Product Details

• Actors: Mary J. Blige, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, David Sanborn, Sheryl Crow
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Bros / Wea
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 1999
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305610460
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,006 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's been quite a road for Eric Clapton: from blues purist to rock guitar god, from country-pop balladeer to classic rock icon, and on to his current status as all-around legend, playing everything from straight blues to neo-soul. Those different aspects are all on display in this concert, taped at New York's Madison Square Garden to raise funds for the guitarist's drug and alcohol rehab center in the Caribbean. Of course, we get a healthy dose of Clapton the frontman during the nearly two-hour show, from the predictable "Layla" and "Tears in Heaven" to "River of Tears," perhaps the best song from his 1998 Pilgrim album (heard here in a more gospel-tinged arrangement). But it is as a collaborator or accompanist that he really shines, whether he's adding some tasty slide guitar to Sheryl Crow's "Different Kind," generating some real heat with saxophonist David Sanborn during a fiery "Little Wing," or harmonizing and trading guitar licks with Bob Dylan during a good-timey "Crossroads." Sure, Eric Clapton backing up Mary J. Blige may seem a little strange, but by the time he encores with a rousing "Sunshine of Your Love," it's clear that a good time was had by all. --Sam Graham

Product Description

On July 30, 1999, Eric Clapton put together a stellar band and invited a few friends--Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, and David Sanborn--to perform a one-night-only concert in New York City's Madison Square Garden as a benefit for Clapton's Crossroads Centre at Antigua. 170 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A great concert to attend, only a mediocre one to buy., December 23, 1999

By 

J. Steinberg (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads... (DVD)

I was at the epic length concert on June 30, 1999 (not July 30, as mistakenly written on this site), and I had a wonderful time listening to some of the most incredible guitar playing I'd ever heard. I was overjoyed to hear that a video/DVD of the show would be released, but I was very disappointed with the actual product. The concert lasted over three hours, and Amazon.com notes that the DVD/video is 170 minutes in their review, yet it is only 108 minutes! More than an hour of music has been cut out by the manufacturers, including what I believed to be the highlights of the show. Gone are Eric Clapton's "My Father's Eyes", "Pilgrim", Sheryl Crow's "Run Baby Run", "Leaving Las Vegas", "If It Makes You Happy", and Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet", "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat". Gone is the showstopping duet of between Dylan and Clapton of "Born In Time", a song Dylan wrote in 1991 that was covered by Clapton on his most recent album. Instead, what the producers of this DVD and video have put out are solid performanes of songs that have already been released on live albums and videos countless times. Sure, I enjoy hearing "Layla", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Tears In Heaven", "Wonderful Tonight", and "Old Love", but I have them live on other Clapton live releases, and they sound very much the same; I would have rathered to have selections that no other live recording is avaliable of, or even better, the entire concert. DVDs can hold 4-8 hours, so there's no reason why they couldn't have included everything. Also, on the DVD, the producers do not allow the "angle" feature to be used; for those unfamiliar with DVD, this is a feature that allows you to change the camera angle at which you're viewing the picture. It's especially useful in concert videos, because if you want to look at Clapton's guitar solo when they're showing Steve Gadd's drumming, you can - if they encode that feature, which they inexplicably chose not to. What angles they did choose were poorly selected; it's filled with bad framing and inappropriate zooms. It's a shame they didn't, because it was a fantastic concert.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uncommon Presentation, January 2, 2004

By 

M. Best "Zackariah" (Montgomery, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads... (DVD)

I adore Clapton, and own all of his DVD's. I have to rate this one at the bottom of the list, though it is worth the purchase just to get the rare "Little Wing" performance. He uses the same arrangement/approach that the Dominos used, and it is good. After that, I have to agree with the other reviews here that critise the choices of selections from the concert that ended up on the DVD. I would really enjoy seeing the songs that were deleted, rather than the great, but oft repeated warhorses like "Sunshine of Your Love", and yet another "Tears in Heaven." There are just so many wonderful choices in his past repetoire that he NEVER performs now like "Strange Brew", "Forever Man", or "I Am Yours" that would be precious to many of his fans! But to avoid misunderstanding, I must say that what is here is predominantly great. (The only blatant exception being the horror of what is done to the usually poignant "Old Love" by a keyboardist that I have never seen with him before. I "skip" over that song always!)

The guests are somewhat unusual, though mostly pleasing. Sheryl Crow is fine, Bob Dylan is excellent, Dave Sanborn is probably good, (I rarely take note of horns), but the Mary Blige section is, ...well, ...unexpected!.

Clapton's backing band is mostly the same folks that are usually with him; Andy Fairweather-Low, Steve Gadd, and Nathan East with Katie Kissoon & Tessa Niles. They are always enjoyable to hear. (He later dropped the girls from his 2002 tour, and I missed them on "One More Car"/Rider). I have read that he sometimes determines his song selections according to the capabilities of his backing group. If that is so, then I would appreciate a little variety in the players he recruits - time is moving on, and I would love to hear/see him do some of the afformentioned tunes before he hangs up his new, graphic strat forever!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some Good Performances, November 10, 2003

By 

K. Ellis "kjjcellis" (Central Coast, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads... (DVD)

There are excellent performances by Clapton, Sanborn & Crow. The Blige and Dylan performances were not so good. A mixed bag. The other Clapton dvd's are probably better. Not a keeper but a good 1 off rental.