Product Details

• Actors: Michael McDonald
• Directors: Bruce Gowers
• Format: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC
• Language: 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: Eagle Rock Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: June 28, 2011
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0050JN8BE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,150 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Recorded at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California in 1982, this concert was the last date on the Doobie Brothers' "Farewell Tour". It was an emotional night and would be their last gig for 5 years. The band played a set containing all their best loved hits from across their career and were joined by founding member Tom Johnston for the last two tracks, with former members John Hartman (also from the original line-up), Tiran Porter and Michael Hossack coming on stage for the celebratory finale of "Listen To The Music". The band are in fantastic form and rise to the occasion magnificently, they can rarely have delivered a better performance throughout their distinguished career. - LINE-UP: Pat Simmons - guitars & vocals; Michael McDonald - keyboards & vocals; Keith Knudson - drums; John McFee - guitars, violin & harmonica; Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, keyboards & flute; Chet McCracken - drums & percussion; Willie Weeks - bass; Bob LaKind - Congas. - TRACK LISTING: 1) Listen To The Music 2) Sweet Maxine 3) Rockin' Down The Highway 4) You Belong To Me 5) Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me) 6) Long Train Runnin' 7) Black Water 8) Minute By Minute 9) Slat Key Soquel Rag 10) I Keep Forgettin' 11) Out On The Streets 12) What A Fool Believes 13) Jesus Is Just Alright 14) Takin' It To The Streets 15) China Grove 16) Listen To The Music Five tracks from the concert that were cut from the original 1982 film: (1) Little Darling (I Need You) (2) One Step Closer (3) Dependin' On You (4) Real Love (5) No Stoppin' Us Now. - Interviews with the band members and manager.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I ain't got no worries.... July 4, 2011

By j.

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

....because this DVD is totally restored in 2011. Excellent video and sound. I listened to the show in stereo, DTS 5.1 and Dolby 5.1 tracks, and found Dolby 5.1 in the standard sound-field was the best.

The concert is 74 minutes + (16 songs - Listen to the music starts and ends the show), plus there are 5 more concert songs from the same show (22 minutes) as a bonus. Also, there are some bonus musician interviews (Not during the concert, but as a bonus).

All the songs are great and very well done. There are a few surprise guests form the Doobies past on stage for the last few songs too.

This concert video will remain close to the DVD player and not end up at the bottom of the pile as a memory. NOTE: Check out the CD version for the track listing and sound samples - The CD sound samples do not do the concert justice - The concert sound is sensational.

The 2 extra songs on the DVD are I keep forgettin' and No stoppin' us now.

Hope this helps, j.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Twenty Nine Years overdue July 8, 2011

By Mark D. Hutchings

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This concert first aired on Showtime in the Fall of 1982 and this dvd is the complete concert as shown on that program (except for the additional songs added as bonuses).
The only reason I was interested in this show was the return of Tom Johnston to the Doobie lineup, and he doesn't disappoint - although he sings only one of his signature songs with the band.
I can only add, here, that his permanent return to the band (in 1987) marked one of the happiest days of my life.
This DVD will really please Michael McDonald fans. It marks the end of his "top dog" status with the band. He plays once in awhile with the band these days, but the original incarnation of the band can't be beat in my opinin.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Will please longtime fans and serves as a perfect introduction to the Doobie Brothers' music July 16, 2011

By DVD Verdict

Format:DVD

Judge Victor Valdivia, DVD Verdict-- There's probably no more terminally unhip classic rock band than The Doobie Brothers. Lacking the bad-boy glamour of the Rolling Stones, the mystique of Led Zeppelin, the devoted following of the Grateful Dead, or the sheer popularity of the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers have always been dismissed as musical lightweights despite their undeniable popularity. In some ways, however, that very lack of pretense is what makes the band's best songs still enjoyable even decades later. The Doobie Brothers: Live at the Greek Theatre is a TV special filmed at the last performance of the band's 1982 "farewell" tour (though they would reform some years later) and it demonstrates that the Doobies' most enduring music, especially the songs recorded later in the band's career, remains worthy of respect. The concert was filmed at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, on September 11, 1982.

What the concert makes clear is just how much the band changed when singer Michael McDonald joined. When the Doobie Brothers began recording in the early '70s under the direction of original singer/songwriter Tom Johnston, they were a pleasant guitar-boogie band, as heard in hits like "Listen to the Music" and "Black Water." Johnston left in 1976, however, and was replaced by McDonald, who changed the band's sound to reflect his affection for jazz and R&B. McDonald expanded the Doobies' audience substantially with hits like "Minute By Minute," "Takin' It to the Streets," and "What a Fool Believes," the latter of which scored the band a Grammy Award and was a multiplatinum smash. The band plays both sides of their music with equal skill but the difference is clearly evident in the audience's response. When the Doobies play their earlier songs and even when Johnston returns to join for a closing jam on "Listen to the Music," the audience is pleased. When the band launches into their McDonald-era material, however, the audience erupts into cheers and applause. The early songs are agreeable but it's really the McDonald material that defines what most people think of when they think of the Doobie Brothers. They may not be as groundbreaking or influential as those of their peers, but McDonald's songs remain infectious, well-crafted slices of pop craft that are undeniable. The band's performance is solid (the Doobies were always a consistent, if hardly overwhelming, live act) so the concert delivers the band's most notable songs in entertaining versions that do them justice. It makes for a fine way to enjoy the Doobie Brothers' music.

Technically, the disc is typically first-rate, as is the case with most Eagle Rock releases. The full-screen transfer looks surprisingly sharp and crisp, especially for a concert shot on video in the early '80s. It doesn't suffer from the fading and softness that plagues most videos from the era. The surround mixes are also superb, crisp and clear with good separation of each instrument. There are a couple of spots where they sound a bit tinny, but for the most part these are good mixes. The extras consist of five songs left off the original TV broadcast of the concert.
-Full review at dvdverdict.com