The Kids Are Alright-
2 Disc Special Edition
(Pioneer Entertainment Region One DVD)
(1979)
review by Head Cheeze

When I was around 12 years old, I wandered into a small record shop (the "mom & pop" variety that was the norm back then, before the chain stores ate them up) and spied a curious double album. The Who Sings My Generation/Magic Bus stared back at me, with a gloriously low price-tag, and an abundance of bang for my meager pre-teen buck. I had only heard a trio of Who songs, which were currently in heavy rotation on the then fledgling MTV, and had up to then been fed nothing but a steady diet of Cheap Trick and Kiss, courtesy of my older siblings, but something told me this would be a good investment. At the very least, it was two records I could trade with someone down the road.

That afternoon, after listening to Magic Bus for the umpteenth time, I realised I had discovered the band that would go on to become one of my favourites of all time. By my mid-teens, I had assembled quite the collection of Who memorabilia, knew all of their songs by heart, and had even begun strumming Pinball Wizard as part of my three song repertoire during my formative years as a guitarist. Pete Townshend became like a god to me, and his music was scripture. The band's mix of dirty blues, anthemic rock, and theatrical savvy made them more of a pop culture amalgam than a simple "band". When Jeff Stein approached Townshend about making a definitive documentary about the band, The Who were still at the top of their game (if not also a touch out of their minds), finishing up work on yet another classic album (Who Are You?) and prepping for yet another trek across the world in support of it. Sadly, the band's notoriously hard-living drummer, Keith Moon, died as a result of a prescription drug overdose just as the film was completed. Still in it's final editing stages, Stein opted not to dwell on the loss (there's no mention of Moon's demise in the film), and, upon completion, premiered the film to the still mourning members and their friends. The Kid's are Alright proved to be the perfect send-off for their dear friend, and, upon it's theatrical release, fans of the band were treated to an intimate portrait of one of the most important acts in rock and roll history.

The Kids are Allright is an exceptionally well crafted documentary, made up of rare live footage, promotional videos, and material shot especially for the film. Encompassing the band's career from their first television appearance through their last collaboration with Moon in the late 1970's, Stein arranged the footage in a non-linear way that jumps around to various points in the band's history, and intersperses the performances with some great interview segments and behind the scenes footage. From their explosive appearance at Woodstock to the long lost footage from their performance on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and everything before, during, and up to the time of the film's release, The Kid's are Alright covers the band in a way no music documentary had done before or has done since. It truly is the best film of it's kind.

Pioneer releases The Kids are Alright in two editions; a standard one disc set, and the absolutely features-laden two disc special edition, reviewed here.

Check out these features:

Commentary by Jeff Stein

Almost 100 minutes of never-before-seen multi-camera angle footage.

Completely re-mastered in Hi-Definition and 5.1 surround from the original film elements and multi-tracks.

32 page collectable booklet

Roger Daltrey Interview

Jeff Stein Interview

Multi Camera Angles - 6 angles including a Pete cam, a Roger cam, a Moonie cam and an Ox cam.

Making of the DVD - 40 minute feature on the restoration process.

Audio Comparison - direct side-by-side comparison of the before and after audio.

Video Comparison - direct side-by-side comparison of the before and after

The Ox - isolated audio track of legendary bassist John Entwistle.

The Who's London - interactive video tour of Who landmarks

This is a truly special "special edition" and an essential purchase for not only fans of The Who, but music fans in general.