DVD Review: Last Days of the Fillmore: Various Artists, Various: Movies & TV

Jun02

DVD Review: Last Days of the Fillmore: Various Artists, Various: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 2 June, 06:01 AM

Product Description
Legendary rock impresario Bill Graham closed the Fillmore West in early summer 1971 with five nights of all-star concerts, the last curtain going down on July 4. The storied San Francisco venue had become an institution, an integral part of the West Coast music scene of the ’60s and, now, an essential element of the
mythology of rock ‘n’ roll. Always the showman, Graham made sure the Fillmore West was sent off in a blaze of glory, spotlighting bands - including the Grateful Dead and Santana-that rose to fame at the hall. The madness leading up to the
shows and the concerts themselves were filmed for FILLMORE: THE LAST DAYS, a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at a fascinating moment in rock history and a showcase for great performances by iconic artists who epitomized ‘the San Francisco
Sound.’ Originally released in 1972 and long out-of-print, the documentary film makes its DVD debut with Rhino’s landmark reissue.

Thanks Bill Graham For A Fitting Send-Off,

By Shell-Zee (Long Island, NY) -

If I could get into an H.G. Wells like time machine and travel back through the years, where would I want to go?….Well heck, Monterey Pop is not a bad place to start. Afterall it’s the grand-daddy of rock festivals. Of course Woodstock readily comes to mind…It was the biggest ever and certainly boasts perhaps the greatest roster of artists. There was also Watkins Glen; The Band, The Dead & The Allman Brothers…Not too shabby by anyone’s standards. And then there’s the closing of the famed Fillmore Auditorium. Admittedly the talent pool is not quite as deep as the aforementioned extravaganzas. But the question that begs to be asked is, how great were the performances by many of the artists at those huge outdoor events? True, there were some real standouts. Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix clearly left it all on-stage at Monterey. Sly Stone, Santana and Joe Cocker were awesome at Woodstock. And The Dead were in their prime at Watkins Glen. But what of the balance of the acts that comprise those seminal events? Crosby Stills & Nash were certainly not ready for prime-time at Woodstock. The Band were racked by thunderstorms at Watkins Glen and played slightly less than forty five minutes before, as Levon Helm put it, “it began to pour like a cow pissing on a rock”. And The Mamas & The Pappas were nowhere near the top of their game at Monterey. Their stage monitors were so faint that they couldn’t get into their signature harmonies. Even Mama Cass sounded flat, (no pun intended).

So what can be said of the performances at The Fillmore West during the final days?…Nothing short of pure magic!….Just listen to The New Riders enliven the crowd with their old smuggler’s tale Henry. The Dead are right-on with smokin’ versions of Casey Jones and Johnny B. Goode. Quicksilver, a real bay area favorite wails into Mojo and Fresh Air…What pipes on the young Dino Valenti. And what more can we say of Santana’s inspiried treatment of the Miles Davis classic In A Silent Way (actually writen by Joe Zawinel) and Incident At Neshabur? Another bay area band and crowd favorite It’s A Beautiful Day perform a mavelous version of their signature song White Bird. While Boz Scaggs positively shines as never before on an amazing nine minute version of the old Steve Miller tune Baby’s Calling Me Home. With help from the incomparable Tower of Power, Boz raises the roof and gets the audience on their feet! And let’s not forget Hot Tuna’s Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burnin’. Papa John Creech was cookin’, as were Jack and Jorma….There was Lamb, Elvin Bishop, Malo (Carlos Santana’s brother if you didn’t know), Tower Of Power, Stoneground, Cold Blood and a memorable finale by Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop and Boz Scaggs that left the audience, as Taj would say “satisfied and tickled too”.

Yes, there were bigger events in the world of the rock festival extravaganza. But none can rival the inspiried performances, the sheer energy and all out intensity of the artists that played to a grateful audience those final five evenings. So point my time machine in the direction of San Francisco, set the date for June 30-July 4, 1971. Pack my die-dyed t-shirts, fadded jeans and sandals and look for me up front and center stage. I’ll be smilin’ for sure and rockin’ out to some of the greatest sounds ever to grace the fabeled walls of the one and only… the original Fillmore Auditorium. Thank you Bill Graham. You sure gave the place a fitting send-off.

P. S. I just recieved notes on the DVD release so I thought I’d ammend my review with the following: Unfortunately There is no footage of Boz Scaggs doing Baby’s Calling Me Home. This was a real stand-out in the original audio release. Secondly the only inclusion of The New Riders of the Purple Sage is on a jam with Jerry Garcia. Hot Tuna does “Candy Man” and “Uncle Sam Blues” and not “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burnin’”. And finally there are two songs by The Jefferson Airplane (”Volenteers” and “We Can Be So Good Together”) that were not included in the audio release. But keep in mind these are not live but studio recordings set against a film collage of the Height Ashbury Summer of Love.

Finally…,

By Samples (Miami, FL) -

My father has been searching for the movie version of this concert for 30 years. Thanks to Rhino for finally releasing it!

Awesome Film!,

By BobbyDynamite -

This captures a moment in the early 70’s just before Rock got super commercial and the business went bad.
Fans could see legends like The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, up close and with good sound in an intimate venue for a cheap price.
That is why Bill Graham closed the Fillmore’s, he saw the impending doom of the concert business and wanted out.

Bill Graham shines through out the film and is almost like a wrestling promoter. Very over spoken, but with a heart of gold, and humor as well.
There is a great moment at the beginning of the film, when a hippie band leader tells Bill to go Fu** himself, because he would not let his band play on the closing night of the venue.
What happens next is very funny, you have to see the film to appreciate it. It is nice that Rhino is finally releasing this long forgotten film.
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