Paul Simon - Graceland (The African Concert)

Rating:
Summary: Great music and production - fair sound
Review: I have, and have enjoyed, the laserdisc version of this concert, in spite of the O.K. picture quality, and obvious lack of low bass in the audio. There is simply little or nothing below 100 Hz! I grabbed the DVD version in the hope that the quality issues had been remedied . . . nope, it is exactly the same. What a shame. Nevertheless, it remains an entertaining show, with high production values, and some of the best tunes in pop music.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Concert. Filled my heart with Love and Joy.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD I picked up on a whim. I've always liked Paul Simon and immensely respected him as a musician. Graceland is Simon's opus, his finest work in any regard since Garfunkel. In many opinions this is his finest ever. To see the African Concert on DVD is to really experience Graceland all over again. The setlist is fantastic and one achieves a real grasp on his love for music. The performers carry a heartfelt message to the African people through the music. Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Miriam Makeba bring their proud and political music to what appeared to be a several thousand people on a sunny Soweto day. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Paul Simon - Musical Genius
Review: I'm a bit more generous. I give this DVD 5 stars for political and historical relevance and 3 stars for transfer. Video quality is average for a DVD and sound quality is a CD quality recording of an outdoor concert. If you think Paul Simon is a musical genius, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't work in my DVD player either!
Review: It's a great DVD, but it won't play in my player. I'm not the only one to write this either.
It "skips" every 2 minutes making a very noticable jerk in the audio and video. It blanks the audio for about 2 seconds.
I'm going to have to return this.. which I'm very sad about as it's an amazing concert.

Rating:
Summary: Do I have the same DVD?
Review: Lets keep a couple of things in mind here, people! First of all this was recorded in 1987, in Africa, in that time period BEFORE digital cameras. And secondly, digital audio (DAT and PCM) was still a maturing medium (still is as far as I'm concerned). The point of the concert was to go there and make a statement and entertain those people, not to put out a hi-fi, hi-res DVD 13 or 14 years later. I have a Sony Trinitron TV and a Sony DVD player, and I think it looks and sounds great, despite those afore-mentioned physical limitations. And what is reviewer #1 talking about? I don't have ANY interviews on my copy. I don't think he/she is reviewing the same thing we are. I have exactly what the description says- a live concert. The performance is fantastic. The sound is great, and the video quality is pretty darn good. If you like the Graceland CD, you will love this concert.

Rating:
Summary: un grand moment de plaisir
Review: Paul Simon et ses invités nous font passer un grand moment .
en regardant Graceland vous aurez envie de pousser les meubles et de danser au rythme de la musique.
a voir de toute urgence!!!

Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: Simon's creativity is timeless. This concert is 13 years old, and the politics which lurked behind it have changed dramatically. But the music still moves me to tears and laughter. Very few American musicians (especially white ones) could blend their style with the exciting rhythms and language of the African culture the way Simon has. It has to be the music which makes this album great, since the production is simple enough to have been performed in a high school auditorium. Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela were long appreciated by me, but the Ladysmith Black Mambazo group was a delightful new find.

Rating:
Summary: A Strong 5 Stars
Review: South African Music is some of the best in the world and Paul Simon brings it all together. Well done! The performers include Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Paul Simon.

(Wallingford)

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD - - -but a problem on some players
Review: The content of this DVD is amazing, 5 stars, but thats only when the DVD works. The disc, on my JVC player actually crashes the machine, requiring me to manually unplug and replug the power cord before the unit will eject the disc. The disc refuses to play, of course, and was about to be returned. . .until. . .I tried it on my computer's DVD drive (tried on a flat screen Imac, as well as a Compaq PC) the disc works just fine then, and is a terrific show. The sound quality is not perfect, nor is it in surround, but since this concert was recorded in 1986, it is understandible and dosent factor into my review. The show was shot during the daytime, so the visuals arent as mind-blowing as they could be, but once again, this video's beauty is in what the show was about and how it sounds.

Rating:
Summary: What a joy!!!
Review: This is a MUST for Africans and Lovers of African music! It's not only the marvellous work of Paul Simon,but of other artists,specially Myriam Makeba and the FABULOUS Ladysmith Black Mambazo. You feel the love,and almost...the smell of Africa!