"Actor: Abe Laboriel"

• Paul McCartney - Back In The US | DVD | (17/03/2003) from £12.56   |  Saving you £10.42 (108.88%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Compiled from McCartney's two concert tours of North America in 2002, Back in the U.S. is chiefly a "selective" biographical film of Macca on tour. Unlike the CD of the same name, which is made up of full-length versions of the songs performed on the tour, the DVD features only excerpts. Presenting the legend and those around it in a somewhat superficial light, the film is as much a tribute to the Heather-reinvigorated McCartney as to his music. There's plenty of footage of the new Mrs McCartney accompanying Paul on his marathon of television and radio interviews; band and crew members pipe on about how much of an honour it is to work with McCartney; and fans' of all ages gush hysterically about how amazing it is to see the star perform live. After sitting through three hours of such material, you can't help wishing that something would go wrong. The set-list includes Beatles favourites, tunes by Wings and selected numbers from McCartney's solo back catalogue. Realising the audience's obvious taste for nostalgia, the film mixes shots of the wild contemporary audience with footage of tearful, screaming fans from 40 years earlier. While the songs and audience reactions remain the same, the most touching moment of the film is when Macca performs his tributes to Lennon ("Here Today") and Harrison ("Something"). On The DVD: Back in the U.S. appears to break all DVD capacity records. As well as the main feature, there's plenty of extra behind-the-scenes material and bonus songs. While the picture quality is satisfactory, the three audio soundtracks (including DTS Surround) more than compensate for any visual shortcomings. Playing the disc on a DVD-ROM drive allows access to a secret Back In The U.S. Web site--one of the most comprehensive bonus Web sites ever. Highlights include additional soundcheck clips, outtakes, music promos and extended performances from the show. --John Galilee

• K.D. Lang - Live By Request | DVD | (24/09/2001) from £7.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (87.61%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Live by Request is, most certainly, a live recording of KD Lang, though nobody in the audience seems to do much requesting. Taped in December 2000 in New York, it shows Lang and her band before a smallish audience, rattling out a few of her better-known songs and some of Lang's generally creditable readings of standards, in between interruptions from a host who walks Lang through brief discussions of her career and influences. Listening to Lang sing is, of course, no hardship: few indeed are the vocalists who can mix it with the legacies of Roy Orbison ("Crying") and Patsy Cline ("Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray") and emerge with dignity intact, never mind reputation enhanced. That said, whatever intensity there may have been about the show on the night has not translated to this recording, and this is little more than a succession of polite performances greeted by polite applause. On the DVD: The picture format is the 4:3 television standard, and there are three sound modes to choose from (Dolby Digital Surround, DTS Surround, PCM Stereo). The menu of songs is easily navigable, but there are disappointingly no bonus features. --Andrew Mueller

• Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin Live from the Record Plant | DVD | (28/03/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• GRP All-Stars: Live From the Record Plant | DVD | (28/12/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.31