Fresh and Exciting

A Disappointing Continuation

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Well, I've been sat here for the last five minutes thinking what I could write about the Greatest Rock 'n Roll band in the World, or more to the point, one of the best Rock Documentaries to come out of the 1970's.Seeing The Who live only four time's since 13th July 1985 to November 10th 2000. The original line up would have been great, but time and history say different.This is where Jeff Stein has a wonderful idea (the film was being made when Keith was still very much alive, but as reference to today's generation) if you can no longer go to the mountain, then he has brought it to you, enter stage right, The Kids are Alright, 109 minutes of pure Rock 'n Roll documented history.The film start's of with some fantastic black and white footage (the early gigs must have been out of this world) of one of the hardest working bands to come out of the Sixties and to continue to World domination, a cliché I know, but it works.Interviewing them must have been a night where you earned your money, poor Russell Harty, (in case of Keith Moon break the glass).The 1970's tracks see them develop into a real tight outfit, if not a "little older" , performing most of their classics without fault. Jeff Stein has done a great job of bringing together this visually collective musical collage to a wider audience. I say lets turn the record over and begin side "B"...Thanks Jeff.

While "The Last Waltz" is usually the critics' favorite rock movie, "The Kids Are Alright" has always done it for me. Basically, we have a career overview of one of the greatest rock bands ever, with numerous characteristics that make it truly exceptional.Here's what makes this movie really unique: First, it was made by a fan, which gives it a fan's perspective (often more perceptive than a band's own self-image or, needless to say, the perception of a record company employee). But more importantly, the Who, always one of the most "down-to-earth" (and self-critical) rock bands, were willing to co-operate with the filmmaker (Jeff Stein), even going so far as to perform two exclusive concerts for the purpose of filming.The movie thus comes together as a fan's dream: a comprehensive selection of live clips that span the band's career up to that point (including brilliant early footage and such career-defining performances as Woodstock and the band's appearance on the Smothers Brothers' TV show), along with truly insightful interview footage. One comes away from this movie with a genuine appreciation for the combination of creativity and humility that really made the Who unique among "superstar" rock bands. Can you imagine Led Zeppelin referring to their own work as crap in the middle of "The Song Remains The Same"? The Beatles created their own career-spanning retrospective 15 years later with "The Beatles Anthology", but that film, made 25 years after the band broke up, seems much more concerned with defining and cementing the band's place in history (especially the McCartney interview segments) than with presenting the band "warts and all".Even in "The Last Waltz", while much of The Band is somewhat disparaging about their early careers, there is still a real sense that Scorcese and Robertson are attempting to define a historically significant moment in time rather than just capturing The Band as it was (I've read that the rest of the Band members didn't even know Robertson was planning to break up the Band until after the concert!).By contrast, "The Kids Are Alright" provides us with a refreshingly honest portrait of a band who have always tried to be honest with their fans. By combining the perceptive eye of a true fan with a cooperative band who weren't concerned with protecting (or defining) their "image", we are left with a true rarity: a documentary on a "superstar" that is neither concerned with deifying nor tearing down its subject, but instead gives us a truly satisfying (and entertaining) portrait. Plus, some of the best "70s Arena Rock" ever recorded! All in all, it adds up to a minor masterpiece.

You´re a WHO fan! This is the way it´s done. No "boohoohoo I´m a sad rock star" poses, no "ALL is great ALL the time!" but an honest portrait of the best rock and roll band in the world. Who? Who! Despite Moon´s death prior to the films release there is no down feelings throughout this lovely piece of rock history. This is The Who as we loved - and loved them. In your face and knowing it. No excuses are made. The Who knows they´re rock n roll heroes. But they also know that they´re a miserable bunch of old farts and addicts as well. Maybe that´s why they´re still so great. They made every mistake in the book but still had the hearts to admit it. And of course they won us over by being the terrible, horrible, wonderful, full on WHO!

I've always loved The Who, even when I was seven or eight years old. My brother, three years older, and I used to sing along in the back seat to Who Are You. We didn't particularly like that song compared with others like Won't Get Fooled Again, Happy Jack and Baba O'Reilly, but that was one of the surprises of the movie when I saw it again and again on IFC. The version of Who Are You from that movie was awesome in its power, especially when Keith slams down on his drums (du-DUH) after the guitar thrash and looks into the camera with a crazed looked. I love tha power. The first CD I ever bought (and still have) was from that soundtrack, but that song was absent.A Quick One on the Rolling Stone's Rock and Roll Circus was great, as it always has been. I loved seeing a drugged out Brian Jones? introduce them, and I couldn't help but notice how condescending the Stones were to a group who was so much more talented. I like the Rolling Stones, at least the pre-1978 version, but live shows between the two were a mismatch.And the Holiday Inn with the sign "In case of Keith Moon, break glass." was great.