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Various Artists

Rock For Asia DVD

Review by Greg Olma

Musicians in general are some of the most charitable people on earth. They use their fame to raise money and create awareness for the pet causes. Also, whenever there is a crisis or a catastrophic event, musicians organize quickly to perform a charity event. I had a tough time figuring out what this charity was for. My review copy was in German and the website only listed that it was to help the children of Asia. That doesn’t really matter anyways as this DVD is a great addition to anyone’s video music library.

Some of the artists on this DVD are easily recognizable but others will be new to many of you (myself included). It is a good mix of musical styles ranging from Bonnie Tyler to Saxon. Since this is a festival event, all the artists perform with the same lighting and visual rig but that doesn’t take away from their unique performances. In my opinion, the best of the bunch are Doro, Edguy, and Saxon. Doro Pesch looks (and acts) like she did in the ‘80’s and hasn’t lost a once of vocal power. Edguy, who are part of the new Euro-metal crew, bring out more of the fun side of that genre. That’s an element that their contemporaries lack by being way too serious. How can you take “Lavatory Lovemachine” seriously? And why would you? These guys just have a good time and take us for the ride. I have never seen a bad Saxon performance, live or otherwise, and the two songs here are no different. One of the big surprises on this DVD is the return of Herman Rarebell. He has been out of the limelight since he left the Scorpions. I had thought he had given up music altogether. Here, he does a remake of the Scorpion’s classic “Still Loving You” with a saxophone player that has her sax “sing” the lyrics. It’s a big change from the power ballad version the Scorpions made famous in the ‘80’s. All the performances are good but this DVD is worth the price just for the bands I mentioned. As and added bonus, your purchase helps someone out.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
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