Customer Reviews

The Monkees - Live Summer Tour

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Monkees are no strangers to the touring circuit. Ever since their extremely successful 20th anniversary reunion tour rolled through American arenas and stadiums in 1986 and 1987, Micky Dolenz, David Jones and Peter Tork have also performed major world tours in 1989, 1996, 1997 and finally, in 2001, which is documented on this--the first professionally released video (DVD) recording of a Monkees concert.

This performance from August 2001 is polished, rocking and overall a pleasure to view. It is amazing watching these songs be performed and realizing how well they have held up after all these years. Don't believe me? Listen to the band belt out "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Steppin' Stone." The Monkees are truely a pop classic.

This DVD is also an important Monkees historical piece as it documents the very last performance to date that Peter Tork gave with the Monkees, as he was abruptly dismissed from the band after this very concert due to internal conflicts with Dolenz and Jones over the future of the Monkees.

The bonus interviews and features are a nice addition, but even more added bonuses would have been welcomed. It is ashame that the 1986 and 1987 tours were never documented like this, not to mention the 1997 shows with fellow Monkee Michael Nesmith that took place in Europe. However, "Live Summer Tour" more than does the job. Stay tuned for the live compact disc of this show to be released in the future, with different songs than what is found on this DVD.

The footage on this DVD is excellent, but unfortunately not aimed toward the hard-core Monkee fan. I think the producers missed the point. The Monkees made this tour mostly about those fans who have been with them for the long haul. They played the songs we'd all been dying to hear like "Shades Of Gray". The DVD only includes the group's mainstream songs which I thought was a big mistake. Also, there was almost none of the banter that goes on between the guys between songs. Those are the things we really wanted to see. I'm happy to have this DVD to jog my memory of the three times I saw this tour, but I'm dissapointed in the production overall.

If you're a fan of the fellows consider this DVD a must-own as it is quite possibly the last perfomance by the 3 of them. As mentioned on other reviews Peter quit-was dismissed right after this show. My wife and I were present at this performance and so much was lost in the editing. I missed the brilliant "Monkees Overture" and Micky's show stopping "Since I Fell For You" spot. I can't understand why so much was cut out. Also odd is the fact that there are no photos of the guys on the cover. At any rate, it is a good overview of the hits and some idea of what the reunion tours were like. The video quality is good (not outstanding) and the 5.1 audio gets the job done. Too bad they didn't just release the unedited version of the show as they really blew the doors off this time.

I am a long time fan of The Monkees. I am so glad King Biscuit had the guts to release a Monkees DVD Live! This is without a doubt a great taste of what went on during the Monkees Final Tour. Of course and unfortunately without Micheal Nesmith. Regardless, Micky, Davy & Peter put on a musically sound show. Playing the hits and songs from the TV show. Some songs were cut. I wished they had kept in "Porpoise Song", "Listen To The Band" and" Since I Fell For You" which really shows off Mickys voice! It's too bad that Peter was fired after this show.
The DVD was filmed great and the audio is awesome! Better than the CD's sold at the last few years concerts. It captures the energy of the 3 and shows the real talent they have. Peter is fabulous on all the instruments played! Too bad Micky only plays drums on "Mary, Mary", he is one of the most underrated drummers! Davy does not just shake a tamborine, He is an acomplished guitarist and his voice is great! Every Monkees fan should own this!

I am glad they finally got most of a concert on film. My only disappointment was that it was not complete. For a more complete concert, look for the recording of the Las Vegas Concert. This DVD does not include Davy's Oliver medley or Peter's Lucille or Micky's torch song and it does not include Porpoise Song which was elegantly staged. The bonus material wasn't all that much. The DVD does capture the joyful energy of their concerts. It is still a wonderful souvenir.

I was so happy to finally get this DVD in my hands & I was not let down with what we got. The Monkees put on an EXCELLENT show & the DVD featured a lot of great shots. However, I was let down with what we didn't get. About an hour of the concert was cut out of this DVD & so many songs were missing. Luckily, pre-orders are now being taken by King Biscuit Entertainment at their official site for a limited edition extended & uncut DVD. If you liked this DVD or are considering buying it, I would recommend trying to get the uncut version. But, if they're no longer available, this DVD will do just fine.

We finally have a Monkees concert video. The sound is great and the song selection offers a nice overview of hits and individual efforts from each Monkee, including the recently departed (fired?) Peter Tork. The DVD contains some of the "quips" used by the guys over the last several tours. Only real downside is the lighting--some shots, especially those from the rear, have great lighting and show up well on the screen. Other shots, primarily those at the front of the stage, look washed out.

Extras include interviews that don't realy add much for the long time fan but may be OK for the casual viewer.

Overall, a welcome addition to my 35 year Monkees collection.

This DVD is great, but edited! Half of the songs were left out, mostly ones sung by Peter. King Biscuit did offer an uncut version, but it is no longer available to purchase. If you are a huge Monkees fan, though, you might want to look for the uncut version before this one.

This DVD is wonderful for those not so die hard fans. Davy, Micky, and Peter are right on the mark with the songs and it's great to sing to.

You know how it goes: Aging rock stars from 35 years ago; a bunch of "old men" strutting around on the stage; creaky voices...

None of that is true on this DVD. Micky, Peter, and Davy seemed to have the times of their lives on stage. You can feel that there is no apparent pressure to perform well; they're comfortable, animated, energetic, and they still sing dang well, especially Micky.

Sadly, no Mike...but you don't really notice that he's missing after a few minutes. Woolhat's gone...oh well.

I'm impressed, and I thought this DVD would be a bust. There are lots of backup musicians and vocals, but not once do you get the impression that it's not the Monkees.

A fun DVD.

It was something like this that we were all expecting for years about the Monkees! A live show professionally recorded to enlighten all fans. The show is really great,with all the classic songs and many more very well chosen and performed.They are still in shape on stage and very funny yet.We can see that the show was carefully prepared and the result is fantastic.Maybe the DVD could offer more like longer interviews or different angles, but the show itself pays it off.Greatest moment? Many, but I enjoyed "Goin'Down" a lot for its coreography.If you like the Monkees, don't miss it!