Customer Reviews

The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (Special Edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I'm a Who fan, and I still get a kick out of watching and listening to them in their heyday, but I have to say that there are flaws here that make it less than stellar. The biggest problem is in the editing (as with the majority of music videos). For much of the film--way too much--the image and sound are not in sync, and the editors have filled in places with random footage of Keith or John or Pete playing some other song. It is really distracting and robs the film of its enjoyment. And the band itself spent way too much time with aimless noodling and pointless jamming that they just didn't have the skill to pull off. But the energy is there, and it is something to see these guys assault these songs, especially the standbys like Shakin All Over. It seems amazing that they could keep up this level of intensity over an hour and a half. The best part of the video, in my opinion, is the current interview with Pete Townsend. It's very interesting hearing him talk about those days and his reflections on it now. So the film is worth watching, even with its flaws, but you should know what you're getting.

Dedicated fans of the Who will probably already have the earlier DVD release of this documentary. This newer one is better, with worthwhile improvements in video and audio quality (especially the latter), two tracks from the "Tommy" set that were not included in the 85-minute original (why not?), and an excellent 40-minute modern-day interview of Pete Townshend by Murray Learner, the original documentrist.

I'm giving it four instead of five stars because this re-release could not or did not repair some of the frustrations of the original film: The camera angles are often poor (you'll see the back of Pete's left shoulder a lot), and the framing too tight; the audio and video are imperfectly synched in places, which seems particularly galling after almost 40 years of technology advance; there is too much (meaning some) use of rapid in-and-out camera zoom in time with the music, which is pointlessly distracting and was already hackneyed even in 1970; there is too much footage wasted on the crowd (you didn't go to the concert to see the audience); and the camera gives short shrift to John Entwhistle, the superb Ox, arguably the greatest bass player in rock history. And finally, it's a historic performance, but not the Who's best. If you have the expanded audio CD re-issues of "Live at Leeds" and "Who's Next" (and you should), the songs are in general performed better there.

So why even four stars, then? Because the Who, even at 2am on an off night, have never been topped as a live act; because this is, in fact, virtually a music video of "Live at Leeds," given the supreme but understated confidence of the band, their mastery of the audience, and the overwhelming sense of serious fun they brought to a performance; because the camera's admiring and admirable footage of Keith Moon, that rocket-fueled Puck, is almost a movie in itself; because Townshend never did, said, or played anything that wasn't interesting; and because this show, like "Live at Leads," happened at the crest between two eras: the crashing late-60s R&B-Who was giving place to the melodic and complicated Tommy-Daltry-Who, with hints ("Water," "Don't Even Know Myself") of the Next Who.

So overall, it is a fair movie of a great band, which makes it an almost-great movie. I would recommend just as much, though, "The Who at Kilburn: 1977," which contains that performance, seven years after the Isle of Wight, and one from 1969 at the London Coliseum -- two shows that bookend this more famous and better-known document.

For some reason, every video release of The Who at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival has presented their set with the songs out of order to the way they were actually performed. Some songs are just plain missing, most notably Amazing Journey and Sparks, which normally were a highlight of even the most condensed Tommy set. Sparks was a song where Keith Moon always really cut loose (when didn't he, right?) and that we don't get to see it is a crime.

However...

This is possibly the greatest rock performance ever to be captured on film, even with it's flaws. If you are a fan of rock and roll you owe it to yourself to own a copy of this. If you are specifically a fan of The Who you probably already own it.

Pick up a copy of the CD release as well, as it contains the full set as played. Being able to hear it properly goes a long way to make up for the DVD release's deficiencies.

(My rating is for the content of this show rather than this DVD release. I'm sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to give The Who a lower rating, which this particular DVD probably deserves for reasons described below.)

Why the hell did they re-release this item with only two songs added? The 40-minute interview with Pete is on the 2004 DVD release of this same show. (EDIT: After viewing this release, I can confirm it is definitely the same interview.) Based on the fact that the aforementioned version has a 24 bit mix available in 5.1 Surround and DTS supervised by Pete Townshend himself, I HIGHLY DOUBT they have somehow completely remastered and remixed it yet again for this release. (EDIT: Once again, I have confirmed it is indeed the same mix. Other than the additional two songs, the only difference between this DVD and the prior release is that it is widescreen format. Honestly, it is difficult to tell if it is true widescreen [as in, filmed that way originally] or if they just formatted it to appear that way.)

All of this basically comes across as, "Hey, we can screw the public YET AGAIN by leaving a couple songs off this release and then re-issuing it in a couple years with this material so all the tools who bought it the first time have to purchase it again." Considering that this sort of thing has happened with the The Who's Isle of Wight 1970 set more than once now, I am considering not buying this version at all just to make a f*cking point! The ridiculously loyal Who fan in me REALLY wants to buy the damned thing just so I can have a more complete version of the show on DVD. Ugh. (EDIT: Yeah, the fangirl won this battle - I ended up buying it hah.)

(EDIT: Lastly, considering they went to the trouble to release this concert again, it would have been really nice if they had spliced in the additional footage. Alas, they have not - it's just available in the extras section of the DVD.)

Ok, I am finished ranting. If anyone wishes to discuss this release, feel free to comment on this review or contact me via my Amazon profile information. Thanks.

This is the best one-band concert I've ever seen caught on video. Yet one of the best concerts in rock-n-roll history remains relatively obscure in part because of continual bickering over a few songs being left out and the order of the concert being altered.

WHO cares when you've got all 4 band members in top form vocally and instrumentally, an incredible set list, very good sound and video quality for 1970, and all 4 members in great, enthusiastic spirits. Moon is an absolute freight-train on drums and there's a ton of great and funny close-ups of him bashing away. A fascinating thing to watch is the close dynamic between Moon and Townshend during the whole show who stay close together and play off each other to perfection throughout. Pete is at the height of his powers musically and vocally and maybe just as importantly is having the time of his life leading the show and playing to the crowd of 600,000. When they sing 'My Generation' it's with the passion of a band playing it for the first time to a live crowd.

Entwistle similarly gets a ton of exposure with his explosive bass-playing, his voice sounds great and even gets lead vocals on the fantastic opening track 'Heaven and Hell'. Roger's vocals have never been better and really add a powerful 4th instrument to the group, and as lead singer as expected gets as much video-time as any of the group.

It's such a shame groups like Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Beatles, etc have generally caught on and have more fans with today's young high-school kids than The Who, when at their height blow any other rock band out-of-the-water on stage.

Before complaining about some small imperfections on this DVD, pop-in the Who's 1981 show on 'The Who Maximum R&B' from Germany, and watch a pretty good but unemotional band sleep-walk their way through a set with seriously diminished skills and enthusiasm and you'll be scrambling back to your DVD/Blu-Ray player to see The Who caught at their incredible zenith here or on audio at Live at Leeds.

This set should be one of the cannons of rock-n-roll history, up there near The Last Waltz as a prime example of the power of rock-n-roll, yet shamefully remains relatively unknown by the general public, even by many hardcore rock fans. I can't help but think it's largely in part due to small bickering about details instead of enjoying the overall big picture.

I have a copy of the original addition and this newer special addition. The older addition has the original 16mm 4:3 film format and a much larger DTS audio file. The special addition is a cropped wide screen version that is just plain silly. Both additions use out of place stock to fill in some scenes that were missed due to empty cameras. This probably explains the reported missing songs from the set, they just didn't have enough film. These weird fill scenes and some shoddy camera work from the poorer operators do not take away from a great performance in such an incredible venue. The sound is the best you can expect from a DVD which means incredible. You can blow your ears out just like being there near the stage and you don't have to deal with 600,000 people either. The Jimi Hendrix Isle of Wight concert is comparatively sad but a great rock concert documentary in itself as well.

Since their brilliant performance in Woodstock, this band captured still more the whole attention of many people who just hadn't realized how good they were.

With Tommy (The First Rock Opera) this quartet made of their style, unique in its own. The legendary voice of Roger Daltrey, visuals, astonishing vitality, the presence of the hyperkinetic Pete Townshed at the guitar and the elctryfying Keith Moon on drums made of that night - 30th August 1970 - an unforgettable event. May be the Who and the rest of this privileged audience were far to know they were forging with golden letters, one of the most vibrant and exciting Rock Festivals the story keeps in mind.

A thousand carats musical document. Don't miss the living testimony of a generation tired of waiting.