Customer Reviews

Home & Away Revisited

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't get to see Kottke play because I live in the middle of Alaska. This is such a relief and a wonderful DVD! The sound at the very beginning (1 minute) of the show is improperly mixed, with vocals overpowering the guitar, but the rest of the DVD is great. It cuts between the show and tidbits of Leo telling stories or playing with others.

I think that there is ample coverage of his abilities which would please those who appreciate him for his playing. There is also a good amount of stories of personnal accounts from Kottke. I really enjoyed hearing him talk as he drove or went to the music stores. He even runs into a much younger John Hartford and another time plays while Chet Atkins tries to keep up (probably an exageration, but it sounded good.)

I can tell that I'm going to wear this DVD out.

Recommended for all Leo Kottke fans and guitarists who appreciate great playing and good stories.

I have been an avid fan of Leo since I was turned on to him by a friend (I owe ya', man!) in 1979. I was blown away by him then- and still am, though not a fan of his recent material/endeavors. I have collected his music and whatever video clips I could- here & there ever since, 27 years now. Seen him live 5 times. My most played guitar was personally autographed by him. Yet here- in one fell swoop, I got more good material than I've been able to ever piece together from TV performances, Austin City Limits, PBS, etc. 90-95% of his truly good material that makes Kottke the player that he is is contained neatly on this one little piece of plastic. This is now my most treasured DVD!

It's a treat seeing Leo all young and svelte -- gosh, this footage is almost 20 years old now! I've seen him in concert 18 times, from his first early concerts where he was so nervous he tripped over his guitar to more recent events where he seemed mostly bemused by the whole thing. He's always astounding technically, and amusing personally with his wry MidWest wit.

These traits are perfectly captured by the footage on this disc (as it was by the original VHS). If you didn't love Leo before seeing this, you will after.

But it's not perfect. The editing is sometimes a little abrupt, with applause cut off suddenly. Although the Amazon description says this concert is presented in its entirety, it's actually TWO concerts, interspersed (Leo's shirt changes -- and his spare guitar changes sides). I could have gone for some more stage banter (always a highlight) and additional candid footage following him around town, as what's here seems rushed and foreshortened.

But I loved the VHS, and I love the (slightly) expanded DVD so my quibbles are in perspective relatively minor.

This is a long-awaited and extended DVD version of the only commerical video available of Kottke. The video was fantastic and the DVD superlative!

Depsite what is stated above, this edition is NOT regionally encoded, and thus those fans in Europe and elsewhere can enjoy it so long as their DVD player can play NTSC-formatted video. I own a copy which I use in the UK without any problem.

Usually I do not care much for taped performances. I find them annoying and more than once seeing the artist 'live' is a disappointment. Not so with this Leo Kottke dvd!
In this dvd Kottke does not only show his incredible skills as a composer and professional guitarist, but the interviews that have been cut into the recorded performance show an extremely funny Kottke at home, in his car, in a guitar shop and (quite funny) in his basement with 'bad guitars'. This makes the video not only a true pleasure to watch and listen to, but also highly entertaining. For the duration of the video that is great, but I must admit I feel sorry for Leo's son whom he quotes saying: 'Dad, is this another one of your jokes...'

I was thrilled to finally get this concert on DVD since the old VHS format was impossible to find or afford if I did find it. I saw Leo in person locally a few years back and was astounded by his guitar prowess and his dry wit. The only thing rally missing in this concert is more of his very funny banter, but his music more than makes up for that. It's too bad we can't get more of his live concerts. They would be high on my "want list".

Home and Away is a classic video for the Leo Kottke fan, I have seen him in concert 7 times and this video has all the elements and music that makes him so special. A must buy for the guitarist.

I watched this as soon as it arrived at my doorstep, and was I ever floored! It is great to see the full length performances from Leo, and the free associated banter is great as well. One of my favorite scenes is with Leo playing Last Steam Engine Train with Doc Watson and Chet Atkins. WOW! Just in some back room jamming away.
There are alot of little introduction clips that I wish were longer, but overall it is a nice addition to my Leo collection. I say that if you are a Leo Kottke fan, this is a MUST HAVE! And even if you just like good guitar music, it is worth the little bit of money to own a DVD from such a great musician. BUY IT... you won't be dissapointed.

I have been a Leo Kottke fan since 1972 but because of geography, I have never been able to see him perform live
This concert shows Leo's mastery of the guitar, and equally, his amazing personality. His sense of humor is as unique as his fingerpicking, and his ability to relate to people is exceptional in this age of celebrity
The session with Chet Atkins and Doc Watson is amazing - these men live their music and their virtuosity is - well, I simply don't have the superlatives in my vocabulary to do them justice

I have listened to Leo's guitar mastery for almost 37 years, yet he looks the same as when I first saw him perform. It was at a 3.2 beer joint called Tulagi's in Boulder, CO in 1972. I have since seen him perform several times in Alexandria, VA at the Birchmere, and plan to see him again in June when he returns. I have the VHS copy of this video, but alas, no longer have a VCR to play it on. I will order the DVD as soon as I finish this review. Leo Kottke is quite simply the most artistic and creative performer on the acoustic guitar I have ever heard. I have 12 of his CDs and will probably download more to my iPod. See him live if you can, and definitely get your hands on this video.