JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #516.144!

Isaac Hayes – Live At Montreux 2005 (Eagle Vision) :: Wherein a soporific Black Snoozus ponderously pontificates through his greatest hits. Bonus points for finally coming alive to conduct the synthesized orchestra on an extended version of “Shaft.” Points deducted for not having the testicular fortitude to encore with “Chocolate Salty Balls.”

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Live At Montreux 1974 (Eagle Vision) :: A year after recording the seminal Birds Of Fire album, John McLaughlin played Montreux with a new lineup that included Jean-Luc Ponty and Narada Michael Walden. Picking up where the live-in-Central Park album Between Nothingness And Eternity left off, this rare archival footage is essential viewing for any Mahafusion fan.

Asia – Fantasia: Live In Tokyo (Eagle Vision) :: Any band that can lay claim to playing authentic versions of “Roundabout” (Steve Howe), “Fanfare For The Common Man” (Carl Palmer), “In The Court Of The Crimson King” (John Wetton) and “Video Killed The Radio Star” (Geoff Downes) all in one concert is worthy of your admiration, however begrudgingly.

Al Di Meola – Speak A Volcano: Return To Electric Guitar (MVD Video) :: As close to intuitive musical Zen as you can possibly get, the sheer effortless fluidity of Di Meola’s playing is positively breathtaking. Bonus points for including a video guitar clinic.

Various Artists – Dear Mr. Fantasy: A Celebration For Jim Capaldi (Eagle Vision) :: Am I the only one who thinks that the drearily dull “Dear Mr. Fantasy” is the most overrated rock song ever? After watching these well-meaning geezers dodder around the stage for two hours, I guess I am.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Marvin Gaye – Greatest Hits Live In ’76 (Eagle Vision) :: Wearing a striped slime green barbershop quartet outfit that has to be seen to be believed—sunglasses not included—our bow-tied man in Amsterdam rips through a whopping 24 songs in a Ramones-worthy 51 minutes flat. Hey, if I wore a fey-glo leprechaun suit like that, I’d wanna get off the stage as fast as I could too.

Be seeing you!