Customer Reviews

Paris Concert for Amnesty International

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

 

 

Unlike the first reviewer above, I thought the purpose of these reviews was to give people an idea of what the video is like, rather than writing a completely parochial view of your musical taste - complete with advertisement. People can check the list of artists and decide for themselves if the other acts are "truly terrible". Most of them don't appeal to me either, but, as far as I could tell, they generally hit the right notes and didn't forget the words.

The picture and stereo sound quality of the video are excellent. Note that there are no more than three songs from any one artist. Also, the following songs are included in the description but are not actually on the video: In Your Eyes, Baby Can I Hold You, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Gallows Pole, Paranoid Android.

I hope this was actually helpful.

Being a Peter Gabriel fan, I was looking forward to watching this DVD. It supposedly is encoded with Dolby 5.1 surround. I was very disappointed. The concert video footage was good, but the audio was horrible. The vocals were muffled and unintelligable and several times one instrument or another would overpower the vocals. I guess this could all be blamed on the fact that it is a "live" recording. Every set has a small "commercial" following it for Amnesty International which is annoying, but I realize that is the whole gist of the disc. Seeing the Dali Lama on stage is a real treat - although I would have loved to hear him say "Rock On, Dudes!"

The first reason why you must buy this DVD has nothing to do with it's content or quality, it's just because it's an Amnesty International Concert and this world is in profound need of this kind of institutions, yeah even in America or Europe there're people whose most elementary rights are compromised.
But if that's not enough maybe you should buy it because of it's content and quality. The astonish performance of Radiohead (Karma Police at its best), or the great Pete Gabriel ("In Your Eyes" with Yousou n'dour is very emotive), or Tracy Chapman singing better than ever, or his holiness the Dalai Lama or ..... Buy it, Share It, and Enjoy It.

The Dolby Digital audio was so bad and the performances leave a lot to be desired. Do not waste your time and money.

Rented this DVD and then bought it based on Peter Gabriel's performance of "In Your Eyes". Unbelievable performance, and I wasn't a PG fan until then. Bruce is great and many others!

I found this concert inspiring - a very intersting mix of great music by various great artists as well as hearing from noble men such as the Dalai Lama and the UN Secretary. Because it also serves a very important cause I hope that many people will buy it for themselves and others to enjoy.

The show is well produced and video editing is supreme, but the performing groups are not all fantastic. Page & Plant seemed to be not in top condition, some not so well-known artists are simply boring, but it is the clearest and finest recording of Radiohead which you cannot find any official live video of songs from OK Computer yet. The editors are fantastic as shots of Greenwood's solo and effect-pedal-tweaking, Brian's backing passages, and any other details you want to be seen are all captured perfectly.

I would have given it about 3 stars if it weren't for Springsteen. Always eloquent, thoughtful, and socially conscious, he saves this concert from the doldrums of some truly terrible acts. Buy Springsteen's "Born to Run" album if you haven't already. I don't know what the editor was thinking.

I bought this DVD must because of Tracy Chapman (who seems like never will record a live concert DVD). The sound is just terrible. Tracy Chapman's bass player is louder than everything, you can't hear her voice.
the other bands are a little better but the DVD is not worth - don't spend your money on this, I fully regret

I don't particularly enjoy this production, but for reasons that are entirely my own fault. I saw the first Amnesty International concert in Zimbabwe, whenever it was - I think the late 80s or early 90s. It was hosted in Zimbabwe but aimed at a South African audience - but for political reasons (it was still the apartheid days) couldn't play in South Africa - in fact, South Africa was no doubt one of the targets of the Amnesty concert.

For those like myself who attended, one of the most infamous aspects of the concert was the eight hours it took standing in the broiling heat to get through the Zimbabwe border post. However, it was worth it: it was one of the most fantastic concerts I've ever been to - I'd never expected to see Bruce Springsteen live. I thought Sting and to a lesser degree Peter Gabriel were excellent, but they were totally blown away by Springsteen.

And this is what I thought I was buying. I never knew there was a second tour, and the price label blocked the concert date on the packaging. I couldn't remember many of the other artists, so didn't realise it was a different concert, and where I did see artists that I knew I hadn't seen - like Plant/Page - I thought maybe they'd attended Paris but not Zimbabwe. However, I fully realised my error when Springsteen came on and played his down-tone boring renditions compared to the feverish display he'd given in Zim.

It may be a great cause, but I've never brought myself to watch the whole show through, as most of the artists don't resonate with me, and the ones that do - well, I have far better concert performances by them to watch instead.