Own it

Covers are tough. Sounds too much like the original, and everyone will wonder why you wasted their time. Sound too different, and you risk not doing the original justice.

But strike that Goldilocks balance, taking the song and making it your own but still showing the original reverence, there's the potential of being as good (if not better) than the original. That's what these covers do in spades.

Escape from reality with these truly transcendental Show-Offs discs
    
With the unbridled verisimilitude of 1080p and uncompressed multichannel surround sound, the home theater experience at times verges on being unflinchingly lifelike. Sure, there’s a lot of appeal in that, but sometimes you might just want to be transported to another reality altogether.

With that in mind I give you four favorite Show-Offs that don’t just peel back your eyelids or rattle your naughty bits, they take you to another place entirely.

Further proof that you should never judge a Show-Off by its cover

You know what they say about assumptions: Everybody makes them and yours stink—or something like that.

When it comes to selecting great demo material for your home theater, making hasty assumptions about the age-appropriateness of your movies and games can lead to uncomfortable results, or cause you to overlook otherwise wonderful little gems.

Two months ago our very own Steve Guttenberg placed a call out on his blog (over on, ahem, a different website) for audiophile grade recordings.

The catch: these recordings had to be made my "amateurs."

Now the results are in, and the awards given.

A video to make guitarists cry

Spaniard Paco de Lucia is one of the greatest flamenco guitarists of all time.

One watch of this video will show you why.

Let your projector strut its stuff with one of these visually stunning Show-Offs selections

Spec sheets and reviews can tell you a lot about a projector, but let’s face it: Without good content, even the most highly lauded, feature-packed projector in the world is little more than a bulky, expensive light source.

If you’re looking to impress your guests with your new projector, don’t bore them with stats, figures and features. Just stick one of these luscious-looking Blu-ray discs in and let the images do the talking.

The 10 Best Movies and Games of the Year

 

Okay, so writing verse obviously isn't part of my job description. But finding and writing about (and coveting) cool stuff is, so if anyone in your house still needs another 'prise or two under the tree, feel free to crib from my own Christmas wishlist:

Take full control of your home theater with the latest in interactive entertainment

We can stop pretending video games are kids’ stuff, right? I mean, there’s no reason to maintain that silly pretense. More than ever, video games are the domain of grown ups—those able to afford the system able to show off the full a/v potential of these so-called toys.

Crank these spectacular Show-Offs and even the oldest fogies in your circle will start spelling “you” with one letter or stick X’s on the end of their names at a whim.

I still remember the first time I bought this album. I was going on fourteen years old, on a school trip to New York City. I found the tape in a little store off the beaten path. Nevermind had just come out, but no one could foresee the impact on music Nirvana was going to have.

Fast forward to 2009 and I sit here admiring a gorgeous 180-gram white vinyl 2 LP set. Album #1 is a remastered pressing of the original Bleach LP. The other is a February 9th, 1990 show at the Pine Street Theatre in Portland, Oregon.