Music DVDs

TONY CLAYTON-LEAand JIM CARROLLreview this week's Music DVDs reviewed

ROD STEWART

Unplugged and Seated  Warner Bros ***

He might be slightly past his sell-by date – brought on, no doubt, by by his soporific series of American Songbookalbums – yet there remains a lot of good will for Rod Stewart. He was the lad who wined, dined and bedded beautiful blondes, loved soccer, and could turn out wonderfully crafted, loose-limbed rock songs such as Stay With Meand Maggie May. Making its debut on DVD, Stewart's 1993 MTV Unpluggedgig is one of the best of the series. The songs are allowed to breathe, and Stewart seems to revel in making the wisely chosen cover versions very much his own. Matters heat up somewhat when his old Faces sparring partner, Ronnie Wood, sits in on proceedings, and to hear the likes of Reason to Believe, Handbags and Gladragsand Mandolin Wind– performed in such engagingly sloppy fashion – is to regret what Stewart has ultimately turned into: a posh cabaret act. Extras include the original album, first released in 1993. www.rod stewart.com TONY CLAYTON-LEA

BIGGIE SMALLS

Rap Phenomenon Gold Dust Media ***

You have to admit that the makers of Rap Phenomenon got their timing right. With the Notoriousflick on the short life and high times of Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace recently released, there are presumably many fans willing to shell out for a look at the Notorious B.I.G.'s early days, before he became a book-end in hip-hop's most pointless feud. But fans should keep their hands in their pockets and walk right by this fairly lame cut-and-paste job, produced by the rapper's sidekick, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, from his own private stash. (D-Roc is the guy who took a gun possession rap and did time for Smalls. ) Pre-fame footage of Smalls on tour has little to recommend it. As bad as those posthumous tracks Sean Combs released after Smalls died in 1997.