Brand new factory sealed vhs tape at an epic length of nearly 3 hours! The full-frame aspect ratio is perfectly acceptable. The vast majority of the film is archival footage both B W and some color. The dvd is the same, so nothing to gain there. Out Of Print (OOP) in all formats, so this may be the more frugal choice. Hosted by co-producer Michael Feinstein, the GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK does a nice job of summarizing the roots of American music: African slave chants, Eastern European theatre, Celtic melodies and so on. Many of these styles combined to create new musical directions and Feinstein helps track the paths. He also draws the connection between disparate styles, like the profound influence of jazz on classical composer George Gershwin. There are also plenty of interesting tidbits, like Scott Joplin's request that his ground-breaking ragtime tunes not be played "too fast". Feinstein has obviously spent a lifetime obsessing over the details that make the American songbook so incredible. He lauds Fats Waller for his wit, Gershwin for his invention, Cole Porter for his suave compositions. The film consists mostly of archival footage, which is a good thing. One can never tire of Paul Robeson's deeply moving performance in 'Showboat' or Lena Horne's stunning phrasing in 'Stormy Weather'. Footage of Gershwin's "Rhaphsody in Blue" (sadly shortened like nearly all the films pieces) not only contains a definitive version but ends with a mind-blowing overhead show that would put the Library of Congress scene in 'All the President's Men' to shame. The film is not perfect, while attempting to cover many styles it does spend more time on theatrical music than on the blues. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong deserve far more coverage than they're granted. But with access granted to MGM and Warner's vaults, its a clip-filled solid viewing experience. From Judy Garland to Fred Astaire to Jimmy Cagney, there's no arguing with this bunch.