Live at Wolf Trap

As pointed out by some of the other reviewers this is a performance of all the original big hits of the group--Rockin down the Highway, Take Me in Your Arms, Black Water, China Grove, Without You, Listen to the Music. These were the songs made famous by Tom Johnston, founder of the group, lead guitarist on most songs and lead vocalist on most songs (Pat Simmons does lead vocals and guitar on the rest). This is NOT a collection of the later years of the Doobie Brothers, the "Michael McDonald" era though one of those songs, Takin It to the Streets, is performed here minus McDonald. This collection is from the glory days of the group. Like most fans I don't think the later days of the group are all that interesting until Johnston came back.Why did the group change? Many of you probably don't know but Tom Johnston suffered from what is commonly called "stage fright." He was fine in the studio but couldn't handle performing live, particularly when the group became famous and did big arenas and stadiums. He dropped out and the group continued with Simmons and fill-in people. That didn't quite work so they brought in McDonald and that dramatically changed the group. Tom eventually developed the ability to overcome his problems and perform again. This was filmed in 2004 at Wolf Trap National Park and is one of the "Tom is back" concerts that took place in more recent years.This is a Blu-ray disc, unless you buy the non-blu-ray version, and is very crisp and clear. The sound is also great and is DTS HD Master Audio and LPCM stereo. It's a great sound with great video. To the best of my knowledge this is the best quality and performance of the original big hits with Tom in place. Other stuff was either filmed in poorer quality or minus Tom Johnston. It's a must buy for Doobie fans.

But not without a few disappointments. Gone is the delightful menu presented by the band members on the original DVD, and I couldn't access the five icons in the lower left corner during certain songs which on the original DVD would take you briefly behind the scenes to see how the writers were inspired. So if you still have your DVD of this concert, it might be worth hanging on to. Nevertheless, if it's just about the concert (and it mainly is as far as I'm concerned), this blu ray really brings out the clarity of those high definition cameras you probably noticed on the DVD, so this is still a worthy upgrade. Tom Johnston admits they never sounded this good way back when, as I too would attest, after seeing their poor performance in Frankfort Kentucky during their "Vices" tour in the 70's.To the dismay of some fans (and the delight of others), this concert is more or less a representation of their pre-Michael McDonald years with a couple or so exceptions, such as "Takin' It To The Streets", voiced very nicely by Simmons in his stead. The infinitely versatile McFee is a valuable asset to this lineup (Hossack and Knudsen have since passed away so it's nice to have this to remember them by). At least the half hour documentary remains intact, so you're not missing much from the original DVD here. A more comprehensive history that includes the very talented Michael McDonald can be found on the other blu ray that is now out (Let The Music Play). Yes, the MM years were good years too and I still treasure many of those songs as well. This show however is the way they sounded at the beginning, so "listen to the music". That's their legacy, and as far as I'm concerned, they made history that night at Wolf Trap.If you like the band and their music, this will be among your favorite concert videos. I have always found myself smiling all the way through this thing, honest.

These guys rock ! Sound is good. Video direction is fair, but like most concerts, they like the quick- cut to different pov’s, instead of just soaking in the moment, like you would if you were there. It’s not that bad, but it is there.Musically, everyone is spot-on, save for the sax player. It might have been the mixing, but he isn’t loud enough on a few of his solos and it sounds a bit thin. Also, the violin on Blackwater sounds too compressed or unnatural. It wasn’t the violin player, again it was the mixer dude.The most noticeable thing was the crowd: it looked like at times, that the Bros. were playing to a nursing home. It’s okay to be 75 and go to a rock concert, but my God man, don’t sit there like a stiff! Get up and boogie or chug a beer or something. It was filmed at Wolf Trap near D.C, where everyone is uptight, so that proabably explains it. I saw Boston there and it was the same geezer crowd. I wouldn’t have brought it up, but the director insisted on showing us the crowd dozens of times during the show.

Why anazon puts up reviews from other versions of the same title I don't know but this is the review of the Blu Ray. This Blu ray was shot in HD so the picture is flawless. The sound is excellent as well. Best looking and sounding DVD/Blu ray to date (I know this the only concert on Blu ray but in this case I am comparing it to the other two DVD titles that are currently out). The set list is good but they did miss a couple of songs that I would have loved to have heard (but hey who ever gets every song they want). The show is the pre Mike MacDonald line up (well most of them) so they focus manly on the Tom Johnston periods. They do a couple of songs from the MacDonald phase as well. The only down side is there is a bit of a lul in the middle when the go acoustic. As a rule I like acoustic sets but this one seems to slow the show way down. They sound great (I saw them last year at Massey Hall and they still sound great) so if you are a fan or just someone checking them out you should like this!!

I looked at this DVD for months until I decided to make the purchase thinking the price is right and how could I go wrong with a Doobie Brother concert. The moment I put it in my player that disk hasn't come out and I have played it over and over and love the feeling good music. I wasn't a huge fan of the Doobie's growing up but I am now and love the soulful, bluesey music. All the old favorites are on this DVD - sound and video is great and owning a number of concert DVD this one is rated at my top 5.

A timeless classic. A disc which contains both the new and the classics. This is a band which has a good rapport with the audience and vice versa. The playing is top notch with an excellent supporting cast of players. This is a band which has stood the test of time. This disc is enjoyable and should be played at moderate to loud volumes for best enjoyment.

Some great music

I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this performance. A solid show all around, all your favourite songs.