Reviews (144)

The greatest Rock N' Roll Film of all time.
From start to finish this film captures everything that is, or was, rock n' roll.You have Blues with Muddy Waters, Eric clapton and Paul Butterfield.You have Rockabilly with Ronnie Hawkins. You have Countryfied rock with Neil Young ,Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris. Then there is the soul of The Staple Singers and Van Morrison.The singer/songwriting of Neil Diamond.Last but not least, Bob Dylan.Who shows up at the end of the movie to put it all together with the stars of the show, THE BAND.All the styles mentioned above can be found in any given BAND song. I highly doubt that if you are reading this that you are unfamiller with the music of The Band. MArtin Scorsese does a great job of capturing the raw emotion that could take place at a real rock n' roll show. I could go on forever, but I won't. The main reason I'm writng this is to say that Robbie and Mr. Scorsese are finally getting together to work on the DVD Version of this fantastic document. No word on when it is to be released, but I will be one of the first persons to buy a copy and you should be too.

ONE WORD - AWESOME
This film's music has had a lasting effect on me from when I first saw it with my father at the movie theater as a young teenager, through the time I could not wait to get back to the states from my summer vacation to listen to the LP again, to this day as I order the DVD.

A few highlights; 1. Rick Danko's soulful and honest singing of "It Makes No Difference", "Stagefright" and many others. God bless his soul. 2. Levon Helm's "americana personified" singing on "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down" and his perfect drumming. 3. Dylan's God-like presence and powerful performance. 4. Vann Morrison's deep and electrifying performance that raised the hair on my arms. 5. Neil Young's sincerity with a haunting behind the scenes Joni Mitchell singing "Helpless, Helpless". 6. Clapton showing his usual class by letting Robbie outduel him in their guitar solos. 7. Robbie Robertson's guitar on Van's song "Caravan" and many others. 8. Garth Hudson's unique keyboards and Richard Manuel's spirited piano and singing.

[Forget] the imperfections, this is a musical masterpiece, showcasing many of the greatest musical talents of the last 40 years. The Band are simply one of the greats of all time. John X. Condos

Presentation overshadows music
I must say I'm not a huge fan of The Band, but I like "Before the Flood". However, I was amazed at how poorly The Band played, and sang even worse, in this, their farewell concert. It is hard to believe they had played together for 17 years.

Even the guests, such as Bob Dylan, seemed to use their worst voice. Only Eric Clapton was really any good, though Van Morrison was acceptable. Otherwise, fairly embarrassing musical performances. At the end, *everybody* is onstage singing "I Shall Be Released" - killing an otherwise nice song.

Obviously Scorsese got all the good film people and photographers to work on the project, and it was well done. So well done that the presentation outshines the music.

There are some nice extras, including multiple commentaries. Hard to recommend it unless you are truly a Band fan.

Not bad for a fiver
I got this DVD at my brother's recommendation for a fiver in Heathrow Airport, and it was good value at that. Good American music and a very well shot concert movie (well, it is Scorsese!) The interview sequences are intersting and as a Chaucer fan I delighted at the intro to the Canterbury Tales being read out. I was unfamiliar with the group's music before seeing this, and whilst they aren't a patch on Creedence Clearwater Revival I still admire their music. An interesting insight to a little segment of rock history.

when the best rock band and movie director collide ...
It's a worn-out formula nowadays. Bob Dylan did it, Chuck Berry did it, and Luciano Pavarotti does it all the time. They also do it every time somebody dies, and in this case you don't even have to be a musician. Yeah, I'm talking about that dreary event, the celebration concert with guest musician buddies. But there are exceptions to the rule, and this is definitely the case here.

To celebrate that they were quitting the 'god---n impossible' life on the road after 16 years, The Band gave a farewell concert in San Francisco, on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. To join them, they invited artists who represented the rich and varied array of styles that went into their musical melting pot: Rock'n' Roll, Blues, Folk, New Orleans R'n'B, Country, Gospel, Rockabilly ... who would sing their own numbers backed up by them. They, noblesse oblige, brought in their first mentor, Ronnie Hawkings, a man who sure knows how to entice a teenager into joining a rock'n'roll band, and Bob Dylan, of course, (who had just released Blood on the Tracks and Desire), Joni Mitchell (The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira her most recent albums), Neil Young (Tonight's the Night and Zuma were his latest solo efforts), Muddy Waters (who would release Hard Again, his best late day work the following year), and many, many more I have no space here to mention. All top-notch and in their musical prime. Well, and Neil Diamond.

The result was a concert that can only be described as dazzling and magical. The Band do ecstatic versions of some of their best songs and the guest appereances are also amazing, Van Morrison does what's probably the best version ever of Caravan, Muddy Waters proves why he is the M-A-N, chile, The Staple Singers send a shiver up your spine that can rend you comatose for life, and Robbie Robertson and Eric Clapton bring the house down with their scorching six-strings and then they burn the ruins to ashes. All this just to quote a few. But I have a minor complaint here, the movie only features one song (The Shape I'm in) sung by Richard Manuel, one of the most soulful and moving singers that ever walked the face of the earth. This gives the newcomer a somewhat off-balanced account of how vocal duties were shared in The Band, as one can deduct that Levon Helm sang almost everything with a little help from his friends Rick and Richard. And Levon is darn good, but Richard is the shhh ....sheer top of the heap.

Casting these trifles aside, the movie is a masterpiece. Direcrted by a Martin Scorsese in a state of grace (those were the days of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull), and beautifully darkly photographed by Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), Michael W. Watkins (later X-Files direcror and producer), and Vilmos Zsigmond (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Deer Hunter, Heaven's Gate), this was to be more than your average rock concert documentary.

The filmmakers were set on an ambitious goal, to show what it is and what does it feel to play great music. And they achieved it in such a way that we mere mortals get to feel what it is to be up there on the stage, enraptured, playing that great music to an enthusiastic and receptive crowd. The featurette that is one of the DVD bonus add-ons shows how Scorsese had these sheets of paper with the lyrics of each song to be played written down in one column, the main moments of each performance in another (when a singer would join in the chorus, or the guitar solo was to begin, or a special part of the lyric would be sung, etc), and the camera shots and movements for each moment in a third column. This is called making the best of the means of your art instead of just doing anything that would do, and it shows on the screen in a way that leaves you breathless. Watching Scorsese frantically directing the movie like a tightrope walker with no net to fall down on must've been worth another documentary. They had only one take for everything, mind that, and I guess that's what might have attracted such a brave and audacious director as Scorsese: Jumping into the unstopping swirling midst of life and trying to extract art out of it with just spotlights and cameras. Souns enticing, isnt't it? And for no money nor any promises of getting more you-know-what than Frank Sinatra. ... Read more

Description

Recorded live at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorodo on September 19-20, 2000. Songs include: Motorcycle Mama, Powderfinger, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, I Believe In You, Unknown Legend, Fool For Your Love, Buffalo Springfield Again, Razor Love, Daddy Went Walkin', Peace Of Mind, Walk On, Winterlong, Bad Fog of Loneliness, Words, Harvest Moon, World On A String, Tonight's The Night, Cowgirl In The Sand, Mellow My Mind. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Amazing
Theres a ton of different ways of looking at this dvd, and you can appreciate some of its detracters comments. But this dvd is unbelieveable. i first bought the cd, and the dvd is 10 times better.
we have an great lineup, including former bass player for Booker T and the MGs, Duck Dunn. Ben Kieth is there, which isn't surprising considering the number of projects he and Neilworked on together. Tim Keltenr is there too, and he's a force to be reckoned with. And lets not forget Spooner Oldham, who worked on Harvest Moon and countless other hits with Neil. To top it off, we get vocals from Neil's wife(Pegi) and half sister(Astrid).
Some people complain how the musicions backed off and let Neil do his thing, them just sort of supporting him. Thats why he picked them!!!! All the stuff he's done with Crazy Horse and others, he likes to be able to flourish, and these guys let him do that. Believe me, if there was a true all star cast up there, it wouldn't be as good.
Lighting is lighting. The main focus should be on what you hear, not what you see. And considering the conditions, the lighting is pretty damn good.
The list of songs on the DVD are quite numorous, but the great ones are the long jams: Tonight's The Night, Words, and a tremendus Cowgirl In The Sand.
Bottom line, this isn't Live Rust or Weld, because its not supposed to be. Its just Neil and the gang tooling around, having a good time.

Excellent
Make no mistake about it -- of all the Neil Young concert DVDs that are out there, this is *by far* the best. As has been pointed out, the set list is wonderful. The performances are great -- Neil does have some trouble with the high notes, but Neil's voice was never Pavarotti's -- get over it, people. I love the band -- they're a bunch of older guys (sometimes I think Neil was obsessed with picking band members who look older than he does), but don't mistake their lack of physical motion for a lack of passion -- they rock. Keltner in particular is wonderfully fluid and dynamic in his playing. The venue is great, Neil is in a good mood. As to the so-called Neil Young fan below who made a comment about Neil's hair, you should be ashamed, ashamed, ashamed of yourself. If you are commenting on Neil's appearance, of all things, you obviously don't understand the first thing about Neil Young or his fans. What a low blow. For those of you who love Neil's music and want to have the closest thing to actually seeing him live, this is it. Sure, the Berlin DVD is good, but its entirely different thing -- with much poorer video and audio quality. I happen to love Trans and the songs on it, but lots of people don't -- if that describes you, Berlin is not a great place to start. I would rank Red Rocks as the number 1 disk, followed by Silver & Gold with Berlin and Rust trailing. I've never seen Year of the Horse.

PLUGGED INTO THE SUN!!!!!!
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DISC IS WONDERFULL!!!!
GRAB YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE AND IF YOU WISH
SPARK A MARLEY !!!! ITS ALMOST LIKE YOURE THERE.

SEE YA ON THE GREENDALE TOUR IN HERSHEY PA.

YOURS TRULY
TIM

Neil young Red Rocks
Why is it so hard to find the song list ! Why don't you have it on the main page with the listed DVD.

The other Neil Young
This is one of the finest concert recordings ever made for several reasons:
1) Neil Young.
2) absolutely no, I repeat no audience shots.
3) one of the finest concert venues (visually, I can't attest to the acoustics... someone else will have to do that) hands down.
4) the intriguing set list. I'm of the opinion that Neil selected this particular band to put on video the particular songs, the particular types of songs, given voice here. I view it as a companion video to 'Live Rust', creating a historical record of the 'other' Neil Young. This Neil is a country/folk rocker, and this Neil has plenty of country/folk rock in his litany to choose from... 'Motorcycle Mama', 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere', 'Powderfinger', 'I Believe In You', 'Unknown Legend', and the list goes on and on. Neil selects gems from nearly each and every stage of his career, and the performances just get better and better as the concert (actually filmed over at least two nights at the Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver) progressed. 'Powderfinger' would be the best song on this recording if it wasn't for 'Razor Love', and 'Razor Love' would be the best song if it wasn't for 'Walk On', and 'Walk On' would be the best song if it wasn't for 'Words', and 'Words' would be the best song if it wasn't for 'Cowgirl In the Sand'... it's that kind of a performance.

This is certainly a different ballgame from 'Live Rust', or the 'In Berlin' concerts. 'Live Rust' was a greatest hits compilation, featuring first a solo acoustic set, and then the unparalleled Crazy Horse electric set. 'In Berlin' still drew from the 'Rust Never Sleeps' zenith of Neil's career, but offered a glimpse of the radical transitions Young would be flipping through in the 1980's, seemingly trying to find his footing in a changing landscape, and mastering several distinct genres in the process. Both recordings feature a smattering of drama, 'Live Rust' telling a chronological story of growing up, and toying with the off-beat Road Eyes, while 'In Berlin' features the high energy presence of Nils Lofgren. Another Neil concert tape, 'Weld', is in a league all it's own, featuring Neil as the Godfather of Grunge, and giving Crazy Horse it's wildest workout. That recording is significantly marred by audience shots of some of the most unforgettable concert groupies around (after a bit, you would prefeer to forget, but you can't).

'Red Rocks Live - Friends and Relatives' is none of that. It's just Neil and his friends (Jimmy Keltner on drums, Donald 'Duck' Dunn on bass, Ben Keith on a variety of guitars, but mostly steel guitar, and on keyboards) and relatives (wife Peggy Young and sister Astrid Young doing an admirable job on backing vocals). The filming is, for the most part, right on the money. It alternates between at least two nights of filming, one calm and the other blustery, and culminating in a drenching downpour that finally works its way onto the performers, and adds some REAL electricity and thunderous appeal to the epic final runs of the first encore, 'Cowgirl In the Sand'.

Don't believe any of the criticisms you read here. Sure, Neil is older, sure, some of these songs have probably been performed again and again and get to be old hat to the performers (I was watching the CSN portion of 'Woodstock' the other day and thought... would you ever get as fresh a performance as this ever again?... impossible). On the other hand, like old wine there are elements of the performance that only improve with age... the arrangements get tighter, better thought out, and carry a certain nostalgic appeal that only time can muster. This is a performer giving us impressions of songs that have lived with us through the decades, and if you can't appreciate that... well, you just don't realize what you are missing.

Highlights include some terrific romantic ballads, such as 'Winterlong', 'Harvest Moon', 'Peace Of Mind', and 'Razor Love', touching blues numbers such as 'Bad Fog of Lonliness' (a staple of Young concerts for many years, and available for the first time here on an official release) and 'Fool For Your Love', upbeat rock numbers such as 'Walk On' and 'World On a String', and classic performances of 'Words' and 'Cowgirl In the Sand'. The acoustic set features 'Daddy Went Walking' and 'Buffalo Springfield Again', displaying Young's continued relevance. There is also a very appealing version of "Tonight's the Night', featuring Neil on a bluesy piano while Keith handles the lead guitar lines on his steel guitar. I'm also fond of the vibes on 'Winterlong'.

In short, this is nothing less than an essential componant of any complete Neil Young collection, and dare I say an essential componant of any well-rounded library of rock history. At the very least, if you enjoy watching a great rock show... get this now. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Neil Young's 1978 concert tour, documented in this acclaimed two-hour film that was directed by Young himself (using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey), is a treat for the singer-songwriter's fans. The concept of the show is high (for Young, anyway), if rather odd: roadies (here called "Road Eyes") decked out like the Tusken Raiders from Star Wars, stage announcements from the original Woodstock during set changes, and giant amps, microphones, and so on for an "Incredible Shrinking Man" effect. Of course, it's the music that counts, and there's plenty of that, what with nearly 20 songs (including two versions of "Hey Hey, My My," his nod to the punk movement), acoustic and electric (with longtime companions Crazy Horse), dating back to his Buffalo Springfield days ("I Am a Child") and continuing through popular solo numbers like "Cinnamon Girl" and the extended "Like a Hurricane." DVD bonus material includes photos and song lyrics. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Don't Buy It
The silly antics of the dancing Roadeyes, who are over this DVD, detract greatly from this concert's impact. Neil singing the first two songs from on top of the huge speaker also detracts. Frankly it's all "sophomoric" and not worthy of a great performer. The contrasty stage lighting and the almost complete lack of any crowd shots also detracts. For me, an excellent concert was ruined by all this stuff. I do not agree with the other reviews on this site (except for the two who also said the stage antics were silly). A lot of reviews say if you are a fan, you will love this. That is NOT the standard. If you are a fan, you'll love anything by a group. The standard is if you merely have an interest, you'll love it. There are many excellent concert DVDs (and VHS tapes) out there. Check out some of the "favorites lists" by other Amazon contributors (posted on amazon.com) for ideas and buy something else.

The concert has such a massive impact, it will make you rust
When this concert/film was finally released on DVD, I was absolutely stoked that it could be viewed with a sharp picture and high quality sound it so deserves to almost put you in a seat next to one of the lucky Neil Young fans that would have definately been overwhelmed to be there.

Neil's idea of having roadies as 'road eyes' and sound technicians dressed as 'doctors' pottering around the stage during set breaks, while original themes from the 1969 Woodstock are being played really shows a lot of natural talent went into the whole concept.

While Neil starts off the show looking rather small against the enormous backdrops of illusive amplifiers and roadie cases, it's hard to comprehend that the power of his soft vocals and overtones of the harmonica will push you back into your seat as he bellows out some classic acoustic numbers like 'COMES A TIME', 'THRASHER' and 'THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE'.

The first set that contains some of Neil's best songs comprising of both acoustic, harmonica and piano is like an elaborate lead up to the stage enterance of his long time friends and band members.
Enter 'Crazy Horse' who together with Neil display a magnificent tight musicianship performing excellent songs such as 'WELFARE MOTHERS', 'SEDAN DELIVERY' and 'LIKE A HURRICANE'.

Their flowing musicianship literally makes me 'RUST' back into my chair 'NEVER' wanting to 'SLEEP' while they are playing and it takes me to a place far removed from this western society that we scratch around in.

The Bishop on the keyboards is a real buzz too!!

If you've seen Pink Floyd's 'THE WALL' or Led Zeppelin's 'THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME' and so on, then this DVD is a must see.

Great performances, poor concept
The song performances are great. In Neil Young fashion, they include mistakes and all (ex- NY messes up the last part of the lyrics in acoustic My, My, Hey, Hey). My favorite parts were Powderfinger and Cinnamon Girl.

Unfortunately, this video is the definition of pretentious. All the "Road-Eyes" and giant representation of stage gear is rediculous, and Young actually seems really serious about all of it.

So, in conclusion, this is a great collection of songs and has great performances. Just make sure to keep your fast forward button handy. Or, alternately, you could buy the album Live Rust, which is the same concert on CD without all the crap.

One of the BEST concert videos of all time...
Nuff said. OK, when is 'Weld' coming out on DVD?

Great show, terrible recording
While the music is vintage Neil, the sound quality and video production are poor at best. This one is for the hard core Crazy Horse fan. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A nice surprise from Neil Young
Shakey Pictures is an accurate pseudonym for Neil Young's video productions - most of his concert films leave a lot to be desired. This, however, is a genuine pleasure to watch and conveys the same warmth and emotion as the album by the same name. There are a few old favorites thrown in as well as a few numbers from the latest CSNY outing, but this is largely new material, purely solo and acoustic and extremely well-performed.

Videophiles may be annoyed by the blue and pink shadows (especially distracting on the DVD) that fall over Neil's face during several of the piano and organ numbers, but the music is just fine. One particular standout is a pump organ version of "Long May You Run," reminiscent of UNPLUGGED's "Like a Hurricane."

A definite recommended buy for any Neil Young fan and a must-have for those thrilled by the latest album, SILVER & GOLD.

Silver and Gold-Neil Young
I just received a 62 minute Neil Young treasure on DVD. The music(accoustic guitar, harmonica, and piano/organ) is breathtakng with DD5.1 and linear PCM. The picture quality from video tape source is like looking into a clear glass-You're there! Clearly a must-have. His best accoustic work since Harvest-ENJOY.

mellow my mind
If you're looking for a laid-back hour of solo acoustic, mostly new and expertly crafted Neil Young numbers, you've come to the right place. Young has put together 62 minutes of fine entertainment in this year 2000 release.

These recordings are gleaned from Young's May 29, 1999 solo appearance at the 2,000 seat Bass Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Texas. The filming has a very simplistic and classy feel to it... Neil surrounded by a crescent of acoustic guitars, a pump organ and piano. A trio of lights illuminate the performer, and the camera's provide only close-ups, and direct and angled shots from the foot of the stage. Young appears to be creating a set list from the seat of his pants, and this prompts numerous requests from the crowd... that is until a lone and timely "SHUT-UP" is reinforced by crowd applause, and an already reserved audience becomes reverant. Suffice it to say that the 'atmosphere' of the concert is a joy to behold in this age of "I paid, I can yell whenever and whatever I want" mentality.

The entire setlist for this particular concert can be viewed on the Sugar Mountain web site. Looking over that list, there are a few numbers I sure would have liked to hear in an acoustic mode, such as 'Powderfinger' and 'Southern Pacific', but I'm sure Neil would tell me to buy a ticket. There is really only one classic tune resurrected from the complete concert, that being the pump organ (yes, pump organ) rendition of 'Long May You Run'. While I suspect there has never been a poor rendition of this wonderful song about Neil's Hearst, this version is my least favorite. The solo acoustic version from 'Unplugged' and of course the original Stills-Young Band recording outdo this performance, but it's still a pleasure to hear. 'Harvest Moon' is included, although the studio track and the 'Red Rocks' video version are superior. A rare recording of 'Philadelphia' from the 1994 movie soundtrack is offered as well.

The remainder of the songs are chosen from the October 1999 Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 'Looking Forward' reunion disc, and of course the 'Silver and Gold' audio CD. The two opening numbers, 'Looking Forward' and 'Out of Control' and a later track, 'Slowpoke' appear on the CSNY CD. From 'Silver and Gold' we have 'Good To See You', 'Daddy Went Walking', 'Buffalo Springfield Again', 'The Great Divide', 'Red Sun' and 'Distant Camera'. Two of these songs, 'Daddy Went Walking' and 'Buffalo Springfield Again' also appear on the 'Red Rocks' tape, and sound better with full instrumental backing. 'Good To See You', 'Distant Camera', and 'Slowpoke' are my personal favorites.

The video ends with a studio recording of Neil performing 'Silver and Gold' in 1997. It's a bit grainy and Neil rolls the credits over it, so it has a throw-away feel to it. Only Neil would do it this way. Nothing's good unless it's imperfect. Ya gotta love the guy.

There isn't a bad song in the bunch, and mercilessly, MERCILESSLY, while the audience is audible at times, they are completely invisible to the camera, and there are none of the dreaded audience sing-alongs. Neil's voice is at times strained by that insidious Mother Nature, but these recordings reinforce the reality of Young's continued musical relevance. Only a handful of performers, among them Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, have managed to do what Neil has done... not only survived, but thrived in both the 1960's and the 1990's, and every decade in between. Thank You, Neil. You've help make it a wonderful trip.

Neil Young
Neil is master. The way he interprets songs is amazing, I have watched this countless times. I only wished it would have been little bit longer.

So-so. This is a renter, not a buyer...
I bought this CD and, lo and behold, after a couple of listens it ended up at my used music store. Neil's got a bunch of guitars up on stage and it seems he spends half his time picking up one guitar, doing a song, then digging around through the guitars for the one he wants, and then singing another, then looking around for a while before deciding to go play on a piano, then off again to look for a guitar. Hey, Neil, hire a guitar tech to bring you what you want! Half of this CD is spent waiting on Neil to pick his instrument of choice. The other half is quite enjoyable, but waiting, waiting, waiting...yawn. Someone please wake me when he plays Buffalo Springfield Again... ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Finally...................but could be better.
Finally a film about Neil Young and Crazy Horse, but I have to agree with 'Young and Disjointed' (previous reviewer). I LOVE Crazy Horse. Neil and the Horse are by far one of the greatest live bands ever. But these are nowhere near their best performances. This movie seems to have been filmed mainly during the 1996 Broken Arrow tour. The band seems bored and Neil appears to be already moving on to the next thing but is stuck finishing this tour. There are some great moments but not enough to make this a GREAT film which it could be if performances from every era of Neil and the Horse were shown, such as some Danny Whitten gigs, Tonights the Night tour, Rust Never Sleeps tour, more of the Zuma tour. How come the great footage of 'Like a Hurricane' from 1976 all of a sudden cuts to the end of the 1996 live version just as the 1976 version starts to mesmorize? It's things like that that make the film disjointed. It could be so much better, and I think Neil knows it.

Crazy Horse & Jim Jarmusch: the wierd turn pro. . .
For the Rusties and anybody who wants to see what ordinary guys who happen to work in Rock & Roll do for a living this is a fine film. Jarmusch has inveigled himself into the band and comes off as one of the strangest people in the film (albeit that a groupie/fan/nutcase in one clip clearly is a brick shy of a load).

This is an avant garde film of working-man rockers and it shows what 30 years together means to these men ... if only by scratching the surface. Neil & Frank (Pancho) come across as very human and, quite frankly, I believe that this film contains about as much information about their lives and personal business that anybody outside the group ought to have access to. I know that these men have worked hard to stay honest to their muse, they don't back down from nobody and they do get up in the morning.

this is a masterpiece
One bandmate jestingly complains that some artsy filmmaker from NYC can't get to the essence of Crazy Horse (and what they've gone thru for 30 years) , but Jim Jarmusch gets as close to it as you can in 107 minutes. The band members open up, each individually interviewed in a basement with a washing machine in the background, in their hotel rooms, and on the tour bus. And the concert footage from different eras is often stunning. Some of the complaints below are essentially that the film is non-linear but these critics miss the point because this is an artists depiction of fellow artists and the artists he's depicting are masters of the psychedelic experience. It's NOT supposed to be linear. My favorite parts were Jarmusch's visual dipictions to go along with the music (far better than any MTV videos), they are simply stunning compositions, they are as true to the music as can be, they add to the music. This is a must for those into the artistic psychedelic experience. Roll one up, have a few bottles of wine, strap yourself in and enjoy the trip!

By the album instead
Although die-hard Neil Young fans will no doubt embrace every song in the movie, casual fans may become a bit bored. The song selection here does offer a few choice cuts that are not on the live Neil Young album of the same name, such as the rarely heard "Stupid Girl". And that's a good thing. However, a couple of cuts on this video, such as the the brash and tired "F*&kin Up", may make you reach for the remote.

As for the "documentary" side of things, the interviews between the songs tend to quickly become dull. Fans will learn nothing new, and casual viewers may be confused as to who these people are that are being referred to. The guitarist Poncho states snidely (and I am paraphrasing here), "You think you can learn everything about this band from this short documentary?" Then the camera cuts away leaving the viewer with nothing at all. Later in the film, he says almost the exact same line to the camera, perhaps forgetting that he said it before. The answer clearly is, "No, I won't learn very much at all from this documentary."

A saving grace for the video comes in a few short clips of documentary footage from the '70's and '80's. These clips show the band sometimes unaware of the camera, sometimes hamming it up. They're a great depiction of Neil Young and his band in their prime. They also represent everything a documentary film should be. Sadly, there are too few of these moments in this film.

The director does manage to sneak himself into the picture several times, along with the name of his production company (I think they're even in the trailer.) This should make it easier to avoid his documentaries in the future.

Buy the DVD "Rust Never Sleeps" if you want a concert movie, or buy the album "Year of the Horse" to get the music from this film instead.

Amazon betrays its buyers again
The video is fine. But Amazon's "marketplace" provider, a company in Canada, sent me a FRENCH version. When I pointed out the order had specifiec ENGLISH, they apologized for their error. Per their instructions, I return-mailed the FRENCH video June 28, almost 9 weeks ago. They claim the mail hasn't arrived and refuse to send me the correct ENGLISH version until the mail gets through Amazon won't do anything to help, nor will they let me post my "feedback" on the transaction. They claim I'm not allowed to post feedback after 60 days pass. I love Neil Young, I hate Amazon. I'll never shop here again. Watch out for the "A-Z guarantee." It's worthless. Their customer service employees probably used to work for Enron. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Neil Young has never been one to eschew change, and this 1983 concert certainly found him in a transitional mode. Recently signed to Geffen Records (who would later sue him for producing work they deemed insufficiently commercial), he had released Trans, an album that, with its computerized tracks and electronically altered vocals, remains one of the oddest (and more underrated) in his entire catalog. He was also touring with a band drawn from virtually all phases of his career, with bassist Bruce Palmer (from the Buffalo Springfield), drummer Ralph Molina (from Crazy Horse), guitarist Nils Lofgren (a longtime Young henchman before he joined Bruce Springsteen's group), steel guitarist/keyboardist Ben Keith (a Young accompanist to this very day), and others.

Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (whose many other credits include the Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus), the concert itself is also an eclectic mix, with classic rockers ("Cinnamon Girl," "Like a Hurricane," a rousing "Hey Hey My My") balanced by three Trans selections and a mostly acoustic interlude featuring "Old Man," "The Needle and the Damage Done," and "After the Goldrush." There's even a brand new (at the time, at least) tune named after the host city. The German audience eats up every second of it, and despite the lack of bonus features, Young fans are likely to enjoy this DVD as well. And with good reason: Neil Young in Berlin is undoubtedly one of the more interesting documents from a fascinating musical life. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (16)

neil in outer space
A must-have concert for Neil Young fans, this video features rare live footage of the rock legend filmed in West Berlin, Germany. The 1983 show was the last stop of Young's European tour and included several of his earlier hits, such as "Cinnamon Girl" and "Old Man," along with songs from his 1982 Trans album, which featured synthesized vocals and sci-fi musings. Young is accompanied by the Trans band, including sidemen Ralph Molina of Crazy Horse, Ben Keith, Joe Lala, Bruce Palmer (formerly of Buffalo Springfield), and Nils Lofgren. This DVD version features 5.1 audio. Review from Rhino Records

NEIL YOUNG AND THE TRANS BAND LIVE IN WEST BERLIN
NEIL YOUNG AND THE TRANS BAND LIVE IN WEST BERLIN ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1982 IS ONE OF THOSE CLASSIC LIVE NEIL YOUNG PERFORMANCES NO TRUE FAN SHOULD BE WITHOUT. ONCE AGAIN NEIL ASSEMBLES AN INCREDIBLE BAND WITH THE LIKES OF JOE LALA, BEN KEITH, BRUCE PALMER, LARRY CRAGG, JOEL BERSTEIN, CRAZY HORSE MEMBER RALPH MOLINA AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST NILS LOFGREN WHO DURING SONGS LIKE "TRANSFORMER MAN" GOES INTO A DANCE THAT MAKES HIM LOOK LIKE A REJECT FROM SOUL TRAIN!!! HOWEVER, THE MUSIC WHICH VARIES FROM SUCH YOUNG CLASSICS AS "OLD MAN", "NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE" AND AN INSPIRED VERSION OF "CINNAMON GIRL" TO TECHNO TUNES LIKE "SAMPLE AND HOLD", "COMPUTAGE" AND PROBABLY THE BEST VERSION OF "TRANSFORMER MAN" YOU'LL EVER HEAR IS AS STRONG A LIVE GIG YOU'LL EVER SEE AND HEAR NEIL PERFORM, WITHOUT CRAZY HORSE OF COURSE! IT'S WORTH THE PRICE OF THE DVD JUST TO SEE NEIL WITH OL'BLACK IN HAND ATTACKING THE BERLIN RUNWAY ON "HEY HEY MY MY". EVEN THOUGH THE VIDEO QUALITY IS A LITTLE ROUGH THE QUALITY OF THE AUDIO IS OUTSTANDING! DON'T PASS ON THIS ONE.

reclusive Neil Young,pls. wake up, you're loosing Control !
While this DVD of Neil in Berlin is visually absolutely superior to the 1983 video it is surprising that Neil who always exerts so much control over sound quality messed up this time. Because of his present state of reclusiveness he has allowed the sound mixers to do the stangest things to his sound. There is an overdosis of heavy low sound, most likely of drums and bass which were either shuffled more to the foreground and/or were remixed at much lower tone levels and increased volume levels. This doesn't sound like Neil Young
anymore.I played both the DVD and the 1983 Video various times, next to each other, simultanuously, switching from one to the other and there is NO doubt, the video sound is far superior and the DVD sound is simply very strange! Also very careless is the omission of Hurricane from the songlist!!
Wake up Neil !! Don't continue to hide in lonely reclusion, Red Rocks live and Greendales! Give the Fans what they are looking forward to; A Neil Young not going back to Silver&Gold but progressing to Heavy Metal, see the riffs you tried on Rockin' in the free world. THAT is progress on the garage sound and grunge sound of Live Rust, Ragged Glory and Weld. Wake up Neil Young, don't let those soundmixers take control and change the sound of YOUR music.

In Transition
For a variety of reasons, this video is a must-own for avid fans of Neil Young. The setting is the final show of Young's 1982 European tour preceding the December 1982 release of 'Trans'. In contrast to other Neil Young video recordings, the European venue offers a minimum of crowd noise (unlike Red Rocks Live) as well as an opportunity to watch Neil and Nils Lofgren work the runway jutting into the audience. And, thankfully, we have only a few shots of audience members, often an editing nightmare threatening to destroy the integrity and impact of the performances (see 'Weld'). One also wonders if Young ever wore a tie on stage again, after watching him competing with it to pillage the six strings of Old Black on 'Like a Hurricane'.

The sound quality is excellent, while the film quality is very good... spoiled by today's standard, you will notice times when the filming blurs a bit, or the camera moves too fast to manage the light. Nevertheless, there are several stunning images captured that more than make up for the deficiencies of 1980's technology. In particular is a hypnotic 'drummers-eye-view' scene during 'Hey Hey My My', looking out over Neil's back as the audience throbs to the numbers incessant driving beat. Neil's personal appearance is as 'clean-cut' as you will ever see him... quite a contrast to his overriding 'Grandfather of Grunge' image.

The personnel surrounding Young, and the song selection make this video quite unique. Nils Lofgren brings an unbridled energy to the visual performance that is simply priceless. Ralph Molina, Bruce Palmer and Joe Lala are an unassuming, solid backbone of rhythm for Lofgren, Ben Keith and Neil as they trade places on a variety of instruments. Larry Cragg offers an understated banjo on 'Old Man', while Joel Bernstein adeptly manages the vocoder and synthesizer.

The hard rock numbers, 'Cinnamon Girl', 'Like a Hurricane', and 'Hey Hey My My' manage to sound simultaneously clean n' dirty in classic Young style. If there is any weakness in the show, it would have to be the acoustic renditions of Needle and the Damage Done and After the Goldrush, which feel a bit strained and plodding. The cuts taken from Trans, 'Computer Age', 'Transformer Man', and 'Sample and Hold', produce a compelling flashback as we witness Young perceptively addressing the embryonic advance of digital technology into Western culture which is rapidly becoming our second nature. 'Computer Age' and 'Sample and Hold' rock out, while 'Tranformer Man' is thoughtful, and features some theatrical miming from both Young and Lofgren. Another Trans cut, 'A Little Thing Called Love', is a bouncy, effortless foray that seems out of character for the Trans LP, but nicely supplements the overall song selection for this video.

The concert, and the tour, is capped off with the completely appropriate 'After Berlin', seemingly written for the moment of its performance, and not performed since. It's the only blues-rock number in the set, and Young's guitar is crisp and wailing throughout. Seeing this rare performance was worth the price of admission for the fortunate few in Berlin, and owning it is well worth the price of the video or DVD for the rest of us.

A Redemption of sorts for a fallow period
Young runs hot and cold and during this epoch of his life, the tremendous challenges confronting him as a father of 2 children afflicted with debilitating illness had him preoccupied with their care. As a result, what most people, including his record company never knew, was that experiments like TRANS were meant to be a sort of working out of some technologies that might help his sons become more integrated into the world and give them an active way of participating in it. The technologies here also were part of Young's fascination and involvement in Lionel trains.
Does this make for good music? Not really. But this stuff came off better in concert than it did on CD. Sophisticated technical stuff is definitely overkill with Young in general, and some of the most humourous aspects of the biography SHAKEY, involve ol' Burnout obsessing over digital recording and so on. Young and the Horse are a one trick pony. It's a trick that is terrific when it has the spook, and a total mess otherwise. The bio paints this tour in particular as being a disaster of epic proportions that nearly had the stumble-bum musicians, especially Bruce Palmer, at each other's throats.
Nonetheless, by the looks of it here they actually managed to pull off a decent show from time to time. This video offers the NY fan a chance to evaluate the Trans period from the vantage point of Young's strengths: live performance. The star of the show is really Nils Lofgren, the diminutive guitarist from DC who resides now in the E Street Supper Club. There was a time in his career though where he brought out the best in Young, and for this show he is absolutely at the top of his game. Palmer has no idea he is in Europe, and the rest of the band is along for the ride, likely hoping like hell there is any money left at the end.
It's real innarestin, as the man himself might put it..... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Brilliant Effort by Alan Rudolph and Superb Cast
Alan Rudolph takes a mystery and turns it inside out, with the help of great acting. Tom Berenger as the crusty, savvy detective. Elizabeth Perkins as the hapless but lovestruck detective wannabe. Ann Archer at her radiant and amusing best. And Neil Young (yes, THAT Neil Young) in a delightful cameo role as a heavy who gets what he deserves. A small film it may be, but the script is excellent, the photography impressive, the familiar theme of mistaken identity is well played, so this is in many ways Rudolph's best film.

Alan Rudolph's Best Film
Those unfamiliar with director Alan Rudolph should not hesitate to buy this video. It's a carefully crafted mystery with a wry sense of humor, visually exciting, and well-scripted. Tom Berenger is at his best, well complemented by Elizabeth Perkins, Ann Archer (at her steamy best), and yes, a cameo by Neill Young (yes, that Neill Young) that is bound to please. This is a small film but one that aspires to greatness through its noir plot, crisp dialog, and excellent acting by all. The larger theme of identity seems, in a way, Hitchcockian, but the movie is not at all derivative. When it came out in the 1980s it received good reviews but went quickly to video, though it deserved wider recognition. Note: although not billed as a "family" flick, the absence of gratuitous violence et al is a welcomed relief. So when is the DVD coming out? It's about time. Until then, buy and enjoy the VHS tape. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Mozart of pop? A one-man Lennon and McCartney? The comparisons aren't extravagant when you're talking about Brian Wilson, subject of this captivating 77-minute documentary (with interviews, live performances, behind-the-scenes footage, etc.). The fact that the wunderkind architect of so many Beach Boys classics is still around at all in 2003, let alone largely recovered from his well-chronicled emotional and physical problems, borders on the miraculous. The DVD is a celebration of Wilson's life and work--not simply by the likes of Paul McCartney, Neil Young, and Pete Townshend but by Brian himself, who with each performance becomes stronger and more at ease on stage. And it's great to hear his songs, including both the obvious ("Good Vibrations," "Fun Fun Fun") and the unexpected ("Lay Down Burden," Brian's tender tribute to his late brother Carl), performed with such joy by Wilson's brilliant band. More than a comeback, this is an ongoing, encouraging success story. --Sam Graham ... Read more