Carpenters: Christmas Once More (2024/A&M Records CD*)/Eric Clapton: Standing At The Crossroads (2021/Trinity/Dark Side Blu-ray)/Funny Girl 4K (1968/Sony/Columbia/Criterion 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Frank Sinatra: L.A. Is My Lady (1984/Capitol Records CD*)/Weezer: The Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition (1994/Geffen CD Box Set/*all Universal Music)

4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: X/B-/B/X/X Sound: B/C+/B/B/B Extras: C/C-/B/B-/B+ Main Programs: B-/B-/B/B/B

Now for a nice new set of music releases with classic artists, classic music and much more...

The Carpenters: Christmas Once More (2024) is a new compilation of the soft rock duo's holiday hits, making their music and style an easy fit for a holiday release and that in itself is something you need to be in the mood for, especially if you are sick and tired of the holiday being trivialized and sold out for political and commercial reasons (overkill garbage on the subject all the month of July, for instance) so it is not for everyone all the time unless you are a fan crazy for holiday music or this brother/sister team. Tracks include:

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Happy Holiday

The Christmas Waltz

Sleigh Ride

It's Christmas Time / Sleep Well, Little Children

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Christ Is Born

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Merry Christmas, Darling (RPO Version)

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays

Little Altar Boy

The First Snowfall / Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

My Favorite Things

White Christmas

and Ave Maria

For many, it might be the only time they listen to the duo and take them seriously (versus fans of 'harder' music who would never (or never admit to) listening to them in the first place) so for me, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is the best, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town comes across oddly, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Seems somehow anti-climactic, My Favorite Things is not bad and White Christmas is mixed. Not may favorite such holiday album and I really have few that ever impressed me, but this is better than many and should do well for the season and beyond.

Extras include a nicely illustrated booklet on the album including informative text and details on the production, the track and an essay by Tim Nolan. For more on the the duo, read our coverage of their hits set in the Super Audio CD format, with a regular CD layer, is out of print and going for high prices...

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2407/The+Carpenters:+Singles+1969+-+1981+(SACD

However, plenty of regular CD hit sets out there and hopefully, this disc might get reissued, a Blu-ray Audio might get issued and maybe their whole catalog will finally get issued in both formats. We'll see.

Robin Bextor's Eric Clapton: Standing At The Crossroads (2021) is yet another attempt to cover the legendary guitarist/singer's long-running career still going on as we post (even after some controversial comments of late) that began in the 1960s and continues to this day. Running a surprisingly consistent and interesting 92 minutes, there is obviously some overlap with the many discs we've covered (and others we have yet to cover) on his many successes, hits, tours, smart career choices and endurance as a major artist.

Because of Hip Hop/Rap, you don't hear about Clapton as much as you used to, even if some fans still call him 'God' after a great concert or the like. Now more than ever having a record like this is important and this entry was a little better than expected. If you like Clapton and/or his work, you'll want to see for yourself.

Extras include an Original Theatrical Trailer and Trinity Trailer reel for some titles that might be interesting. For more Clapton, try our coverage of the following:

461 Ocean Boulevard (Hybrid Super Audio CD w/CD layer)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2271/Eric+Clapton+-+461+Ocean+Boulevard+(Universal

Slowhand (Hybrid Super Audio CD w/CD layer)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2538/Eric+Clapton+-+Slowhand+(SACD

Derek & The Dominoes: Layla (Hybrid Super Audio CD w/CD layer)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2327/Derek+&+The+Dominoes+-+Layla+&+Other+Assort

Crossroads 2007 DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6566/Crossroads+%E2%80%93+Eric+Clapton+Guitar+Fe

1960s Review DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10807/Eric+Clapton+%E2%80%93+The+1960s+Review

1970s Review DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12631/Eric+Clapton:+The+1970s+Review+(Chrome+Drea

William Wyler's Funny Girl 4K (1968) is a solid upgrade to the Barbra Streisand hit musical from Criterion of the restored re-release that started with a three-strip Technicolor restoration at the turn of the century, than a 4K edition further enhancing the big screen debut of one of the most important singers of all time. We originally reviewed the movie in its then-fine Blu-ray edition at this link:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12141/Funny+Girl+(1968/Sony+Blu-ray)/Kid+Millions+(1

Then we reviewed the limited edition Blu-ray of its sequel, Funny Lady (1974, Herbert Ross) at this link:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13376/Musicals:+4-Movie+Collection+(Kiss+Me+Kate+3D

With so many bad musicals coming out now, so bad they will not even identify themselves as so, here's one of the few from the later 1960s (after The Sound Of Music surprised everyone by being a blockbuster) that were actually good and have held up. In the wake of The Beatles and Rocumentaries, there was still room for the occasional classical-style musical that could work.

And for Streisand, it is some of her best early work and captured everything great she was about at the time, guaranteeing a career that is still happening and enduring to this day. If anything, it only gets better with age.

Extras include a NEW audio interview with actor Barbra Streisand (40 Minutes)

• New conversation between director William Wyler's son David and author Alicia Malone

• Directed by William Wyler (1986), a documentary on Wyler's life and career

• Archival interview with actor Omar Sharif

• Deleted scene featuring Streisand and Sharif

• Featurettes from the original theatrical release

• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

• and an essay by author and film critic Michael Koresky in another of Criterion's quality paper pullouts.

You can find even more Streisand (and more links) with The Concerts DVD set:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8694/Barbra+Streisand+%E2%80%93+The+Concerts+(Li

Frank Sinatra: L.A. Is My Lady (1984) was the singers final studio album as as we post, producer Quincy Jones passed away, but knew this anniversary edition was getting issued. It is also one of the early, full digital sound recordings and considering how basic and new the tech was and that it was usually classical and jazz albums that got first shot at the newest sound technology.

In the same group as Peter Gabriel's fourth solo album from 1984, Donald Fagen's The Nightfly (1982,) Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms (1985,) Ry Cooder's Bop Til You Drop (1979,) Billy Joel's The Nylon Curtain (1982,) Hall & Oates' H20 (1982,) plus works by Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Herb Alpert, Michael Jackson and Luther Van Dross were recorded that way outright and/or used digital in the mixing process. This album fits right in.

Songs include:

1. L.A. Is My Lady

2. The Best Of Everything

3. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

4. Teach Me Tonight

5. It's All Right With Me

6. Mack The Knife

7. Until the Real Thing Comes Along

8. Stormy Weather

9. If I Should Lose You

10. A Hundred Years From Today

11. After You've Gone

Bonus Tracks

12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? - (3/16/83); Joe Pamello arrangement)

13. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? - (5/17/84); Bob Florence arrangement)*

14. Mack The Knife - (10/30/86; vocal overdub)

15. Body And Soul - (10/26/07; Torrie Zito arrangement)

16. After You've Gone - (session take)*

17. Body And Soul - (session takes)*

• previously unreleased

Tracks 2, 6 and 8 are highlights, with 3 having been a recent duet hit for Jones' goddaughter Patti Austin (duet with James Ingram) that followed their hit duet Baby Come To Me, so it is included here with a wink and some irony. I like how Sinatra handles it. The outtakes here are also impressive and the musicians are a who's who of great names including George Benson, Steve Gadd, Lionel Hampton, Bob James, Michael Brecker, Ray Brown, Jerome Richardson and so many others.

The result is more of an event recording than many realized at the time, but that it was and you have one of the most important singers of all time backed by one of the greatest musician/producers of all time with one of the most remarkable band of musicians ever assembled and that you could assemble. Yes, some tracks work better than others, but this is one of the best albums of its kind for its decade and its great to have it reissued in such a solid anniversary edition.

Extras include a nicely illustrated booklet on the album including informative text and details on the production, lyrics to all the songs, 1994 Stan Cornyn essay and a new 2024 Charles Pignone essay that uses quotes, et al, to document how a Sinatra/Lena Horne album just failed to happen.

Weezer: The Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition (1994, CD version) is a fine new box set celebrating one of the greatest rock band debuts of the decade and of the last half century. Tracks 1, 4, 5 and 7 became instant classics along with some of the best music videos ever made (sadly not included in any edition of this reissue) that made them an instant favorite and success.

The late Producer Ric Ocasek did some of the best work of his carer outside of his band The Cars here and the results stand the test of time and put the band on the map in a way they are still relevant, having hits and selling out tour venues to this day. Members Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar,) Patrick Wilson (drums,) Brian Bell (guitar,) and Matt Sharp (bass, later leaving the band to form the underrated band The Rentals) also become recognizable, instant celebrities, all with charisma that more than added to their great catalog of live work and music videos.

It is amazing how fresh and great this all sounds three decades later, made so well with some serious energy to go with the talent, ideas and so much more. That leaves The blue Album one of the greatest albums of the 1990s and even of all time from a band that never sold out its audience. Definitely a gem that is worth having an all-out special release like this made for. Catch it and catch it again!

CD1 (original studio album from 2024 remaster)

1. My Name Is Jonas

2. No One Else

3. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here

4. Buddy Holly

5. Undone - The Sweater Song

6. Surf Wax America

7. Say It Ain't So

8. In The Garage

9. Holiday

10. Only In Dreams

11. My Name Is Jonas (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *

12. In The Garage (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *

13. No One Else (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *

14. Surf Wax America (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *

15. Buddy Holly (Acoustic - Live on Greater London Radio) **

16. Undone - The Sweater Song (Acoustic - Live on Greater London Radio) **

CD2

1. Say It Ain't So (The Kitchen Tape Demos)*

2. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (The Kitchen Tape Demos)*

3. Paperface (The Kitchen Tape Demos)

4. Undone - The Sweater Song (The Kitchen Tape Demos)

5. Thief, You've Taken All That Was Me (The Kitchen Tape Demos)*

6. My Name Is Jonas (The Kitchen Tape Demos)*

7. Lets Sew Our Pants Together (The Kitchen Tape Demos)*

8. Only In Dreams (The Kitchen Tape Demos)

9. I Can't Forget The Way (Third Practice)*

10. Undone - The Sweater Song (Third Practice)*

11. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (Third Practice)*

12. Windows Down (Garage Practice)*

13. My Name Is Jonas (Garage Practice)*

14. Only In Dreams (Garage Practice)*

15. Superman (Garage Practice)*

16. Dawn Sets Upon Us (Garage Practice)*

17. Just What I Needed (Rehearsal Demo)*

18. Buddy Holly (Rehearsal Demo)*

CD3
1. Let's Sew Our Pants Together (Live at 8121 Club)*

2. Paperface (Live at 8121 Club)*

3. Only In Dreams (Live at 8121 Club)*

4. Conversationalist (Wax Cover/Adaptation) (Live at Coconut Teaszer)*

5. Undone - The Sweater Song (Live at English Acid)*

6. My Name Is Jonas (Live at English Acid)*

7. No One Else (Live at Club Lingerie)*

8. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (Live at Club Lingerie)*

9. Jamie (Live at Club Lingerie)*

10. Lullabye For Wayne (Live at Club Lingerie)*

11. Say It Ain't So (Live at Club Lingerie)*

12. China Grove (Live at Club Lingerie)*

CD4

1. Jamie (Take 6 - LMU Sessions)

2. My Name Is Jonas (LMU Sessions)*

3. Jamie (Take 5 - LMU Sessions)*

4. Lullabye for Wayne (LMU Sessions)*

* previously unreleased

Other extras in this solid blue box include a pin, blue hexagonal gaming dice, four full color still photo slides card, stickers, poster of the band with KISS faces and booklet on the album and band's career. A more deluxe limited edition of this box (with a blue sweater on it!!!!) and vinyl version has also been issued, so you have some fine choices.

Now for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Funny Girl 4K looks great as shot in real anamorphic Panavision, is much closer to the three-strip 35mm Technicolor reissue prints from 2001 and has a warmth, richness, realism and flow the older Blu-ray and included Criterion regular Blu-ray lack. The 1080p new Blu-ray is a little better than the older Blu-ray, but its the 4K that is the stunner and the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on both Criterion discs play a little better than the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.0 lossless mix, which sounds a little more challenged. Collectors will want to have that copy for personal reference and to be completists, though.

The 1080p 1.66 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on the Clapton Blu-ray can be soft overall since show the age of the vintage materials used can be very rough from old film to low def analog video, but the makers can only do so much with that material and some of it is lucky to have survived. The lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound is a bit of a letdown, especially considering the audio on other Clapton releases we've had over the years, so it is adequate at best.

The PCM 2.0 16/44.1 Stereo sound on all the CDs sound as good as they can in the aging format, with the Sinatra CD sounding surprisingly smooth and effective for an early digital recording thanks to Jones and company, the Carpenters CD sounding good as expected without any sonic surprises and the Weezer CDs also sounding good. However, some purists will wonder why the album needed remastered this year after several recent editions were issued. Well, it sounds good for what it is, but the Cd is still an older format. When compared to the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs Super Audio CD version (now out of print and very pricey to get) with its Ultra High Resolution DSD Stereo sound, the Mobile Edition is still definitive with more detail, richness, warmth and resolution that sounds more like a studio recording. You can hear more of the vocals and instruments, but its not a multi-channel version either. Still, its fine for the CD that is here and the extra CDs have some surprisingly good sonics in parts that are the highlight of all the CD releases here.

- Nicholas Sheffo