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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a concert video in spite of the title, October 2, 2004
Upon its release, this 90-minute DVD was heavily criticised by fans, who felt that a DVD with the words "World Tour 1966" in the title should contain at least some concert footage. (It does, but without sound.)
But "Word Tour 1966" is (sadly) not a concert video. It is a collection of primitive silent home movie clips, some of which actually include Bob Dylan in the frame. They were taken by drummer Mickey Jones, who also provides narration. And he does a pretty good job, actually, providing insights and little anecdotes, usually without getting boring.
Jones has a fair amount of reasonably interesting stories, including why Dylan decided to separate his sets into acoustic and electric ones, the musicians' reaction to people booing the electric sets, and other trivia of interest (solely) to Dylan fanatics. The image quality of the home movies is good considering their age, and while the scenes from those clips are not too interesting in and of themselves, they make a pretty good backdrop for Jones' narratives.
But still...this is a bit of a sham, really. The title certainly promises a lot more than it delivers, and most people won't need this at all.
2 1/2 stars. Only for diehards.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
For Dylan fanatics only, January 20, 2004
I went into viewing this film with pretty low expectations, but still was hugely disappointed. There is no live music here, just previously recorded album cuts playing in the background as Jones comments, ad nauseum, on Dylan's hat and more. This is really just a vanity piece for Mickey Jones. Jones was a great 60's drummer, but these home movies should have stayed at home.There are a few worthwhile shots of Dylan and the Band at work and play, but precious few. At many points I felt challanged to continue watching. Jones doesn't have a lot to say, but he keeps talking anyway. There certainly is not any new insight into the dynamics that drove this revolutionary tour. Jones seems in awe of Dylan himself, but that keeps us at arm's length. For those of you new to Dylan, the infinitely superior "Don't Look Back" is the place to start, not here.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a look..., January 12, 2004
I can't agree with those who say this is a rip-off: provided you realise that it's a 91-minute documentary built around some silent home movie footage, and not a pro-shot 'Eat The Document 2,' I'm sure any Dylan fan will find it fascinating.
Yes, the first half hour concerns Mickey Jones's early musical career, but it sets the scene well and has some interesting footage (including a brief clip of the Beatles onstage in Paris) And the DVD's chapter indexing lets you skip this completely if preferred.
Yes, the live footage sequences are very brief, and there's lots of non-performance clips of Dylan & co wandering around, but I found it all interesting and there's a real 'Eat The Document outtake' feel to some of the scenes
The 'recreated' music used on the soundtrack is used very sparingly, as incidental background music, and is very effective as such - this film is a spoken-word documentary, not a 'live in concert' film. Mickey Jones is partly interviewed on camera, partly narrates the home movie clips - he's a very engaging raconteur and has several 'exclusive' observations and anecdotes to relate; there's also some nice still photographs incorporated throughout, some of which I hadn't seen before.
Perhaps it is more suited to the Dylan fan than someone with just a casual interest, but anyone like me who's pored over poor-quality bootlegs of 'Eat the Document' or is familiar with the B&W photos from the 1966 Tour, will find the home movie footage refreshingly new, and Mickey Jones's commentary a worthy accompaniment.
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