Best Concert Film

I seem to never tire of these:
(1) Fleetwood Mac, "The Dance"
(2) Bjork "Volumen"
(3) Dave Brubeck (with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello), in "Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual"

All mine are DVD.

1. Depeche Mode - One Night In Paris
2. U2 - Rattle And Hum
3. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
4. Coldplay - Live 2003

Stop Makin' Sense makes the top of my list.

Woodstock still ranks as one of my other favorites. It was the pinnacle of an era, and the performances were outstanding. It brings me back to a place and time I'll never forget.

Bob Marley and the Wailers at The Roxy, is a legendary performance of the mighty rastaman.

Peace and happy new year to everyone!
Ross

Woodstock, only because I was there.

The Last Waltz

Good 16:9 Video and Exellent DD 5.1 sonics in my HT setup - Content might not fit your taste:

Alison Krauss + Union Station - Live
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
Diana Krall - Live in Paris
Cher - Farewell Tour (It has to be the 2003 show amongst countless farewell tours she had...)
Fleetwood Mac - Line in Boston (Although Christine McVie is no show, it's may be better than Dance, IMO)
Cecilia Bartoli - Viva Vialdi!

Enjoy.

Ki

I have about 50 DVD concerts. My Favorites:
Eric Clapton-Live from Hyde Park (DTS)
Eagles-When Hell Freezes Over (DTS)
Eagles-Live From Australia (DTS)
Alot of the titles escape me at this moment. I'll review my list and post a detailed list soon.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen - Joe Cocker
Features great performances by Joe, Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge and others. This tour in March of 1970 was put together in eight days (really!) mostly by Russell and rehearsals produced the classic single "The Letter".
The production quality may not be up to latest technology but this is a piece of rock history and some great authentic rock.

Some Nice Sounding an Looking DVD's I own:
NIN "All That Could Have Been"(DTS Version) A very well produced DVD. One of my favorites. Very Hard Agressive Music.
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Live At Slane Castle" Looks to be filmed in HD. Great sound & picture.
Peter Gabriel "Growing Up" Again, Great picture & sound. I think Secret World was a better concert (younger PG) but the sound & picture better on Growin Up.
Keep the recommendations coming.
Jeff

Calle 54 -- an absolutely terrific Latin jazz DVD with some of the great stars of the genre!!

the zappa's universe concert has my vote.

mike.

How could I forget: Gimme Shelter

Last Waltz

Best Sound - Cream - May 2005
Best Overall Concert Production- Stop making Sense
Most Awesome Performance - Stevie Ray Vaughn - Live From Austin
Best Video Production - Rolling Stones - Four Flicks
My favorite - Steely Dan - Two Against Nature
Best Looking - Cheryl Crowe - Rocking the Globe
Most Insipid - Anything with the Eagles

Warrenh, I was 14 and tried to talk my parents into letting me go to Woodstock. That must be some memory. For me it's got to be Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Live at the Quick" on DVD. What a wonderful preformance and extras.

Boss302

The Concert for Bangladesh
Stop Making Sense

1) Monterey Pop
2) Woodstock
3) All of the original In Concert series aired on ABC back in the mid seventies. What happened to these?
4) Hendrix at Woodstock
5) Led Zeppelin (various shows)

1. Monterey Pop

2. Woodstock

3.The Last Waltz

4. Any of the early Springsteen stuff

Erice Claptons Crossroads guitar festival is a great concert DVD.

Bruce Springsteen - Live in NY.
Allison Krauss: Live.
U2: Live at Slane Castle.

Tommy

"Concert for George", "Last Waltz", and "Concert for Bangladesh"--each is an ensemble of great performances by great performers.
RW

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) - The Wall live in Berlin

I happened to be in Berlin for the first time just the week before the concert in 1990. It was a classroom trip to Berlin, months after the wall fell. By accident we were able to get on the concert stage the day before the show and enjoy the view of the "Potsdammer Platz", i.e. the former dead zone between east and west and at the time still a wasteland. I didn't get to see the concert since we left Berlin that day, but looking back it seemed like taking part in some kind of important history.

I was 16 and used to never listen to Pink Floyd before....

RUSH-Exit...Stage Left!

The Rush "R30" and "Rush in Rio" DVD's were meticulously filmed and mastered for the best possible experience. I haven't finished the R30 DVD's but so far they look to be as good as the Rio show.

Jazz On A Summers Day.Period.Monks bio fgilm is equalk to "The LKast Waltz" but it's a modd thing.New Dylan edidted by Scorcese isn't any slouch either.Oh and Spinal Tap If only for the amps that go up to 11.
Chazzbo

The new Rush DVD R30 is blowing me away. These guys have gone from great to exquisite on their 30th anniversery tour. The sound is perfect, the performance is stunningly virtuosic, and the camera work is elegant, HD, and focused on the Players.

Alison Krause Union Station Live is great too.

Problem with The Last Waltz is that 90% of the show is studio overdub, thus not truly a live show.

Gentlemen, Gentlemen ... what's going on here with these nominations? Are we getting soft in our old age? Quite frankly, Woodstock and Monterey Pop are historical documentaries.

"Stop Making Sense" and Meerp1's choices are closer to the mark. And there is the one that is missing ...

Metallica's "S&M" recorded live in concert with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. How many concerts give you both heavy metal and orchestral classical music at the same time? It is the equivalent of heavy metal opera. The sonics are incredible, especially the bass and strings ... there are alternate camera angles ... hearing Metallica's music (especially "No Leaf Clover" and "Hero") in this type of setting is revelatory.

I have often been accused by both the present Missus and the ex-Missus of having the lamest taste in music ... opera; most 60's & 70's rock; folk; country; and an inexplicable fondness for Spandau Ballet and Fine Young Cannibals. With this handicap, even I recognize Metallica's accomplishment with "S&M."

Marco, I rest my case and a Happy New Year to all.

Regards, Rich

any Dead Kennedys films out there, whether bootleg or official release get my vote.

Best musicianship: Rippingtons - Live in L.A.

Russ Freeman, Tony Morales, Kim Stone, ect... All exceptional musicians. Other big jazz/fusion names were associated with this group in the early days, such as.... Kenny G, David Benoit, Gregg Karukas, and more. If you like this genre, a live concert by this group is a must see.

The video is OOP, and was available only on VHS at that, but it is a clinic in fusion musicianship. The sound is very good, but the picture is typical VHS quality........OK for small TV, but forget it on the 50" Plasma.

The CD is still available, but interestingly enough, the sound on it doesn't seem to be as good as that on the VHS tape. Go figure.

Humm, I'm surprised that nobody has yet mentioned James Taylor's "Live at the Beacon Theater". It is a very good performance and I love the excellent video transfer and 5.1 channel mix. It really looks and sounds like being there! Most excellent if you have any interest in James Taylor.

The concert video that I end up watching the most is Pearl Jam's "live at the Garden" recorded at Madison Square Garden on 7/8/03 and featuring the Buzzcocks and Ben Harper. This is simply a video of a live Pearl Jam Concert and they were "on it" that night! I think Pearl Jam must still insist on keeping the prices low on their releases because I think I paid $9.99 for this double DVD set at my local BB. Heck, this thing is worth $9.99 just for the encore of "Yellow Ledbetter". Disk 2 is spectacular! BTW, I'm not a big Pearl Jam fan. I don't own a single Pearl Jam CD, but I do recognize them (if this DVD is any indication) as one of the greatest bands in existence today.

Enjoy,

TIC

Concert For George! Where else will you get the best from both East and West? plus an Eric Clapton in his best form!

Festival Express and The Led Zeppelin DVD set are worth seeing. great stuff. Especially the Janis Joplin footage in Festival Express.

I second Aggielaw's pick for Rush Live in Rio. This DVD is addictive, and I have yet to get over Alex's performances. If all DVDs could be this good.

Thanks everyone! Keep'em coming. I've updated my queue at Netflix!

In a departure towards the Documentary side of film+music, I would add, "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" - a documentary of the band Wilco that has some interesting insights into the contemporary music/recording industry. Also the famous Pennebaker film on Dylan, "Don't Look Back" and Buena Vista Social Club, Wim Wender's film that fuses both in a way - great soundtrack on the latter too.

Happy 06' everyone...here's to a better year for the world, and for all of us!

Marco

>Problem with The Last Waltz is that 90% of the show is studio overdub, thus not truly a live show.

Say what?

I just want to say that I was at The Last Waltz, so I got that goin' for me. In case it isn't obvious in the film, Van Morrison was the highlight.

Drubin, I agree on Van, but in some ways I think Ronnie Hawkins stole the show. I wonder how he's doing now. I know that at one time he was fighting cancer.

David Gilmour in Concert
Roger Waters-In the Flesh
Red Hot Chilli Peppers-Live from Slane Castle
Led Zeppelin-4 Concerts
Rolling Stones-4 Licks
Music for Montserrat
Paul Mccartney-Live from Red Square
Live from Knebworth
Peter Frampton-Live from detroit
U/2-Revelation Tour
Metallica-Cunning Stunts

A picture is worth a thousand words. For those high end enthusiasts who still shun home theatre-give these and the above live concerts a shot. It adds a whole new dimension to the listening experience.

The Who "Tommy" concert from LA in 1989,
recently released with their "Tommy and Quadrophenia Live" 3-disk DVD. Video is not so great but performance captures the Who at their best.. "Live in Boston" and "Live at Royal Alberta Hall" are just OK.

Genesis "The Wembley Concert"
documenting their Invisible Touch Tour. Shot in 1986 in HD, sounds great, also captures the band at their peak. The "I can't dance Tour" wasn't that great.

Dire Straits "On The Night"
good sound, video and energy.

Sting "All This Time"
great concert and story behind it (concert prepared to air live on 9/11)

Ditto for James Taylor "Live in Beacon Theatre", U2 "Rattle and Hum"

Thats all I can recall at the moment ...

Allman Brothers "Live at the Beacon Theater"

My favourites (some have been mentioned already)

Eric Clapton - Unplugged
Fleetwood Mac - Dance (I personally prefer it to Live in Boston)
Diana Krall - Live in Paris
Roger Waters - In the Flesh
James Taylor - Live at the Beacon Theatre
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
Rod Stewart - Live at Royal Albert Hall

I may be missing some, above is what I remember from the top of my head.

Sdcampbell:

Nice to know someone appreciated Calle 54! You should hear the album released on Telarc by Michel Camilo its entitled "Live at the Bluenote". Chances are you already know about this album but thought I'd mention it incase you missed on this gem.

Mind must be going so I am glad someone mentioned "Montery Pop",:Woodstock" (maybe both too obvious).Stop Making senmse makes sense.And as a jazz guy Calle '54 and Buena Vista Social club covered what I hadn't withn Jazz on a Summers day and the ParisReunion Ban (truist me on this one nboys and girls-Joe Henderson,Grachan Moncur etc etc etc it's just Buena and calle added the caliente I had beeen missing,.zMust have eaten bland food thta night.Also the new documrntary of the Syax concert at LA Colloseuk is great with AWESOME music and great Richard Pryor and just movies (vingnettes?) of Watts.A must buy.Check any of these out at www.allmovie.com and music out at www.allmuisc.com or www.amg.com.Have to say for closing on 70 Paul McCartmey at Red Square is incredible.Hell it would be incredible if he were half his age.
Chazzbo

I am not Dave Mathews biggest fan but the "Concert at Central Park" was really good.

Chazzbo,
Which film title had footage of Joe Henderson and Grachan Moncour ?
Thanks Duane

we have been watching concert's lately from our youth & it's been alot of fun,the other night we watched the black sabbath reunion concert & it was excellent,my wife wasnt old enough to see them but i had seen them twice,once with ozzy & once with ronnie james dio,it brought back alot of memory's for me plus the show was excellent,they broke into the concert a few time's to play partial interview's with band member's but all in all it's a fun concert to watch.

i did find out a interesting fact about sabbath from the dvd,their guitarist tony iomni had his finger's cut off in a sheet metal sheer when he was a kid & he has home made prosthetic finger tip's that he made & use's to play with,i never knew that.

last weekend we watched the ac/dc live at donington concert & that was truly a fantastic show,excellent recording & a 2 hour long show without a single interview,it's been so long since i had seen ac/dc live that i had forgoten just how much energy they put into a show & how much of a showman angus young really is,angus is non stop energy the entire show & keep's the crowd in a absolute frenzy from start to finish,he even does a little strip tease for the crowd.

i know these title's sound cheesy & are a long way away from norah jone's but hey it is the music of many member's youth(including mine)& it has been a lot of fun to just sit back,have a whole bunch of beer's,blast the living shit out of the rig & forget about all the audiophile this & that & just enjoy a fun show.

i used to go see every concert i possibly could when i was a kid & watching these last 2 hard rock concert's made me feel better about this hobby than i have in a long time & it made me remember why i fell in love with music to begin with & it surely wasnt to see just how good i could get my rig to sound.

I think Tvad and I saw Stop making Sense the same way. David Byrne and his merry crew are joyful, powerful, talented, and at the top of their game in this video. This is a very special event.

Diana Krall is a HUGE talent and I wouldn't have known it if not for the recommendation to see Live in Paris. Her piano playing is superb and singing is lusty and fine. And that video can be found for 9.99 at that gi-huge-ent online store that sells everything. That is an amazing deal.

Thanks everyone for your input. So many more to see...I'm $$$ poorer with all of these recommendations and now have an addiction to concert videos

For classical fans:
- Cecilia Bartoli's Live in Italy performance is superb - just watch her expressions and the vigor she puts into her singing
- not really a concert but The Goldberg Variations - Glenn Gould Plays Bach (1981) has some wonderful footage of his playing with his own commentry discussing the pieces

Don't Look Back, The Grateful Dead Movie, A Hard Day's Night.

the last waltz