The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
by Murray Lerner

List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $13.49
You Save: $1.49 (10%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $3.49 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases

DVD Cover Information

Movie Reviews of The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

Movie Review: Possibly The Best Who Footage In Existence
Summary: 5 Stars

Summary of The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

LISTENING TO YOU: THE WHO AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT captures the only complete live performance of The Who's legendary rock opera "Tommy" ever recorded. It is also one of the last times the band played this classic album in its entirety on stage.

Track Listing:
1. Heaven And Hell
2. I Can't Explain
3. Young Man Blues
4. I Don't Even Know Myself
5. Water
6. Shakin' All Over
7. Spoonful/Twist And Shout
8. Summertime Blues
9. My Generation
10. Magic Bus
11. Overture
12. It's A Boy
13. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
14. Christmas
15. The Acid Queen
16. Pinball Wizard
17. Do You Think It's Alright
18. Fiddle About
19. Go To The Mirror
20. Miracle Cure
21. I'm Free
22. Tommy's Holiday Camp
23. We're Not Gonna Take It

BONUS FEATURE: An exclusive 30 minute interview with Pete Townshend!

RESTORED! REMIXED!! REMASTERED!!!
Under the expert supervision of Who guitarist Pete Townshend and director Murray Lerner, this historic film has been completely restored, remixed, and remastered to an astonishing level that needs to be seen and heard to be believed!

The bulk of the set is inevitably devoted to a 13-song suite that captures the high points of Tommy itself. For the band's fans and students of live rock, the emerging portrait is engaging, capturing the dynamism of the core instrumental trio: boiler-suited Townshend paces the stage, jumps midchord, and teases the crowd with his signature "windmill" strumming (yawning playfully, in fact, during "My Generation"); the late Keith Moon whirls across the top of his drum kit, crouches tensely as he reins in his formidable power for quiet accents, and mugs shamelessly, perpetually moving; and John Entwistle is the apotheosis of the inward bassist, standing otherwise motionless as he studiously plucks intricate, melodic lines that anchor the melee. Stage center, of course, is Roger Daltrey, whose matador poses, lassoed microphone flourishes, and tossing curls have since become the lingua franca of two succeeding generations of arena rockers.

The camera work hews tightly to the band, succumbing to the fast zooms and sudden cuts of its day and capturing a few telling moments of irritation or fatigue among the members, but there are few establishing shots that take in the full scale of the performing site. Limited stage lighting often bleaches the color from performers and crowd alike, while the audio recording, coupled with doubtless limitations to the sound system, exacerbates ragged vocal pitches. In a post-MTV era when even concert footage is usually subjected to sonic surgery, extra takes and insertions, Live at the Isle of Wight may look and sound crude, but as a document of one of rock's most powerful, passionate bands, it's definitely worth a look, as well as comparative viewing with both Woodstock and Monterey Pop. --Sam Sutherland

Art House & International DVD Video

• Music Video & Concerts