Rating: 
Summary: Maybe I'm Amazed they couldn't come up with a better DVD
Review: My wife and I saw McCartney 3 times this past year, including the infamous May Staples show that is prominently featured in this DVD. This was perhaps McCartney's greatest tour ever. Therefore, I was anxiously awaiting release of this DVD to have an uncut concert memory in my possession. Unfortunately, that's not what we got. I recommend purchase of the DVD to any McCartney/Beatle fans out there because there are some great moments and great songs on the DVD.Nevertheless, on the whole, the DVD is very disappointing. Someone had the bright idea that perhaps it would be more interesting to show a bunch of inane fan interviews, celebrity sitings, and back stage scenes interspersed with songs not played in the original order (and guess what - they also cut out a few of the songs that were played). This was all done so that we couldn't get a true memory of what an uncut concert was like on this tour. (Maybe this was an anti-piracy move! No one will even have interest in copying it.) Other comments/complaints: I was so dumbfounded by certain features or better yet, lack there of, that I thought my DVD was defective when I first received it. In fact, I returned that copy, but now believe there may have been little wrong with it. Here are some of the problems: 1.) Video quality is extremely poor. 2.) Unlike the CD, no narrative or book was included. I thought this was a mistake the first time around, but I was obviously wrong. 3.) I have a top of the line DVD player; a Pioneer Elite. Nevertheless, I have had numerous problems playing the disk. A.) The chapters and timer doesn't show up on my DVD and B.) The DVD skips back to Chapter 1 after the song "Let Me Roll It" which is approx. 2/3 of the way through the entire DVD. The only way for me to play from there is to go to menu and click on the next song which is "Back In the USSR". I know the format is DVD-ROM. Could that be an issue? I would love to hear from anyone else who has had a similar experience. (I've had fewer problems playing this on my PC, but that's not the format I want to view this under. I want to see it on my TV w/ attached surround sound speakers.) At the end of the day, the CD is much better. It does present all 35 songs from the first half of the tour and they are in the order they were played. Nevertheless, there is a big BUT here too. They omitted all of Paul's intros. so no one can hear his heartwarming memories of John and George (there is no context for the CD listener to understand for example why Paul played Something on the uke.) We can only hope that some day, McCartney will release a better uncut (& perhaps interactive) Back in the USA concert DVD. Maybe I'll be Amazed at that time!
Rating:
Summary: Maybe I'm Amazed they couldn't produce a better DVD
Review: My wife and I attended three of Paul's shows on his Back in the USA Tour, including the first Staples Concert which is prominently featured throughout the DVD. I recommend it to fans because there are many great moments/songs from the tour that have been preserved. Nevertheless, on the whole it was a huge disappointment. I expected to get a close to 3 hour, entire uncut concert. Instead I was dumbfounded to see that someone thought it might be more interesting to include a bunch of inane back stage scenes (better suited for a bonus disk or special features), celebrity sitings, and fan interviews interspersed with songs that are not presented in the order McCartney played them. You really can't appreciate just how great this tour was from watching this video. Other comments: Video is grainy. I also can't believe that unlike the CD, they did not include a book or any narrative info. on what is included on the DVD. Last, but not least, I have had numerous technical problems with the DVD. I returned the first one that I received and now am having problems with the 2nd one. Unlike any other DVD I own (I own many), Chapters and a timer are not displayed on my DVD player, a Pioneer Elite. My next problem is that the DVD skips back to the first title after playing "Let Me Roll It" about 2/3 of the way through. The only way for me to see/hear the rest of the DVD is to go to Menu and click on "Back In the USSR", the next song after "Let Me Roll It". Is anyone else experiencing this problem? (I have fewer problems if I play it on my PC..could it have something to do w/ the fact that it is a DVD-ROM..I am not a techie and would appreciate some help on this.) The CD is much better. It includes all 35 songs McCartney played during the 1st half of his tour (he substitued 3 for the 2nd half). Nevertheless, there is a big BUT here too. All of McCartney's song intros. were removed from the CD, so you can't hear him reminisce on John or tell how George loved to play the ukelele. We can only hope someone has some sense some day and that an entire uncut concert, from this tour will be released at some point in time. Then I will be amazed!
Rating: 
Summary: Poor production decisions detract from amazing performance.
Review: It seems as if it would have been so simple. One of the greatest writers/performers of modern times performs at the top of his game with his best band since the legendary Beatles. A stunning array of glorious visuals suppliments the fantastic musical chemistry of the amazing new band. For a DVD producer/director, success would seem as simple as choosing a good camera and aiming it at the stage--allowing the magic of the man and the performance to tell its own story. Unfortunately, the production of this DVD proves that sometimes the better simple options are not taken in a misguided effort to "enhance" what already was close to perfection. The sad result of this miscalculation is that the final product clutters and covers the original gem with so many layers of unnecessary fluff that one can barely recognize it. Almost every major production decision on this DVD was, sadly, the wrong one. One can begin by mentioning that the filmstock used greatly darkens the once-gloriously bright stage lighting. There is a murkiness and gloominess to the visuals that certainly was not present in the original atmosphere of the concerts. In addition, the live show's outstanding multi-screened backdrop film effects (no doubt produced at great cost) are barely shown at all on the DVD, except in shots that are gone in the blink of an eye. If there was ever a live show that demanded full-stage camera angles, it was this one, but the directors/editors present the action at claustrophobically tight camera angles and seem deathly afraid of showing too many of the band members in one shot. This is especially disappointing when one realizes how well the band members played off each other--an aspect of the show the quick-cut edits leave on the cutting room floor. All this may have been forgiven if the cameras were simply pointed in the right direction, but "Back in the US" would have been better titled "Camera Crew's Backs to the Stage in the US." For reasons that may never be fully comprehended, the filmmakers decided that consumers of Paul McCartney DVDs would not want to see too many shots of Paul and the incredible band but would rather glimpse an excessive number of no-name and big-name fans singing along to the show. The overuse of crowd reaction shots produces in the viewer the same sense of frustration that one often gets at a concert when one's sightline is continually blocked by other audience members. This is irritating enough on the first viewing, but downright annoying on a DVD that one hopes to view numerous times after the purchase. It is also very disappointing to note that the cameras almost always cut away from McCartney at the end of songs (missing many entertaining live moments such as his humorous reactions to the "Live and Let Die" explosions.) The inclusion of overly literal crowd shots is also rather juvenile filmmaking (a woman wipes a tear at the line "holding back the tears no more," a woman makes a funny face during the line "I can almost remember their funny faces," a man [yes, a man] closes his eyes on the line "close your eyes and I'll kiss you.") It is also evident that "Back in the US" was conceived with the idea that McCartney fans buy both the CD and DVD as the DVD features incomplete or talked-over versions of many of the songs. Instead of full songs, the viewer gets excessive backstage footage and even a bizarre Spinal Tap moment with the band and great apes. It is a tribute to McCartney and the band that this DVD works even as well as it does because of the timelessness of the music. Still, the viewer can't help praying for a "Back in Japan" digitally filmed full-length concert DVD in the future that does this amazing tour and performer a final measure of justice.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Concert
Review: I just finished up watching the DVD and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It is hard to believe that one man could write so many great songs in one lifetime, and at the age of 60 perform them so well. His selection of songs were incredible (although I wish he would have begun with Venus and Mars rather that Hello Goodbye, this was a concert for the ages. And while others who have written have said this was his last tour, I beg to differ. If you listen to him talking during the video, you hear him talking about not retiring and loving what he does. He will be out again when he does retire, he will go on one last big tour that will sell out big time. For those who are looking for a straight concert, this might not be for you. There is a lot of behind the scene stuff and several songs are cut off. There were way too many shots of all of the celebrity stuck ups in the audience (Micheal Douglas looked like he was uncomfortable and almost unsure of who it was performing on stage). For those looking for a straight concert of Paul, get a copy of Rockshow from the 70's and you'll get what you want, minus a lot of fantastic songs.
Rating:
Summary: What Happened?!!!
Review: I've seen about 60 rock/pop concerts in my lifetime and Paul McCartney's "Back In The USA" Tour may have been one of the best. However, this DVD and the associated CD for this concert is less than what I'd expect from someone of McCartney's stature. The DVD is filled with video segments that must have been recorded on analog video cameras or really [bad] digital handicams, and the CD's sound quality on several songs is not nearly up to par with the concert's sound quality. The Producers really [messed up] this one. Sure, there are some really good video and audio qualities here and there, but McCartney and his fans deserved that better quality for the entire length of the recordings. What a shame. Sir Paul put on a first rate concert tour and it will forever be immortalized with a second rate production.
Rating:
Summary: Concert DVD Opinion
Review: My recommendation is for putting out another DVD with the full concert version of the show only. The backstage interviews and fan scenes should be as an extra bonus DVD in the package . The Music and performance is of course great however some of the scenes on the DVD are grainy. There should have been more of a live looking concert than the typical movie touch up . For example the " Who Live at Albert Hall " is a great looking concert DVD as well as the Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon . However all in all i still recommend buying this DVD , lets just hope they put another DVD version out one day soon with the neccesary corrections . Note to the director and marketing company of this DVD "listen to the Fans opinions .
Rating:
Summary: wonderful & awful at the same time
Review: I admit that the performances of All My Lovin' and Hey Jude got me all choked up, but the overabundance of inane non-concert
footage (fan one-liners, crew members congratulating themselves,
and even a 'wild kingdom' segment) nearly made me throw up.
As an individual who was around when all of those songs were
new, as well as a hard-core Beatle fan, I was truly touched
by each performance. McCartney's vocals were strong, and he
can still hit the high notes. The band did their homework learning the original arrangements. The drummer kicked [...],
for sure... The performances were intense. As far as the
DVD presentation, it's not up to par in video and sound
quality, but it's presentable, nonetheless. My major
problem with it was the fluff... Even the celebrities in
the audience were listed in the closing credits! Sheesh!!
The only thing missing was an opening monologue from Bono.
I still say buy it! The music's that good.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed but fun concert DVD
Review: Macca's performance is top notch in this DVD of his tour of the United States. The songs and performances (particularly Getting Better, Live and Let Die, Band on the Run, Coming Up and Sgt. Pepper Reprise/The End)highlight this band as of one Macca's best. Despite the fact that this is patched together from a number of performances (pretty seamlessly I might add), the concert has a pretty good flow. The pros--you get to see the band perform three songs during rehearsal (Midnight Special, San Francisco Bay, Good Rockin' Tonight)plus three bonus selections (including the marvelous Every Night)and the expected classics. There are a number of surprises (if you have seen Macca before and didn't catch him this time)including a beautiful tribute to John and George. Although occasionally grainy (probably due to the low light or digital transfer, the picture quality is very good overall. The director manages to capture the mood of the performances and the audience. Some folks have complained about the audience shots--I believe the director was trying to recreate the experience of being at a concert where you watch the performer and (at least we did) check out the audience as well. Without the concert footage you would have wondered why Paul's voice breaks up during his performance of The Long and Winding Road. Members of the audience are holding heart signs which make Paul tear up during the song. He gamely tries to perform it but it's quite a nice genuine, emotional moment. He also comments on it as well (albeit briefly). The cons--I would have liked the option with the angle function to either watch the band (and Paul) the whole time or view it the way it was shot. Audience shots get a bit old after watching a concert special a couple of times. Yes, we know it's live. The DVD format should have allowed fans to access rehearsals, outtakes, etc. during the actual performances (basically the disc needed to be more interactive). Perhaps a section where Paul discusses how it feels to be performing many of his Beatles/Wings/solo classics that he's never played live before. How could they cut off Hey Jude? In the concert DVD it begins in the middle of the song. It spoils the concert's momentum and, again, going outside the performance and venue does hurt the pacing. It's distracting and could have been an "extra" feature. I also would have loved the additional tracks that Paul added to the second swing of his US tour; She's Leaving Home was performed beautifully by the band. Perhaps we could have seen the rehearsal for this track (and a couple of the other changes) since they probably hadn't been incorporated yet. There was a very active camera crew at the show I added so, perhaps, the performances were being taped in addition to being shown on the monitors. Paul is in fine voice throughout although there are a couple of tracks where it's clear he's lost some of his upper register (but that's to be expected given his age, the amount of performances0. Really his voice has matured and has a bluesy edge that was only hinted at before. All in all this would be a nice gift for fans of Paul and, as a momento of his performance, would be a nice addition to any Beatle/Macca fan's collection. It's flawed but those flaws don't detract from the best performances on the DVD. I'd suggest picking up the 2 disc CD as well. The performances there are straight forward (and the DVD-Audio or SACD will probably have multichannel versions of these very same tracks with a year or two)and without the visual interruptions seen here.
Rating:
Summary: almost there
Review: Well where to start this dvd is certainly alot better than the previous live films, and i did enjoy it but it should have been edited down and been part of the special features on perhaps a 2 disc set with disc 1 being the concert complete, which would have been nice for those people who live in countries where paul is not touring.Also the picture quality is poor for dvd probably due to the fact that they have tried to squeeze so much onto one disc.I hope that they put out a dvd of the full concert in the future, lets hope that if the George Harrison tribute concert is put out on dvd it is put out complete without cuts.
Rating: 
Summary: SIMPLY GREAT
Review: The concert was exceptional, the measure against which all further concert experiences will be applied. The DVD does a fine job of conveying the enthusiasm and energy surrounding the concert on and off the stage. No, is is not a straight video of the concert. There are things intermixed. But I found this to expand the experience, not detract from it. Great sound quality and some really very special moments.
Only thing that I was surprised about is there were no liner notes contained in with the disk.
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