Rating: 
Summary: The performances are historic, but...
Review: As with the album that came from this concert ("Live Peace in Toronto 1969"), the quality of performances is very uneven. Yoko's songs are not ready for prime time, and her attempts at singing and vocalizing make Linda McCartney sound like a nightingale. Nevertheless, the rough, underrehearsed sound of the Plastic Ono Band is still exciting 31 years later.The film would be worthy of three stars just for capturing Lennon and Clapton in a historic concert were it not for the low quality of the cinematography. The film looks lousy, even for an impromptu filming. Buy it ONLY if you are more interested in the authenticity of Lennon trying to establish an identity separate from "Beatle John" and less interested in a polished product.
Rating:
Summary: The performances are historic, but...
Review: As with the album that came from this concert ("Live Peace in Toronto 1969"), the quality of performances is very uneven. Yoko's songs are not ready for prime time, and her attempts at singing and vocalizing make Linda McCartney sound like a nightingale. Nevertheless, the rough, underrehearsed sound of the Plastic Ono Band is still exciting 31 years later. The film would be worthy of three stars just for capturing Lennon and Clapton in a historic concert were it not for the low quality of the cinematography. The film looks lousy, even for an impromptu filming. Buy it ONLY if you are more interested in the authenticity of Lennon trying to establish an identity separate from "Beatle John" and less interested in a polished product.
Rating:
Summary: The performances are historic, but...
Review: As with the album that came from this concert ("Live Peace in Toronto 1969"), the quality of performances is very uneven. Yoko's songs are not ready for prime time, and her attempts at singing and vocalizing make Linda McCartney sound like a nightingale. Nevertheless, the rough, underrehearsed sound of the Plastic Ono Band is still exciting 31 years later. The film would be worthy of three stars just for capturing Lennon and Clapton in a historic concert were it not for the low quality of the cinematography. The film looks lousy, even for an impromptu filming. Buy it ONLY if you are more interested in the authenticity of Lennon trying to establish an identity separate from "Beatle John" and less interested in a polished product.
Rating: 
Summary: you are insipid
Review: i am a 41 year old male and i first became aware of the work of yoko ono when ifirst attended school at the age of five years old. my teacher was singing "alternative" nursery rhymes to her class. one of the songs she taught us was "who has seen the wind" written by yoko ono. our teacher then sang the song again and asked her pupils what they thought the song meant. amongst the five year olds a great buzz was created and several children started to sing the song again. this was my first introduction to yoko ono and i have been captivated by her work ever since . yoko is a classically trained pianist and vocalist. if she had not become involved with john lennon this amazingly multi talented singer song writer artist and worker for peace would be as widely accepted as laurie anderson. i find it absolutely appalling that yoko is never given credit for the work she has beendoing for more than fifty years and i totally disagree with your review. read yoko's lyrics amd listen to yoko's music without the attatchment of johns apron strings, she is an artist in her own right and deserves to be treated as such. my email address is hellozio@hotmail.com if anyone wishes to take this discussion further,cheers , zio ledeux 26 september 2003
Rating:
Summary: you are insipid
Review: i am a 41 year old male and i first became aware of the work of yoko ono when ifirst attended school at the age of five years old. my teacher was singing "alternative" nursery rhymes to her class. one of the songs she taught us was "who has seen the wind" written by yoko ono. our teacher then sang the song again and asked her pupils what they thought the song meant. amongst the five year olds a great buzz was created and several children started to sing the song again. this was my first introduction to yoko ono and i have been captivated by her work ever since . yoko is a classically trained pianist and vocalist. if she had not become involved with john lennon this amazingly multi talented singer song writer artist and worker for peace would be as widely accepted as laurie anderson. i find it absolutely appalling that yoko is never given credit for the work she has beendoing for more than fifty years and i totally disagree with your review. read yoko's lyrics amd listen to yoko's music without the attatchment of johns apron strings, she is an artist in her own right and deserves to be treated as such. my email address is hellozio@hotmail.com if anyone wishes to take this discussion further,cheers , zio ledeux 26 september 2003
Rating:
Summary: you are insipid
Review: i am a 41 year old male and i first became aware of the work of yoko ono when ifirst attended school at the age of five years old. my teacher was singing "alternative" nursery rhymes to her class. one of the songs she taught us was "who has seen the wind" written by yoko ono. our teacher then sang the song again and asked her pupils what they thought the song meant. amongst the five year olds a great buzz was created and several children started to sing the song again. this was my first introduction to yoko ono and i have been captivated by her work ever since . yoko is a classically trained pianist and vocalist. if she had not become involved with john lennon this amazingly multi talented singer song writer artist and worker for peace would be as widely accepted as laurie anderson. i find it absolutely appalling that yoko is never given credit for the work she has beendoing for more than fifty years and i totally disagree with your review. read yoko's lyrics amd listen to yoko's music without the attatchment of johns apron strings, she is an artist in her own right and deserves to be treated as such. my email address is hellozio@hotmail.com if anyone wishes to take this discussion further,cheers , zio ledeux 26 september 2003
Rating:
Summary: The Real Sweet Toronto
Review: I guess I am lucky. Those of you who want to see Sweet Toronto are at a great disadvantage, because you are only seeing a part of this wonderful film. I reviewed this film as part of my cinema class in college in 1970. Sweet Toronto was more than a venue for John Lennon it was intended to be a loving tribute to Rock pioneers and two pioneer rebels of the generation who had just died namely Janis Joplin and . It was a great film, using the cinematic techniques set forth in Woodstock. As I researched further to find a complete copy, I realized that the producers of the DVD took it, No! tore it apart. Putting Chuck Berry's whole performance on one DVD and Jerry Lee's on another and Little Richard on still another. So seeing Lennon's performance was just a tiny segment of the entire show. Bo Diddley alone went on for 15 minutes of hard driving blues with his daughter singing backup. The two hour movie has now been cut up leaving you with only a glimpse of the beautiful event that D.A. Pennybaker set down on film. Yes,the end of the film was ruined by Yoko Ono's non performance where she screamed wailed and moaned, to the absolute horror of everyone who was at the world Premier of Sweet Toronto at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Sweet Toronto was a wonderful film and I urge everyone to demand that the film be produced on DVD intact and uncut. That my friends will be a great treat for music fans.
Rating: 
Summary: HEY BO DIDDLEY
Review: I just wish to point out that this DVD begins with a fantastic
surprise & treat for those who bought it for the Plastic Ono Band
performance at Toronto, 1969.
HEY BO DIDDLEY!!!!! Wanna talk about a religious experience?
BO DIDDLEY invented a groove that is "at one" with the universal
field...and he blesses us with this all-out ecstatic jam...
words fail in trying to describe how great this segment is...
perhaps...if you imagine the absolute musical climax of a wild
Baptist church service...when dogma no longer matters and the
people are just going off--flying into universal ecstasy...
this comes close to describing the BO DIDDLEY performance
which begins this DVD. The cliche: "this alone is worth the
price of admission" certainly applies here. I especially like
the sexual horseplay that happens during the music.
As for the rest of the DVD, it was interesting to view after
growing up with the "Live Peace In Toronto" Album.
John is great throughout...I only wish Eric Clapton's guitar
was miked a bit better...you can barely hear him.
As for Yoko, well, that's not everyone's cup of tea. I happen
to like her...but you must admit, it's extremely interesting
to watch John maneuver his guitar in all sorts of wild ways
to get the "sound" for the final track...here he REALLY looks
like the "mad wizard" in the secret laboratory from
Magical Mystery Tour.
Lastly, I must also HIGHLY recommend the DVD which features
Chuck Berry's full performance from this same concert.
It is also a demigod-like performance.
And lastly, how much does Little Richard look like Prince
during the Lucille track? About 99% identical!
Rating:
Summary: HEY BO DIDDLEY
Review: I just wish to point out that this DVD begins with a fantastic
surprise & treat for those who bought it for the Plastic Ono Band
performance at Toronto, 1969.
HEY BO DIDDLEY!!!!! Wanna talk about a religious experience?
BO DIDDLEY invented a groove that is "at one" with the universal
field...and he blesses us with this all-out ecstatic jam...
words fail in trying to describe how great this segment is...
perhaps...if you imagine the absolute musical climax of a wild
Baptist church service...when dogma no longer matters and the
people are just going off--flying into universal ecstasy...
this comes close to describing the BO DIDDLEY performance
which begins this DVD. The cliche: "this alone is worth the
price of admission" certainly applies here. I especially like
the sexual horseplay that happens during the music.
As for the rest of the DVD, it was interesting to view after
growing up with the "Live Peace In Toronto" Album.
John is great throughout...I only wish Eric Clapton's guitar
was miked a bit better...you can barely hear him.
As for Yoko, well, that's not everyone's cup of tea. I happen
to like her...but you must admit, it's extremely interesting
to watch John maneuver his guitar in all sorts of wild ways
to get the "sound" for the final track...here he REALLY looks
like the "mad wizard" in the secret laboratory from
Magical Mystery Tour.
Lastly, I must also HIGHLY recommend the DVD which features
Chuck Berry's full performance from this same concert.
It is also a demigod-like performance.
And lastly, how much does Little Richard look like Prince
during the Lucille track? About 99% identical!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Performance, Bad Film
Review: John Lennon along with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry performed a rock and roll revival concert in Toronto. One song from each is presented here, as well as John Lennon's entire performance. The music here is fantastic; the problem is that the cameramen seem way too focused on John's beard. First there's a close-up on it, then the camera leaps back for a full shot of John. This technique is very disturbing, and heavily plagues the film. But the music is great, so for that, the film is worth it.
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