Description

Detroit, Michigan, 1959.Berry Gordy gathers the bestmusicians from the city's thriving jazz and blues scene for his newrecord company:Motown.For the next 14 years these players are theheartbeat on "My Girl," "Baby Love," "Ooo Baby Baby," "Bernadette," "IWas Made To Love Her," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Dancing InThe Street," and every other hit from Motown's Detroit era.By the endof their phenomenal run, the unheralded group of musicians plays on moreNumber One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley,and The Beatles combined, making them the greatest hit machine in thehistory of popular music.They call themselves the Funk Brothers.Butno one knows their names...this is their story. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Motown and Hockey Town
So the other night I put on my Red Wings jersey and took my wife to see Standing in the Shadows of Motown, celebrating the Detroit I knew back in the early sixties and the music of my life. The documentary honors the Funk Brothers, mostly African - American, but a couple white guys, who played on all those Tempts, Smokey, 4 Tops and Supremes classics. I was in the 8th or 9th grade when My Guy and Please Mr. Postman launched it all. The relaxed reminiscences of those years from the surviving Funk Brothers, their tributes to each other and to the fellow players -- bassman James Jamerson first and foremost -- nicely recreate a time when Detroit had reason beyond the Red Wings to feel optimistic. Some period footage is a nice bonus, as is seeing the gorgeous Martha Reeves again. The music and the Funk Brothers playing are as powerful as ever. Ben Harper and Me'Shell NdegeOcello are particularly effective interpreters of the classics. Joan Osburne does pretty well also, but Chaka Khan is a really bizarre choice to sing What's Goin' On, and does it as poorly as you would expect. It is just about the only flaw in a richly entertaining and overdue tribute.

Breathtaking
I had searched for several years for information regarding the Funk Brothers, but, until now, so little was known or written about them. I had only heard them mentioned on TV twice -- once during an interview with Martha Reeves and again during a documentary on the history of rock and roll. Both times peaked my interest as I already appreciated that the Motown sound was really the musicians (taking absolutely NOTHING away from the great vocalists and performers). Recognition of these outstanding men was long overdue (and that's quite an understatement). The movie is highly personal and highly entertaining. Watching the fascinating story of the men who invented the Motown sound is akin to actually being there with them at the time they were creating history in "The Snake Pit." In a sense, you are given a very unique opportunity to travel back in time and feel the same emotion they did. Kudos to Martha Reeves for being part of the film. There are also cameos by Mary Wilson, Otis Williams, and Stevie Wonder. I only wish other Motown stars had been with them during filiming or available to comment on these men who were at the heart of their success. This DVD is truly indispensible for anyone who loves Motown and soul but, most espcially, for anyone who loves and appreciates popular music. PUT THIS ON YOUR SHELF!!

mesmerizing!
i loved this eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the incredible musicians responsible for so many of those #1 Motown hits.
long overdue. it's too bad that some of the guys passed on before the film was made and hardly received the respect and glory while alive.

last, hardly least: joan osborne's version of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" just may bring tears to your eyes.
(Having been a great fan of music for many years) i am ashamed/embarrassed to admit that until this movie i had no real idea how gifted a singer this woman truly is.

i sat in awe as she belted out this song and could not stop myself from playing it a few more times after the initial viewing of the film.

i guess there is no alternative for me, but to go out and buy a CD or two by this great talent.

see this DVD. it's a gem. thank you, funk brothers, for enriching our lives through your magical gifts!

Feeling the real sound of Motown
I have just view this DVD today and was totally blown away. Born and raised in Detroit area I grew up with Motown and loved everything connected with it. It is still one of my favorite music venues and brings back great memories. With all the stars up front like the Four Tops my (ultimate favorites) I was unaware of the backbone of Motown. Thank you for bringing me to light of the wonderful talent of the great Funk Band.

Tribute to the Funk Brothers
Sure, everyone's heard of Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, but what about the Funk Brothers? Never heard of them? It turns out that even if you've never heard of them, you've most likely heard this group of musicians before: it turns out they've played on more #1 hits than the Beatles, Elvis, Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined. Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a documentary that raises some debatable issues: someone in the film says that anybody could have sung the songs because it was the music (and the musicians) that was the key element in the song's success. Director Justman makes it seem like it was a gross miscarriage of justice the way that label head Berry Gordy didn't publicly acknowledge the Funk Brothers' contribution to the Motown sound. What fails to be kept in mind is that this oversight isn't unique. I mean, when kids listen to Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne today, how many actually stop to think about the backing musicians? The actual size of the Funk Brothers' contribution is never made completely clear here and none of the relevant people are interviewed (Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, etc.) so the tone remains decidedly one-sided. Even so, it's still an entertaining ride as the Funk Brothers liven up the proceedings with fascinating anecdotes and by reminiscing about Motown's heyday in the 60s which are much more vivid and memorable than director Justman's cringe-worthy use of reconstructions. Another touchy point is the fleeting, unnecessary mention of the Vietnam War and how the Motown sound apparently brought comfort to the soldiers: it seemed to have been included for sentimental value and didn't fit with the rest of the film and the reason why the soldiers listened to Motown was left unexplained. The many musical performances by the Funk Brothers and the guest singers are what make this film worth watching, even if it's a tad too long at 116 minutes. It's one thing to hear them say that the music was what made the song, not the singer, but the performances say so much more. Joan "What If God Was One Of Us" Osborne gives a powerful, touching rendition of "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" while Gerald Levert sounds every bit as good as Gloria Gaynor on "Reach Out I'll Be There". Even though Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a tribute to the Funk Brothers as musicians, it is the Funk Brothers as men that is really being honoured here: even with rumours that they were cheated out of royalties by Motown and the lack of public recognition, the Funk Brothers don't come across as bitter and vengeful at all, and this magnanimous attitude is what saves this documentary from being a humdrum VH1 special, despite director Justman's attempts to (over)lionize the Funk Brothers. ... Read more

Description

Filmed during their 1968 European tour, The Doors are captured in performances in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, who shared the bill with The Doors on this tour, narrate this compilation.

Track Listing:
1. Light My Fire
2. Love Me Two Times
3. Back Door Man
4. Spanish Caravan
5. Hello, I Love You
6. When the Music's Over
7. Unknown Soldier
8. Light My Fire (II)
9. Five To One
10. Alabama Song ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Revelation of Rock Music in a More Innocent Era
Any lack of polish in this production is pretty much due to the available video and film equipment of the day. That said, much of the old camerawork is quite creative and nicely done. In fact, I was riveted to this film from start to finish.

The onstage performances have a beautiful, timeless quality to them. The musicianship of the band comes across very nicely, this being a time before bands had stylists, directors, choreographers, and wardrobe masters.

Just amazing to see how, more than Morrison's charisma, more than any stoned-out vibe, the music itself was the true source of the Doors' power and energy. So seldom do we get to see excellent rock music performed without a lot of record company b***s***. Nobody told the band how to behave onstage, nobody but Jim dictated what he was going to wear, and so on. This footage was a revelation in that way.

To observe, on this DVD, Ray Manzarek hunched over his keyboards, fingering some amazing riffs, is to see a rather amazing illustration of rock performances that were all about THE MUSIC.

An absolute "must" for all Doors fans, and a real treat for fans of west coast rock. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in classic rock or sixties culture.

Would be 5 stars if not for some faults (mostly forgivable)
Contrary to some other reviews, the sound is okay. All the tracks came across clearly on my speakers without any audio adjustments. However, I've noticed on this DVD that the bass is pumped up and tends to overpower the vocals in certain spots.

As for the video quality, the B&W soundstage segments are bright and crisp and the Roundhouse show (also in B&W) isn't that bad. The extreme contrast between lights and darks makes the Roundhouse segments seem murky at times but you can still see all figures clearly. Plus, the camera work is definitely livelier than the famous Hollywood bowl show.

The audio and video flaws are easily overlooked, but the most annoying faults come at the end of the DVD. Because a Jefferson Airplane segment leads straight into "Five to One", the start of that track is cut. This last track "Alabama Song" is NOT shown in performance but rather laid over a Pere-Lachaise montage which, after Grace Slick's comments on Morrison, makes it seem like he expired at the end of the European tour! If not for this silliness, the DVD would rate 5/5.

Entertaining And Interesting.
The Doors were a great band and here we have some great film documentation of their performances during the 1968 European tour that captures the visceral energy Jim Morrison and the rest of the band captured on stage. The songs are great and on this DVD, they sound magnificent. Well, I was a bit disappointed that the performances of "Light My Fire," "Backdoor Man" and "Spanish Caravan" are a bit crudely recorded. They still work though. The best piece of film here is when the band performs "When The Music's Over." The performance captures the viewer with the intricate playing, provocative lyrics (as in "The End") and Morrison really comes off as an impressive rock artist. I especially loved it when he says, "We want the world and we want it now." "Unknown Soldier" and "Love Me Two Times" are also magnificently done. The fault of this DVD (and video for you VHS watchers) is that we really don't get THAT much information on the tour itself. Jefferson Airplane give a few interesting insights, but nothing very fascinating that keeps your attention. All we really get are the good performances, and that's it. Yes, The Doors are the greatest rock band of all time, but this film deserved a wee-bit more work.

TIMELESS MASTERPIECE
Even in the year 2500 the doors will be known and listened in all over the universe.

The most amazing band of all times.
There are not many words i can say about the greatest band of all times and this dvd.It's simply great and Jimbo& Doors are incredible.I am a huge Doors fan and if you send me a mail i'll definetly send you back... ... Read more

Description

This Canadian DVD, playable on USA systems features the pioneer metal band Deep Purple in interviews and rareconcert footage. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Okay, but a little dated.
I own this in the VHS version that is quite a few years older. This is nice because you get some interviews with the elusive Blackmore, and there iw a nice version of "Hush." However, they all take themselves a littel too seriously, and to hear Joe Lynn Turner talk about making his own footsteps in the group, (He was fired after only one album and tour) is in retrospect, rather funny.

There are some nice clips on this, but you can get more on the Machine Head DVD which catches a lot more of the creative process and does, in fact, have better footage.

A nice primer on Deep Purple, but nothing outstanding.

yes!
This one rocks. It includes interviews from Roger Glover, Jon
Lord, Ian Gillan, Joe Lynn Turner, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice.
It also includes some live performances like Smoke on the water,
Speed king, Black night, Burn, Strange kind of woman, Child in time and more. If you like Deep Purple, buy this. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For Doors completists only, this shapeless gathering of rare film clipsof the band performing in Europe is hampered by the same old, frustrating problems with attempting to convey, through lousy camera work, the band's poweras a live act. The packaging tells us the Doors swept through London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam during a 1968 tour documented here, but there's no way to appreciate that save for a random clip or two of Jim Morrisonmilling about outside concert venues, talking with fans. Otherwise, we see thesame sort of obfuscating on-stage close-ups of Morrison you can see in anyfootage of a Doors gig, stumbling around, crooning, and reciting poetry tominimalist accompaniment by Ray Manzarek on keyboards, John Densmore on drums,and Robby Krieger on guitar. Unless one can see, in the mind's eye, what theband is up to from the point of view of a kid in the 30th row, there's no way toreally get the hypnotic, Dionysian effect for which the Doors were justifiablyfamous. Thus, for anyone who can imagine such a thing, or take it on faith,there's good reason to enjoy performances of "Spanish Caravan," "Five to One,"and two versions of "Light My Fire." There's even a relic of pre-MTV, poppromotion: a silly-looking performance of "Hello, I Love You" shot before abaffled crowd on a London street. --TomKeogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Revelation of Rock Music in a More Innocent Era
Any lack of polish in this production is pretty much due to the available video and film equipment of the day. That said, much of the old camerawork is quite creative and nicely done. In fact, I was riveted to this film from start to finish.

The onstage performances have a beautiful, timeless quality to them. The musicianship of the band comes across very nicely, this being a time before bands had stylists, directors, choreographers, and wardrobe masters.

Just amazing to see how, more than Morrison's charisma, more than any stoned-out vibe, the music itself was the true source of the Doors' power and energy. So seldom do we get to see excellent rock music performed without a lot of record company b***s***. Nobody told the band how to behave onstage, nobody but Jim dictated what he was going to wear, and so on. This footage was a revelation in that way.

To observe, on this DVD, Ray Manzarek hunched over his keyboards, fingering some amazing riffs, is to see a rather amazing illustration of rock performances that were all about THE MUSIC.

An absolute "must" for all Doors fans, and a real treat for fans of west coast rock. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in classic rock or sixties culture.

Would be 5 stars if not for some faults (mostly forgivable)
Contrary to some other reviews, the sound is okay. All the tracks came across clearly on my speakers without any audio adjustments. However, I've noticed on this DVD that the bass is pumped up and tends to overpower the vocals in certain spots.

As for the video quality, the B&W soundstage segments are bright and crisp and the Roundhouse show (also in B&W) isn't that bad. The extreme contrast between lights and darks makes the Roundhouse segments seem murky at times but you can still see all figures clearly. Plus, the camera work is definitely livelier than the famous Hollywood bowl show.

The audio and video flaws are easily overlooked, but the most annoying faults come at the end of the DVD. Because a Jefferson Airplane segment leads straight into "Five to One", the start of that track is cut. This last track "Alabama Song" is NOT shown in performance but rather laid over a Pere-Lachaise montage which, after Grace Slick's comments on Morrison, makes it seem like he expired at the end of the European tour! If not for this silliness, the DVD would rate 5/5.

Entertaining And Interesting.
The Doors were a great band and here we have some great film documentation of their performances during the 1968 European tour that captures the visceral energy Jim Morrison and the rest of the band captured on stage. The songs are great and on this DVD, they sound magnificent. Well, I was a bit disappointed that the performances of "Light My Fire," "Backdoor Man" and "Spanish Caravan" are a bit crudely recorded. They still work though. The best piece of film here is when the band performs "When The Music's Over." The performance captures the viewer with the intricate playing, provocative lyrics (as in "The End") and Morrison really comes off as an impressive rock artist. I especially loved it when he says, "We want the world and we want it now." "Unknown Soldier" and "Love Me Two Times" are also magnificently done. The fault of this DVD (and video for you VHS watchers) is that we really don't get THAT much information on the tour itself. Jefferson Airplane give a few interesting insights, but nothing very fascinating that keeps your attention. All we really get are the good performances, and that's it. Yes, The Doors are the greatest rock band of all time, but this film deserved a wee-bit more work.

TIMELESS MASTERPIECE
Even in the year 2500 the doors will be known and listened in all over the universe.

The most amazing band of all times.
There are not many words i can say about the greatest band of all times and this dvd.It's simply great and Jimbo& Doors are incredible.I am a huge Doors fan and if you send me a mail i'll definetly send you back... ... Read more