The Who - Live in Boston

Rating:
Summary: Zak's ok
Review: A good effort, but without John's driving bass the Who is just average.Now Zak is very good[Ringo's son] but some of the classics are a real miss without John's magic fingers. Losing Keith was bad enough,but if they can't find a bassist that can re-produce at least some of the Entwhistle's magic please don't tour or make these DVD's. As a fan who saw them live in the past it is just a cash grab.

Rating:
Summary: DISSAPOINTING
Review: A GREAT BAND THAT SOUNDS TIRED. UNDERSTANDABLE, WITH THE PASSING OF JOHN. THIS CONCERT WAS HARD TO LISTEN TO. PETE SEEMED PISSED THE WHOLE NIGHT AND THE GUITAR PLAYING SOUNDED RUSTY, LIKE HE DIDN'T CARE. RODGER SEEMED TO STRUGGLE WITH THE HIGH NOTES(MAYBE DUE TO AGE). THEY DID HIRE TOP NOTCH MUSICIANS, PINO PALLIDINO(BASS), A GREAT FRETLESS PLAYER(PAUL YOUNG, DON HENLEY), AND ZAK STARKEY(DRUMS). THE KEYBOARDIST AND SECOND GUITARIST ALSO SOUNDED FINE. I THINK THE WHO WROTE SOME OF THE GREATIST ROCK CLASSICS EVER. MAYBE THIS WAS JUST A BAD NIGHT TO RECORD OR TOO SOON AFTER JOHN'S DEATH, BUT THIS DVD IS A DISSAPOINTMENT.

Rating:
Summary: Really, must people still beat up on The Who again?
Review: A solid video of Daltrey and Townshend in transition, trying to recover from the emotional, spiritual and physical loss of the greatest bass guitarist on Earth. Not as explosive as "Live At The Royal Albert Hall" or "The Kids Are Alright" due to the Ox's absence, of course, the new video is a fairly accurate document of the 2002 tour. Yes, Pino is no John, but Pino did an admirable job of not mimicking his predessor. (The Who's second drummer, Kenney Jones, also should be given a high-five for not aping Moon in 1979-1982 and at Live Aid in 1985). And to the guy below who says that Zak "sucks," it's obvious you're not a drummer. Zak doesn't suck at all. He was on fire in Dallas in 2000 with Entwistle. Zak probably reigned in his playing a pinch or two during the filming of the Boston DVD due to a new bassist (Pino) on board for the tour. After all, the Boston gig was pretty early on in the tour schedule. The Who in 2002 was still better than The Stones, although John Entwistle and Keith Moon always will be missed by us long-time fans. I wish they'd release a video of the 2000 Dallas-Reunion Arena show. At least I still have the audio from that stellar show, proving that Zak doesn't stink on the skins.
Peace

Rating:
Summary: No Entwistle, but The Who Still Rocks
Review: I attended a concert on this tour and remember specifically purchasing a ticket in advance to be on the left side of the stage to see Entwistle up close. Needless to say there was disappointment and sadness learning of his death in Las Vegas at the beginning of the tour.

I don't agree that this was one of the best concerts from that year as I have listened to The Who box set from this tour and/or was at the concert.

My top three concerts from that year were:

1) Grand Rapids 2) New York 3) Toronto

Boston was a strong showing as well, but I got the feeling from watching this DVD that a lot of the dialogue was edited (I happen to like the dialogue between songs, it's entertaining and puts the song into a unique context).

I also agree that the video editing doesn't do justice to the live concert . . . but I really don't think any typical edit is adaquate. From watching them live I think the best way to shoot them is to just set a panoramic camera somewhere in the center and just leave it. They're up there competing for your attention and having an editor choose for you is annoying.

And what ever happened to DVD support for multi-angle functions...why couldn't they take advantage of this like they did on the Royal Albert Hall DVD?

I was also disappointed that the DVD didn't contain a long Pete solo during 5'15 such as the one he performed at the Grand Rapids concert. This is a perfect example of how good Pete was playing, and how he was stepping up his performance to keep the concert rocking. If you watch the Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD, Entwistle gave a jaw-dropping bass solo during 5'15. At the Grand Rapids concert from this year, Pete gives an incredible guitar solo at the same point in the song when John would normally come in and wow the audience.

Yes there is diappointment because Entwistle isn't there, but as Pete said at the time "I feel like I'm playing better than I have in years". You can tell this by this DVD, and it was even more evident from the live concerts. For those of us who went to some of these concerts, this is a worthwhile souvenir. Even if you weren't there this is a great DVD concert. Pete and Roger worked great together and Pete's playing and even his voice (as Roger points out on the DVD) were outstanding. Pino's bass is simple but solid nonetheless, reminiscent of John's early recordings with the Who (esp. on "My Generation"). He stands in the corner, plays the bass and plays it well, doesn't do anything showy, and provide great support as a good bass player should.

For those with no interest in the 2002 tour, I recommend Live at Royal Albert Hall for the "later years" of the Who.

Rating:
Summary: A New Vibration...
Review: Overall this is a quite enjoyable concert film. It is very "watchable" vis-à-vis the manner in which it was filmed, camerawork, etc. You feel like you are watching an actual live concert, rather than some overproduced two-hour music video.

Pete and Rog are in good form, as is the rest of the band. Bassist Pino Paladino does a good job playing the songs, but John is still sorely missed, of course. If you try to think of it as a "Daltrey/Townshend" show and just enjoy it on the same level as Zeppelin fans would a Page & Plant show, John's absence might be a bit more bearable. The bass could stand to be a bit louder in places, too.

The song selection is good, albeit not radically different from the 2000 tour. For what it's worth, some visuals shown on screens during the concerts are not apparent on the DVD, but the band's performance is certainly enough to carry the show. Interesting interview segments and a gallery of Entwitsle's artwork also make this one worth getting.

"Live in Boston" is a worthy addition to anyone's video or Who collection. For anyone who finds John's absence too distracting, get the John Entwistle Band Live DVD and watch that one too.

Rating:
Summary: THE DRUMMER SUCKS
Review: Please pardon my direct approach to the title I use. He may be Ringo's son, but Zaks drumming just does not complement Who's monumental catalog of classics. It's dull and plodding...he pauses beats where the drums should be filling...I am not an expert drummer, but i noticed his lack of knowledge or (ability?)to give these songs the punctuation they deserve...very vanilla....almost flavorless playing.

As a result, we are missing the exciting fills and soulful pounding of Keith Moon. that drummer that was with them (Kenny??) after Keiths death better understood the drum power and style needed to make the who fly high.

The sound was also kind of sucky...I bought my copy at Sams Warehouse...I should have spent the 13 bucks on groceries because this disc is a disappointment = waste of money!

2 Stars for Pete and Roger....

Rating:
Summary: Buy only as a post-Ox curiosity.
Review: The Who is my favorite band of all time. The Royal Albert Hall concert, with Entwistle, is far superior to this retread performance. That DVD was better filmed and edited, and had the added excitement of some special guests.

This one trots out the same warhorse songs they've played over the last six tours, with some sorry sounding songs from the anti-Who albums "It's Hard" and "Face Dances".

The boys would do better to mine "Who By Numbers" for some songs to play live.

Roger's voice is a bit gravelly. Pete is okay. Get "Royal Albert Hall" to see the original punks in much better form. Get Live at the Isle of Wight or The Kids Are Alright to see the best rock and roll bad ever.

Rating:
Summary: Could have been really good.
Review: The Who's 2002 tour got rave reviews, and their September 28th show in Boston was cited by Matt Kent as one of the highlights.

Sadly, you would never know that by looking at this DVD. The blame must fall with the editors. It seems that they were simply not close enough to the material.

For instance, most concert DVDs naturally focus more on the singer than the players. This works for most bands, but not the Who. The excitement of a Who show has always stemmed mainly from Pete Townshend's kinetic performances. Unfortunately, the editors here spend more time on Daltrey.

Indeed, the viewer misses Townshend's grand entrance on "Baba O'Riley," because the camera is busy following Daltrey. Absent as well are Townshend's ferocious windmills at the end of "Who Are You", and his prodigious playing during most of "Relay".

When the editors are finally forced to focus on Townshend - during songs like "Eminence Front", in which he sings the lead lines, and "Sparks", a mostly instrumental number - some incredibly energetic music is captured. The latter includes some very cool ad-lib lyrics, by the guitarist.

In regards to John Entwistle, he is missed greatly, of course, but Pino Palladino is a perfectly competent and even exciting bassist in his own right.

I think the bootleg DVDs of the tour - particularly Candem and the Greek Theatre ultimately hold up better.

It's too bad. This could have been really good.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Concerts of my Life
Review: There is truly nothing like The Who LIVE. My first concert ever (I'm only 18) was to see The Who perform at the Tweeter Center on September 27, 2002 where this DVD is from. It was one of the greatest moments in my life to see Roger and Pete onstage! I do wonder however what it would have been like with Keith and John up onstage too. Probably unbelievable!
Anyways this Concert DVD is amazing! I remember seeing the show live and I was blown away. The sound quality is wonderful and Pete sure can play his guitar! I really enjoy this DVD because I think the Who is one of thee best live bands out there and if you never of had a chance to see the who live, then purchase this DVD and watch it! For any Who fan you should at least watch this DVD to "experience" the live who. Also the interviews with Roger and Pete are worth the entire price of the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A Eulogy for a friend
Review: This concert is one of the saddest Rock and Roll events I have ever witnessed. Not because the band is not playing well- they are. But every moment is tinged with the sadness of having lost a great friend, and our realization that a wonderful rock and roll personality has been removed from the world. John Entwistle died from taking cocaine, and by all standards that was a stupid act of selfishness. Leaving his mates in the lurch in the middle of a tour- John, John, John, defintely bad form at best. The pain, the sadness is evident in every closeup, between the songs, and in the music itself. Listen to Townsend's tortured guitar licks and Daltry's strangled singing and you will know this is a group of friends in deep mourning. The music though is fantastic, even though they occasionally get out of synch, particularly Zak Starkey, but it doesn't matter. Anything on this night that might be a mistake is forgiven by their fans, and at times the music soars and reaches the heights seen and heard by Who fans in years past when the sound of The Who roared like a lion in the jungle. And like the Lion, The Who are still the Kings of The Rock and Roll world, and even in death will continue to reign.