best concert dvds out this year.

This is one of the finest music DVD's that I have ever seen. And ive seen many, from such artists like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica,Queen and many many more. It may not be the biggest arena in the country like MSG but the fans and atmosphere help make the DVD even better to watch!!!!

We want more from the Society. Maybe in the New York Chapter!!!!!

This is by far the best music DVD i have ever seen, or owned. Zakk Wylde, picked at the ripe age of 18 to play for the Prince of Darkness, none other than the Ozzman himself, in this DVD proves to the world that he no longer has to live in Ozzy's shadow, for he is the man. This is the heaviest, modern day heavy metal there is right now, and probably ever will be. From a guitarists point of view, there is no one better than him around today. From a fan's point of view or anyone who has even seen BLS live, you know that there is more energy from this band than any other band around today. From his patented guitar solo half way through the set, included his always enjoyable, slightly amped up National Anthem, to his blistering solos, some doubled by Nick "Evil Twin" Catanese, this is a must own for the HARDCORE metal fan. This is not to be taken lightly. If you have any complaints, remember, the COMPLAINT DEPT. IS CLOSED. Hope anyone who gets this DVD enjoys it as much i do. Hell, i watch it once a day, and it still amazes me.
As far as vocals, we'll we know that Zakk is a studio singer, but the reason you love this guy is not for his vocals, but his guitar wizardry. He makes playin look so easy, it's great.

Well, Long Live the Mother F(%^in Black Label Society. Only the true HARDCORE can even think of enjoying the most HARDCORE of them all. So Long from the ATLANTA CHAPTER. Oh, the BREWTALITY.

P.S. It does say something when u play a venue and u empty the establishment of it's last drop of BEER, LIQUOR, WINE, etc.

When a young composer, Enoch zu Guttenberg, came to a small town in the Bavarian area of Germany, he was planning to settle in for serious music writing. But, the a local impressario invegled Guttenberg to focus instead on building a chorale society made up of townspeople. Over the past dozen years, he has done just that and now regularly conducts performances of Bach throughout Europe and South America with the Neubeuren Choral Society, a group of more than 100 local townsfolk, to great acclaim.

In this newly released DVD by Image Entertainment, Guttenberg is joined by Orchester Der Klangerwaltung and soprano Anna Korondi; contralto Iris Vermillion; tenor Deon van der Walt; baritone Dietrich Henschel; and bass Albert Dohmen. The orchestra and soloists are well-known in Europe and apparently have a large following. Although the soloists have some credits in the United States, they remain unknown here.

The DVD has excellent sound and the picture clarity is

stunning. But, technically, the entire production lacks. For instance, it is hard to understand that a May, 2001 release would not include DTS sound which would have added to the clarity and presence of the performance. Editing is sloppy leading to views of oboeist Julia Strobel pumping mightily while no sound is emitted. Also, the chorus is not in lip sync which is disturbing at times.

On a performance level, there are oversights that are okay in a Hollywood film, but not in a serious music presentation. Mr. Guttenberg conducts with one arm in a cast. Owning this DVD means you are stuck with his momentary affliction for the reasonable life of the disc. Then, contralto Vermillion insists on constantly looking at the music as if she were uncertain of the words. That is annoying since the text in the Bach work is extremely simple. Nevertheless, Bach wins. The music is glorious and the musicianship phenomenal.

I give this DVD two stars overall because it misses the opportunity classical music lovers seek. The technology is available to bring a real life performance into our homes for years of enjoyment We are entitled to ask: where are the interactive elements of DVD? No tour of the fabulous church? No interview with the conductor, orchestra personnel or soloists? No "sound-bites" from upcoming DVDs? Still, musically, the performance is excellent. Music: 4 stars. Production: 2 stars.

Musically, this is the finest performance of the B minor Mass I have ever heard. The chorus is somewhat large, but it provides both clarity and (when needed) power. The performers are generally "stylistically aware," meaning without a lot of vibrato and with a great deal of articulation and color.

The performance combines precision, passion, and imagination, and the conductor deserves the credit. Many numbers and passages are freshly thought out. The opening Kyrie is urgent. The Christe is joyful. You think the second Kyrie is an exercise is archaic counterpoint? Listen to this! The violin soloist in the Laudamus Te leaves the competition in the dust. The Crucifixus is searing. The Et in Unam is actually sung with conviction, as are the other "dogmatic" numbers. The soloists (especially Vermillion) are superb, although the Bass (Quoniam only) is a little grainy.

Alas, nothing is perfect. The dynamics seem compressed, but this seems a general problem with DVDs. (Maybe this is attributable to an origin as a telecast, but I don't know.) Occasional details in the mid-base get lost, as does the solo high trumpet on occasion (but at least the trumpet doesn't overwhelm the others). The locale is lovely, and the performers are (by and large) a pleasure to look at, but there is no information about locale or the performers. One wonders why the conductor's arm is in a cast. The camera focuses on each fugal entry in a tiresome fashion. This work might benefit from split-screen, multiple screen, and overlapping image techniques.