Paul McCartney - Paul Is Live in Concert (1996)

Paul McCartney "Paul is Live" in concert

Unlike "the McCartney years, which was really good but after hearing the same song from his different bands 5 or six times, this dvd not only had terrific sound and picture quality, but it also had numerous Beatle clips during and after the concert. Unlike the cd release, it is missing a few songs from the cd but makes up for it with Paul & companys' great performance! Definately worth buying not just for the amazing performance & charisma generated, but to see the underrated Linda again! As a former musician, I can honestly say that for a girl that didn't have a music background,she learned & performed like a seasoned musician (she was Pauls perfect mate and I miss hearing her perform with Paul on tour or cd)! April 12, 2008

Great Music, But Adequate At Best Visuals, Sound And Editing Damper Its Magnitude To An Astounding Degree.

Ever since his triumphant return to the stage in 1989, Sir Paul McCartney has established himself as quite possibly the finest performer in the history of live performing. His onstage energy permeates from his every move, and his conncection with his audience is, in a word, astounding. Ever major Paul tour since 1989 has either had a live album or concert film released to commemorate it (more of than not, we get both).

1993's "Paul Is Live" is from Sir Paul's "Off The Ground" tour. Like his 1989 tour, which spawned the immensely entertaining "Get Back" concert film as well as one of the greatest live albums ever, the two disc "Tripping The Live Fantastic", a cd and concert film were released in commemoration of its success. Both the cd and vhs (now dvd) were called "Paul Is Live". Neither the album nor vhs were well received by fans or critics. I don't understand the hate for the album, as it showcases Paul at his energetic and lively best, but I can definitey see why the visual representation of the tour is often reviled.

First of all, let me say that every performance on this tape is excellent. They are all brimming with the youthful vigor and emotion as well as fun that makes Paul a predominant force in the performing field. The setlist is mostly comprised of Beatles hits with a few solo numbers and the new materail thrown in for good measure (the then new material is not very commendable, to be honest), and they're a real thrill to hear, but a pain to watch. That's because the production values of the film are awful.

The editing is a hack job, and the film is shot in a manner that makes it feel like a hastily conceived music video than a tride and true live performance; grainy picture quality, various images being thrown together over Paul onstage, and an often annoying tendency to quickly shift focus on the audience (I don't mind seeing their reaction, but it's somewhat of a discrepancy when it distracts from the main attraction, and what a main attraction it is distracting from). The sound quality is also average at its very best (again, I only have the VHS, but judging from the dvd reviews, there isn't much of an improvement).

While I don't discourage people from buying this dvd, I also don't recommend it as a must have. It's nice to have a keepsake to watch once in awhile, but chances are you'll have a more satisfying experience from Paul's other concert movies as well as his live albums, including the one culled from this tour. Some things are better to heard and not seen, and this is a good example. January 22, 2007

C'mon people let the fun begin!

I am biased. I saw this show (+ some songs not on here...) back in St. Louis in '93. Good Rockin' that night for sure. The best is the old stuff (of course), but C'mon People is one of my favs from that era. Yes, it is very 'of the times' editing, which is a bit annoying at times, but the music is great. Robbie and Hamish were a treat to see in his band. Also, I think it definitely is a testiment to how much better live this guy gets with age. I saw the Live 8 thing from last year, and I thought 'hmmmm... he's even better yet again'. I hope he lives forever so the music never stops. He's the best. Maybe this wouldn't get a 5 star review from anyone else but me... but 3 stars for this and 4 stars for Get Back just doesn't seem fair. September 29, 2006

Damn Marketing

1) Mine is the Portuguese edition.
2) Damn Marketing: As in almost everything released, the companys always leave something out, deliberately, so they can release later a "new expanded special edition".
I do not know why they left out songs like Off The Ground, Another Day, My Love. They are beautiful songs, played on the tour, and shown on the TV Special.
DVD`s should be an improvement in every sense on what VHS editions were lacking.
What I have said, it applies mostly on Soundtracks, because they often leave out the songs that are the ones that people were looking for, or include different versions. Concert releases: you know they were performed, and simply not included, or poor editing, video and/ or audio. DVD`s, movies & music: not improving video/ audio, leaving out stuff, sometimes even more than the VHS editions, for instance the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, poor or no extras, well you get my point.
July 22, 2005

Great Music . . . . . .but . . . . . Video Really Lacks

I actually had the privilege of seeing the New World Tour in San Antonio at the new Alamo Dome. The show was awesome, one of the best performances I have ever seen (and I have been to hundreds of concerts).

This video was an attempt to capture that tour. Unfortunately, it did not really convey the magnitude of what was going on (but then again, with concerts, film hardly ever captures the sense of actually being there). The music was great (though parts were compressed too much). The song selection for that tour was near perfect. If you like fast video takes, quick paced video moving, and flip flop sequences from color to black and white, as well as background shots over other parts, then this is the video for you. However, if you prefer simple concerts shots where you can see the players overall and not have the video quickly skipping from one player to the next, then you will probably not like the video portion of this DVD.

I would only recommend this DVD if you are 1) a huge Paul McCartney fan, 2) you love both Paul's music in the 80's and while he was with the Beatles, and/or 3) you are from the MTV generation and are used to watching this sort of video footage.

There were really only two redeeming qualities about this DVD and those are the music (i.e. the songs), and the extra footage/videos at the end (or after) the concert (with the exception of the PETA footage, which was a little overkill, no pun intended). March 26, 2005

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