As any devout Macca fan would know, Paul McCartney releases accompanying videos with new albums to help promote them. Often the videos will document the changes he has made in his life and his music, as well as contain some highly entertaining moments displaying his Beatle-sense-of-humor. This is a very good rockumentary in the sense that it portrays Sir Paul living his life and continuing to declare his love for Linda months before her tragic and untimely death. The point that you see McCartney hard at work during Linda's bout with Breast Cancer offers a testimony to their strength in trying times. There is a very amusing segment where Paul is on a VH-1 program and is asked to write a song "spur of the moment", which he does to perfection, and even gets the audience to provide backup. Macca even teases himself when he pronounces Lenny Kravitz's name incorrectly, stating, "Oh well...he calls me Paul McCarthy!" The video contains some historical footage of the making of the "Flaming Pie" album, as well as some other music-related projects. "The World Tonight" is great addition to your Paul McCartney collection, especially if you're a die-hard fan that enjoys the funnier side of this former Beatle, and all-time great musician.
3 Reviews
The Man in the Way Tonight
tedg14 January 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.
Paul's fans know an unsettling truth which is/was also true of John and George: their music is far more intelligent and engaging than they are. That's because the music is highly intuitive, even channeled, in Paul's case still via hallucinogens. But as a person, he's rather a selfish guy capable of only vacuous smalltalk.
That's why these films are strange. The music is transcendent, sometimes visceral. Even the light stuff wriggles deep into your conversations with yourself. He just doesn't get it though -- never has -- that this is apart from his life. And that's by his design. He knows how to place a tune in that space where we help complete it, but he has kept his life out of that stadium.
All this is to say that it is a far, far richer experience to turn out the lights and listen to his music CD in silence with someone you love than to try and make something worthwhile from these images.
Paul's fans know an unsettling truth which is/was also true of John and George: their music is far more intelligent and engaging than they are. That's because the music is highly intuitive, even channeled, in Paul's case still via hallucinogens. But as a person, he's rather a selfish guy capable of only vacuous smalltalk.
That's why these films are strange. The music is transcendent, sometimes visceral. Even the light stuff wriggles deep into your conversations with yourself. He just doesn't get it though -- never has -- that this is apart from his life. And that's by his design. He knows how to place a tune in that space where we help complete it, but he has kept his life out of that stadium.
All this is to say that it is a far, far richer experience to turn out the lights and listen to his music CD in silence with someone you love than to try and make something worthwhile from these images.
Title deceiving as to content
dalbert924424 February 2004
When I first heard of this DVD, I thought it may be footage from his concerts from around the world. Anyone who watches this will see it's just the opposite. The music is secondary to Paul letting everyone know how great he is and explaining how he makes his music. As Frank Zappa once said "Shut up and play your guitar" This DVD is good if you are looking for a documentary from a great artist. But if you want to see him perform, find another DVD of his live music. Some of the music is lip syncing and a little is him playing to a crowd. But most of the time he cuts in to let everyone know how he did what it is you are hearing.
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