Music in High Places: Collective Soul

Although I popped this episode from the "ultimate international music and travel adventure series" into the DVD player with, to quote Mr. Dickens, something less than great expectations, this musical travelogue featuring popular contemporary rock band Collective Soul (best known for their debut 1994 hit single "Shine") performing acoustic versions of their songs in natural settings in Morocco turned out to be surprisingly good. In fact, watching lead singer/guitarist Ed Roland and lead guitarist Ross Childress harmonize on "The World I Know" in the midst of a bustling Marrakech marketplace, or seeing the band backed by local children on the chorus to "Gel," I was reminded--if I may get touchy-feely philosophical here for a moment--of the wonderful universality of music. Even the travel video aspect--a potential landmine of preening and shenanigans--is well done, and while the boys are off by at least a magnitude of 10 when they observe that people have been riding camels for "hundreds" of years, Collective Soul make for otherwise reasonably astute and entertaining traveling companions. Songs include: "Heavy," Why, Pt. 2," "December," "She Said," "Perfect Day," and others, and the DVD offers the option of watching the film with the songs interwoven into the documentary, or simply watching the performances of the songs alone. Additional extras include a "making of" and artist interviews. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)