Magnificant This DVD is well worth the $$$. His band is actually pretty poor, especially the keyboard player and Christine Lakeland, but it really doesn't matter. You get a wonderful view of JJs life and times and what it's been like for him. You get a lot of his songs and 4 played in front of Midwestern audiances and several acoustic performances while he stands on a street corner in Tulsa. If you really admire JJ, it's worth the price. It's in 5.1 surround sound which is how I listen to it, and it ROCKS.
Pleasant Watch Interesting to watch a previously secluded artist at close quarter. JJ Cale was always a mystery and an anti-hero and lots of us didn't even know what he looked like in real life. Not any more, as this DVD takes us inside inside his bus, backstage and up close having conversations about his musical beginings, his childhood etc. A good view for any JJ Cale fan.
Best way to learn more about this legendary songwriter/musician There is not much to be added to the other excellent reviews other than to explain four stars vs. five stars. This is a great documentary; a must for fans or even those merely curious to learn more. Having been born ten years to the day after J.J., I have a special affinity for the man and his music. This could just as easily be rated five stars, but I tend to reserve those for full blown performance videos. The rating is as much a statement that the production value of the disc is not quite state of the art as anything else. The performance of the band and interesting nature of the interviews are first rate. One of the other reviewers got it right by stating this is the way to do a documentary, however.
Everything a Music Docu. Should Be Up-close, candid, thorough, sympathetic without being flattering, substantial and insightful, down-to-earth, beautifully shot and cleverly edited, this music documentary does JJ justice -- it's the best I've seen in its genre.
The portrayal of JJ is unaffected and bristling with honesty and humor at every turn. Half way through, one cannot help but be swept by the laconic charm of the man, the band's one-day-at-a-time philosophy, and the perpetually perplexed interviewees (Clapton is effusive about the beguiling simplicity of JJ's ways and work). And then there's the music: stripped down, on stage, at home, in the studio, acoustic, electric, on street corners -- you name it. JJ was sixty five years old during the shooting and he's still looking for the next song! The man is driven; the music won't let go of him. How lucky can one man get?
The production itself is first rate. The photography is expertly done, the sound is crisp, the sequencing avoids the obvious, and the overall effect is both intelligent and genuinely moving.
There you go. It seems I can't say enough good things about this dvd. Oh well.
Even on dvd J.J Cale is J.J Cale Even on dvd J.J Cale doesn,t change is style, little of him but very very very good.
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