Customer Reviews

Buddy Guy Live! The Real Deal with G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Buddy Guy is without a doubt one of the greatest guitar players in the world. This film, which showcases Guy live at his world famous "Legends" takes us on a musical journey. It not only shows us the immensly talented Guy playing with G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live band but it also features interview clips in which Guy recalls his early days, his influences as well as his brushes with other bluesmen as Muddy Waters. This film is brilliantly directed and filmed. The most important thing, however, is the music. It does not get any better with fiery blues riffs, solos, his charismatic stage presence and of course the trademark passionate voice of Buddy Guy, and live. A wonderful musical journey with one of the most talented and creative guitar players of our time. Buddy Guy is the epitome of blues greats and he is without a doubt the real deal.

I have been to Buddy Guy's Legends nightclub in Chicago and this video captures Buddy at his best jammin with GE Smith and the SNL band in Legend's itself...excellent direction with interviews with Buddy telling about the early days of the Chicago Blues scene...sound is excellent and I truly enjoyed watching Buddy and GE trade blues guitars licks...a must see video...

Buddy Guy plays very good on this video, as well the Saturday Night Live Band. What stands out in this film is the footage of the old Chicago Blues Clubs that have been closed down and their present day look. Buddy gives informative background on the old days, his perspective on the Blues and the role he's had. Playing in a small club you get limited camera angles, so I saw better footage of Buddy Guy at the Muddy Waters tribute on PBS. It's still worth the purchase though because he's playing more straight Blues, keeping the "Hendrix Style" to a minimum.

Isn't Mr Guy receiving more than his fair share of attention these days ? This is a fine sample of what a young director can do with a copy of Adobe Premiere and a good PC ! Don't get me wrong, the music is TERRIFIC, sound is above average (it's recorded live at Legends, Guy's Club), the band is first class... Picture quality is OK, I guess, with 3-4 cameras buzzing around the place (a lot of angles, good thing) and a mediocre sepia-toning thing over the whole video, except -here comes! - the TERRIBLE cutscenes where your good frined Buddy Guy gets all-down-home-homey and warm, and starts telling stories of the past, his first cigar-box-guitar, the first time he met the blues, and, guess what ? ALL CUTSCENES are over solos! First song, first solo, Buddy breaks a string, everybody's laughing, oops.. a cutscene, solo in the back, picture comes back to the club after solo ends ! Poor editing? Buddy's tendency for overexposure ? Buy this tape for the music, and JUST LISTEN to it, no need to watch it (that is, if you're not fed up with his Royal Bluesness already)