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Top 10 Music DVDs

No.1: Hawkwind - Out of the Shadows
OK, so this is a band that's been going for almost 35 years and which is often sneered at by people who want to appear cool. But let's look at the ingredients contained here. There's the complete freedom from conventional pop or rock forms. Anything and everything goes. You've got the power and driving force of Dave Brock, surely Mr. Space Rock himself, still going strong well into his sixties. There's loyal mainstays Alan Davey and Richard Chadwick, with over 40 years membership of the band between them. Most importantly of all, for this DVD only, three of Hawkwind's most interesting guest musicians (Huw Lloyd-Langton, Tim Blake and Arthur Brown) are captured on stage, all at the same time. Add in the lightshow and a fabulous crystal clear picture and Dolby 5.1 sound, turn down the lights, turn up the volume and you're there, for an hour and a half of mesmeric music. Out of the Shadows is unedited and free from overdubs, what you see is exactly what actually happened, fun, mistakes and all. A must for any rock fan and finally a DVD that does Hawkwind justice.

No.2: This is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)
Any lover of serious (and not so serious) rock music will recognise their favourite groups somewhere in this epic film and related material. Essentially a spoof of the heavy metal genre, Spinal Tap is fascinating in that almost all the dialog in it was improvised by the (very talented) actors, chiefly Christopher Guest, Michael McKean abd Harry Shearer. Some of the sketches in the 'rockumentary' are now all-time classics (remember the amp volume knob that 'went up to 11'?). This Special Edition is the must-have version, with an 'in character' commentary by the main stars that's almost as funny as the main feature and an HOUR of unused, unseen footage, almost another film in its own right. This is a huge, huge DVD and well worth a place in anyone's collection.

No.3: Queen - Live at Wembley Stadium
For some reason (probably legal difficulties as Freddy Mercury was dead), the back catalogue of Queen video material took a long time to make it onto DVD. But this one was worth the wait. It's Queen at their majestic peak, the complete concert performance of their legendary Wembley show (1987?), in glorious remastered colour and digital sound, plus interviews, documentaries and extra footage. Terrific value. Again, just put this on, turn out the lights, pour yourself a cold beer and enjoy at high volume.

No.4: Woodstock - 3 days of peace and music (Director's Cut)
From the days when musicians were real musicians and violence at festivals was complete unheard of, this remastered version of the most famous music festival of all time is a treat for the eyes and ears, bringing back lots of memories. The artists include Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin and Santana, to name but a few, and this DVD Director's Cut includes an extra 40 minutes of footage, taking the film up to over three and a half hours.

No.5: Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (Director's Cut)
Essentially two films in one, this DVD includes both the original 'Early Pink Floyd in concert' footage and the 'Early Pink Floyd in concert, including interviews and space-age computer graphics' version. Which you prefer is up to you, but both are worth watching. The music's the same for each, digitally remastered, of course, with amazing musicianship and atmosphere. The only bit you might want to slip is the chapter 'with the dog' (you'll know when you get there)... And there's an interesting interview with Adrian Maben about the putting together of the old and new versions.

No.6: Elvis: That's the Way it is (Special Edition)
Oh, how I love what computers can do to old material that was previously grainy and scratchy. This DVD is perhaps the ultimate example, with the King live at Vegas in 1970, immaculately remastered in every way. With lashings of extra footage, a perfect musical concert (amazing drumming by Ronnie Tutt, by the way) and a documentary about how the concert was remastered, this one's not to be missed.

No.7: Live Aid (4 DVD set)
With 10 hours of performances from the ORIGINAL world-saving charity concert, this box set is only flawed in that Led Zeppelin refused permission for their set to be used (booo!) Otherwise, sit back and enjoy some of the biggest acts of all time at their peak in 1985. Although quality is generally excellent, some sections had to be rescued from TV recordings and thus have to be labelled as 'collectors only'.

No.8: Pink Floyd - PULSE
It's the Floyd again, this time in 1994 at Earls Court. A quite superb remastering job for this 2 DVD set, with the concert itself split into two, just as the original performance was. The Floyd special effects throughout are awe-inspiring, you just won't believe the pyrotechnics in the guitar solo to 'Comfortably Numb'! Includes the whole of Dark Side of the Moon played live and a host of extra documentaries and bonus footage. Over 4 hours in total and unmissable.

No.9: Marillion - Recital of the Script
After their groundbreaking debut LP, Script for a Jester's Tear, this is Marillion in their original line-up, raw but empassioned in 1983. The audio's been remastered for DVD and the visuals are still acceptable. In addition to playing their LP live, there's the rare live rendition of the 20 minute Grendel and other interviews, songs and features. Essential for any prog rock fan.

No.10: Dido - Live at Brixton Academy
No, no, don't laugh. This one's a lot better than you might think. Dido on CD is a bit tame and boring. Dido live is a lot more interesting, with her pretty face to look at(!) and with a fun character to fall in love with - and with some genuine emotion behind the songs, backed by an utterly superb band, lighting rig and audio/video recording. When they're all going at it in 'Isobel', you'll be blown away as if watching the biggest rock acts. And, as a bonus, you get a free CD with audio-only mixes of much of the concert, that you can take and play in your car or CD Walkman.