Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, but too short!
Review: This DVD is wonderful; a real "must have". Metheny, Pastorius, and company are terrific with Joni; however, the DVD (a short single disc) should have at least provided us with some bonus footage or interviews of participants from this legendary tour. There must be some great additional film buried in a vault somewhere. What a shame.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but too short!
Review: This DVD is wonderful; a real "must have". Metheny, Pastorius, and company are terrific with Joni; however, the DVD (a short single disc) should have at least provided us with some bonus footage or interviews of participants from this legendary tour. There must be some great additional film buried in a vault somewhere. What a shame.
Rating:
Summary: ...and new footage, too!
Review: This has always been one of my favorites -- I wore out the video tape and then the laserdisc so I'm very familiar with the program. So I was very surprised to find a new song on the DVD. "Hejira", which hasn't been included on previous releases of this concert, is sandwiched into the DVD program. However, it's really more like a video clip, since it doesn't contain a scrap of concert footage. It's made up of the same images as the "Hejira" album cover -- Joni in the fur beret and cloak, the ice skater and the bride. In the DVD, it seems to be taped in an ice rink with too many follow spots and it's mostly footage of the skater giving what I thought was a pretty overwrought performance, with Joni skating around flapping her cloak (black crow-like) and occasionally addressing the camera directly while lipsyncing to the concert soundtrack. Kind of odd, but worth seeing all the same. This work was released about four years before the dawn of MTV and the video editing is crude by today's standards -- experimental is perhaps a better word. It's jarring and I agree with other postings -- we'd be better off without those clips of Vegas and archival footage. The picture is great and the sound is clearer than ever before. In fact, during "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", you can very clearly hear on of the Persuasions (who's oversinging anyway) forget the lyric "it will reach defeat" and just make some inarticulate vowel sounds. Hilarious! Great stuff. Yeah, buy the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome music! SHAME about the film bits
Review: This has to be Joni's absolute creative peak. Great compositions, stunning line-up, brilliant. But... somewhere in the process of creating this DVD someone decided to mix bits of old films through the concert registration. Whoever it is, he or she should be flogged for that. Right through amazing solos you are watching bits of James Dean... SHAME! This DVD is a nice addition to see the artists at work if you already own the LP or CD, but if you don't: go for the CD first and decide later if you want to buy the DVD as well. (Or even better: get the LP if you can get your hands on it.)
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Performance With a Jazz Supergroup
Review: This is a must have for any fan of Pat Metheny or Lyle Mays or the late Jaco Pastorius. Its a veritable jazz super group backing Joni up. As one of the prior reviewers noted, you can buy this on eBay on DVD from sellers in Hong Kong. For Pat Metheny fans, the "We Live Here" and "Secret Story" live DVDs are also available, which have been available in the U.S. only on laserdisc.
Rating:
Summary: If your a JM or Jazz fan, this is for you.
Review: This is the only real fleshing-out of the jazz songs to which Joni added lyrics of Charlie Mingus' music (featured in her previous album "Mingus"). In addition there are several Mitchell favourites, and some suprises. It is a live-recording, complete with the songs an sounds of the location/audience. But to see the band she has brought with her (whom have now become the avante-garde of the current modern jazz movement) is the real thrill. Her "road band" includes Pat Methany, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker, Don Alias and Jaco Pastorius. The latter member is at the height of his powers; long before the ill-fated big band tour and sorrowful demise. My personal favourite is this rendition of "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines". Joni, as usual, let's the band members backing her have the spotlight, and they really rip 12-bar blues a new one. Jaco played on the 'Mingus' album, but really shines here. And, by the way, "good luck" to any Sax player who tries to match Brecker's solo work on this one; you have many long hours of work ahead of you. Wow! If ever there was a moment in time to cherish in live concert performance, this is it!
Rating:
Summary: please release it!
Review: This video is so awesome. I love Joni so much and Jaco is my favourite bass player. I have never ever seen it in Australia and I don't think it was ever released but I managed to see a copy of it from a friend that came back from overseas. I have been so deparate for it to be released. Please Warners please release it, you'll make heaps of money from it. You'll be happy we'll all be happy. Just ask Joni, I'm sure she would be happy for it to be released.
Rating:
Summary: The Best! Please release on DVD!
Review: This was a fantastic concert with an absolutely incredible backup band, each member who could headline any venue. One of my favorite moments is when Jaco Pastorius cuts loose with a looping solo. A friend of mine has the Laser Disc of this concert and I am dying to get a high-quality 5.1 channel DVD.
Rating:
Summary: What a Band!
Review: Unlike many of the previous reviewers, I had never seen this concert video before I purchased the DVD a few weeks ago. I have owned the album on vinyl for more than 20 years, and always been curious about the video which accompanied its release, but never had the opportunity to see it. Although it has its' drawbacks, it was worth the wait to see this. The band is unbelieveable, and all the myth surrounding Jaco Pastorius makes it worth the effort to search this out. Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays are wonderful (I love the way Lyle throws in that lick from "Phase Dance" right in the middle of the opening "In France They Kiss on Main Street"), and Jaco, well, words can't really do Jaco justice. It's just amazing seeing all this on video - the way the band plays off each other just can't be adequately described. Like most of those who have written earlier, my main complaint about this is all of the old movie clips shown with no rhyme or reason throughout the concert. For me, they distracted from instead of adding to the experience. Otherwise, this is mostly excellent. Joni is very loose (for a self-confessed introvert) and sure of herself. It's obvious she's having a great time. And who wouldn't, with some of the best musicians in the world backing you up? Despite the cheessy obviousness of some of the videos, this is still a top-notch DVD. The 5.1 sound is excellent, and even though there are a couple of songs from the album missing, we get a few which are only on the video - Jaco's solo and nice version of "Raised on Robbery". Good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: What a Band!
Review: Unlike many of the previous reviewers, I had never seen this concert video before I purchased the DVD a few weeks ago. I have owned the album on vinyl for more than 20 years, and always been curious about the video which accompanied its release, but never had the opportunity to see it. Although it has its' drawbacks, it was worth the wait to see this. The band is unbelieveable, and all the myth surrounding Jaco Pastorius makes it worth the effort to search this out. Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays are wonderful (I love the way Lyle throws in that lick from "Phase Dance" right in the middle of the opening "In France They Kiss on Main Street"), and Jaco, well, words can't really do Jaco justice. It's just amazing seeing all this on video - the way the band plays off each other just can't be adequately described. Like most of those who have written earlier, my main complaint about this is all of the old movie clips shown with no rhyme or reason throughout the concert. For me, they distracted from instead of adding to the experience. Otherwise, this is mostly excellent. Joni is very loose (for a self-confessed introvert) and sure of herself. It's obvious she's having a great time. And who wouldn't, with some of the best musicians in the world backing you up? Despite the cheessy obviousness of some of the videos, this is still a top-notch DVD. The 5.1 sound is excellent, and even though there are a couple of songs from the album missing, we get a few which are only on the video - Jaco's solo and nice version of "Raised on Robbery". Good stuff.
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