artist: Queen    album: A Night at the Opera format:    (DVD-A/V) label:    DTS Entertainment release year:    2001 performance:    9 sound    8 reviewed by:    Richard Elen This is a landmark album from a highly significant rock band. A Night at the Opera certainly qualifies as Queen’s equivalent of Led Zeppelin IV or Sergeant Pepper. More than that, this DVD release features a 5.1 remix that brings new life to a rock classic. Queen was well-known at the time of this album’s debut for hard rock. The band’s third release, Sheer Heart Attack, had proved that they could push the limits of the genre and gain international success. But I doubt that many believed that Queen could blow those limits away so completely as they do in A Night At The Opera. The music ranges from pop ("You’re My Best Friend") to heavy metal ("Death On Two Legs," etc.) to ballad to sprightly ...

artist: Bucky Pizzarelli album: Swing Live format: DVD-Audio & SACD label: Chesky Records release year: 2001 performance: 9 sound 10 reviewed by: Richard Elen Most of the major record companies have by now come down on one side or the other of the War of the High-Quality Audio Discs, with some opting to release Super Audio CD product (notably Sony) and others deciding on the competing DVD-A format (such as Warner Brothers). Still others have announced their intention to do one or the other but have not yet ruled out both.

artist: Al Green 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: Greatest Hits format: DVD-Audio label: Right Stuff/EMI release year: 2003 performance: 9.5 sound 8.5 reviewed by: Jerry Del Colliano This DVD-Audio title is an excellent introduction to the format for new users because, as a greatest hits collection, the record is loaded with familiar tracks, welcoming melodies and funky grooves. The Reverend Al Green is one of the greats in the world of 1970s R&B. His layered and soulful songs have passed the test of time and still hold up today.

artist: The Ultimate Surround Sampler and 5.1 Setup Disc format: DVD-A label: Chesky Records release year: 2002 performance: 8 sound 9 reviewed by: Richard Elen In addition to helping you set up your DVD-A or DVD-V sound replay system in more depth than any other disc I have seen so far, Chesky Records’ "Ultimate Surround Sampler and 5.1 Setup Disc” also includes eight diverse selections from the Chesky high resolution audio catalogue in 24-bit 96 kHz surround and stereo. With this combination, you really can’t lose: it would be worth it for either part.

artist: The Doobie Brothers, 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: The Captain And Me format: DVD-Audio label: Rhino/Warner Music Group release year: 2001 performance: 7 sound 7 reviewed by: Richard Elen Very likely just looking at the cover of this album – showing the band in period costume on and around a stagecoach parked under a ruined freeway bridge that had partially collapsed in a 1971 California earthquake – will bring back memories of the early ‘70s and the music of the time. Released in 1973, this was the Doobies’ third album, following the success of Toulouse Street and the hit single "Listen To The Music." It signified a high point in the band’s early period, and achieved a level of success that did not return until the outfit had completely metamorphosed into something else a little under a decade later.