Rating: Summary: Let Me Tell You How It Will Be Review: This DVD is a must for any true Beatle/George fan. This ranks right up there with the Last Waltz as one of the great concert films of all time. The sight and sound is phenomenal and the performances are absolutely stunning. You can really feel that they are all truly playing out of love and respect for a friend and fellow artist that they, and we, truly miss. There are so many highlights that you will enjoy watching it over and over. From the initial audience recognition of the opening strains of "The Inner Light" by Jeff Lynne to McCartney beginning "Something" just strumming on the ukelele to the full band joining in with Clapton and McCartney harmonizing on the chorus, well, to quote George, "It's All Too Much". The heart-warming performance by Ringo is just lovely. The recognition between Ringo and Paul on "For You Blue" when in unison they acknowledge the "twelve bar blues" that George had sung on the original is delightful to see that the two remaining Beatles still enjoy performing together. Some other standouts that deserve mention are Gary Brooker on keyboards and vocals on "Old Brown Shoe" and Billy Preston on Hammond B-3 and vocals on "My Sweet Lord" w/Eric Clapton and "Isn't It A Pity". "Isn't It A Pity" also gets an interesting re-working as the chorus is joined with the chorus from "Hey Jude" which make for interesting counterpoints. This band truly puts in a spectacular performance. Being able to watch all these people on stage, together, and with the benefit of history, knowing the contributions all of them made to rock and roll as well as humanitarian causes makes it all the more incredible. And behind it all was Eric Clapton. He truly puts on a remarkable performance and appears to be truly inspired by being able to perform his friend's music and keeping it true. This DVD is a classic concert film that should go into your collection along with such features as The Last Waltz and Gimme Shelter.
Rating: Summary: Excellent, but One Question... Review: As all have stated before me, this is an excellent concert, great having two DVDs in the box, fantastic camera work and sound reproduction, but I have one question. Who is the female vocalist on Horse to Water with Jools Holland? She gets no credit anywhere on the box as far as I can see and she has a fabulous voice. WHO IS SHE? I want to buy some CDs by her if I can find out who she is. Other than that, this is a must have release.
Rating: Summary: Just amazing Review: These songs sound so vital, and they are performed with such love and care. The musicians obviously want George's music to sound great and every song does.Crank this up in DTS or Dolby Digital for one of the best concert DVDS ever. Here is what I want to know. Why is George's back catalog so messed up? Some of his better stuff isn't even in print. We need all his original albums reissued, remastered with bonus tracks and we need it now! Are you listening, Apple and WB? Get together on this and do George's memory right! This concert really made me realize how great George was. There are about 20 Harrison songs played in this concert, and they could have added so many more - "What is Life?", "Dark Horse", "Blow Away", "Life Itself", "Any Road", etc This guy wrote a lot of great songs, and it's a shame that people can't even buy some of his best stuff. Well it looks like someone was reading my mind. This is from thebeatles.com George's Dark Horse albums, Thirty Three And 1/3, George Harrison, Somewhere In England, Gone Troppo, Cloud Nine, along with Live In Japan will be reissued early next year. Live In Japan will be released as a double SACD set, while the rest will be released on CD with bonus tracks on February 23, 2004. A box-set, The Dark Horse Catalogue, containing the five CD albums and the SACD set, plus a bonus DVD, will be released on March 15. Thank you!
Rating: Summary: Paul & Claptoon soar on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"! Review: Just to see/hear Paul McCartney play the opening piano bars to "While my Guitar Gently Weeps", Eric Clapton play the same lead lines he did on the White Album and the two of them harmonize on the vocals is worth the price of "admission" to this DVD. Throw in the great arrangement of "Something" - from an unplugged-like ukelele opening to a full-blown one complete with Clapton's stinging lead. This made my Thanksgiving holiday!!!
Rating: Summary: A Wonderful Tribute Review: I first knew of George Harrison when I was seven years old. My older brothers were thrilled that a British band called the "Beatles" (in my mind, the name still was an insect reference; I recall thinking how strange!) was to appear on the Ed Sullivan show. I quickly picked my Beatle (something of the rage in those days), and it was George. Don't know exactly what the attraction was, but something about this guy who played in the shadows of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, that black as night Gretsch, caught my eye. He will always be imprinted on my life as my first admiration. This concert is fitting to the man. His life is represented in all of its complexity and harmony. Ravi Shankar (a name that came familiar to us all because of George) offers a marvelous elegy to George in "Arpan," the piece that begins the concert--a tribute to his spirituality. Then comes Monty Python, augmented by Tom Hanks, and the outrageous humor of the "Lumberjack Song." An elegy to the humor of the man. And then there are the many songs of his, sung with love and quite a bit of admiration by those who loved the man: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Joe Brown. All through the concert is Dhani Harrison, George's son, looking every bit like his father in youth. To Dhani--what a joyous occasion, to see you among so many of your father's friends. Credit must be given to Eric Clapton, the musical director, for making the most important side, the music, work. There are so many who played with George, and there are so many of them up on stage, it could have been a cacophony of drums and guitars if it weren't for his guidance, all for the love of the music. Notice that I refer to the first name "George." It is only fitting. There are few musicians who have struck any of us so deeply that we can only know them by their given name. George, wherever you may be, God speed!
Rating: Summary: The super band gets together again Review: We've seen George and friends playing together in a super band a few times - on Bob Dylan's birthday, with the Traveling Wilburys, or in one of the get togethers with Ringo (e.g. for the recording sessions of Vertical Man). The results were never disappointing, and it had to be great for one last time. It feels weird to see that time went by so fast and many of the musicians look older, but boy, how sweet can they play... This is certainly one of the best concerts I have ever seen: Good music, great production and a very well organized DVD presentation. It is definitely worth its price. With so much love in the air that day, George, we could feel you and your guitar there.
Rating: Summary: Best Tribute Concert EVER Review: Superb! - Enjoyable from start to finish - Great idea of including both the movie and the ENTIRE concert - Reverant and Irreverant - The Indian music is so good I didn't even fast forward - The Pythons are perfect and of course George's band was dead on - Too many highlights to mention.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Review: George must have smiled when he heard Paul sing two of his tunes, "For You Blue," and "All Things Must Pass." Macca barely had time to spend on Harrison's songs, nor did he consider him an equal (to be fair, neither did Lennon). Still, Paul did an admirable job on the two above mentioned tunes (I will omit "Something" on the ukelele, as it was more of a novelty). Great performance from George's buds. Dhani looks so much like his dad that it's scary. He even acts like him while playing guitar.
Rating: Summary: Magical Musical Maestros Review: If you're reading this review because you can't decide whether to buy this DVD, delay no longer; buy it now! Viewing the Concert For George is a marvelous experience. Being present during the performance would have been the only way to top the DVD, but since I wasn't, I'm grateful this superb set exists. Disc Two is great; I loved all its contents, including the interviews with some of the musicians and the Pythons, the look into Ravi Shankar's mastery with his orchestra, and the theatrical version of the Concert. But experiencing the magical ambiance of the entire concert version, contained on Disc One, is beyond words. Describing each of the concert's numbers would take too much space here, but highlights certainly include Jeff Lynne and Anoushka Shankar's lovely version of "The Inner Light"; Joe Brown's perfect "Here Comes the Sun"; Eric Clapton's intense solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"; Ringo Star's "Photograph"; and the entire band's work on "Something." Watching Dhani Harrison play along with the big names on stage thrilled me. Sometimes I had to remember that he wasn't George! Seeing the crowd stand, dance, and clap to "My Sweet Lord" and, later, hearing the bittersweet "I'll See You in My Dreams" at the end were marvelous moments as well. Every performance in the Concert for George shines as both a friendly, respectful tribute to George as a person, as well as a superb version of his music. I would think one performance was my favorite until the next came along and charmed me all over again. No problem exists with either the audio or video production of this DVD. Watching and listening are made pleasurable for the viewer. You'll find yourself crying, laughing, dancing, singing, and just blissfully sitting back, watching in awe and gratitude as the magical musical maestros salute our dear, sweet George.
Rating: Summary: I was there! Review: Hi I too have been awaiting the release of this DVD for the past year. I was VERY lucky to be present at the Royal Albert Hall last year and see the spectacle unfold live before my eyes ... and what a tremendous night it was. The DVD is on my Christmas wants list, as I'm sure it will also be for everyone lucky enough to be there. I shall savour every second on the morning of 25th December. I have no doubts that the DVD is as good as people are saying - it was a very moving experience being there last year, and I'm am sure the DVD will bring all those feelings flooding back. My only hopes are that the Sam Brown "Horse To The Water" track (incidentally, it was George's last recording for the Jools Holland "Big Band Small World" double CD, as someone else has asked here) is reinstated, as it was cut from the double CD version - why, I have no idea! Also, there were a few vocal and guitar "fixes" on the CD version, so I'll be listening to see if they are corrected on the DVD soundtrack too (I'd prefer it to be honest as on the historical night, although can also understand if they have corrected them purely for listening pleasure). All in all it was a marvellous evening, and I'm sure, from what everyone else has said in their reviews, it will be a joy for me to behold once more very soon. Rest In Peace George, you WERE there that night last year, and not only in the guise of your son Dhani.
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