| Remember to click on the photos and album covers to find tons and tons of Beatles, Moody Blues, John Lennon products and rarities in Gemm.com itself.  | Director, Producer and Cinematographer D.A. Pennebaker and similarly titled Murray Lerner captured key and essential 70s moments on film and while Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop" is an exquisite masterpiece, piecing together the magic in a commercial and entertaining way, Lerner's no-nonsense approach is equally appealing - and as vitally important. These Isle of Wight discs bringing to light the full concert experience decades later are enhanced with new interviews with the group and discussion of the concert, from the musicians' perspective. So the desperate fans (like me) that bought a truncated Polydor lp, Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle of Wight (imported from the U.K.), now have Lerner's expanded DVD to draw from, as well as Pennebaker's full-length Jimi Hendrix at Monterey. Also important is that Isle Of Wight seemed light years away from 1967, the 60's feeling like a slow dream when the moment actually happened, but four decades later as these reviews take shape, the two concerts - Monterey and Isle Of Wight 3 - appear as book ends and become virtually contemporaneous. | | This is not The Moody Blues - A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (1993) - 23 years earlier is 23 years younger and the raw rock and roll power of "Gypsy" spilling into "Tuesday Afternoon" is pure majesty, the guitarlines sprinkling through the mix with the lead vocals, it's earthy and ethereal with the massive crowd, no doubt, feeding the group's excitement. "Tortoise And The Hare" and other earlier tracks are explored and generate a new revelation about the group, and the off-key vocals are charming for an ensemble usually predictable and precise. "Question" is terrific, early Moody Blues as they set off on their new journey post-Denny Laine and the original "Go Now" phase. Too bad Bessie Banks didn't join them to sing "Go Now" here, but from reading Michael Heatley's two page liner notes you'd think The Magnificent Moodies album (a.k.a. The Moody Blues "Go Now" ) didn't exist (though he does mention Denny Laine and the group's earlier incarnation). This is just an absolute find for fans of the group, for those who collect all things Isle of Wight, and for anyone who likes good music. An important and highly entertaining document with super camera angles from Lerner's crew capturing the band in all its early fury in both daylight, dusk and nighttime. Days of future passed indeed. (See press release from publicist below) |
 | JOHN LENNON & the Plastic Ono Band Live In Toronto '69 Filmed at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival 1969 (festival) To those fans who loved the Velvet Underground-ish sludge of "Gimme Shelter" as performed by The Rolling Stones on that iconic bootleg "Liver Than You'll Ever Be", this DVD serves up a whole lot of young Eric Clapton and John Lennon on the fringe of the right pitch with an onslaught of raw power. It's a significant treat for those of us who played the vinyl into the ground, including Yoko Ono's persistent and quite lengthy primal scream that is "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)", resplendent in Lennon/Clapton reinventing The Everly Brothers "Wake Up Little Suzy" riff and drenched in Pennebaker's trademark (and a bit annoying) dark footage of the event. | | Though he dazzled us with Monterey Pop - a moment much like filmmaker Spike Lee creating the brilliant and commercial "Inside Man" and breaking out of his formula - D.A. Pennebaker, with this footage as well as David Bowie's Spiders From Mars and Bob Dylan's Don't Look Back, crafted a deep tone that's not as compelling as Monterey, but can be ignored because the music - and the performances - rise so far and so big over the horizon. If Lennon, Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Alan White weren't on the bill would you sit through a dark tunnel of Yoko Ono screaming? Would you watch the Spiders From Mars if not for Bowie onstage? Would a Leonard Cohen documentary as darkly filmed as Dylan's "Don't Look Back" be as popular? The answer is - only to the limited fans of those groups. Ono and Cohen have their followers, and even the Spiders from Mars sans Bowie & Ronson had a novelty aspect to their existence, but these films are noteworthy more for the performances of the superstars than the cinematography. (A bit of digression here: As Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller said to this writer "There is no right or wrong in production" (with a nod and a wink because, of course, taste is a big part of it). Miller also was humble about the fact that he was as good as the artists he worked with. He worked with those greats because he was one of the greats himself and Gemmzine.com will have a huge special on the late Jimmy Miller including photos and perhaps some rare audio interviews from my archives). So any number of name filmmakers could have made this film and gained noteriety and that's what irks me about Pennebaker's work - his Monterey Pop material is majestic, this superb set of performances remains great because of the talent onstage more than the talented filmmaker with a film crew of eight who seems to have been taking a siesta when he should've been more concerned with the lighting. Wally Heider's four person sound crew are superb in capturing this intense Lennon moment. Had this band performed 30 shows and were they all taped this precious moment in rock history might not be as vital, though it would still be appealing. That it was "one night only" and so spontaneous and impromptu makes it an absolute essential for any true fan of rock & roll. "Cold Turkey" (Lennon's second solo 45 RPM) and "Yer Blues" from The White Album are as revealing as "Blue Suede Shoes", "Money" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" - none of which are on the John Lennon Roots: Sings The Great Rock & Roll Hits on Adam VIII (click highlighted title for Gemmzine review). These oldies also are absent from the official Apple/Capitol/EMI release John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll", making their appearance here all the more intriguing and fulfilling. Interesting that Alan Douglas is an executive producer here (yes, Douglas of Jimi Hendrix fame, see his interesting website http://www.douglasrecords.com/GravityDVD.htm ) |
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BLUE WILD ANGEL: Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle Of Wight Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live at The Isle Of Wight is a 102 minute documentary by Academy Award winner Murray Lerner which features a crystal clear updated sound mix by engineer/record producer Eddie Kramer and other goodies separating this version from the 56 minute 1970 release. Videotaped documentary footage recorded three decades after the original film was shot adds insight. There are interviews with Kramer, bassist Billy Cox, drummer Mitch Mitchell, Jim Marron - president of Electric Lady Studios, Hendrix tour manager Gerry Stickles, along with director Lerner himself and full length versions of the included songs from the legendary festival. As audio fragments of this concert became commercially available through the years including three tracks on Columbia Records The First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies and four other titles on Polydor's Jimi Hendrix / Isle Of Wight lp, different perceptions of one of Jimi's final concerts reached the public consciousness. |  | | At nearly double the 54 minute length of the Rhino Home Video} from 1970 entitled Jimi Hendrix: Live At The Isle of Wight, the result is simply breathtaking with Jimi Hendrix - the rock star performing in all his glory as his sun was about to set. Lerner calls this "a labor of love which took a long time to finish" and he credits the Experience Hendrix company with helping obtain the backing to complete the project. Filmed between approximately 2 AM and 4 AM on August 31, 1970, it is so dark that the 600,000 or so people in the audience hardly affect what you see on the screen. The director said the film is "deliberately claustrophobic" realizing that "Jimi was the key thing to photograph" stating that they stuck to Hendrix "very intensely". Billy Cox's brilliant bass work can be heard cleanly as both he and drummer Mitch Mitchell creat a platform on which genius unfolds. Jimi's versatility is in evidence, he clearly separated making a record from performing on stage. Purple Haze explodes in a way that would never have captured AM radio airplay, and is a stark contrast to the blues of "Red House" which, on film, has lots of interesting shots of Jimi's hand playing against the light while his facial expression is of a man lost in thought while in the throes of a wild solo. The guitarist here is a master technician, as is Murray Lerner who captures this modern day Beethoven with equal brilliance. The contrast of "Red House's" subtleties to Hendrix turning up his Marshall stacks and giving the people what they want -he psychedelic blasts of "Foxy Lady" - is more proof of how the singer/performer utilized all aspects of the stage - combining the volume and feedback with his clothing, hair, body movements, foot on the wah wah pedal, over amplification, all tools of this part of his trade. The build up with photography of the landscape before the main event and daytime glimpes of the crowd (along with Billy Cox's memories of how loud they were) combine to make this a respectful and precise look at a special moment in music history. Murray Lerner feels the 20 minute version of "Machine Gun" here "makes a big difference. It's much more powerful" (than the previous seven minute edit they had in release). The DVD has different camera angles for some of the songs included in the theatrical version, and will also include a bonus rare live performance of "Dolly Dagger". |
Press release from Kayos Productions Eagle To Release
THE MOODY BLUES: LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL
~On DVD May 26~ |  | New York, NY (April 27, 2009)—Eagle Vision, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Eagle Rock Entertainment, will release The Moody Blues: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 on DVD for the first time May 26 (pre-book order date May 5, retail sales price $14.98).
This is the legendary much talked-about 79-minute 11-song performance that The Moody Blues—at the height of their popularity and creative powers—totally entranced the hippie audience with on a hot night in August off the coast of England. Bonus material includes a 20-minute documentary keying in on the behind-the-scenes machinations that took place before, during and after this remarkable event.
This historic set of Classic Rock stands complete and unexpurgated as performed by guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward, bassist/vocalist John Lodge, vocalist/flutist Ray Thomas, drummer Graeme Edge and keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder. Touring in support of A Question Of Balance album, The Moody Blues, at this point in time, had had four albums all in the Top 5 U.K. (with two #1s). The audience on this night topped half a million. It was an era that will never be duplicated.
This is one of the most indelible, groundbreaking and iconic live performances of the Classic Rock era. The Isle Of Wight Festival itself is one of the most cherished fests of rock history. It debuted in 1968, continues today, and is most famous for its 1970 lineup that included ELP, Tull, Hendrix, Baez, Kristofferson, Miles, Sly, The Doors, The Who, Moodies and more. The Moody Blues: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 has been heard but not seen. Until now…when it all comes stunningly alive on this DVD.
Track Listing
1) Gypsy
2) Tuesday Afternoon
3) Never Comes The Day
4) Tortoise And The Hair
5) Questions
6) Sunset
7) Melancholy Man
8) Nights In White Satin
9) Legend Of A Mind
10) Ride My See Saw
11) Conclusion
Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audio visual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Germany & France. |
JOHN LENNON LIVE PEACE IN TORONTO '69 FACT SHEET from SHOUT! FACTORY Fact Sheet
JOHN LENNON & THE PLASTIC ONO BAND LIVE IN TORONTO '69
DVD TO BE RELEASED ON SHOUT! FACTORY
In Stores June 23
SYNOPSIS
Shout! Factory will release John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band Live In
Toronto '69 on DVD June 23, providing fans with a front-row seat at the
"second most important concert" in rock history.
John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band Live In Toronto '69 is a rare look at
one of the world's most influential popular artists at a pivotal moment
in his career. Filmed on the eve of the release of the Abbey Road LP -
the last Beatles album to be recorded (although Let It Be was the last
to be released) - this is the only performance ever caught on film of
John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band. The DVD also includes an interview with
Yoko Ono from 1988.
Captured by Academy Award-nominated director D.A. Pennebaker, this concert film serves as
one of the great historical documents in the career and life of John Lennon.
It had been three years since Lennon had performed onstage with The
Beatles, and the group members had begun to disperse and pursue outside
interests. Seemingly on a whim, John and wife Yoko Ono hopped on a plane
with guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan
White to travel to the Toronto Rock 'N' Roll Revival festival showcasing
some of Lennon's early musical heroes - among them Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. As it turned out, Lennon and the
newly formed Plastic Ono Band played an equally significant role that
night in the history of rock 'n' roll, as it is widely believed this
concert signaled the end of The Beatles.
Captured by Academy Award(r)-nominated director D.A. Pennebaker (The War
Room, Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop), this concert film serves as one of
the great historical documents in the career and life of John Lennon.
Experience one of the defining moments in rock music history with this
incredible and intimately filmed set.
Bonus Feature
Interview with Yoko Ono (1988)
Performances
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Hound Dog - Jerry Lee Lewis
Lucille - Little Richard
Blue Suede Shoes - John Lennon
Money - John Lennon
Dizzy Miss Lizzy - John Lennon
Yer Blues - John Lennon
Cold Turkey - John Lennon
Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon
Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow) - Yoko
Ono
John, John (Let's Hope For Peace) - Yoko Ono
PRESS RELEASE Eagle To Release JOHN LENNON’S PLASTIC ONO BAND AS PART OF ITS ACCLAIMED “CLASSIC ALBUMS” DVD SERIES ~on APRIL 29, 2009~ New York, NY (March 13, 2008)—Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the April 29 release of Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon (one week after Eagle continued the series with The Doors) as the next installment of its highly acclaimed “Classic Albums” DVD series [pre-book date April 9, retail list price $14.98, length 90 minutes]. John Lennon was a tortured individual when he recorded his 1970 solo debut album, Plastic Ono Band. He had been in therapy with Dr. Arthur Janov whose controversial “primal scream” psychiatric techniques were raising eyebrows within the medical establishment. Lennon took the black hole of his depression and poured it into his music via such personalized mantras as “Mother,” “Isolation,” “God,” My Mummy’s Dead” and nine others. Intense and shocking, Lennon spared no expense in skewering longheld beloved beliefs “(“I don’t believe in Beatles”) while openly seething over his own lost childhood (“Mother, you had me but I never had you”). For its latest “Classic Albums” DVD, Eagle Rock Entertainment has explored the creation of this painful masterpiece via archival footage, detailed analysis and new interviews with Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and bassist Klaus Voorman, a longtime Lennon friend and confidant. The Classic Album series from Eagle Rock Entertainment takes a comprehensive look into the making of landmark albums that were integral in music history. Along with interspersed live footage, the DVDs feature in-depth interviews with band members, musical peers, relevant fixtures in the music scene and those who were simply a part of the party. Producers also elaborate on and break down studio tracks at the mixing board, further explaining the recording process. Every Classic Album DVD not only tells the story; it binds the pages, paints the picture and ultimately provides the soundtrack to the making of a seminal album. Eagle Rock Entertainment develops, acquires and produces music programming for a wide range of notable and high profile artists, which the company distributes on a worldwide basis. Eagle Rock Entertainment, Eagle Vision and Eagle Eye Media are wholly owned divisions of Eagle Rock Group, LTD. |
