a 5 Star artist in my opinion and this is very good...
I was a bit disappointed when I inserted this DVD into my player and it showed 55 minutes ..not the 187 shown on the Amazon.com page. The actual program is 55 minutes ...the other hour plus consists of the bonus features...which are three lesser known songs in full performance (2 from a very superior concert release)an import greatest hits from the UK which has a CD and a live DVD ...you must have an all region PAL compatible player to see this one sadly. Back to this the remainder of the hour of bonus features are many many interview questions with Mr McLean that they didn't use in the documentary...and for a lifelong fan are quite interesting. The last 20 minutes consists of an interview with historian Douglas Brinkley ...which I can't see viewing again frankly. So I am getting at the fact that the Amazon.com says this is a 187 minute program its not...its 55 minute documentary, 11 minutes of music bonus, 40 minutes of Don Mclean interview and 20 with an historian for a total of a...
Singing
This is a good biographical DVD of Don Mclean, which really has not been done before. He narrates it and tells the story of his life. The purpose of this is not to give a concert but to show the man behind the music and that it seems to accomplish.
Don tells of his boyhood, some home movies and photographs are shown and his growing interest in music. He mentions his illnesses as a child and his `aloneness'. The guitar is his mask, and others such as Brian Wilson and Lori Lieberman speak about him and his music. There are snippets of concerts and songs as the years go by and the people who influenced him, such as The Weavers, Buddy Holly and Don's hero Josh White. You can see his annoyance at times and how it has come out in his compositions and also his joy. He does talk of `American Pie and his marriage and children.
The DVD itself is 85 minutes and there are extras of the full-length versions of him singing `Infinity', `Wonderful Baby', `Building my Body' and...
A Fitting Tribute
I'd been a fan of Don McLean since his career began in the late 60's. However in more recent years I'd lost faith. He seemed to be going through the motions in concerts and seemed somewhat bitter and twisted. This documentary restored my faith in the man and explained the evolution of his career and how he currently feels about life in general and the music business as it now stands. Far from being bitter and twisted, he is, in fact, that rare thing, 'A Happy Man'. He's produced a fine body of work and openly admits to not feeling as driven as he once did. He seems to have become a person who has figured out what's important in life - and it isn't fame and fortune [although those things are nice to have]. Some great early clips and a selection throughout his career are worth the price alone.
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