This is quite simply one great DVD.
When I saw the US Tour show in Seattle last year, hearing these songs — many of which I honestly never expected to see ever performed live — literally brought tears to my eyes. They took me back to when I first heard them in a way I simply did not expect. Watching this DVD, and seeing the similar reactions of many in the audience — hugging, kissing, and crying with each other to the music — brought those memories flooding right back.
Of course you've got the hits. From "Magical Mystery Tour," to "Drive My Car," to "Eleanor Rigby," they are all meticulously reproduced here. But what made the US tour truly special was the more obscure material McCartney brought out. Who could have imagined, for example, ever hearing something like "I'll Get You" (first released as the B-side to the single version of "She Loves You") performed on a concert stage in 2006? Or how about forgotten chestnuts like "Till There Was You," "Please Please Me" and "Fixing A Hole"? Those great songs and more are all here.
The other thing I most remember from seeing McCartney live on the US tour last year was the incredible lighting and staging. When Paul takes the stage to "Magical Mystery Tour" here, the lights generated by the hundreds of LCD screens behind him are simply stunning.
Since much of this DVD was shot in Los Angeles, it's also interesting to see how celebrities from Jay Z and Beyonce to Bono and Steven Tyler line up to meet and greet Paul backstage in the same way every day fans like you and I would. During "Helter Skelter" you can even spot Jack Nicholson in the crowd throwing his hands in the air like he just don't care.
There are also personal insights on the impact of Paul McCartney and the Beatles offered up by notables ranging from Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder to President Bill Clinton (who comes across as a major fan). If I have any complaint at all about this DVD, it is that "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be," two of the most powerful songs McCartney performs in concert, are basically cut short by the behind the scenes vignettes.
But that's small potatoes in the greater scheme of things. Simply put, this is a great DVD.
You can view a trailer from it by going to Warner Music's website. Or better yet, just go get it.
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Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites.
2 - Glen Boyd
Great news. Thanx Connie. -Glen
3 - Gillian Gaar
Howdy Glen; I have to say I disagree. To me, the constant crowd shots rapidly became very tiresome; after the first three I was thinking "Yes, we get the point, people of many generations like Paul, you can stop w/the crowd shots now!" I'd be happy if I never saw another crowd shot in any live vid/DVD again actually... I have to say I also found the constant parade of people saying How Absolutely Wonderful Paul McCartney Is to be tiresome, mainly because that kind of stuff's been done in his previous vids/DVDs. But most of all, I really didn't like that rapid editing during the concert; a cut on every line practically. You can't really get into the show that way. Compare w/something like Concert for Bangladesh; I interviewed that director, and we bemoaned the quick cutting that's too prevalent today. I have to say I don't feel Paul's put out a good live vid/DVD to date...and that's one reason, I think, why bootlegs remain so popular.
4 - Glen Boyd
Nice to hear from you again Gillian. Been awhile...(and yes it is "me").
Anyway, I think we may have to just agree to disagree on this point. Normally I would totally agree that the crowd shots are a distraction. But in this particular case, I think they actually add to the overall story being told here. Which, in this particular case is the unique way Big Mac has impacted not only "our" generation, but subsequent ones through his music. I may be turning into a "softie" in my old age, but I actually found myself getting a little choked up at all the shots of the audience embracing, etc. to the timeless songs here. So for me, on the level of telling a story, it kinda works.
I can relate to what you are saying on a purely musical level though. I know you are a big fan, and I have to admit that were this, say a Springsteen show, I might find myself similarly irritated (cutting to the audience during say, the mid-section of "Backstreets" would probably piss me off pretty good).
For me the most irritating thing about this vid is the choice to exclude huge chunks of songs like "Let it Be" and especially "Hey Jude."
Anyway, thanks for putting in your $.02 here. And it was also good to hear from you again after all these years.
-Glen
5 - Sam
That's a nice article and I agree with most of it except the exclusion of Hey Jude and Let It Be. I think that's smart because for fans who've already watched "Back In The US" and "In Red Square" it's better to hold back these 2 songs for a while not to be overly exposed. Too much of a good thing dilutes its impact. They still give you "Yesterday" though.
Another point is the backstage where you see Jay Z and Beyonce. I would guess that's Grammy Awards backstage, not Paul's because Bono was there too. But I could be wrong 'cos I was not there! Cheers.