Go-Gos: Live in Central Park

More often than not, when a comeback group's concert video leans heavily on "new" material, the end result is a whole lotta standing still from the live audience and an itchy fast-forward finger on the part of home viewers. In Go-Gos: Live in Central Park, the punk/pop female quintet, fronted by surfer girl/earth mother Belinda Carlisle, pounds out 18 melodic tunes drawn from their 1981 debut Beauty and the Beat, Vacation (1982), and their 2001 release God Bless the Go-Gos. Audience favorites include: "Head Over Heels," "Skidmarks on My Heart," "Vacation," "This Town" and the megahits "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat." And guess what: the eight new tunes off the most recent album are as good as or better than any the Go-Gos have ever done, especially "Stuck In My Car" and "Automatic Rainy Day." A half-hour's worth of behind-the-scenes footage reminds us that watching rock stars getting their make-up applied and then limoing to the concert venue can be just as thrilling as scenes of handymen shopping for deals at Home Depot. Originally airing on DirecTV free round-the-clock during December 2001, this short but lively set with the '80s beach girls, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, is definitely recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)