Only Roy could make the group of musical "superstars" on the stage look like a bunch of side men. He stood head and shoulders above his peers, and they didn't seem to mind being in his shadow in the least. He goes through just about his entire catalog of hits (and what a catalog it is): his voice is as bright and vibrant, and in some cases better, as the day he originally recorded them. Visually, this is what a concert should look like. Simple staging, black and white video, clear as a bell sound, no instruments being lost by bad mixing. The band playing and singing like the pros they are. And Roy Orbison singing better than any man his age had a right to. If you don't have this DVD, go and get it. I can guarantee you this will not be a DVD that you'll play once and put in the back of your collection.

We ordered this recently and settled in to watch it last night, and were disappointed with the final product. The black and white was fabulous, the songs are timeless, the musical talent was wall-to-wall but the audio production was too obviously disconnected from the video. It felt like the editors had put the movie together with the sound turned off, and then tried (and failed) to sneak a synchronized audio layer back on top. There were other holes in the audio track, where instruments or voices were submerged but that might be our bad; we'll have to watch it again with theatre sound to get to the bottom of that. And only 64 minutes? With not one syllable of audience rapport? Coulda been miles better. And there was too much of Bruce Springsteen, God bless 'im, playing like he'd steal the show given half the chance.

I own this on DVD, but to this day whenever it shows up on PBS (roughly every 24 hours, where I live, lol!), I am compelled to watch it start to finish.There is a phenomenal array of musicians on stage, all there to play with one of the greatest talents in musical history. It's quite possible that a lot of people think Elvis and Chuck Berry when they think of the start of popular rock and roll music, but Orbison's writing, musicianship (and that voice!) tower over the others of that era. The presence of all the other names doesn't make one think of a 'star studded' VH1/MTV made-for-TV extravaganza, but more a group of able musicians both paying homage and participating in a real musical performance, in concert with each other, not taking star turns even as they step up to play a solo or sing with 'the master'.All the players are fantastic and are thrilled to be there, but Springsteen in particular looks like a little-league 11-year old getting to play ball with Mantle, Ruth, Robinson and Aaron. His awe and exuberance at being there mirrors what anyone has to feel watching this show.(and a P.S. - no audio problems on my disk or on the televised version.)

As if Roy Orbison performing were not enough, the talent he has with him in this concert is truly awe inspiring. Tom Waits, kd lang, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello - to name only a few - all lend their musical skills to make this a once in a lifetime event. A must-have for anyone who calls themselves a music lover.