Paul Simon - Live at the Tower Theatre (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)Paul Simon "Live At The Tower Theatre", may be the finest solo Paul Simon concert ever filmed. This is bare bones Simon, with a four piece band, that starred with him in the movie "One Trick Pony". It is actually nice to hear the songs, without the different world music arrangements and caribbean orchestras, that plagued his live shows during the nineties. The band is made up of ex Stuff members Steve Gadd[drums],The late Richard Tee[keyboards and vocals], The late Eric Gale[guitar], and Tony Levin[bass]. These guys crank, and may well have been Paul Simons best band ever assembled. The rockin "Ace In The Hole", is one of several cuts from the much overlooked album 'One Trick Pony", and features Richard Tee sharing vocals with Simon, while pounding his gospel tinged keyboards. Other favorites include, "Late In The Evening", "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover", "Me And Julio", and "One Trick Pony", to name a few. The sound and picture quality is very good, considering that the show was recorded in 1980. The only negative, is that the concert is a tad short at 55 minutes, but this is all quality, and Paul Simon never sounded better in concert. Paul Simon along with top session men, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Richard Tee and Tony Levin, is not to be missed, if you are a fan of vintage Paul Simon.

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Jack Johnson - A Weekend At The Greek & Live In Japan (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are a fan of Jack Johnson's music this is a great concert. He puts on an awesome performance with all of the best songs and also gives the audience a look into what goes on backstage and before the performance.

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Item Name: Jack Johnson - A Weekend At The Greek & Live In Japan [2 DVD]; Studio:Umvd Labels

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John Fogerty: The Long Road Home in Concert (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Long Road Home concert DVD includes 28 songs from John Fogerty's solo career along with his Creedence Clearwater Revival hits. The concert was Filmed in 2005 in Los Angeles. The DVD is an hour and a half long (99 minutes).
I have always enjoyed CCR and Fogerty, and this is an amazing concert includes some of the greatest songs from CCR and Fogerty. The DVD starts with an introduction then rips right into Travelin' Band, Green River, and Who'll Stop The Rain which are a fantastic start to the first set.
However, some of my favorite CCR/Fogrety songs don't come until well into the concert with Hey Tonight, Down On The Corner, Centerfield, Up Around The Bend, The Old Man Down The Road, Fortunate Son, and Bad Moon Rising all not coming after the first hour in. Fortunately, Rockin' All Over The World, Proud Mary and a bonus rendition of Deja Vu (All Over Again) bring the concert to a rousing close.
If you are looking at buying the Long Road Home DVD and the Long Home CD, it's interesting to point out that while they include most of the same tracks, the track orders are different and there are some variations. The DVD tracks:
1. Intro
2. Travelin' Band
3. Green River
4. Who'll Stop The Rain
5. Blue Moon Nights
6. Lodi
7. Lookin' Out My Backdoor
8. Hot Rod Heart
9. Rambunctious Boy
10. She's Got Baggage
11. Born On The Bayou
12. Bootleg
13. Run Through The Jungle
14. Deja Vu (All Over Again)
15. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
16. Tombstone Shadow
17. Keep On Chooglin'
18. Sweet Hitch Hiker
19. Hey Tonight
20. Down On The Corner
21. Centerfield
22. Up Around The Bend
23. The Old Man Down The Road
24. Fortunate Son
25. Bad Moon Rising
26. Rockin' All Over The World
27. Proud Mary
28. Bonus Track: Deja Vu (All Over Again)
The CD tracks:
1. Born On The Bayou
2. Bad Moon Rising
3. Centerfield
4. Who'll Stop The Rain
5. Rambunctious Boy
6. Fortunate Son
7. Lookin' Out My Back Door
8. Up Around The Bend
9. Almost Saturday Night (live)
10. Down On The Corner
11. Bootleg (live)
12. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
13. Sweet Hitch-Hiker
14. Hey Tonight (live)
15. The Old Man Down The Road
16. Rockin' All Over The World (live)
17. Lodi
18. Keep On Chooglin' (live)
19. Green River
20. Déjà Vu (All Over Again)
21. Run Through The Jungle
22. Hot Rod Heart
23. Travelin' Band
24. Proud Mary
25. Fortunate Son (live)
The change in order makes it difficult to see what the differences are. However, the DVD includes three tracks not in the CD: Blue Moon Nights, She's Got Baggage, and Tombstone Shadow. The DVD also has a bonus rendition of Deja Vu (All Over Again). The CD includes Almost Saturday Night, which isn't in the concert DVD and two versions of Fortunate Son (one live and one studio).
As with the Long Road Home CD, moteably missing from concert are Suzie Q, Midnight Special, and a few others, all of which are greatly missed. Nevertheless, this DVD is highly recommended for Forgerty and CCR fans.

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James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)The performance is incredible, the sound fantastic and the picture quality is great. James Taylor - Live at the Beacon Theater has all the elements to make it one of the more outstanding musical events released on DVD. However it falls short, not because of the performer or the sound quality but because of the video editing.
Producer Carol Donovan and director Beth McCarthy subject us not to a video of a James Taylor concert but to a "music video" produced in MTV's ADD editing style. Filled with 2 and 3 second cuts and shots from moving cameras we are never given the opportunity to concentrate on James Taylor's performance. Apparently Donovan and McCarthy didn't take into account the audience that would be watching this video nor the performer. James Taylor is a man of enough talent that videos of his performances don't need to be packaged in the MTV style of quick cuts and constant motion. I don't think his fans want to watch him that way either.
The way things are edited in this DVD actually detracts from the experience. You won't see Taylor long enough in any one shot to visually appreciate his guitar playing nor will you see the expressions on his face long enough in a shot to truly convey the "soul" of this concert. Many times the camera isn't even on him or the shot is so long (far away) that you can't see him singing. What you will be treated to lots of "slick" shots. Shots from boom cameras moving from side to side, wide shots of the theater where you can't see Taylor (but you can see the folks walking down the aisle), useless audience shots and "artistic" shots through the drum kit or from behind the piano. If you ever wondered what the back of Taylor's head looks like you'll get the chance to find out - several times. You're never allowed to concentrate on Taylor and enjoy all the nuances of his performance, instead your eye is constantly being pulled in different directions. This producer / director team is the same one that brought us the Eagles - Hell Freezes Over concert DVD and I have to say they did a better job on that one simply by slowing everything down. ( Watch both and you recognize the camera angles and shots - it's put together using the same formula) If you're looking for something that's an intimate James Taylor performance you won't find it on this DVD. More likely you'll feel like you've just watched the MTV Video Awards. More isn't always better. I hope they re-edit this DVD one of these days.
Should you buy it? Yes, if your a JT fan it truly is a fantastic sounding DVD of a wonderful concert. If you can get past some of the visual things it's not bad to look at. Or do what I ended up doing - turning up the stereo and turning off the television. I think I'll look for that HBO special he did....
Some stats... One 3 minute song - 46 separate shots. Average shot length 3.9 seconds. 15 shots are from moving cameras. In 27 of them you can't see James Taylor's face. Only in 19 shots (41%) can you see him singing.

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LIVE AT THE BEACON THEATER - DVD Movie

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