Product Details

• Actors: Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, The Who, Keith Moon
• Directors: Murray Lerner
• Format: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Special Edition, 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 Ent
• DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Run Time: 134 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ION7CQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,796 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 19 - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Who is the Best - Reissue is pretty great (no more reissues please, though), November 14, 2006

By 

bass boy "music fan" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (Special Edition) (DVD)

Here's the skinny on this. The two bonus tracks - "Naked Eye," which is great, although it's missing the Pete vocals that appeared in the song later, and "Substitute," which is pretty solid but a tad sloppy here and there - are just what they are. They're not inserted into the concert. They can be seen only as "extras." Why they weren't incorporated into the original film, I'll never know. The interview with Pete is the same 2004 which was recorded for the 2004 DVD version and limited theatrical release that year. The BIG difference here, though, is the widescreen presentation. It's widescreen, and there doesn't seem to be any cropping or "fake letterboxed" going on here. I compared the 2004 DVD to this new 2006 one, and more of the film image can be seen on the 2006 version. What baffles me, though, is I didn't think they shot this film with widescreen cameras. Still, though, there seems to be more of a visual image on this new version. So, it's worth it if you love The Who, but it's frustrating that they didn't include the two bonus tracks as actually part of the concert (main program) on the DVD.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's All in the Mix, January 9, 2009

By 

Benedict J. Likens "Tullywho" (Whiting, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (Special Edition) (DVD)

I couldn't get over LISTENING to this DVD. Not only has it been re-released in widescreen, but it's been remixed, as well, and let me tell you -- has it ever been remixed, and well!

I've never thought that this performance ranked among The Who's best from this period, mainly because I think drummer Keith Moon's performance was uneven and sloppy in places. Moon, and I think some might disagree with me on this, was not normally a sloppy drummer. Listen to the Live at Leeds CD or watch the London Coliseum section of the Live at Kilburn DVD. His playing is unusually precise for someone who went through the type of physical contortions he went through. It's also very, very lyrical, and he is incredibly in tune with what's being played around him. He somehow manages to complement vocals, guitar, and bass and "tie" or "knit" them together in a way that no other drummer, at least not for that particular band at that particular time, could have. There's really not enough space here to describe just how amazing his musicianship was. The stories of his off-stage activities are entertaining, yes, but it was his playing that was even more astounding than any of the lunacy of which he was capable, and he was, in spades.

From "Heaven and Hell," the mix of this concert is completely, totally crystal clear. I couldn't get over the detail in guitarist Pete Townshend's playing (which was also very sloppy in places, but hey, that's Pete). John Entwistle is not just a low rumble. His high end is brought out in the new mix, and this is important because part of Entwistle's technique involved turning up the treble control on his amplifier (as well as the volume control, and I mean REALLY high). There's a lot of "pluck" or "attack" (meaning the way Entwistle's pick hits his bass strings) that was not evident on the previous versions of this DVD.

The band's harmonies are stellar. At some points during the performance, their harmonies are so clear that I had to review the DVD at these points just to make sure it was the same band and performance to which I had gotten so accustomed. During the Tommy section (which, I'm very sorry to say, is horribly edited), the harmonies are given a place in the mix that had been denied them, even on the CD, which was released several years earlier than this completely and totally refurbished version. I wish The Who's label would release the CD of The Isle of Wight show (in sequence with no omissions) to showcase these newly experienced vocal highlights.

Now that this wonderful edition of The Isle of Wight concert has been released, I must agree with another Amazon customer (whose review is just before mine) and say that I really, really hope that there are no more re-issues, this one being the third edition thus far (not counting the Blu-ray version). However, before I conclude, I'll tip my hat to the folks who controlled the mixing desk just one last time. I'll be viewing (and listening to) this DVD very often, just because it's such a joy to hear this concert in this fashion (and the widescreen makes it equally pleasureable to watch). If you're unsure about whether or not it's all that much of an improvement, I must weigh in and say that yes, it is -- a HUGE one.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pete Townshend's interview alone makes this DVD worthwhile., January 14, 2009

By 

Martin L. Grodt "Max Grodty" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (Special Edition) (DVD)

The Who's performance brings back the memories of their greatness at what was probably the peak of their reign.

The performance part of the DVD is interesting enough but gets a little stale an hour or so into it because the camera work is limited to mostly one side of the stage. There is barely a few glimpses of their bass player John Entwistle who was possibly the best rock bassist of his time and certainly one of my personal rock heroes.

What was really a special treat was the surprise 45 minute interview at the end with a very recent Pete Townsend. I was shocked to hear him say how he actually hated the band and felt he had "nothing in common with those yahoos". However, he was "getting commissioned to write more songs" after their first big hit "My Generation'.

Townsend explains what they were thinking before and during their heyday, how they evolved and what they were trying to achieve with the rock opera Tommy.

What I assumed was simply live performance antics was actually very calculated to achieve a oneness with the audience, to lift them up and then "machine gun them down".

The Who was one of the best rock jam bands around and they weren't afraid to improvise a slightly different version of their songs with each performance. They used body language and certain musical phrases to signal when to leave the jam and go back into the written melody, which made their live performances fascinating. I wish I could have seen more of John Entwistle's fingers playing during the video. He was amazing.

The explanation of their circumstances and many other things by Pete Townsend makes this DVD interesting and worthwhile in its own right. If you're a fan it's worth having in your collection.