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Paul McCartney - Back in the U.S. (Live 2002 Concert Film)

Paul McCartney - Back in the U.S. (Live 2002 Concert Film)

List Price: $24.98
Your Price: $19.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Barely more watchable than his last 2 concert films
Review: 2 1/2 stars to be exact. I agree with the others who say the video quality is sub-par. This does not look like DVD-quality video. Ringo's new All-Starr concert DVD has MUCH higher quality video, and also doesn't have the MTV short attention span edits all through it. I actually had a headache after watching this! That is the same bad editing style that Paul's last two concert tour films used ("Get Back" & "Paul Is Live") that make them very annoying too, and almost unwatchable. The behind the scenes stuff and excess fan clips should be included as extras, they detract from the show, interupt the flow, and make the feature less watchable after multiple viewings. Who wants to see that stuff more than once or twice, and certainly not in between and over top most every song (they didn't learn from Black Sabbath's "Last Supper" butcher job). In a different way, the same complaint I had with Ringo's DVD--just show the WHOLE concert, in the right order, that's what makes a good concert video--goes here too.

The sound is OK, should have been better when other artists release better than this (in addition to previous mentions, I would add Fleetwood Mac "The Dance" as another audio benchmark comparison).

The extras, that were included, are nice. The sound check performances are more fun than the feature really. They would have made a killer extra grouped together, and should not have been mixed partly into the concert portion of video. There is nothing on this whole DVD that beats the version of "Matchbox" from the sound check. As for the "bonus Secret Web Site", what a worthless waste. Some techno-geek's "brilliant idea" of the day. Everything that is on that site should have, and could have, been on this DVD. They did it because they could, but I don't care to watch videos over the internet instead of on DVD. And even if you did prefer watching that stuff on your computer, one year, two years, five years from now, you think that content will still be there? It would be there, if it was on the disc where it belongs.

Not only does Paul deserve better than this DVD, but we all do too. I'll be watching both of Ringo's concert DVDs many more times than this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Paul Fantastic..
Review: Theres nothing like Paul Mccartney.
This DVD is the real deal. Paul in concert.
Live versions of blackbird, jet, and 80 % of the show.
A must see for any music fan. This was the best concert ever.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A little disappointing
Review: To begin with, I saw The Beatles in 1966, and I saw McCartney in 2002. If I had to choose which I'd rather see again, it would be McCartney, hands down. That is why this DVD is a little disappointing - it isn't the concert! Oh, it does represent the highlights of the concert, but it is presented out of order (for reasons that escape me), and with a number of songs left out (more on that in a little bit). Worst of all, there are interviews with fans and stage crew which often "step on" the songs - and many of the very same interviews are repeated in the "Special Features" section! And why is "I Saw Her Standing There" played only at the end with credits rolling over it?

Of the songs left out were some very good tunes, including "Mother Nature's Son" and "Lonely Road" - both can be viewd with Windows Media Player on th "Secret Web Site" - but that's hardly the same as including them on the DVD. Furthermore, the rendition of "The Long and Winding Road" features Paul's voice cracking with emotion as his road crew offers a tribute to him - that's nice, but I'd have preferred to have heard a more flawless rendition while offering this emotion-charged version as a part of the "Special Features".

This was a DVD, for crying out loud! Even if it had required a second disc, the fans deserve the entire concert, start-to-finish, in the order he performed, and unblemished by voice-overs of fans and crew. This DVD doesn't provide that, and if you expect it to, you'll be disappointed, too.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: How Can You Go Wrong?
Review: The Driving U.S.A. tour was McCartney's best ever! That said, I would have preferred a dvd that showed the concert start-to-finish and added behind-the-scenes footage as a bonus. Also, maybe it's just my player but I could not navigate the menus and I just had to play the movie without the special features or DTS.

The history of music has never seen a talent as great as McCartney's. If you missed the tour, or want a great souvenir grab this dvd.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Content OK - Video Quality Not
Review: Several reviewers have expressed their disappointment over the content of the DVD - basically, that it is not a straight concert DVD, but rather intersperses interviews, backstage goofing about, and other gobblygook in the midst of the show. Obviously, that is a creative decision that Paul, as Executive Producer made - and you have to respect his decision to make something other than a "pure" concert film. I was surprised at this - I expected the non-concert footage to be contained in a separate program. However, it doesn't really bother me that much.

What DOES bother me is the video quality - it looks like grainy VHS - I would rate much of it lower than VHS quality. This has to have been a conscious decision (there are obviously some interview spots where this was done intentionally) - but why do it during the concert footage? I understand that film looks "richer" than video (i.e. - the quality difference between a movie and a typical three-camera sitcom is enormous) - but richness is not the same as graininenss - I don't know if they shot this in video and then applied some sort of "fim effect" or what, but the result is not good.

The sound is OK - certainly not the best DTS mix I've ever heard in terms of its use of the rear channels.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: This DVD looks and sounds wonderful, The song selection is just fantastic, its the perfect souvenir of the Back In The USA tour. Paul just gets better and better.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great Musician but...
Review: I was lucky enough to see McCartney live in May on the first part of Back In The U.S. tour, and I can tell you it is the best concert I have even seen. When I heard that there was going to be a DVD of this tour I could hardly wait for it to come out. Now that its out I wish I had kept my money. The DVD was of poor quality and for the 5.1 surround sound it was very bad. They had voice overs in most of the songs, and when I listen to music I want to hear just the music, no voice overs. If you went to see the concert just savory the memories and don't buy the DVD you will be disappointed.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Great concert...unfortunately really POOR DVD.
Review: I was fortunate enough to see Paul on this tour in Portland a few months ago. Needless to say, the show was incredible. Hence, I was really looking forward to this DVD. I bought it the day it came out, ran home and popped it into my player. The verdict? I popped it out after the second song and gave it away to my friend. The edits and choice of footage is really poor/annoying/distracting. Whoever edited this DVD really did a bad job. The cuts are so quick that one hardly has a chance to see what's going on. In addition, there are so many shots (not just one or two but pretty much constantly) of various people in the crowd (annoying ones at that...I really don't need to see every 45 year old mom in the crowd jumping up and down.). I wanted to see Paul and his band play. Not a bunch of 1 second cuts peppered with tons of irritating audience shots. The U2 Elevation DVD was beautifully filmed and focused on the band and the music (with nicely paced cuts and dissolves). I really wished the same production company ("Dreamchaser" I believe they were called) that did the U2 DVD worked on Paul's DVD. My suggestion is to buy the accompanying 2 disc audio CD and forget about buying this DVD. I know I'll be much better off with the memories I have of the concert than with this DVD. One may want to buy this for the extras though which are decent.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting
Review: Last January, as I was watched the halftime segment of the Super Bowl, I nearly cried. There was my near life-long hero, joining an out of key Terry Bradshaw for a rendition of Love Me Do. At that moment, I saw McCartney as an over the hill, egomanical opportunist. I honestly believed, at that time, that he used 9-11 as his own promotional tool.

Well, hell, McCartney has always been unabashedly self-promoting. But at his age, I guess it just didn't go down quite as easily. Thank God, this DVD nearly erases that Super Bowl blunder. McCartney is sincere, energetic and puts on a hell of a show. He's made some good and bad decisions in his career; getting some younger guys for Driving Rain and this tour was definitely a good decision. These guys give him a badly needed adreniline shot, as their energy is contagious. None more so than drummer Abe, a rather large young black man. While subtlety is not his forte, and is missed a few times, he bashes the drums with an abandon I've not seen since Keith Moon. The two young guitarists add to the inspired mayhem, and it's a good thing we've got good old Wix Wickham to hold everything together.

This DVD is a must have if you're a McCartney fan. These are energized versions of mostly very old Macca songs, and you'll just love the electricity the band, and the old man, create onstage.

The sound itself is a bit of a bummer. Producer David Kahne obviously wanted to capture the energy that was happening onstage, but he does it at the expense of any real detail. You feel like you are in the arena, kind of lost in that big sound. I guess that's a good thing, but sometimes individual sounds are all but lost in that big sound.

On this tour, Macca makes up for his aging voice with pure energy and will. Again, the subtlety and suppleness of his young voice is gone, but he sings his heart out, and God love him for it.

Enough said. Buy this; it's a special concert with a kickass band.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The DVD is Truly Great!
Review: For those of you who did not catch the abridged version of this disc on ABC last night, this is the complete 3 hour version. If you're a Paul fan you'll be in ecstasy, if you're not a Paul fan, then who can you possibly like?
After having seen him numerous times in concert from 1976 on (but not this tour), I have to admit that at age 59, his voice is sounding better than it has in years, with much more nuance, higher highs and lower lows. Maybe that's what new love can do to you.
Whatever it is, the disc is fantastic. I also recommend the 2 cd set, it contains some songs unavailable on the DVD and vice-versa. Lastly, check out Paul's lead guitar playing! And the new band is his best in years too.


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