Customer Reviews

Bob Dylan - World Tours 1966-1974: Through The Camera Of Barry Feinstein

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I'll be honest --- I sat through about 45 minutes of this documentary [...]. It's not that the photos aren't interesting; but I'd rather have them in a coffee table book so I could look at them at my leisure.

What I saw of this film is mostly zooming in and out of Barry Feinstein's photographs. Not only is there no footage of Dylan performing, but there are almost no photos of Dylan performing, either. In fact, Feinstein states that he was only interested in photographing Bob's personal side, and that if you want to see performances, you should go to a show. So you see a lot of pictures of Bob talking to kids in the street in England, and so on.

Interviewing is an art, and the director who interviews Feinstein doesn't have the talent. His style is leaden and ponderous and Feinstein seems a very dull interview subject. A skilled interviewer might have drawn out more interesting stories, but Feinstein talks about himself and his views on photography and has very little to say about Bob Dylan.

This disc is for hard, hard-core Dylan fans only. In my opinion, you're better off buying one of the numerous biographies or checking out "Don't Look Back" or several of the other videos that actually have musical performances.

A book of these photographs would be much more interesting [...].

My two star rating is primarily because of the deliberately deceptive packaging, which is shameless and inexcuseable. Some of the content is actually better than I thought it would be. My Mom bought this for me, expecting it to be concert footage. SHE felt ripped off! However, I had already read these reviews, so I knew what to expect when I played it. The presentation is amatuerish, the motorcycle accident "recreation" is ridiculous, the Bob Dylan "act" I find rather pathetic. Given that, I actually enjoyed the interviews and found them fairly informative. It seems that Feinstein, Pennebaker and Aronowitz all happily participated. One wonders why--does that give Gilbert more credibility?--I don't know. Of course, all them play it pretty close to the vest and are clearly protective of Dylan's privacy.(Of course, I would have loved to have heard more about the nubile female "poets" zooming in on Bob during his '66 tour--he was already married then--but we get no juicy details.) I actually liked hearing Feinstein's explantions about how he composed shots, what equipment he used, why Dylan made such a great photographic subject, etc. The pictures are great, some of the best ever taken of Dylan. But many of them have been published, (some have not). I enjoyed seeing Dylan's Woodstock homes, Big Pink, etc. The A.J. Weberman interview really brings home the craziness that Dylan had to contend with. I give Gilbert some credit for giving him a hard time, yet you hate to see the guy get screen time also.
So I would call this a minor guilty pleasure for a hard core Dylan fan like myself. I doubt that I would have bought it for myself, yet I'll probably go through the picture galleries from time to time.

A friend of mine works for a music publication, and had this sent to her (to review, perhaps). So, she gave me this DVD. I was about to eBay it, but figured I'd have a look.

There is NO Bob Dylan music, nor any live concert footage. This is NOT an "official" Bob Dylan release. One must read the fine print on the back of the DVD case to learn this. So, buying online MIGHT fool some people... if they purchase going on the DVD's title alone.

The Director, Joel Gilbert - who happens to be the "Bob Dylan" in the tribute band "Highway 61 Revisited" - does an ok job on this DVD. He's a good guy who knows his stuff on Dylan. Although I've never met him in-person, I've e-mailed him back and forth a couple times regarding Bob Dylan's guitars. No, he may not be the world's premiere interviewer, but just watching him interacting with old-timers and former hippies living in Woodstock and in Manhattan is amusing.

This IS for the Dylan fan who must have everything. It's like a half-step above a film school student's final project. But, there is some entertainment value in it.

So, having watched it once, I'm off to sell on eBay! If anyone wants a cheap copy of this DVD, head on over!

Some great pic from Barry. Joel Gilbert lets the team down big time.
If you want some good pictures of Bob than this is ok.[...]

Based on the title and cover photo, most folks would expect some Dylan performances. If you notice the small font subtitle in the lower right corner, you might suspect that is not what you'll get. What you do get is a third rate documentary about Dylan's photographer (who seems a nice enough guy) at the time. But the guy making the film and doing the interviewing is a weird and creepy Dylan obsessive and an inept interviewer too boot. I felt totally ripped off by this DVD.

I cant believe some reviewers actually consider this documentary to be worth while viewing. Anyhow this disgusts me, so I am compelled to contribute my own opinion. Firstly the film maker has an unhealthy willingness to look like Bob, it's a bit creepy, I mean anyone can look like Bob if they try hard enough. This guy simply looks like someone trying to look like Bob. Anyway this immediately put me on the back foot. The documentary its self is simply a slide show of photos, a little like when grandpa returns from an overseas holiday, boring. Most of the photos are nothing new, seen them before, the narrating while we view the photos is bland. Then the documentary goes off in to tangents, a terribly tacky reenactment of the motorcycle accident, I felt embarrassed for the guy at this point, it was just shocking film making. Then I got to the point were he randomly decides to chat with a homeless guy introducing himself as Bob Dylan with a completely straight face. This is when I could no longer continue watching, took the DVD out consided binning it, don't now why but a resisted. The photos are a wonderful but who care when they are lost within this shocking film, just release a book??!!!SUMMARY- THIS DOCUMENTARY IS A POINTLESS WASTE OF TIME. POINTLESS!!!!

If you are expecting concert footage or interviews with Bob or Sara or Joan then you are going to be disappointed here. What this carefully constructed documentary will do is paint a portrait of what it was like being around Bob Dylan during one of the most intensely creative and hyper periods of his creative life. Between very candid interviews with people who had intimate friendships and creative partnerships with Dylan from the time he hit the Village right through a European tour, his motorcylce accident, etc., Gilbert et al. weave a picture that captures a part of one of the more elusive creatures of our era, and perhaps the greatest song-writer, poet of the 20th century. A must for every serious member of the Dylan legions roaming the planet.

Horrendous filming. No story, even though it showcases wonderful pictures and talented people. How much of an ego do you have to have to release such a boring and talentless film?

It's not that this documentary (for lack of a better term) doesn't have some dynamite material in it: the pictures are amazing. Those of The Band and the whole 1974 tour are especially great. But if you're expecting a focus on the concerts or even any of Dylan's music, you should look elsewhere.
It's unfortunate that the photos are surrounded by 2 hours of mediocre journalism and low content interviews. In the middle somewhere are some really fantastic bits that really can't be appreciated until you're outside the interviews. Most of Gilbert's work on camera just left a bad taste in my mouth.
I recommend using this DVD with caution: you can sit through the interviews if you really want to, but it might be safer to just browse the helpful photo gallery first. Then, if you have any questions, such as, "what are those chickens doing on the bed?" consult the film.
Though they could have been done better, the interviews with AJ Weberman and Al Aronowitz are both very enjoyable, but for completely different reasons. Those are two of what I would consider highlights of this film. Maybe that's just because my attention span is too short to enjoy the rest. In any case, there are good parts within (oddly enough, these DON'T include any recordings of Dylan's actual music, just Gilbert's "look alike" tribute band), you'll just have to sift.

Amazing unseen photos, and the intimate truth about Dylan's highs and lows from 1966-1974. A great DVD for Dylan fans, the photos alone are worth it, and the documentary is fascinating...This Dylan DVD deserves a spot on the shelf!!! The photo's of Barry Feinstein are overwelmingly black and white and the stills dominate the DVD while he talks to Joel Gilbert. But they look soooo darn good that once and awhile I could have sworn that they were tree dimentional and that the image of Dylan was moving!!! Barry Feinstein has extremely interesting tales to tell about Dylan, and Joel walks around Woodstock and Manhatten making you laugh at the old hippie's STILL hanging out at Woodstock and crazy A. J. Weberman the Dylan freak of Manhatten! And folks...I almost fell out of my chair laughing when Joel (who looks like and has a motorcycle like Dylan) did a reinactment of the famed motorcycle accident of Dylan - I don't want to give it away but the reinactment involves the Woodstock Cemetary." I watched this DVD three times within 24 hours. I have never done that with any vedio, not even with "Don't Look Back" did I do that!!!