The latest releases reviewed.

THE BEATLES From Liverpool to San Francisco Liberation/Eagle Rock Entertainment ***

Another Beatles DVD to add to the pile; this one isn't half bad, primarily because it uses press conference and newsreel footage as a guide to outlining the early part of the Fab Four's story. Narrated by John Peel's brother (Alan Ravenscroft), the inherently dull format is enlivened by the amount of wit and banter jumping from the press conferences. There's little doubt that (music aside, obviously) the laconic humour and easy charm of the band did wonders to raise their status within the mindset of the then-over 40s. The extras, though, are where the real goodies reside: an ITN television special, Beatles Across America, reports on their final US tour, while a TV interview alongside fellow Liverpudlian comedian Ken Dodd is both bizarre and very funny.

VARIOUS All My Loving Voiceprint ****

Back in 1967, the BBC decided to make some sense of this damned pop nonsense, and commissioned young-buck film director Tony Palmer to talk to the nation's pop stars (Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend), a few Americans (Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix) and some behind-the-scenes VIPs (Who manager Kit Lambert, Beatles publicist Derek Taylor). Finally reissued on DVD, All My Loving might be dated in places but the general thrust remains pertinent: must we throw this pop filth at our kids, how can they avoid it, and if it happens to stick what do we do? With typically cogent inserts from Zappa, Eric Burdon, Hendrix, McCartney and others, the intelligent arguments in pop's favour far outweigh the prejudices of the detractors (which include, ironically, Anthony Burgess, author of that prescient youth culture tract, A Clockwork Orange). With performances from Cream, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, and a new interview with Palmer. www.voiceprint.co.uk TONY CLAYTON-LEA