Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music (The Director's Cut)
by Michael Wadleigh
from Warner Home Video
The three-day Woodstock music festival in 1969 was the pivotal event of the 1960s peace movement, and this landmark concert film is the definitive record of that milestone of rock & roll history. It's more than a chronicle of the hippie movement, however; this is a film of genuine historical and social importance, capturing the spirit of America in transition, when the Vietnam War was at its peak and antiwar protest was fully expressed through the liberating music of the time. With a brilliant crew at his disposal (including a young editor named Martin Scorsese), director Michael Wadleigh worked with over 300 hours of footage to create his original 225-minute director's cut, which was cut by 40 minutes for the film's release in 1970. Eight previously edited segments were restored in 1994, and the original director's cut of Woodstock is now the version most commonly available on videotape and DVD.
The film deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and it's still a stunning achievement. Abundant footage taken among the massive crowd ("half a million strong") expresses the human heart of the event, from skinny-dipping hippies to accidental overdoses, to unpredictable weather, midconcert childbirth, and the thoughtful (or just plain rambling) reflections of the festive participants. Then, of course, there is the music--a nonstop parade of rock & roll from the greatest performers of the period, including Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Canned Heat, The Who, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Ten Years After, Sly & The Family Stone, Santana, and many more. Watching this ambitious film, as the saying goes, is the next best thing to being there--it's a time-travel journey to that once-in-a-lifetime event. --Jeff Shannon
3 days. 3-million people. And memories to last a lifetime.Year: 1970Director: Michael WadleighStarring: Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, The Who, Crosby, Stills & Nash, much more
Tommy
by Ken Russell
from Sony Pictures
If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organized religion.
The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard," and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of "I'm Free." Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled its creation. --Jeff Shannon
The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus
by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
from Abkco Films
Originally done as a BBC TV special but never shown, the Rolling Stones headline this rock concert featuring circus performers between musical acts.
Media Type: DVD
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Title: ROCK & ROLL CIRCUS
Street Release Date: 10/12/2004
Genre: ROCK/POP
Unavailable at all for nearly three decades, then issued in a VHS edition in 1996, the Rolling Stones' legendary Rock and Roll Circus finally gets the full treatment with this DVD release documenting the 1968 event. The Stones were reportedly unhappy with their performance (hence the long delay), and it isn't their finest moment; performing "Jumping Jack Flash" and a variety of songs from their then-new Beggars Banquet album, Keith Richards is game, but Jagger's preening (especially on "Sympathy for the Devil") is over the top, and guitarist Brian Jones looks dissolute and well on his way to his death the following year. A certain weirdness permeates some of the other musical acts as well: Jethro Tull lip-syncs unconvincingly, Taj Mahal and band were obliged to perform before the circus set was completed and the audience had arrived, and John Lennon's outing with impromptu supergroup the Dirty Mac (with Richards, Eric Clapton, and drummer Mitch Mitchell) is hampered by Yoko Ono's caterwauling, although their version of the Beatles' "Yer Blues" is cool. Still, the Who are brilliant, Marianne Faithfull is beautiful, the various circus acts are fun, and the crowd clearly loves it.
The DVD comes with some fascinating bonus features, including three extra songs by Mahal, some lovely classical piano by Julius Katchen, and a "quad split-screen" version of "Yer Blues." Best of all are a new interview with the Who's Pete Townshend and the various commentary tracks added for the DVD--especially those by Tull's Ian Anderson, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Stones Jagger, Richards, and Bill Wyman (who dryly attributes Jagger's reluctance to issue the show to his dissatisfaction with his own performance, not the band's). Flaws notwithstanding, this is a treat. --Sam Graham
The Who - The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition)
by Jeff Stein
from Pioneer
Half its members may be dead and its leader may be keeping a low profile, but the Who remains enormously popular. Devotees who haven't availed themselves of Jeff Stein's thrilling, self-mocking 1979 documentary about the group shouldn't wait another minute now that the film has been painstakingly--perhaps heroically--restored to its theatrical-release length from original elements. The sound is clearer than on previous video releases, images are once more crisp and color-rich, and adjustments in tape speed make the Who sound like themselves again, particularly in vintage television performances and filmed club dates from as far back as the band's sonically thrilling, early R&B period. Special features are, shall we say, extensive: 100 or so minutes of multiple-angle footage, an insightful interview with Roger Daltrey, a featurette about the film's restoration, and a mesmerizing, isolated John Entwistle audio track. --Tom Keogh
The Original Director's Cut, digitally remastered in Hi-Definition and remixed in 5.1 & DTS Restored to the original "Director's Cut" length of 109 minutes. Almost 100 minutes of never-before-seen multi-camera angle footage. Completely re-mastered in Hi-Definition and 5.1 surround from the original film elements and multi-tracks. Presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.1:85. Packed with a 32 page collectable booklet. Commentary by Director Jeff Stein. Ultimate edition also includes: Multi Camera Angles - An extremely rare feature that is almost 100 minutes and featuring as many as 6 angles including a Pete cam, a Roger cam, a Moonie cam and an Ox cam. Making of the DVD - 40 minute feature offering an in-depth look at how the film was restored. Audio Comparison - This 8 minute feature provides a direct side-by-side comparison of the before and after audio. Video Comparison - This 6 minute feature provides a direct side-by-side comparison of the before and after so people can see what they've been missing all these 24 years! The Ox - A very special audio feature allowing the user to select an isolated audio track of legendary bassist John Entwistle. The Who's London - An interactive feature offering the viewer a video tour of Who landmarks. Trivia Games - Questions to test your knowledge with a prize of a newly mixed 5.1 rendering of the album version of "Who Are You" playing a video light/slide show and a long lost recording of Ringo Starr. English Subtitles - Figuring out the lyrics the band is singing is one thing, but deciphering what they say while screaming over each other is a whole other puzzle.
The Who - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
by Dick Carruthers
from Image Entertainment
For a band that held its farewell tour in 1982, the Who sound far from finished when it comes to exploring the greater passions and sonic possibilities of its old material. Never has that been more evident than in The Who: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, a record of the group's remarkable stand at a charity gig in London late in 2000. Perennial patrons of adolescents, the Who is clearly energized by an emotional attachment to Britain's Teenage Cancer Trust (beneficiary of the fundraiser), a feeling that also sweeps through several well-chosen guests who happen to be spiritual descendants of the band. After a long opening set that includes a scorching "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere," a gorgeous update of "The Kids Are Alright," and a soulful "Bargain," the Who usher in punk violinist Nigel Kennedy to help electrify "Baba O'Riley," the Jam's founder Paul Weller for a lovely, acoustic rendition of "So Sad About Us," and Stereophonics guitarist-vocalist Kelly Jones for a nearly epiphanous "Substitute."
More than just a parade of celebrities paying homage to Townshend and fellow Olympians Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle, the select visitors here challenge the Who to add new colors to old warhorses (Noel Gallagher's psychedelic tinge on "Won't Get Fooled Again") and delicate semiclassics (Eddie Vedder's sympathetic duet with Townshend on "I'm One"). By the end of a robust evening, Daltrey's voice is shot and Townshend looks ready for a shot of vitamins, but anyone who would declare the Who a bunch of worn-out grandpas is spoiling for a Mod-era stomping. This is an essential set for Who loyalists and a wonderful show for everyone else. --Tom Keogh
For millions of fans around the world, The Who has defined the quintessential rock band for nearly four decades. The band's extraordinary music and lyrics have left and indelible imprint on music history, and their live performances are legendary.
Songs:
I Can't Explain
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Pinball Wizard
Relay
My Wife
The Kids Are Alright
Bargain
Magic Bus
Who Are You
Baba O-Riley
Drowned
Heart To Hang Onto
So Sad About Us
I'm One
Behind Blue Eyes
You Better You Bet
The Real Me
5:15
Won't Get Fooled Again
Substitute
Let's See Action
My Generation
See Me, Feel Me
The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
by Murray Lerner
from Eagle Rock Ent
Filmmaker Murray Lerner's documentary Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival--The Movie took more than a quarter-century to make it to theater screens. But when it finally did, Lerner's footage of the Who's incendiary performance at that open-air show proved to be a real highlight. Lerner's complete coverage of the group's appearance, generally considered by true believers to be among their greatest shows, can be seen in this excellent concert film. A full year after the band's ragged concert at Woodstock (at which guitarist Pete Townshend, according to legend, was suffering the ill effects of a drug-spiked drink), the Who brought their potent act to the troubled Isle of Wight fest, making rock & roll history with a magnificent noise. Except for an allusion or two by singer Roger Daltrey, there's no mention in the film that the band was between their lengthy tour in support of Tommy and the recording of an album they would eventually scrap (substituting it with the epochal Who's Next). This concert contains three then-new tunes from the aborted project (and they're so awful you'll instantly understand why it was dropped), but much more important is the band's rendering of an abridged but thrilling Tommy and full-blooded shouts of some old warhorses: "Shakin' All Over," "I Can't Explain," and "Magic Bus." Comic relief is provided by the late Keith Moon, whose exchanged witticisms with Townshend grow lengthy enough at one point to demand an actual, discrete, click-to scene of their own on the DVD release. Otherwise, as far as the DVD goes, there are no other goodies; this great concert speaks for itself. --Tom Keogh
In 1970, 600,000 people came to the Isle of Wight to attend a music festival. At 2 A.M., August 30th, The Who appeared and gave one of the most memorable performances of their career.
LISTENING TO YOU: THE WHO AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT captures the only complete live performance of The Who's legendary rock opera "Tommy" ever recorded. It is also one of the last times the band played this classic album in its entirety on stage.
Track Listing:
1. Heaven And Hell
2. I Can't Explain
3. Young Man Blues
4. I Don't Even Know Myself
5. Water
6. Shakin' All Over
7. Spoonful/Twist And Shout
8. Summertime Blues
9. My Generation
10. Magic Bus
11. Overture
12. It's A Boy
13. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
14. Christmas
15. The Acid Queen
16. Pinball Wizard
17. Do You Think It's Alright
18. Fiddle About
19. Go To The Mirror
20. Miracle Cure
21. I'm Free
22. Tommy's Holiday Camp
23. We're Not Gonna Take It
BONUS FEATURE: An exclusive 30 minute interview with Pete Townshend!
RESTORED! REMIXED!! REMASTERED!!!
Under the expert supervision of Who guitarist Pete Townshend and director Murray Lerner, this historic film has been completely restored, remixed, and remastered to an astonishing level that needs to be seen and heard to be believed!
Message to Love - The Isle of Wight Festival
by Murray Lerner
from Sony Wonder (Video)
This documentary by Murray Lerner (From Mao to Mozart) was shot in 1970, but for many reasons was not shown to the public until 1995 in Great Britain. In an important way, it is the final chapter in an unofficial trilogy of concert films (along with Woodstock and Gimme Shelter) that together paint a picture of the highest and lowest points of Woodstock Nation politics: from mass goodwill to anarchy to outright stupidity. On the one hand, Message to Love is a rock & roll movie with several performances that are outright revelations (the Who's triumphant show, the Doors' "The End"), some that are awfully good (Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun"), and more than enough that are superfluous (Ten Days After, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Jethro Tull). On the other hand, Lerner's cameras are trained on the increasingly testy relationship between nomadic hippies who travel a long way to see the show but refuse to pay, and concert producers who resort to using guard dogs, cops, and aluminum walls to keep crashers at a distance. Just how bad does the mood become after several days of this? Check out the scene in which Joni Mitchell breaks down in tears after singing her ode to peace and love, "Woodstock," before this lot. In an era when we've become used to extraordinary security and high ticket prices at rock concerts, it's perhaps hard to grasp what the fuss was about at the Isle of Wight. But Lerner's amazing film helps a viewer get a sense of what was really at stake in that period before rock & roll was a corporate matter, and when kids naively thought it was theirs for the taking. --Tom Keogh
Brian Wilson presents SMiLE
by David Leaf
from Rhino Video
"My face isn't able to smile," Brian Wilson confides to collaborator Van Dyke Parks in one of this comprehensive double-DVD set's poignant bonus interviews, "but my heart does."
 Listen to our interview with Brian Wilson |
Smile with the music of Brian Wilson
 Smile |  Gettin' in over My Head |  Orange Crate Art |
 Pet Sounds Live |  I Just Wasn't Made for These Times |  Imagination |
This essential two-disc package features nearly four hours of material, including the Showtime documentary Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile, as well as an exclusive performance of Smile in its entirety. The collection also includes nearly two hours of bonus footage including never-before-seen interviews, performances, and recording session footage.
Track Listing and Content:
Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and The Story of Smile
Trailer for Beautiful Dreamer (Bonus Material)
Interview Highlights
Our Prayer
Gee
Heroes and Villains
Roll Plymouth Rock
Barnyard
Old Master Painter
You Are My Sunshine
Cabin Essence Wonderful
Song for Children
Child Is the Father of the Man
Surf's Up
I'm In Great Shape
I Wanna Be Around
Workshop
Vega-tables
On A Holiday
Wind Chimes
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
In Blue Hawaii
Good Vibrations
Outakes (bonus material)
Brian Wilson Photo Gallery
Brian Wilson at the Piano
Brian Wilson Presents Smile featurette
Heroes and Villains Fan Video
The Who - Tommy and Quadrophenia Live
by Bob Spiers
from Rhino / Wea
Rhino Records is proud to present a 3-DVD boxed set showcasing one of the greatest live bands ever-The Who. Disc one features a live rendition of their full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy. Tommy was performed live in 1989 at The Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, with special guests Elton John, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Patti LaBelle, and Steve Winwood. Disc two contains the band's second rock opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-60s. This live version of Quadrophenia, from the 1996/1997 U.S. Tour was the first time it was performed as Townshend and Daltrey had visualized it, with live action and featuring a then-unknown Alex Langdon in a spellbinding performance as Jimmy, the disillusioned Mod.
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