Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Own Slice of History
Review: I will never forget sitting down to watch this event live with my family on September 21. The DVD captures all the raw emotion, talent, and sincerety of the night. All grandstanding, egos and attitudes were checked at the door. What's left is an entertainment experience that will bring a lump to your throat, a tear to your eyes, and a smile to your face. In the end, you will be left with a heart that is swelled with pride and a renewed gratitude toward the U.S.A. This is an important piece of history that you need to share with your family and friends.
Rating:
Summary: An appropriate and well-performed tribute.
Review: I'm a New Yorker who witnessed the 9/11 attacks first-hand, and experienced the aftermath. I watched this tribute live when it first aired and I felt at that time that it was very respectfully produced, with some standout performances and very little in the way of "marketing" or promotion going on from any of the performers (with a few exceptions), as there so often is in these kinds of compilations.
The performance I remember most is actually U2's rendition of "Peace On Earth/Walk On", at which point during the live telecast I admit that I completely lost it. There were other moving performances but this is the one that affected me, and the one that I remember - not only is the version on this DVD better than what was recorded on their CD "All That You Can't Leave Behind", the lyrics summed up the whole experience perfectly for me, and it was obvious that U2 as a band was deeply moved by the experience themselves. The montage set to their song "One" also greatly affected me, although this was not a live performance.
As a tribute, this is probably the best that anyone could have done - the music is varied and the performances generally very good, and the tone is right given how close it was to 9/11. For me, it's a must-have reminder of that day, as I consider it part of my experience of going through 9/11's aftermath. It was a terrible tragedy but it's not one that we should forget.
Rating:
Summary: Flawless
Review: If ever there was a night of songs sung from the heart, this is it. A 2 hour snapshot of our country's emotion put out for all to see. I don't know of any collection anywhere of such a diverse group of musicians singing like they never sang before. Everyone I know seems to have thier favorite song, and it is almost impossible to say who gave the best performance. My personal favorite is Neil Young's flawless version of "Imagine", but if someone said they liked Wyclef Jean's version of "Redemption Song" better, I won't argue. Or Springsteen's "My City of Ruin". Or Dixie Chicks' "I Believe In Love", or......you get the picture. A surprising welcome addition (subtraction?) is no audience during the entire show! No applause needed here, the silence after each song allows us to reflect on the meaning of the performance. The show is presented in it's entirety, including the commentary between songs, all 21 of them. The DVD picture is very clean, especially for a television broadcast, and the sound is very good stereo (no Dolby 5.1 here) but this in no way detracts from this exceptional night. Even if you recorded it the night of the original broadcast, like I did, you will be very happy if you buy the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Do you think we can change?
Review: It's been over two years now since September 11, 2001, and perhaps there is need for a retrospective look at this unique DVD. I only caught part of the original airing of "Tribute to Heroes" on TV. Watching the whole thing for the first time on DVD was a moving experience, except when Enrique Iglesias showed up - I couldn't help but wonder whether he was wearing false eyelashes and whether they would fall off. I was saddened to see the Dixie Chicks on this DVD, not that they didn't belong here. What made me sad was the memory of how strongly all Americans were united together at the time of the making of this Tribute. Not since December 7, 1941 had Americans felt so strongly about their country. Tragically, this unity of spirit and purpose has proved to be all too brief, as just a year and a half later, the Bush administration used the faith and trust of the American people to plunge American troops into Iraq, against the wishes of the world, against any evidence that Iraq had a direct connection to 9-11, and having fooled everyone, including themselves, into thinking that the going would be quick, easy, and cheap. As a result of their vocal oppositon to the Iraq war, the Dixie Chicks fell from grace, but have since rebounded again. Which is what makes me sad, to see them on this DVD, and to remember this moment in time when ALL Americans were united in a common purpose. Finally, I just wanted to say that the part of the Tribute that I caught on TV was Fred Durst (from Limp Bizkit) and John Rzeznik (from Goo Goo Dolls) singing their version of "Wish You Were Here". This piece was my favorite from the DVD. If you are a Pink Floyd fan, you will know that the lyrics and musical arrangement (with strings and voice reverb) are significantly different, but still very recognizably Pink Floyd. The new lyrics are really, really beautiful and appropriate, not only for this Tribute to Heroes, but for what has happened since. As the words are a bit hard to find (compared to the original version), here they are: So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold, steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell? So, do you think we can change,
Everybody that hates,
Before it's too late.
So proud to be free,
But who can we blame?
Don't be ashamed,
Do you think we can change? How I wish,
How I wish you were here,
We're a world of lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year.
Running over the same old ground,
What have we found?
The same old fears,
Wish you were here. We don't need,
Need any more pain.
We just need to remain on the very same page,
So much to gain.
No more losing a friend,
We're losing ourselves.
We just need your help,
So glad you're here. So glad you're here.
Rating:
Summary: Do you think we can change?
Review: IT'S NOT TRUE whitch the heros are dead for something because, NOW I KNOW THAT WAS the USA governement's ERROR ! SURELY AND NECESSARY FOR THE BAD ANCIENT AND ACTUALS GOVERNMENTS
MICHAEL MOORE SAID AND SAY THIS MORE THAN ME
Rating: 
Summary: WARNING: Awful Audio Sinc!
Review: On my copy of the DVD, the audio is way, way out of sinc with the visual image on more than half the segments. I can't appreciate the power of what the musicians are singing or what the actors are saying when so many of them look like poorly dubbed characters in a Japanese Godzilla movie. Yes, it's truly that bad! I don't know anyone else who owns this, so I suppose it's possible that only my DVD was deffective. I have to believe that if the previous reviewers had the same DVD as mine they would have mentioned this problem. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Intense Emotion -- Great Performances
Review: The intense (mostly hidden) emotion combined with great performances make this a must-have DVD. Neil Young is one of my favorite musicians and his singing of "Imagine" is great -- spot on and heart felt. Another exceptional performances is Billy Joel singing "New York State of Mind". Limp Bizkit and John Rzeznik do a surprisingly good job singing "Wish You Were Here" (originally from Pink Floyd, my favorite group). There are so many, I could list almost all of them, but look on the contents list for U2, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sheryl Crow, Paul Simon and Willie Nelson. Not to mention the cameos by top Hollywood actors. A wonderful experience that is as moving as "It's a Wonderful Life", only this is REAL.
Rating:
Summary: I knew I had to get this when I saw te program
Review: The only problem is that I still find it hard to watch. It brings back the feelings of the state of shock we all were in the week after Sept 11th but every time that I have watched it, it encou rages me that the celebrities in our life took the time to gather and put this all together so quickly. Very moving.
Rating:
Summary: A moment to keep
Review: There may be more exciting concerts on DVD, but few if any that carry the sheer weight and emotional impact of this history-making broadcast. The performances, with few exceptions, are direct and visceral, deeply emotional and quite unforgettable. The music is enhanced by the setting : deep blue backdrops and somber, sometime candle-lit sets, no live audience. More than a memento of its time, this will undoubtedly endure as timeless.
Rating:
Summary: A moment to keep
Review: There may be more exciting concerts on video, but few if any that carry the sheer weight and emotional impact of this history-making broadcast. The performances, with few exceptions, are direct and visceral, deeply emotional and quite unforgettable. The music is enhanced by the setting : deep blue backdrops and somber, sometime candle-lit sets, no live audience. More than a memento of its time, this will undoubtedly endure as timeless.
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