artist: The Rat Pack   function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); album: Live at the Villa Venice format: DVD-Audio label: Reprise release year: 2003 performance: 8 sound 6 reviewed by: Jerry Del Colliano Sammy, Dean and Frank – the Rat Pack were headed towards the primes of their careers in 1962 when they were asked to play 14 nights of concerts, not at The Copa Room at the Sands, but at a banquet hall one-and-a-half hours outside of Chicago. Rumor has it, and Dean makes jokes about the fact, that these A-List entertainers did the gig for free. The reason was, as legend tells it, Sam “Momo” Giancana was being repaid for a favor he did for JFK during the 1962 election that helped the young senator win the West Virginia primary. Now Giancana was getting his payback with the best entertainment money could buy at the time (the Beatles were still learning how to tune their instruments in 1962) to play just blocks away from Giancana’s illegal casino in suburban Chicago.

artist: Led Zeppelin function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); album: How The West Was Won format: DVD-Audio label: Atlantic Records release year: 2003 performance: 9 sound 6 reviewed by: Jerry Del Colliano If it seems like I just reviewed the new Led Zeppelin How The West Was Won album, it’s because I did. However, the review we recently published was of the CD and, unknown to me, there was a surround sound DVD-Audio version just about to hit the shelves. The content of the album is pretty much the same on the DVD-Audio, but it is mixed for 5.1 surround sound that can be played back in a DVD-Audio player or any DVD-Video player in Dolby Digital. As long as you have a surround sound system set-up and a DVD player, you can hear Led Zeppelin in an entirely new way.

artist: Trey Anastasio function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); album: Trey Anastasio format: DVD-Audio label: Elektra/Asylum release year: 2002 performance: 8 sound: 8 reviewed by: Jeff Fish I’ll admit that I have a hard time finding anything Trey Anastasio does to be bad. He is the consummate guitarist and musician. In my opinion, his name belongs with the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana and Frank Zappa. His guitar playing is only matched by his compositional skills and he has one of the most outstanding minds in music today. Anastasio’s need to release a solo album was brought to the forefront while Phish was recording their Farmhouse album. Most of the songs on that CD were Anastasio compositions, but there was also co-writing credits that included members of his side project.

artist: Frank Sinatra With The Count Basie Orchestra This title not currently available on Amazon. album: Sinatra At The Sands format: DVD-Audio label: Reprise Records release year: 2003 performance: 9 sound 7.5 reviewed by: Jerry Del Colliano This new DVD-Audio title captures the incomparable Frank Sinatra live at the legendary Copa Room at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, circa 1966. The performance highlights one of the 20th century’s greatest performers literally at the peak of his popularity and powered by Count Basie’s orchestra under the direction and arrangement of a young Quincy Jones. Armed with crooner classics, saloon songs and hits from that time in history, Sinatra thrills the audience with his deadly combination of stellar vocals, exciting orchestration and juiced-up one-liners.

artist: The Beach Boys function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); album: Pet Sounds format: DVD-Audio label: EMI Records release year: 2003 performance: 9 sound 7.5 reviewed by: Tim Hart Growing up, I wasn’t a big fan of the Beach Boys. Granted, they were a bit before my time, and I didn’t pay much attention to their work. Oddly enough, I became interested in them through the Beatles stuff. What’s the tie-in, you ask? Well, a bit of history may be in order.