Phil Collins - Finally - The First Farewell Tour

Rating:
Summary: Just received it today
Review: I pre-ordered this DVD over a month ago and waited anxiously in anticipation. I went to two of the concerts from the tour in Ann Arbor and Columbus. I am a loyal fan. HOWEVER, this whole Paris taping it wasn't the best selection. One of my favorite duets by Phil is Separate Lives and in it he sang with both (I believe) Amy Keys and maybe Lamont Vanhook? Anyway he used two of his singers in the song and it was AMAZING. I only wish he would have used the same trio in his DVD. Does anyone know where I can get ahold of that song???? My only other complaint about the tour in general was the lack of songs from Both Sides of the Story, which was a good album. Anyway the rest of the DVD is perfect and a must-have for any and all Phil Collins fans.

Rating:
Summary: Phil In
Review: "Phil Inn" was the "nom de l'air" of a local DJ in the seventies on Toronto's CHUM FM. When he wasn't "filling in", Rick Moranis was often there.
Ask my father about a movie that is 123 minutes long, and he'll take 124 minutes to tell you.
I'll take a few words only.
This "final concert" is over two hours of fine music. Phil is in great voice and at the drumset. He has wonderful backup, especially the great Leland Sklar, now looking a bit like the old man from the forest, but embarrassing bass players decades younger with his touch and tone.
Phil filled in all the gaps, and, if he has stopped touring, there will be huge shoes to "Phil."

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Summary: i wouldn't if i were you...
Review: Being a very, very long time fan of Genesis and all offshoots thereof for many years, watching this concert video was not easy. I can't quite put my finger on it, but- while the music has got that token phil quality about it, the performance itself is extremely sterile. Walt Disney would be proud. I suppose after performing smash hit songs after so many years, at some point, has to become a chore. And looking at phil in this one- it's really starting to show. The manner in which the back-up singers and brass section take over parts of the show is very disappointing and at times is almost offensive. Genesis is reuniting when ?



Rating:
Summary: A MUST BUY & A GREAT BARGAIN
Review: I own about 10 concert DVD's and this one is by far the best! I pre-ordered this one a month ago and received it 2 days after the release last week (great service amazon!). I have always liked Phil's music but I never realized how talented a vocalist and a musician he was until I watched this concert. Phil, the band, the backup singers and the horn section all have great showmanship--you can see they had a great time playing this concert. Showmanship + musicianship + great music = awesome concert. I have not yet found another DVD that includes 24 top 20 hits performed live plus the MTV videos to go with most of the hits. All for $20! Plus a documentary about the tour that is well done. That's alot of bang for your buck. ONLY ONE BIT OF CRITICISM: for some reason I cannot get the DVD to pause on my Sony DVD player. I've never had this problem with any other DVD. Has anybody else had this problem?

Rating:
Summary: Phil has done it again!
Review: I saw Phil on this tour in Orlando, he was outstanding then, and this DVD shows the true experience of his First Farewell Tour. Its hard to imagine a world without Phil Collins, but this DVD will provide a lasting experience of a lifetime

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Summary: I don't care if Phil's not cool - I love this stuff
Review: I've been a diehard Genesis fan from the old days. Love Peter for Peter, but Phil pulled the band together as a unit far more effectively until "Genesis", as far as I'm concerned. The pop approach suited him much better than the pensive, romantic style of Mike and Tony, who sounded like a string quartet playing Depeche Mode once the latter day stuff came out. I love both their voices.

While my tastes do not lean toward peppy pop, when I listen to this music with some years in between this and my Lamb/Wind and Wuthering heyday, I realize that this is just darned fine pop. he works his butt off, the music is full of hooks and high-points, some silliness, but it is Pop Art, and it makes me happy. Would I like a reunion of prog-era Genesis? Absolutely. but for what it is, this is a great show, full of love and effort and world-class playing. And, though it may not matter to some, there is an all-too-brief nuclear drum solo, the only one (save for an obscure Brand X CD, Live at the Roxy) on legitimate record by Phil, which contrasts with the more conventional fireworks of the wonderful Chester Thompson, followed by an astounding drum duo and trio with master percussionist Luis Conte. Phil's solo and the percussion ensemble are pieces of music, not gymnastics, complete with fancy tricks and crowd pleasers, but as close to a drum "song" as you're likely to find in the mainstream.

So liking Phil ain't cool. Tough. This is one of the hardest working, crowd-pleasing, laugh-at-yourself and have a good time, heart on his sleeve performers out there. And the DVD offers enough goodies to make for a great farewell gift for his fans.

So it's not "deep" - but it is fun pop artistry. Just enjoy it. There's plenty of serious progressive music out there to go around. What's so bad about a simple song with a groove, played at a world class level? Nuff said.

Rating:
Summary: Great Dvd, (And this is from a kid)
Review: Im 17 Years old. And i Must Say, that this i very well a dvd to own if you are a phil collins fan. I also have to state that i dont like the way you cant play all of the videos at once. But who i really dont care. Now if he only gets back together with Genesis. Phil will always Rule.

Rating:
Summary: GRRRREAT!!!!
Review: Just received my dvd and watched it all. I went to see Phil when he was on this tour. Watching the dvd was like being at the concert again. When I was at the concert I did not want it to end and I feel the same way about the dvd. Definitely worth the wait and the price

Rating:
Summary: A great concert direct to DVD...finally!
Review: Phil Collins has always graciously bothered to record a "memento" show to document his successful world tours...Berlin in 1990, Paris in 1997, Dallas in 1985. A nice reward for some of us who got to see them in the flesh. His 2004 "First Final Farwell Tour" was no exception. If anything, this DVD reminds me how disappointing it is Collins has chosen now to "retire"; he has always packed his shows with top-notch production, both in visuals and sound. However, this couldn't always be captured on VHS (or even DVD rereleases of VHS). This DVD does capture it though. DVD technology has caught up to him...and now he's leaving!

Still, he has left us something truly wonderful on this DVD. Filmed in Paris in June 2004, the musical performances are fantastic, most notably topped with great sax solos by Gerald Albright. Helmed by director Hamish Hamilton, who worked wonders with Peter Gabriel's "Growing Up Live" DVD in 2003, the video footage is likewise sweeping in its scope, covering the massive stage, loads of band members, and the vast audience present. Collins is enjoyable to watch, but so too is everyone else around him.

The DVD is also packed with bonuses. A few performances from the concert come with the "multi-angle" feature and it is used here to good effect. Most tracks are also accompanied by their original music videos, which are nice to finally have in a digital format. There are also several other rare live performances culled from the archives that really make this DVD a must-have for all Collins fans.

Great visuals and great music, along with tons of extras, make this DVD a great buy. Sadly, Collins is part of a slowly-disappearing class of musicians who combined stunning visual styles with musical substance and produced fantastic rich shows that never tire on repeated viewing. Yet, thanks to great DVDs like this one, the show will always go on.

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Summary: The Ultimate Phil Collins DVD So Far.
Review: The Fist Farewell Tour DVD is easily the best DVD released by Phil Collins to date. Firstly the performance is first rate with Phil's voice sounding better than ever and with Chester Thomson back on drums the music too has lifted a notch. The quality of the sound is astounding and the director did a great job with the way in which this production was filmed, with no jumping between shots at a rapid rate as can be seen on some other concert dvd's. The amount of extra's are generous to say the least with almost every song performed in concert being accompanied by its video in the extra's. Most other artists would hold this material over for another dvd, so anyone who says this isn't value for money needs a reality check. All this ensures this is a dvd that will be enjoyed for years to come.