Storytellers

There have been a number of Boy George/Culture Club greatest hits collections, but none of them manages to offer a truly complete picture of the band that produced so many likable, hummable songs. In no particular order, "Storytellers/Greatest Moments" rounds up the usual suspects ("Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," "Karma Chameleon"), throws in a few surprises ("That's the Way," "Love is Love") and adds a few unreleased tracks ("Strange Voodoo," "I Just Want to Be Loved").

Sarah McLachlan's rich voice and haunting, polished songs make her one of my favorite singers, and one whose work I like from beginning to end, from 1989's Touch through Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Surfacing, and Mirrorball, to 2003's Afterglow. McLachlan's 1998 appearance on the VH1 Storytellers program gave her the chance to perform a sampling of her songs to a small audience in an intimate setting; it's sure to please any fan of McLachlan's music, whether a devoted fan or a casual listener.

Billy Idol was still a rock & roll bad boy despite being over the hill by the start of the new millennium. Billy Idol: VH1 Storytellers captures that typical snarl without the bombast and returns to basics. The real rawness behind such classics as "Flesh for Fantasy," "Cradle of Love," and "To Be a Lover" is stripped, and the acoustic mix found on this album showcases Idol's appeal on a different level. The sexiness is still there, and Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens compose a magic as well. Fans should be pleased, for the tantalizing swagger of "Rebel Yell" is ageless. Renditions of Generation X's "Kiss Me Deadly" and "Dancing With Myself" are just as exciting, however it's the intensity of the punk anthem "Ready Steady Go" that brings everything together. While Billy Idol was issuing smash singles during a decade criticized for being unoriginal, Billy Idol: VH1 Storytellers suggests otherwise.

David Bowie - VH1 Storytellers (2009) [CD + DVD] {EMI Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 284 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
DVD-5 -> 4,02 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | Dolby AC3/2ch/6ch + DTS | 64:07 | Subs: Eng,Fr,De,Ne,It,Es,Po,Jap | ISO Image
Full Artwork @ 400 dpi (jpg) -> 72 Mb
© 2009 EMI Records / Abbey Road | 50999964990921
Rock / Contemporary Pop / Experimental Rock / Art Rock

VH1's sadly short-lived series Storytellers was ideal for an old charmer like David Bowie, giving him an intimate platform to spin stories both old and new. When he appeared on the show on August 23, 1999, he was a few months away from releasing Hours…, an album where he comfortably came to terms with his past, so it fits that he's looking back fondly here, telling stories about the Mannish Boys and Iggy Pop, sliding the new tunes "Thursday's Child" and "Seven" in between "Life on Mars?" and "Drive-In Saturday," plus "Can't Help Thinking About Me," a single he released with the Lower Third in 1965.

The relative intimacy of the Storytellers stage is appropriate for an artist like Sarah McLachlan, who in the course of this 10-song, 55-minute performance establishes an easy and close rapport with her audience. In truth, empires will neither rise nor fall, and few lives are likely to be changed, on account of McLachlan's music…