Live show DVDs, Music DVDs and more... oh my.

A long time ago, way back in the 1960s, people used to release an album every six months and they were thought to be completely insane. New material every six months? What in the hell are you thinking? How can you write and record so often? You should spend more time on your projects.

Then came the 1980s and people released an album every few years. People waited anxiously for U2 to come out with a follow up to the famous 'Joshua Tree' album. Again, life was good.

Now, at the turn of the century, we've come full circle, but in a completely different way. Now, musicians release CD material, but also re-release videos and live concerts in DVD form.

Recently I've seen Meatloaf Live With the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. You essentially get your live CD release with that high quality sound but you also get to see the live performance. Whereas live CDs were all the rage, now you can actually see what's happening and if the crowd is really going crazy. In addition, they have a video featurette, a short and sweet interview and, for those fans who can't get enough of Meatloaf, a pre-show ritual.

Blondie released a Live By Request show where her fans requested her greatest hits in addition to some new stuff. Jules Asner from Wild On! fame is hosting it and essentially it comes across as a fanatical moment for Blondie. Getting beyond the fawning, it has some great versions of the songs, including an acoustic version of "The Dream's Lost on Me."

Big Head Todd seemed to go all out. Yes, he has the concert video, but he has a tour of the Historic Fillmore in San Francisco where they had the show. This adds a nice extra emotional dimension. In addition, they have a nice documentation on Big Head Todd and the Monsters. But they even have that alternate camera angle going on to see the show from different perspectives.

I'm not sure where this DVD trend on music is going but it certainly isn't going away.