WhoHeaven

If you are a Who fan you will think you have died and gone to WhoHeaven!!

Good., but not enough

Alot of new up to date information. Not enough concert footage. Would be better with complete song videos.

A Solid Documentary, Not the Fan's Love Letter of The Kids Are Alright

This is a very interesting and entertaining documentary, placing the Who in the context of their social era, their conflicting personalities, and their drive for musical success. The bottom line though, is if I want to introduce a friend to the Who, the essence of the Who's spirit, I will show them the Kids Are Alright.

The "Six Quick Ones" are the highlight. They provide entertaining and illumaniting views into each bandmember (prompting my wife to comment, "Wow, I never really appreciated how awesome Keith was as a drummer"). The movie iteself moves at a good pace and has some interesting tidbits, but very little that the serious Who fan would find new or surprising.

The most frustrating aspect of the movie is that we never see a song in its entirety. The Who's power as a creative force is not apparent in 20 second clips (a scissor kick or a windmill or a lunatic drum bit is now a rock cliche -- what makes one appreciate the Who is seeing that these were not poseur moments, but part of a constant, all-out assault on the senses in each song driven by passion and competition).

The Kids Are Alright, by contrast, is a fan's love letter, the uber-mix tape to show why this band is great musically, and generates such passion amongst its fans. The full-length clips, interspersed with interviews from assorted literati, cogniscenti, and roustabouts paint a picture (albeit an Impressionistic one) of the Who's unique and self-contradicting blend of utter seriousness about the saving power of music, pop-art self-mocking, and all-out joyous abandon. I dare you to watch Baba O'Riley or the montage of "Cobwebs and Strange", and at least not walk away with the impression that this band is something special, worth investigating further... Amazing Journey is a good one to watch to learn more.