Customer Reviews

Paul Simon - You're the One (In Concert from Paris)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been a Paul Simon fan for a long time, and I guess that now we're going to grow "Old" together (to steal a song title from the concert and CD). Being a long term fan is definitely a journey, not just a fond memory of your youth. Simon's poetry matures and has certainly improved over time. His music has always been excellent, but the style never fixed. Over time he's sampled and incorporated music and musicians from around the world. Some of his work has been wildly popular (e.g., Graceland), some probably only enjoyed by his faithful fans (The Capeman).

I don't remember when I last heard a Paul Simon concert, but friends got us tickets when "You're the One" hit the Bay Area late in 2000. I went without any real expectations. It was great. A small venue. A great band. An excellent show. A wide selection of music, all brought "up to date" what ever way that makes sense to Simon. It was a completely satisfying experience.

From the ... I discovered the Paris concert would be on PBS so taped it then. Again, completely satisfied with the TV transformation of the concert experience. The DVD arrived today, and now with considerable expectation, I popped it in, enabled DTS, and sat back to enjoy.

It's not a complete substitute for the concert experience. You lose the considerable crowd experience with a lot of interesting strangers. And a sweet cloud of ... doesn't spread as soon as the lights dim, but given the limitations, it's a pretty good replica.

If you're more a less a Paul Simon fan and have a good home theatre system, you'll want to add the DVD to your collection, no question. If you're a real Paul Simon fan, this is an excellent excuse to go out and buy a home theatre system (I'm not kidding)!

Paul Simon's voice has lost a little of its clarity and range with the passing years. His songs, however, seem to grow ever more powerful. He tours with a spectacularly talented band, and he is still a great performer. This October 2000 concert is a triumph. I found "Pledging My Love" to be a particularly effective introduction to "The Late Great Johnny Ace."

The DVD features stereo, Dolby 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. The video is enhanced for widescreen TVs.

Recommended.

I was at the Olympia theatre for the second concert : 6th row, great view, walked out happy. The man was probably thoroughly concentrated for the shooting, hence very little interaction with the audience, except for some US fans on center front row. But the music itself, along with the playing of those top-notch musicians and the way this little man can perform his lyrics (watch 'Darling Lorraine') made this concert one of the very best I've ever seen.

This DVD has got it all: great picture, excellent sound and is very true to what happened in the hall: the intimate performance of a discrete artist playing his very polished music.

Of course, if you don't like Paul Simon's recent musical inclinations, you won't like this concert as even the old standard are re-arranged into this unique American/African blend. But if you don't mind opening your ears for something new you might like, buy this DVD and there is NO way you can't be disappointed!

I have read a lot of the reviews here. It's true, if you want a true regurgitation of the way these songs appeared on the albums, you should skip this. However, if you understand that music is an organic entity that should change and evolve and you recognize Paul Simon for the songwriting genius he is, this DVD is for you. Here Simon has surrounded himself with a whole band of top notch musicians who seem very pleased to be performing with a legend. The lead guitar player is particularly fine, doubling on cello, banjo, mandolin and others. Sure the songs sound different but there are many amazing performances of favourites along with spirited renditions of songs which appears on the underappreciated "You're the One". Here "I am a Rock" is a particularly cool new version of the song recorded by S & G all those years ago. I love this DVD and I can't wait for Paul & Artie's new DVD on the Old Friends concert. It was an honour seeing them here in Toronto last fall

Paul Simon and his ensemble put on a marvelous show. The DTS and DDSS 5.1 are both rich, yet simple enough to reproduce the show sound without engineering it to death. Simon fans and music fans will like the renditions of his hits with some done in novel beats. What a musical treat for the music lover!! The percussionists are extremely talented in this performance that energize the guitars along with a full vocal performance. Definitely, a masterful live presentation. The video is excellent, yet simple enough to show just what you want to see--THIS SHOW. If your Home Theater System is up to date, you are going like this DVD. The surround is again subtle and is not meant to be a demo for DTS dimensionality. It is a concert, and it sounds like a concert, so don't expect instruments from the rear channels. Be sure to watch this one with someone special and be prepared to sing along, clap your hands, and snap your fingers. Are you into music? Don't miss this one.

I saw Paul in concert in London, and this video captures the excitement and richness of it all. The band are brilliant, especially Steve Gadd - he's so rock-steady you could drop a bomb on him and he wouldn't miss a beat. Paul had obviously rehearsed the band with his usually thoroughness, without taking away any of the excitement. I was amazed and delighted that this video has virtually the whole set on it - so many songs, so great value! The only ones missing from the concert I saw are Proof, Spirit Voices, and his special and emotional reunion with folk singer Martin Carthy. They were friends in the 60s, but had a falling-out when Carthy accused Simon of stealing his version of Scarborough Fair (it's certainly similar!). This time when Paul was over they were reconciled, and they performed a slightly shaky version of the song in question (Martin Carthy was very nervous!). Paul sang at least 1 song from each of his solo albums (except Capeman, which I thought was a shame), and the S&G stuff you can see on the track listing. Buy the video or DVD and see what you missed by not going to the concert - it was wonderful!

This concert features all Paul Simon's hits including songs from the Graceland album and "old songs" as The Boxer plus songs from "You're the One", Paul's new album. I think that all his fans will enjoy it. The musicians are really good and the whole concert in the Olympia's Theatre is a pure gem.

While you have to be there in order to experience the true power of a live show, this comes about as close as you're going to get.
This was filmed during the tour Simon did between '99 and 2000, and to say he's in fine form would be an understatement.

Simon has often made references to the Beatles, and even played with Paul McCartney not so long ago. I recently saw Paul McCartney, and while it was a great show, it didn't come close to the excitement Paul Simon whips up. He uses no less than three drummers, plus African percussion to anchor the rhythm. Then he adds between two and three electric guitars on top of his acoustic guitar. The effect is literally mind boggling. I was fortunate enough to see this tour when he did the US with Dylan. As great as Dylan was during that tour, I'd have to say Simon stole the show. The real beauty of this concert is that it showcases how a musician can take songs that started out one way, throw them sideways, and the rearranged version sounds even better than the original. If you're open to the idea of an artist massaging his own work a little differently, you will not regret buying this DVD.

Add this to your collection. Make it one of the first ones. You'll remember why after you've heard many others. This is the one you'll go back to again and again. It has it all. I believe Paul Simon is one of the greatest poets of our time. You'll soon see that you don't really miss Art. He's not needed here. Not even on Bridge over Troubled Waters. A Top pick in my book.

This concert is great, VERY Great!
The sound & image quality is a highlight in DVD and VHS format and the widescreen format (16:9) is a good election.
The classics songs versions are very good (for example "I am a rock", "Kodachrome" and "Late in the evening"). The band had excellents members like Mark Stewart, STEVE GADD, VINCENT NGUINI and Tony Cedras; others members like Andy Snitzer, Evan Ziporyn and Alain Mallet aren't so good. Bakithi Kumalo is good musician but I prefer to ARMAND SABAL-LECCO (appears in Paul Simon's the concert in the park). The Paul Simon vocal interpretation is excellent in ALL songs. The Paul gesticulation is interesting except in songs like "Darling Lorraine" and "One man's ceiling..." where is a bit exaggerate.
The list songs is a good selection of the all-career songs obviously focus in the "You're the one" album and perhaps too much in the "Graceland" album and anything of "Songs from the capeman" (why Paul?).

Finally, is a VERY BEST concert (I put 5 stars), the "disappointments" are very little comparate with the constant highlights. Believe me, you MUST buy this DVD (or VHS)