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This blogger, Richard Gehr, is not an employee of AARP. The opinions expressed in the blog are not necessarily the opinions of AARP and AARP assumes no liability for the content posted by Mr. Gehr or any other participant

Richard Gehr | November 20, 2007

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Tony Bennett, "Tony Bennett Sings the Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1" (RPM/Columbia/Legacy)
This not overly generous 46-minute anthology takes its place alongside "The Essential Tony Bennett," "The Ultimate Tony Bennett," "Fifty Years—The Artistry of Tony Bennett," and at least half a dozen other Bennett best-ofs released since the singer was "rediscovered" by the MTV generation several years ago. Yet Bennett's consistency may be his greatest asset. His 1997 "The Way You Look Tonight" sounds no less solid than "The Very Thought of You" from 1966 that precedes it and the 1958 "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodnight" that follows.

Paul McCartney, "The McCartney Years" (Rhino DVD)
Who knew that the cute, silly-love-song-writing Beatle had accrued two DVDs' worth of videos? Nostalgia is the name of McCartney's game. Whether acting out songs in faux WWII music halls, portraying rock stars from Buddy Holly to his Fab Four self, or acting out an elaborate Old West snake-oil scenario with Michael Jackson, McCartney nearly always keeps a foot in some idealized past. Much of the rest resembles one elaborate home movie after another, all adding up to an extended tribute to the late Linda McCartney. Or at least Paul's doleful commentary suggests as much. The box's third disc contains Wings onstage in 1976, four "Unplugged" songs from 1991, and a 2004 rock-festival performance.

Phish, "Vegas 96" (JEMP)
This may not have been the best show ever played by the most consistently creative American rock band of the past couple of decades, but it may well have been their most fun. Guitarist-songwriter Trey Anastasio took full advantage of the locale and topped off the band's show with a 40-minute encore that integrated guest yodelers, a quartet of Elvis impersonators, and members of the band Primus into a shaggy-dog rock opera (think Frank Zappa meets Pete Townshend) about a boy and his pet cat. Elsewhere on this three-CD set you'll find a slick cover of Zappa's "Peaches En Regalia" and long stretches of improvised rock to rival The Who's "Live at Leeds."

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