Customer Reviews

The Who - Live in Boston

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As Roger explains during his interview on this DVD, John Entwistle died only days before this tour kicked off. Although this show in Boston was much later in the tour, it is very difficult to believe that he, Pete, and the rest of the band were able to pull it together so well. I was a little hesitant to buy this at first knowing that John would be absent, but after reading the (for the most part) great reviews, I did so. I am certainly glad I did. The many pros outweight the few cons by a large margin:

PROS
-Fantastic sound quality, especially in 5.1 Surround
-Great camera work, with just enough movement from one member to the other without going overboard
-Enjoyable interviews with Roger and Pete, although Pete really seems to take himself very, very seriously sometimes.
-The set list. Somewhat the same as Royal Albert Hall, but with some wonderful new additions (Love Reign O'er Me, Tricky Day, Sea and Sand--yes, I said Sea and Sand!!, Amazing Journey>Sparks).

CONS
-Intermittent "swishing" sound - it took me two watchings before I realized that it was coming from Roger's microphone when he swings it around. I had never heard that on other videos.
-Roger definitely seems a little down. Not that one could blame him, but it's still strange to not see him smiling all the time and interacting with the audience.

With that out of the way, I need to emphasize one more thing--the Amazing Journey>Sparks part of this concert could very well be the most explosive, exciting, and emotional performance I have ever witnessed out of Pete. Although I have only been fortunate to see The Who in concert once, I am the proud owner of every video that I believe they have released (Kids are Alright, Live in America, Tommy Reunion Tour in '89, Isle of Wight, Royal Albert Hall). Although he is (somewhat surprisingly) very active and enthusiastic during the whole show, Pete is simply out of his head great during these two songs, including what certainly appears to be a completely unplanned but genuine point where he stops playing and just gets into it with the crowd during the climax of Sparks. Absolutely beautiful. You need to get this DVD just for that performance alone.

I attended a concert on this tour and remember specifically purchasing a ticket in advance to be on the left side of the stage to see Entwistle up close. Needless to say there was disappointment and sadness learning of his death in Las Vegas at the beginning of the tour.

I don't agree that this was one of the best concerts from that year as I have listened to The Who box set from this tour and/or was at the concert.

My top three concerts from that year were:

1) Grand Rapids 2) New York 3) Toronto

Boston was a strong showing as well, but I got the feeling from watching this DVD that a lot of the dialogue was edited (I happen to like the dialogue between songs, it's entertaining and puts the song into a unique context).

I also agree that the video editing doesn't do justice to the live concert . . . but I really don't think any typical edit is adaquate. From watching them live I think the best way to shoot them is to just set a panoramic camera somewhere in the center and just leave it. They're up there competing for your attention and having an editor choose for you is annoying.

And what ever happened to DVD support for multi-angle functions...why couldn't they take advantage of this like they did on the Royal Albert Hall DVD?

I was also disappointed that the DVD didn't contain a long Pete solo during 5'15 such as the one he performed at the Grand Rapids concert. This is a perfect example of how good Pete was playing, and how he was stepping up his performance to keep the concert rocking. If you watch the Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD, Entwistle gave a jaw-dropping bass solo during 5'15. At the Grand Rapids concert from this year, Pete gives an incredible guitar solo at the same point in the song when John would normally come in and wow the audience.

Yes there is diappointment because Entwistle isn't there, but as Pete said at the time "I feel like I'm playing better than I have in years". You can tell this by this DVD, and it was even more evident from the live concerts. For those of us who went to some of these concerts, this is a worthwhile souvenir. Even if you weren't there this is a great DVD concert. Pete and Roger worked great together and Pete's playing and even his voice (as Roger points out on the DVD) were outstanding. Pino's bass is simple but solid nonetheless, reminiscent of John's early recordings with the Who (esp. on "My Generation"). He stands in the corner, plays the bass and plays it well, doesn't do anything showy, and provide great support as a good bass player should.

For those with no interest in the 2002 tour, I recommend Live at Royal Albert Hall for the "later years" of the Who.

In 1982, a video came out called "The Who Rocks America," which documented the band's farewell tour. This film was shot twenty years later, and the Who can still rock. Pete does more of his classic windmill in this performance, and the band as a whole still sounds just as exciting. The inclusion of "Just Another Tricky Day" was nice; it is great to see oddities as well as old favorites. Pino Palladino is a good bass player, though he will never replace John. I've always loved the Who, and this film is a great addition to any Who collection. Also recommended is the Royal Albert Hall DVD.

I had trepidations when I purchased this DVD. I wasn't sure if Pete & Roger could pull it off. They are no longer "kids" competing in a "young mans" rock & roll world. With the recent death of original bassist John Entwhistle, (on the eve of this tour) I wondered if they would be "just going the the motions". I was highly surprised and pleased to see they both put on a subperb highly energized concert, and proved your never too old to rock & roll. Something a lot of younger bands could take note on. Rounding out the band was Zak Starkey on drums (yes Ringo's kid) and Pino Palladino on bass, and longtime keyboardist, John 'Rabbit' Bundrik. Over 2 hours of original Who songs, all of which you will know, and DVD extras. All in all this was a good purchase, and a whole lot cheaper than the ticket I bought to see the band. Buy the DVD, you will be glad you did.

The Who's summer 2002 US tour began on a sour note when bassist John Entwistle died the night before the first show. Pete and Roger carried on with Pino Palladino on bass. This DVD serves not only as a souvenier of a great tour, but also as a tribute to John.

The band can still rock really hard, and on this performance we are treated to songs that we don't often hear live, like "Another Tricky Day," "Amazing Journey" and "Sparks." Pino handles the bass lines rather well, especially on the classic solos during "My Generation." I was very impressed with every aspect this performance, and the video and sound quality are quite nice as well.

The bonus features on this DVD include interviews with Pete and Roger about their feelings on the tour, plus a collection of John Entwistles's artwork. These are really interesting to watch.

In conclusion, this is a great performance by the remaining band members. I recommend it to any Who fan. If John's absence really bothers you, skip this and get "The Kids Are Alright."

I finally got my new DVD player over the weekend and this 2002 show from Boston was the test drive.

I saw the Who (finally) in '02 at Hersheypark, and it was a fantastic show. This performance was the exact same set, so I got a close up look at what I didn't see from the back of the arena!

Daltrey seemed to labor little bit at times, but this was near the end of the tour and pushing 60, I dare anyone to try and do what he did...also he said in the bonus section that he couldn't hear much due to the PA being overridden. I can understand that.

Townshend's guitar work was nothing short of spectacular. Enough said.

The backing band was solid, Pino Palladino filling in nicely (though Entwistle can never be replaced); Zak Starkey, John Bundrick and Simon Townshend all did great.

A good document of what now appears to be a pivotal time for the Who, as they consider new material. Can't wait.

This DVD shows the Who to be a shadow of their former selves. The same old songs are wheeled out yet again, but this time the absence of John Entwistle really shows the band to be a spent force. One can't blame them for taking the opportunity to make money if they can, but the fact that there is no creativity whatsoever evident is saddening. From rock pioneers to a golden oldies act, what a shame. There is the promise of a new album, but as Daltrey makes plain in his interview this will at best result in 4 new songs in the golden oldies set.

It is a pity that the band doesn't release some good archive footage,as per last year's Led Zeppelin package, to remind the world what a great band they were in their day. As with the band's own Encore CD releases of every concert performance of recent years, this DVD serves only to document a band well past it's sell by date. If only the marketing effort was put into releasing classic era material. Serving up ever diminishing quality performances on video coupled with repeated greatest hits audio releases will only damage the band's reputation further.

For completist's only - for all others I recommend buying The Kids Are Alright or 30 Years Maximum R&B DVDs. For those keen on the more recent outings of the band, I recommend the Royal Albert Hall concert from 2000. The Who was always about the interplay between the musicians and each person's unique style developed as a part of the whole, which always exceeded the sum of its parts. Had Entwistle not been a virtuoso bass player they might have managed to overcome his loss. However, without the dynamic between Townshend and Entwistle it no longer really makes much sense as the pieces don't fit. If they put half as much energy into being creative as they do pretending to be the act that they once were, we might have something to look forward to.

Overall this is a quite enjoyable concert film. It is very "watchable" vis-à-vis the manner in which it was filmed, camerawork, etc. You feel like you are watching an actual live concert, rather than some overproduced two-hour music video.

Pete and Rog are in good form, as is the rest of the band. Bassist Pino Paladino does a good job playing the songs, but John is still sorely missed, of course. If you try to think of it as a "Daltrey/Townshend" show and just enjoy it on the same level as Zeppelin fans would a Page & Plant show, John's absence might be a bit more bearable. The bass could stand to be a bit louder in places, too.

The song selection is good, albeit not radically different from the 2000 tour. For what it's worth, some visuals shown on screens during the concerts are not apparent on the DVD, but the band's performance is certainly enough to carry the show. Interesting interview segments and a gallery of Entwitsle's artwork also make this one worth getting.

"Live in Boston" is a worthy addition to anyone's video or Who collection. For anyone who finds John's absence too distracting, get the John Entwistle Band Live DVD and watch that one too.

It was a difficult decision for Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend to carry on with The Who's 2002 Summer tour after John Entwistle died on the eve of the opener in Las Vegas. The shows became, in part, a tribute to the late bassist. Roger and Pete carried on despite their loss of their friend, and the Boston show on this DVD proves that "The Two" can still make some powerful music together.

I think it'd be a mistake to review this DVD song by song; the concert itself is wonderfully paced and builds momentum as it goes along. Roger's vocals are quite good, and Pete's guitar playing is inspired. The rest of the band (John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards, Pete's brother Simon on guitar and backing vocals, Pino Palladino on bass and Zak Starkey on drums) are tight. There are a couple of exchanges between the band and a fan who's getting under Pete's skin; this adds a bit of tension to the air. For me, the concert's high points are "My Generation", "Amazing Journey" and "Sparks".

It would have been nice to have had a video tribute to John on this DVD (there is a series of his drawings presented as a bonus feature), and wide screen would have been nice. The Who released CDs of this summer tour straight from the sound board in 2002; if you bought one or more of these, you will be pleasantly surprised by the sound quality. If you're a fan, you won't be disappointed in the concert.

This DVD has excellent sound mixing and the video quality is great too. The camera doesn't jump around as quickly as on the Royal Albert Hall DVD - which is a nice difference. (And no special guests) !!!. Excellent addition for anyone's collection. Pete Townshend's guitar work is the best of his career. Roger Daltrey's voice has changed since he was 25 years old, but actually sounds better than ever.

The Who still ROCK !!!