Customer Reviews

Best of the Beatles: Pete Best - Mean, Moody and Magnificent

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I wondered what to expect from this DVD. I wasn't overly confident that it would be worthwhile but was pleasantly surprised with what I found. The production quality is on par with that of the Beatles Anthology discs. Pete Best and others who were there (including Astrid Kircherr, Klaus Voorman, Cynthia Lennon, & Neil Aspinal) reminisce about the early days of the Beatles in Liverpool and Hamburg. Pete tells about his experiences during the early years of the band from it's formation up until the time of his firing. Best seems to have a very good memory and appears to enjoy telling stories about those early days. Best is probably the only person left to give an accurate first hand account of those formative years of the group (George and John are gone, Ringo wasn't there, and Sir Paul is known to fudge Beatles history to better suit his desired image). Best does not seem bitter at all, especially after all the years that have passed. One of the major points he (and others) apparently want to get across in this film is that he was not fired because he wasn't a good enough drummer. It seems that even now Pete doesn't really know why he was fired. He tells how it happened but apparently wasn't really ever given a reason and that does still bother him. All in all a very interesting documentary and a must have for any serious Beatles fan's DVD library. I never really gave much thought to Pete Best before watching this. Most Beatle histories tend to marginalize Best, but this DVD gives him a chance to set the record straight that he was there and he did play a definite role in the early Beatles rise to fame.

I had seen Pete Best on tv several times over the years and he always seemed to be shy and nervous, without much spark. I didn't know whether to attribute this to his natural personality or to his sense of being beaten down by life, to have been so close and lost one of the greatest prizes of our generation - membership in The Beatles. So I didn't expect much from this documentary. Boy was I surprised. Instead of being a self-serving piece of drivel, it filled in some missing details in the early career of The Beatles, their skiffle days (represented by a poignant rendering of an old song by Ken Brown) and Hamburg. I loved the interviews with Klaus, Astrid, Cynthia, Neil and the other Liverpool regulars. They added color to what has been rehashed over and over again in books. There was a piece of footage of Pete from the old days and I was surprised to see he was not only good looking but had a sparkle in his eye. He certainly would have attracted my attention if I had been a Liverpool teenager. Yet he didn't really fit with the other three. Ringo shared the wit and the cheekiness of the other three that made the Beatles so endearing to their audiences, especially in America. Pete seems to have let go of the bitterness of what happened. This DVD is certainly worthwhile for those interested in Beatles history.

This DVD is an amazing review, by those in the know, of the 1960-1962 early Beatles era which McCartney, Lennon & Harrison always seemed to rush through and bow out of when asked to recount those days. Mention the name Pete Best in an interview with Richard Starkey and he gets wound up. There must have been some reason for never disclosing the true reasons for the dismissal of Pete Best as drummer of The Beatles, otherwise there might not have been offered, over the years, a host of phony stories, lies and lame excuses, which among other things, unfairly painted Pete Best as a poor drummer. This DVD also, finally, explodes the myth that Stuart Sutcliffe was useless as a bass player. Stuart, whom all hardcore Beatles fans love just for being there, was indeed holding his own in the band as told by Klaus Voorman who was inspired by Stuart to pick up a bass and learn to play himself.

It's odd that, of those who ever gave an opinion on Pete's musicianship, that virtually all of the musicians from the bands who actually heard The Beatles play, (and some of those are represented in this DVD), have given Pete an excellent rating, all except the members of Pete's own band, although today, as in his comment in "WingsSpan", McCartney admits that Pete was a great drummer... finally. And Sir Paul, if you're reading this, or if perhaps you're having one of your servants read this to you, I would say the following: When you come off your tour (which the average Macca fan, including myself, could not afford to attend), consider giving Pete a call, make an appointment to visit The Casbah, and bring your guitar.

My favorite personality, aside from Pete, on this DVD, is Horst Fascher, who, among other things, had been a bouncer at Bruno Koshmider's Kaiserkeller club in Hamburg, a man who became a good friend of Pete's and The Beatles. He tells it like it was,
relating, for example, that in 1962 he immediately suspected Brian Epstien of masterminding Pete's dismissal from the group. One can tell from his account, and from his expression, that Horst never saw Brian in a positive light, and personally, I believe Horst's recollections, all in all, shed the most light about those early years. Thank You Horst. Other interview highlights include Astrid, Klaus, Ken Brown, Rory & ROag Best,
and one of Merseybeat's foremost boosters, Mona Best filmed with her son, Pete, early 60's. And there are many others. Fantastic!

This DVD, aside from its main program being a work of art in how it is presented, and as to its wonderful quality, is PACKED with extras which will leave any viewer more than satisfied.

Great care was put into creating this DVD and it is not a low budget hack some might fear. This is a top quality documentary made by some who made the Anthology DVDs with the help of people who were actually there. With this DVD you get a better understanding of the early years all presented in the entertaining style of the Beatles Anthology. A perfect bonus DVD to be put right next to the Anthology box set.

Many 'only read about before' people, great stories, interesting facts, some never seen footage and pictures. Top release! Get it and have a wonderful 2+ hours. NOW the story is told. Thanks Pete, Roag etc...

Too often we look at things with 20/20 hindsight. But really there's no reason to start up any disputes as to whether Pete or Ringo was the better of the two drummers. That's because they're just two drummers who played better on different kinds of music.

Obviously, it's absurd to claim Best was a lousy drummer, or else he could never have soonafter helmed the Pete Best Combo, which recorded and toured for a few years in the mid-'60s. Likewise, Ringo was hardly lacking, given that he was first brought in as an outright ringer, hot off his duties with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Just listen to the two drum styles - Best is more of a jazz or pop drummer, while Ringo was more suited for the surf and rock 'n' roll style of the time.

The Beatles could have also gone in a jazz direction - who knows? But they didn't, since George Martin was then looking to develop a rock 'n' roll group. Had he wanted them to be a different sort of group, maybe they would have gone in that slightly altered direction instead. So we must realize in the end that fate - and finance - had the final say.

After reading what other folk have written I decided to buy my own copy and see for myself. Pete Best is an engaging guy who was on the brink of fame and lost it and although this happened he is not sour grapes about his experience. This is almost like a home video of someones life with tales thrown in. He doesn't share alot of new things but I never thought the Beatles would try to rob a sailor after drinking with the fellow, interesting.The extras are great as well.When you look at this in context of the times then and now this is a little jewel of a documentary.I suppose I was hoping Pete wouldn't whine about lost fame and he doesn't which makes this as interesting a doc as there is. I found it difficult to believe that none of the other "mates" have contacted him over the years and was pleassently surprised to learn that on the first anthology set its Petes drumming on love me do. I highly recommend this product.

If you're a Beatles fan, I urge you from the outset to get "BEST OF THE BEATLES." Even if you have other Beatles DVD's in your collection, including the highly recommended "BEATLES ANTHOLOGY," you'll be delighted and amazed by the information that Pete Best has to offer.

In addition to Best's first hand account of what it was like being a Beatle in those early years, the DVD includes rare, insightful interviews from some of the key players in the Beatles' early history. Included are Cynthia Lennon, Julia Baird (John Lennon's sister),Tony Sheridan, Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voorman, Horst Fascher, Neil Aspinal, Brian Poole from the Tremeloes, the former members of the Quarrymen and the Black Jacks, the engineers at Abbey Roads Studio, and the list goes on.

The DVD pays proper homage to Mona Best, Pete's mom and the owner of the Casbah Club where the Beatles played numerous times. With her club Mona played an important role in the burgeoning Liverpool music scene in the early sixties. The DVD includes a very touching tv interview with Mona and Pete shortly after he was fired from the Beatles and their incredulity and sadness are truly heartbreaking.

As for why Pete was fired, one thing is certain: it was NOT because he wasn't a good drummer or unpopular with the fans. In fact, with his sexy good looks, he was indeed the most attractive the Beatles. His early photos (and there are many rare home movies and pictures of him here) would attest to this.

In short, "BEST OF THE BEATLES" is a valuable addition to the history of the Beatles. Conspicuously neglected in the past, we finally get Pete Best's perspective and he has a lot to say. It's amazing to think what the Fab Four would have been like if they remained John, Paul, George, and Pete.

great biography dvd! essential to the hardcore beatles fan or casual listener. the dvd has alot of extras - pete and astrid talking about the early days in germany, interviews with andy white, brian poole, cynthia lennon, his new band working in the studio, etc. one thing bugged me - no info (again) on THE PETE BEST COMBO! the band was in new york from early '65 to mid '66, recorded 45's and an lp, played shows all over the east coast, and all we get in this dvd is a picture of the band. i was hoping tony waddington and wayne bickerton (the guitarists of the PBC) would be interviewed. hmph! other than that, it's a cool dvd. also check out the THE PETE BEST COMBO "beyond the beatles" cd. it's all the 45's, the lp, and unreleased songs they recorded while working in the US during the mid-60's.

Yes, I am a Beatle freak, and will remember the night they were on the Ed Sullivan show as strongly as I remember the day JFK was assassinated. But as in all success stories the rise to fame is always the most interesting, and the Beatles' is hard to match. What makes this set so interesting is the thoroughness of it. The appearances of so many people from those days (who have rarely been seen) was astonishing. There are many books that will spell out incomparable details of those years, but visually, this is the most in-depth and accurate look at what really happened. Like Lennon said many times, the Beatles would never have happened without Hamburg.

I write this partly because of another reviewer who was correct that Pete Best simply wasn't a first class drummer. He was little more than a novice when the Hamburg scene started, and regular gigs at bars is hardly a good way to develop style. It gets so noisy that all one can do is bash away and keep the beat, that's all. And most people don't realize (many musicians too) that the drummer is the most important part of a band. The drummer is the foundation of it, and if the foundation is shaky, then the house will fall down sooner than later. The 'clinical', clean, precision-minded environment of a professional recording studio compared to a rowdy bar is indescribable, and it was clear to Parlophone that the Beatles had a lot of drawbacks, not just Best's drumming. Plus, Parlophone was a 'specialty' label. Their sales were so low that the parent company (EMI) was considering shutting them down completely. George Martin was in serious need of a rock 'n' roll band - ANY band with potential - which he saw in the Beatles, and why he gave them a try. Of all that came before and was to follow, this was the Beatles key stroke of luck. Without Parlophone's predicament the Beatles would have been a 'local' band forever because they had already been turned down by every record label in the country. Martin's plan was to refine their sound, find better songs, maybe change their name, and use a session drummer for recordings instead of Pete Best. At the threshold of professional entertainment - no more bars - and not being aware of Martin's full assessment of them, the only real impact personally was the drumming glitch. Heck, I know fellows who might trade in their Mothers for a chance like that, so the Beatles weren't going to risk a contract on a so-so drummer. Since Ringo was the best drummer in town he was their choice. It might have been the worst thing Pete Best would ever experience, but what Ringo brought to the Beatles is unquestionable. History now speaks for itself.

It's very sad that Pete Best will always be remembered as the 'former Beatle', but the truth is, there were many others who came and went before him. It's an anguish he'll always feel, but the one great thing he can be proud of is being exactly that - a former Beatle. Even with Ringo, a twist of fate could easily have made the Beatles a 'one hit wonder', and today nobody would know anything about Pete Best. But he was there in those magic, wistful days, and he'll be well remembered for it. I think it's extremely commendable of him to come forward and share all those fantastic memories. "Best of the Beatles" is a must have. It's a much closer, more personal look at those wonderous days. It's so well made, and presented with such zest that even a moderate Beatle fan would find it hard not to watch. The cast of characters included in this DVD was a phenomenal feat. Many of them are only names we've read in endless books, have never been seen before, never even heard their voices. "Best of the Beatles" is far more in-depth than the Beatles Anthology, to the point where one is tempted to 'fast forward' through it. The most telling importance of the early years was a quote from Lennon: "We were performers in Liverpool and Hamburg. What we generated was fantastic. But as soon as we made it, the edges were knocked off. Brian put us in suits and all that, we made it very, very big, but we'd sold out... The Beatles died then, as musicians. We never improved as musicians. We missed the club dates because THAT'S when we were playing real music..."

I have mixed reviews about this DVD. First, I played it on two different DVD players and it skipped in certain parts on both players. I also had a hard time understanding what Pete Best was saying, largely because he is soft spoken and his accent was hard to understand. Yet I could clearly understand the accents of the other British people interviewed.

Overall, I thought this DVD was just ok. Pete revists some of the places in Hamburg...I found that interesting...yet I thought his book was better than this DVD. It just seemed all over the place and it didn't hold my attention but his book did.

I didnt get anything out of the "extra" hour.
However, Pete Best is a key component of early Beatle history and his tenure with them should not be overlooked. He added a great deal to their fame with his pounding bass drum and extremely good looks. I checked on youtube with the Silver Beatles when Ringo replaced Pete at the Cavern. You can clearly hear the audience yell at the end "We Want Pete" and you can hear John Lennon's voice says YES. This was in the book as well. I never thought John wanted Pete out, my guess it was Paul and maybe Brian since Brian propositoned Pete one night and Pete declined. Perhaps Pete would be too much of a temptation for him to work with him?

I asked myself after reading his book, would the Beatles ever have made it big if it were not for the Casbah? Perhaps they would not, and Mrs. Best was a key player in the Beatles destiny. You will see that if you order the book.