“Under Review” is a new DVD series created by the British Chrome Dreams label and distributed stateside by our good friends at Music Video Distributors. Similar to Eagle Entertainment’s series of DVD documentaries on classic rock albums, the “Under Review” series seems to instead tackle the legacy of individual bands and artists like the Byrds, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Keith Richards, Patti Smith and others, using a panel of experts to critique and discuss the artist’s work. Scheduled for September 19th release, here are some of the series’ highlights:

The Byrds / Under Review
A two-DVD documentary of one of the most important bands of the ‘60s, the Byrds successfully bridged the early-60s folk boom of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez with the mid-60s British Invasion bands. The Byrds Under Review includes interviews with friends and former band members, including Gene Parson, and features vintage live performances of better than a dozen classic Byrds songs like “Chestnut Mare,” “eight Miles High” and “So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star.” The film also includes a panel of experts who assess the band’s considerable legacy.

Bruce Springsteen / Under Review 1978-1982: Tales Of The Working Man
A single-disc documentary, Under Review 1978-1982: Tales Of The Working Man considers the three essential albums that Springsteen released during that four-year period, notably Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Nebraska and The River. A panel of experts discuss and assess the albums, and the film includes obscure performance footage, seldom-seen photographs and rare interviews, including “The Boss” himself.

Nick Drake / Under Review
This 90-minute documentary film aims to get to the heart of the short career of enigmatic singer-songwriter Nick Drake, who tragically died at the tender age of 26. The DVD includes footage of rare live Drake performances, classic photographs and, of course, the panel of experts critiquing and assessing the impact of Drake’s critically-acclaimed body of work.

Patti Smith / Under Review
Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Patti Smith’s entry in the Under Review series features rare and previously unseen performance footage, rare film, interviews with Patti Smith and contributions from friends and colleagues like ex-songwriting partner Albert Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult, British music journalist Jon Savage and American rockcrit legend Robert Christgau. The DVD also includes live and studio performances of classic Smith tunes like “Gloria,” “Because The Night” and “Dancing Barefoot.” Aside from the series’ “panel of experts,” the DVD also has an interactive game, “The Hardest Patti Smith Quiz In The World Ever” as well as a mini-feature on the making of the Smith album Horses.

Neil Young / Under Review 1976-2006
Neil Young’s Under Review 1976-2006 covers the last 30 years of the rock legend’s career with never-before-released live performance footage, rare photographs, and interviews with friends and industry insiders like producer Dave Zimmer, rock historian Clinton Heylin, music journalists Robert Christgau and Barney Hoskins and CSNY biographer John Rogan.

(Click on the DVD cover to buy a title from Amazon.com)