Beyond Graceland: Ladysmith Black Mambazo (2023/MVD DVD)/By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953*)/Fall Out Boy: From Under The Cork Tree (2005, 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition/Island Records CD Set**)/For The First Time (1959/MGM/*both Warner Archive Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/Happy Mondays: The Factory Singles (2025/Mercury Records CD Set /**both Universal Music)/Wicked For Good 4K (2025/Universal 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)

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

PLEASE NOTE: The By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and For The First Time Blu-rays are now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and both can be ordered from the link below.

Now for some music releases, from old film classics to three albums that have been around longer than you might remember...

Mpumi ''Supa'' Mbele's Beyond Graceland (2023) deeply explores the history of the band Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who during the battle to end Apartheid in South Africa, landed up and international sensation by joining the legendary Paul Simon on his Graceland album, a huge

critical and commercial success that extended his career and took theirs to new heights.

Running 90 minutes, we get new, additional insight and new information in vintage footage, old and new interviews (including Dolly Parton and Oprah Winfrey) and a portrait of a band that deserves all the success it has. I knew there had to be more to show and say and the band got to record albums they might not have had the opportunity to do without that hit success, as is always the case in the business, but that their music made some important change in real life liberating a country from a horrible policy and was glad it finally got made and the stories told.

There are no extras, but you can read more about the making of the album in this excellent installment of the Classic Albums Series at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2690/Classic+Albums:+Paul+Simon+-+Graceland

David Butler's By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953) is a rare sequel from its era, a follow-up to On Moonlight Bay, already issued restored on Warner Archive Blu-ray and reviewed at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15868/Dingo+(1991/Umbrella+Region+Free+Import+Blu-ray)/

Not as consistent as its predecessor, Mary Wickes is narrating the melodrama and between how well the last film did and how successful Doris Day kept being, you can see why they made it. However, it is too safe and predicable, though the music has its moments from the title song to ''Ain't We Got Fun'' as classics, so its a curio worth your time if interested and you've seen the first film. Gordon McRae, Rosemary DeCamp, Leon Ames and Billy Gary also star.

Extras include an Original Theatrical Trailer, classic live action shorts So You Want A Television Set and So You Want To Learn To Dance and the classic Technicolor Warner animated short From A to Zzzzz.

Fall Out Boy: From Under The Cork Tree (2005, 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) is the second and most successful album by the and, featuring their singles "Sugar, We're Goin Down", "Dance, Dance" and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"" all helping to propel big sales and at the time, it looked like they'd be a long term success. They are still together, lead by Pete Wentz, but not as strongly or up front as they probably would have liked. The fan base is solid, though. The full song list over the two CDs are:

Disc 1

Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued

Of All The Gin Joints In All The World

Dance, Dance

Sugar, We're Goin Down

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner

I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)

7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen)

Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year

Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends

I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me

A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me"

Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)

XO

Disc 2

Sugar, We're Goin Down (Live On BBC Radio)

Where's Your Boy (Live On BBC Radio)

Of All The Gin Joints In All The World (Live On BBC Radio)

Dance, Dance (Live On BBC Radio)

Start Today

Sugar, We're Goin Down (TLA Radio Edit)

Dance, Dance (Tommie Sunshine Fire N Brimstone Remix)

I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me (Alternate Version)

Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year (Alternate Version)

Dance, Dance (RJDZ Remix)

Sugar, We're Goin Down (Acoustic Version)

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner (Acoustic Version)

Sugar, We're Goin Down (Instrumental)

They are decent and the music is fine, though not my favorite or very memorable, but I had hoped I would find some hidden gem among the tracks. I remember the press at the time and the pros and cons of how they talked about Wentz in particular, but now they are survivors and the album can be celebrated for the success it has had. Even non-fans will be interested and impressed with what they were trying to do here and I can see why the album got the treatment it got here.

Contained in what looks like a vinyl album packaging, extras also include (per the press release) an exclusive letter to fans penned by bassist and primary lyricist Pete Wentz, a ''Prom'' photo from the ''Dance Dance'' music video, and a comic book cover illustration drawn from the ''A Little Less Than Sixteen Candles, A Little More Than ''Touch Me'''music video. Other extras include memorabilia from the seminal Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour 2006, such as a tour poster, setlist, ticket stub, and tour sticker laminate. Too bad a Blu-ray disc tied to the album (with music videos?) was not included, but its a nice set for fans and celebrating the album that is also available on vinyl.

Rudolph Mate's For The First Time (1959) is yet another backstage musical, that is formulaic, but an excuse to feature and show off the amazing vocal talents of singer Mario Lanza, who died too young. Warner Archive has been restoring and reissuing the films he got made before his untimely death and this time, it is an Italian co-production shot in large-frame Technirama and Technicolor, now one of the best film records of the great vocalist, ever. It was also his last film.

Lanza is a professional singer not taking his success or professional obligations seriously until he falls in love, an incentive to grow up a bit. She also happens to be deaf, turning this instantly into a melodrama, but she won't marry him until she hears him!

That all might be a bit much or too much, but the main point is the singing and for that, the film really delivers, especially at a time when high-fidelity vinyl records (et al) were something very new. He did not know this would be his swan song, but he went out on top in a big production at the peak of his vocal powers and that's not bad at all.

Extras include an Original Theatrical Trailer and highly appropriately, the hilarious great classic Technicolor Warner animated short where Bugs Bunny takes on an opera singer, Long-Haired Hare.

Happy Mondays: The Factory Singles (2025) collects songs from one of the most underrated bands of their time, with songs that really hold up from a band that should have been so much more successful in the U.S. than they were, including the singles released from the sadly defunct Factory Records label like ''Step On,'' ''Kinky Afro,'' ''Hallelujah'' and the ever-present ''24-Hour Party People'' among the songs from the four album they made for the label in their time there: Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (1987), Bummed (1988), Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches (1990) and ...Yes Please! (1992, a bomb that sadly bankrupted the record label).

Not as big a fan of the film 24-Hour Party People as some, but you can read more about what I think of the film at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15503/24+Hour+Party+People+(2002/United+Artists/MGM/MV

The book Happy Mondays - Excess All Areas: A Biography by Simon Spence is much better at covering them and their history. As for this music, I really like it and the set includes:

CD1
01 Delightful
02 Freaky Dancin'
03 Tart Tart
04 24 Hour Party People
05 Wrote for Luck
06 Lazyitis - One Armed Boxer
07 Hallelujah (The MacColl Mix)
08 Step On
09 Kinky Afro
10 Loose Fit
11 Judge Fudge
12 Stinkin' Thinkin'
13 Sunshine & Love
14 Angel

CD2
01 Tart Tart (The Reflex Revision)
02 24 Hour Party People (Jon Carter's Main Vocal)
03 W.F.L. (Think About The Future Mix)
04 Hallelujah (Club Mix)
05 Rave On (Club Mix)
06 Step On (Twistin' My Melon Mix)
07 Kinky Groovy Afro Remix AKA "Euromix"
08 Loose Fit (Greg Wilson and Che Wilson Remix)
09 Bob's Yer Uncle (Perfecto Remix)
10 Stinkin' Thinkin' (Junior Style) (12'' Mix)
11 Sunshine & Love (Fire Island Mix)

The remixes are not bad, but the original tracks hold up very well, as the Manchester band helped make the Acid House 'Madchester' movement possible that the became the band most associated with (if not exclusively) and at the same time, were embracing and delving into other genres of the time. I had not heard them in a while, but after listening to this, I was surprised how well this all held up (sonically and musically) and wondered if rediscovery is around the corner as has happened to so many great music acts of late. This set will not hurt that cause. Definitely recommended.

A vinyl version is also available.

Jon M. Chu's Wicked For Good 4K (2025) continues the tales of the first film as reviewed in 4K at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16584/Joseph+Campbell+&+The+Power+Of+Myth+(1988/Film

Of course, conflict is in the cards as the main characters start to have their permanent split in what is a continuation of a (not THE) prequel to the tale of the 1939 Oz film, but some moments are handled better than others and whether intended or not, it tends to at least slightly trivialize some of the great moments from the 1939 film it references. Then as it travels into its darkness, it cannot help but cover territory already scene in The Wiz (1978) and Return To Oz (1986,) it (re-)reminds us of how dark the books (and even the 1925 version of the most popular volume) could really get.

Still, the performances, energy and money on the screen are consistent with the first film (all shot at the same time) and though the dark downturn will bother some, that is the story to tell and the makers do not apologize, condescend or back off one bit, which is the best way to go. Just make sure you watch the first film first.

Extras in all versions include Digital Copy, while the discs (per the press release) include SING-ALONG - ALTERNATE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION: Rejoicify! The time has come to raise your voice and unleash the magic of Oz. Sing with all your heart as Elphaba and Glinda's destiny unfolds in the spellbinding Sing-Along Edition of WICKED: FOR GOOD.
• DELETED SCENES
Brick Making - A musical montage shows Munchkins busily shaping and painting brilliant golden bricks, bringing the Yellow Brick Road to life.

Glinda Train Tour - As Glinda leaves Emerald City, the citizens erupt into musical fanfare, sending her off with radiant cheers and lavish celebration featuring Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Bowen Yang
Even You, Fiyero - Elphaba retreats to her lair, wrestling with the sting of Fiyero's betrayal and the weight of her heartbreak featuring Cynthia Erivo
Return to the Governor's Mansion - Lost and abandoned, Elphaba returns to the one place she swore she'd left behind, her childhood home, featuring Cynthia Erivo
Friendship Montage - A lively montage unfolds as Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Nessarose spend a carefree afternoon together; playing games, laughing, and relaxing over a cheerful picnic featuring Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
The Wizard is Sentimental - Glinda steps into her ethereal bubble to float above Emerald City, contrasted with the Wizard's nostalgic hot air balloon ascension as he reprises ''A Sentimental Man'' featuring Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum
MAKING WICKED: FOR GOOD - Step behind the curtain for an exclusive look at the magic of Oz. Through never-before-seen footage and candid interviews, discover how the cast and crew brought this epic story to life, from the artistry of building Oz brick-by-brick to the challenge of filming two sweeping productions at once. A talent-led journey you won't want to miss.
THE TRUE WIZARD - An exploration of why Jon M. Chu was the ideal director to bring WICKED: FOR GOOD from stage to screen. See how his inventiveness as a filmmaker and passion for WICKED are key ingredients for the humanity and joy we feel in every shot.
MORE THAN JUST A PLACE - A closer look at Elphaba's new song in WICKED: FOR GOOD.
Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and others reflect on its emotional resonance, Elphaba's vulnerability, and the expressive movement artists portraying the animal characters she sings to.
THE GIRL IN THE BUBBLE - A closer look at Glinda's brand new song for the WICKED: FOR GOOD film. Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and more discuss how the song comes at such a pivotal moment for Glinda why filming the sequence was such a feat of technical mastery.
KIAMO KO - Return to Kiamo Ko, where the film's climax unfolds. Cast and filmmakers reflect on Elphaba's embrace of her identity as the Wicked Witch, the poignant reunion with Glinda, and the bittersweet consequences that follow in this emotionally charged sequence.
And a FEATURE-LENGTH COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JON M. CHU

And as was the case for the first film, a more elaborate gift box has been produced as pictured above that you can get while supplies last.

Now for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Wicked For Good 4K looks really good and sometimes great like its predecessor (shot at the same time, of course) with some great shots and the money is all on the screen. The 1080p regular Blu-ray is passable, but no match for the 4K and softer than I expected. Both have lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) mixes that have some spectacular moments, but never overdo things, so the combination has its demo moments for certain.

Both originally issued in dye-transfer, three-strip Technicolor, the 1080p 1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Silvery Moon and 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on For The First Time have been restored very well by Warner Archive, with the former often impressive and the latter shot in large frame Technirama. Moon even has some pretty good detail, while Time at least sometimes looks like it is from a reduction print, but both are very well shot and their director's would tolerate nothing less. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix is as good as the film will ever sound and that's fine, while the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless mix on Time is derived from the 4-track magnetic sound with traveling dialogue and sound effects it was originally issued with at its best. For now, the 4-track soundmaster is lost, gone, misplaced or somehow disintegrated, but this sounds good otherwise, which helps as it is a musical.

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Graceland is a mix of old and newer footage, going back to old analog videotape, so we see flaws at times including video noise, video banding, telecine flicker, tape scratching, cross color, faded color and maybe even tape damage. Still authentic ands watchable, while the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix fares better despite some sound practically being mono or very simple stereo.

The PCM 2.0 16/44.1 Stereo sound on both CD sets are really good for the old format, though I liked the recording on Mondays more than the latter, this is as good as they are going to sound outside of higher resolution formats.

To order either of the Warner Archive Blu-rays, By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and/or For The First Time, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive releases at:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20

- Nicholas Sheffo