Rating: Summary: Great DVD Review: Expecting a slighly lesser video quality because it was taped in '93, we were thrilled with the video and audio !Not being one for rambling reviews, all I can say is BUY IT if you like Kenny Loggins at all !
Rating: Summary: Journey back to pooh corner Review: I found this DVD well performed and produced. I deducted a star because I thought the commentary between a couple songs was a bit preachy, but the message was okay. It just seemed out of place and detracted from the concert. That said, this DVD is very enjoyable and the duet with Micheal McDonald was a nice touch.
Rating: Summary: Journey back to pooh corner Review: I found this DVD well performed and produced. I deducted a star because I thought the commentary between a couple songs was a bit preachy, but the message was okay. It just seemed out of place and detracted from the concert. That said, this DVD is very enjoyable and the duet with Micheal McDonald was a nice touch.
Rating: Summary: A Memorable Experience Review: I had the Redwoods concert on audiotape from many years ago. I'm not an especially big Kenny Loggins fan, but I bought it for some reason and wound up playing it a lot. It started to wear out, so I bought the DVD, and it is frankly better than the audio version -- there are songs left out of album, and this a show worth actually seeing because of how much is going on. One remarkable thing you notice about this concert is that (with the exception of some slide guitar playing) the instrumentation is entirely acoustic -- no electronic keyboards, solid-body bass or guitars. Details like the vibraphone playing and African percussion stand out when you can actually see the concert. And it's a treat to be able to see Howard Levy (harmonica), who is worth tracking down no matter what record he's playing on. The only drawback are a couple hoaky Q&A sessions with the audience, but they're short. And for some strange reason Loggins looks like he's about to cry during the first half of the show. But it's a hell of a sound when they get all these great musicians on stage. For a show that was not recorded with a DVD in mind, it makes for a very good one.
Rating: Summary: Hell of a concert Review: I had the Redwoods concert on audiotape from many years ago. I'm not an especially big Kenny Loggins fan, but I bought it for some reason and wound up playing it a lot. It started to wear out, so I bought the DVD, and it is frankly better than the audio version -- there are songs left out of album, and this a show worth actually seeing because of how much is going on. One remarkable thing you notice about this concert is that (with the exception of some slide guitar playing) the instrumentation is entirely acoustic -- no electronic keyboards, solid-body bass or guitars. Details like the vibraphone playing and African percussion stand out when you can actually see the concert. And it's a treat to be able to see Howard Levy (harmonica), who is worth tracking down no matter what record he's playing on. The only drawback are a couple hoaky Q&A sessions with the audience, but they're short. And for some strange reason Loggins looks like he's about to cry during the first half of the show. But it's a hell of a sound when they get all these great musicians on stage. For a show that was not recorded with a DVD in mind, it makes for a very good one.
Rating: Summary: Wonderfully Refreshing! Review: I have owned the cassette tape of this for a number of years and I have played it so much it is wearing out. I was completely overjoyed when I saw it on DVD. The scenery of the Redwoods is breath-taking and Kenny Loggins is at his best. I will view this DVD many times over!!!
Rating: Summary: Amazing Performance! Review: I was fortunate enough to have attended this concert back in 1993 at UC-Santa Cruz. It's funny because I didn't start out as a Kenny Loggins fan, and I am still not crazy about alot of his music, but when my girlfriend suggested we go, I decided to take a risk! Every time I hear this concert I am grateful that I made the decision to go!
I have been to many concerts, and Outside-From the Redwoods remains the best concert I have ever attended! Everything about the concert was wonderful. Kenny Loggins is undoubtedly one of the finest live performers living today! Many performers sound great when they are in the controlled environment of the studio, where mistakes and sour-notes can be fixed and as soon as you put them in front of an audience they sound awful! Not Kenny Loggins! I think he is best when heard live! He thrives off of the energy of the audience and draws inspiration from them to sing his heart out for them! His entire group of backing artists from guitar and piano players on down to an amazing harmonica player, have to be some of the most talented and capable musicians around! His Guest artists, such as Michael McDonald and Shanice bring perfect balance to his own remarkable voice.
As far as the DVD is concerned, I am amazed at the stunning quality of both the audio and the video! This could have been recorded last week, instead of twelve years ago! I remember the feeling of sitting on our blanket watching Kenny and his friends in the beautiful and majestic setting of the Redwoods at the Shakespeare Festival Glen. This DVD brought all of that back and made me feel like I was sitting right there, all over again! The video is so good that even on a normal flat screen TV, it felt like I was watching High Definition video!
Of course, the concert wasn't perfect and neither is this DVD. For one thing, even when I was at the concert I found some of Kenny's segue comments a bit strange and they made me a bit uncomfortable. I respect Kenny and his views (which I happen to largely agree with), especially when it comes to the environment, but there were moments, some of which are seen in the DVD, when Kenny would take questions from the audience. Not just questions like, "How did you get started in the business?", but "life-questions" like, "In this crazy world, how do you keep centered?" And then to see Kenny up there, sitting on the edge of the stage like Moses come down from the mountain (or dare I say it, Jesus!), pontificating and philosophizing about how we need to just follow our hearts and teach our children Hope, on so on and so forth.... Well, it just felt very strange. I had paid to see a musical performance, not "Life lessons from Kenny Loggins-Musical Guru". But, those moments were relatively few and they didn't ruin the rest of the concert for me and thankfully they only show a few of these moments on the DVD. And in Kenny's defense they were clearly very heartfelt and well meant.
The other small negative of the DVD is that although it adds 3 songs that were not included on the CD version (which I also have), the DVD eliminated 3 of the songs that were on the CD version. Those three songs were some of my favorites too, such as a second duet with Shanice called "I Would Do Anything" and a wonderful version of "Celebrate Me Home", which is one of my favorites from the concert. Also eliminated on the DVD was an awesome performance of "Angry Eyes". On the DVD, one of the replacement songs was "Return To Pooh Corner", which though nice, unless you have young children, it doesn't do much. I could have done without it, anyway!
That being said, this is still a wonderful DVD of the best concert I have ever attended and would be a treasured addition to any Kenny Loggins fans collection. I would also recommend this DVD (as well as the CD) to anyone, even if they don't think they could ever be a Kenny Loggins fan! This is not your typical Kenny Loggins music and it is performed in a way which is fresh and impressive and the scenery is gorgeous too!
By the way, if your foot isn't tapping to the beat during the energetic performances of "Footloose" and "I'm Alright", you had better check your pulse. You might be dead?!
This DVD still gets a solid and well deserved 5 out of 5 stars!
Rating: Summary: A Memorable Experience Review: I was privileged to see this performance on cable TV and now 10+ years later, I am still filled with the warmth and good feelings it brought. Kenny was and is a warm and fun-loving artist. And yet you understood that this was not just an outdoor concert, he allowed that audience to feel the beauty and majesty of the Redwoods and how we must preserve and protect as well as enjoy our natural resources. This is a performance to hand down to your children and their children.
Rating: Summary: Nice laid back outing from the 'Footloose' man Review: If you're expecting an adrenaline-driven outing featuring all of Kenny Loggins' uptempo numbers like "Danger Zone" and "Playing With The Boys", this DVD isn't for you. It is, however, a fine unplugged-style performance filmed agianst the gorgeous backdrop of the Redwoods, with Kenny backed by a truly talented bunch of musicians and some outstanding guests, including Michael McDonald and Windham Hill Records' founder Will Ackerman. Beginning with the anthemic "Conviction Of The Heart", carrying on through "What A Fool Believes" (performed as a duet with Michael McDonald), and a zydecko-influenced "Footloose", this concert is just great to watch. Other stand-out tracks include "Will Of The Wind" (featuring Will Ackerman) and "Watching The River Run". The sound comes in two flavours, stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Skip the stereo track and stick to the 5.1, which has great ambience and just opens up the sound. The video is pretty ok, though not of reference quality. Part of the concert was filmed during the day, and part of it night. The night-time sequences look a little soft, but aren't distracting.
Rating: Summary: Nice laid back outing from the 'Footloose' man Review: If you're expecting an adrenaline-driven outing featuring all of Kenny Loggins' uptempo numbers like "Danger Zone" and "Playing With The Boys", this DVD isn't for you. It is, however, a fine unplugged-style performance filmed agianst the gorgeous backdrop of the Redwoods, with Kenny backed by a truly talented bunch of musicians and some outstanding guests, including Michael McDonald and Windham Hill Records' founder Will Ackerman. Beginning with the anthemic "Conviction Of The Heart", carrying on through "What A Fool Believes" (performed as a duet with Michael McDonald), and a zydecko-influenced "Footloose", this concert is just great to watch. Other stand-out tracks include "Will Of The Wind" (featuring Will Ackerman) and "Watching The River Run". The sound comes in two flavours, stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Skip the stereo track and stick to the 5.1, which has great ambience and just opens up the sound. The video is pretty ok, though not of reference quality. Part of the concert was filmed during the day, and part of it night. The night-time sequences look a little soft, but aren't distracting.
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