Rating: Summary: Tonight's the Night!! Review: After reading somewhat mixed reviews here, I came close to passing this dvd by. But now, having had my walls rocked by this performance, the negative words in some reviews don't hold rain water with me. What you have is the best seat in the house to an ultimately impassioned concert taking place at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Young is amazing as he leads the troups through a set that covers much of his career and hits a cressendo with World on a String, Tonight's the Night and an incredible performance of Cowgirl in the Sand. You truly get a concert experience with the 5.1 surround sound and feel you're part of a crowd that is not fazed by pounding rain. This concert is so much better than the cd of the same name. Don't expect Crazy Horse-like energy from the backup musicians, they mostly provide the canvas for Neil to paint his artwork on. Bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn was statue-like the entire show but as Neil blew the sky's roof off the outdoor setting, even Dunn was moved to blinking to the beat. Fans of Neil Young won't be disappointed unless they're expecting some sort of MTV Video, this is a rock concert.
Rating: Summary: OUTSTANDING Review: All I can say is that this version of Cowgirl In The Sand is arguably one of the best Neil Young Performances (especially a non Crazy Horse performance) ever!!!!! I would be willing to put this performance against any. It is at the Red Rocks which makes the setting awesome but it begins to rain, seeing him playing in the wind with the rain pouring down is just awesome. That one performance is worth the price, but in addition you get countless others including Powderfinger, great version of Mellow My Mind, among others.
Rating: Summary: NOT DVD-Audio compatible! Warning! Review: Amazon listed this disc as a "DVD-Audio" disc. This is wrong, I have now received it and it only contains DTS and Dolby Digital tracks. I have warned Amazon about this false listing.
Rating: Summary: PLUGGED INTO THE SUN!!!!!! Review: EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DISC IS WONDERFULL!!!! GRAB YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE AND IF YOU WISH SPARK A MARLEY !!!! ITS ALMOST LIKE YOURE THERE. SEE YA ON THE GREENDALE TOUR IN HERSHEY PA. YOURS TRULY TIM
Rating: Summary: Neil Young's Home Movie Review: I couldn't imagine not loving anything by Neil Young. Then again, I once couldn't imagine that I wouldn't love anything by Paul Simon. Then I saw The Capeman. Red Rocks Live wastes a great set list with lighting that looks like it was done by Everready Flashlights, and sound that appears to have been mixed on an HMO doctor's one track Dictaphone. The cameras seem few, and the camera work shoddy (nowhere, for example, is there a clear shot of Ben Keith, Neil's pedal steel player of more than 30 years, and the visually interesting Young girls, his wife and sister, are rarely seen). Used to be no one was better live than Neil -- he is one of two artists I can recall (Jackson Browne is the other) who ever released a whole album of new material, and had it sound like studio work. On 'Red Rocks,' though, there are an embarassing number of missed notes on the instruments, and times Young's voice just..doesn't...quite get there. On most of the DVD, Neil, with a big bald spot and comb over that gives him the look of a demented dentist, seems like a live advertisement for Rust Never Sleeps. The slogan, not the song. The DVD redeems itself with a great re-worked version of Tonight's The Night, and an immense rollicking version of Cowgirl in the Sand, in which Neil and the band roll away the years, and just rock. These alone are probably worth the price of the DVD. For a Neil Young junkie like me, Red Rocks is a valid addition to the discography. Otherwise, well.....
Rating: Summary: An Unexpected Delight Review: I didn't expect much from this video beacuse the Audio CD was so disappointing. But the show is fabulous. One of the unexpected highlights is the backup vocals by Young's wife Pegi and his sister Astrid. The band may not rock like Crazy Horse, but they are flexible enough to allow Young to demonstrate his wide range of styles effectively. They are also superb musicians, especially Ben Keith. And Neil really does still have it. Now, when are they going to put Rust Never Sleeps on DVD?
Rating: Summary: Just like being there.... Review: I don't understand some of the below reviews about this video. To me, it was basically like going to see a concert on that great tour. I guess it depends on what you're expecting - with that in mind, here are a few notes: This is *not* Crazy Horse, and no one should buy this video thinking you're going to get the same kind of explosive passionate and emotional playing that you get from them. If that's what you're looking for, pick up "Rust Never Sleeps," "Weld," and "Year of the Horse." But there is something for you Crazy Horse fans, which I'll get to a bit later. This *is* Neil, Pegi, and Astrid Young getting together with some old friends to play a collection of songs that haven't seen the light of day in several years (some of which have *never* been played before). It's almost as if Neil dug through his old catalog of material and chose a setlist that consisted of as many "gone but not forgotten" songs as possible. Here are a few reasons to buy this video: ">Other nice touches of this video include the opening sequence, where you're walked through from the ticket-takers and into the venue itself, it really gives you the feel of being there. The camera angles to me could've been a bit better, there's a little too much time spent on rolling side shots in my opinion, but I like the view from the middle-center of the crowd - contributes again to that concert-like experience. The complaints of not getting good shots of Ben Keith are not quite that valid - for one thing the guy's position is in a spot on the stage that's hard to get at, and for another he's got a large hat on that keeps his face in the shade for most of the time anyway. There are some decent close-ups (particularly of his playing), so I don't agree with that complaint. If you're looking for a video that takes you through what it's like to attend an entire concert of Neil and some pals playing old nuggets and having a great time, then this is the one for you. Fans of his more mellow, laid-back work will not be disappointed, and those looking for his aggressive side will be pleased with the electric highlights as well.
Rating: Summary: no complaints Review: I don't understand why some reviews are critical. Firstly, the lighting is what you'd expect for an outdoor concert at night. What were they suppose to do, ruin the mood and shine bright spotlights on Neil, etc. The music is great. A wonderful selection of nuggets from his catalogue and some great warhorses such as Cowgirl. The band is pretty catonic (other than Neil and the girls), but hey, they are accomplished musicians who do a great job supporting him. (They aren't pretty to look at so be thankful the lighting is subdued!). If you're a Neil fan,enjoy having him in your living room and thank the stars for having him around continuing to generate great music in the yr 2001.
Rating: Summary: this was the dvd I was waiting for Review: I have 2 other dvds by Neil Young, 'year of the horse' and 'rust never sleeps", by far this one is my favourite. I like 'rust never sleeps" because it takes place in 1979 so you get to see him when he was at his prime, also nice selection of songs. I like 'year of the horse" because there's interviews with him and his band so you get to know him a bit. 'Red rocks' takes place in the year 2000 but like a good aged wine Neil Young never looses his appeal. Some of my favourite on this dvd are 'words'and 'cowgirl in the sand'. I like the long ones when Neil lets loose and goes crazy with his guitar. I will quote from James Bond, 'nobody does it better, makes me feel sad for the rest, nobody does it better, Neil your the best'.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Review: If you're into Neil Young, this is a good one to have. This show must have been amazing for performer and audience alike. First, it's in a spectacular venue(Red Rocks), and second, a blustery cold front blows in during the show. Neil's hair is blown over the side of his face from the back, but it doesn't seem to affect him one bit. It's not the all time greatest concert film(that would be Stop Making Sense), but it's very good. A companion to this, which is also great, is Silver & Gold. That one's a lot different, finding Neil surrounded by about 15 guitars, alone on the stage, pouring Sierra Nevada into himself, and his heart out to the audience at another great venue, Bass Concert Hall on the UT-Austin campus.
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