MusicDVDs

Latest DVD releases reviewed.

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER
Beyond the Beginning Sanctuary **

Thirty-five years ago, three talented young tyros decided to pool their musical powers and created a mega-selling monstrosity. ELP specialized in long, noodly, jazz-rock-classical "works", led by the virtuoso keyboard playing of Keith Emerson, whose arsenal of Moogs, Arps and Hammonds had everything except a stop button. The trio didn't really have songs, unless you count Lucky Man, which singer and bassist Greg Lake knocked off when he was 12, and they very rarely used guitars. But that didn't stop them selling zillions of records and packing out enormodomes with their over-the-top stage show. ELP's big live showpiece was the spinning piano sequence, shown here in all its gyroscopic glory. Emerson was a consummate showman, leaping over his Hammond, wrangling it to the ground, and even sticking knives into the keys. You don't see Chris Martin doing that. The music, however, could only have ever appealed to a spotty, corduroy-wearing nerd with the social skills of a bat. Reader, I was that nerd. www.emersonlakepalmer.com Kevin Courtney

Looking for a Thrill - An Anthology of Inspiration Thrill Jockey ****

One simple question, 112 different answers. Director Braden King initially set out to ask such musicians as Steve Albini, Björk, Sonic Youth, Carl Craig, Calexico, Mouse on Mars, Yo La Tengo and many others to talk about a moment in their lives that inspired them to make music. Little did he realise that the process would produce such a fascinating document about the real spurs behind music-making. While some artists go for the obviousness of a gig or album, others attribute their musical leanings to more out-there sources. Björk gushes about car alarms and her two-year-old son; Tortoise's Johnny Herndon talks about seeking inspiration through skateboarding; and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore found his musical ideas taking shape around the noises and stirrings of big city life. Not all 112 tales bear hearing, of course, but this is still an intriguing overview that emphasises some of the intangibles behind music. www.thrilljockey.com Jim Carroll