Those familiar with Kottke’s live shows will know that his ability as a raconteur is completely on par with his guitar playing. Half of the pleasure derived from this DVD stems from Kottke’s ruminations on girlfriends, lying, and guitars that misbehave. That said, the guitar playing will leave you both enthralled and bewildered. You may ask yourself, “How does he do that? I know those chords, but they don’t sound like that when I play them!”

“Air Proofing Two” shows Kottke at his hard driving best, beating out complex bass lines that go far beyond Travis picking. The seemingly minimal “Ice Fields” develops into an epic piece filled with melodies and harmonies usually associated with 20th Century classical music or modern jazz. Kottke also pays to tribute to Duane Allman by performing the classic piece, “Little Martha,” and melding the Allmans Brothers’ original two-guitar recording into a tender, but tricky solo piece. Home & Away Revisited is quite a treat for both Kottke neophytes and aficionados. One hopes that the release of Kottke’s appearances on Austin City Limits is not far behind. (Music Video Dist.)
—Shawn Persinger