dromasca The concert for Bangladesh was one of the most important concerts in the history of the rock music. Not only was it a gathering of first rate stars like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton or Ravi Shankar, but it signaled the start of the political involvement of musicians through the commercial power of their music in the benefit of big humanitarian causes. The example of Harrison was followed by scores of other musicians, and many events from the concerts for Etiopia in the 80s until the recent world wide events for ecological causes find their origins back there.For these reasons a film to describe how this concert was organized, how artists responded and why some (including Paul McCartney and John Lennon) did not respond, and also maybe some of the eventful history of the concert film and disk in the years that followed the concert would be very interesting. It is not this film. We scarcely get maybe two minutes of background and the rest is the concert itself. Yes, there is a lot of splendid music going on including probably the best version of 'When the guitar gently weeps ...' ever done with Harrison and Clapton, but overall the filming of the concert is not very inspired, and the sound caption is mediocre. The real documentary about this moment in the history of rock and rock artists engagement in important causes is still to be made, making use of material from this film.

vandino1 Possibly the granddaddy of all charity super-concerts, as well-meaning as they come, and probably delayed from video and DVD release because of the same money-rights confusion that comes into play with these giveaway projects. The film itself is a blow-up from smaller stock film to 70mm, and you know what that means: a muddy, grainy visual workout for the eyeballs. It doesn't help that the director is totally incompetent, with constant shifts in focus and possibly the worst lighting ever of any theatrically-released concert film. Most of the players are lost in the darkness on stage, with an occasional spotlight seeking them out (for instance, the group 'Badfinger' plays acoustic guitars at the audience-right side of the stage for a number of songs but is unseen until Harrison introduces them and a spotlight pulls them out of the blackness). Showmanship is not the angle here: Harrison tells the audience that the gang of musicians on stage are playing for free and some even cancelled some paying gigs in order to be here. And it's not an ego thing, with rock stars demanding intros and "guest star attention"; they're all assembled on stage at the same time. Exception: Bob Dylan. He IS a guest star, but I don't know the backstage story. Maybe he showed up late. I DO know that Harrison had an initial commitment from John Lennon to play, but Lennon backed out at the last minute. But, hey, you got Harrison, Ringo, Billy Preston, Dylan, Leon Russell and Eric Clapton (and Badfinger, sorta) so, there ain't much to bitch about "cast-wise." It's too bad that there are few close-ups, and worse, there's no backstage material, interviews, or even narration. There IS a gentle warning at the opening, by Harrison, that the show will start off with some sitar and tabla playing by Ravi Shankar and some other Indian musicians. The crowd recognizes Shankar's name and roars approval (possibly aware that Shankar was dynamite at the Monterey Pop Festival) and settles in for a loooong stretch of sitar-tabla material (while I watch Shankar and think THIS is the man who would later help "produce" his greatest creation: Norah Jones!) It would be churlish to object to Indian-style music considering this IS a Concert for Bangladesh, not for Liverpool; but it is also an acquired taste for Western ears. Then again, Bob Dylan's hideously out-of-key voice is also an acquired taste for ANY pair of ears. Dylan also settles in for a looong stretch. I admit I'm no fan of his work for the most part, so to each his own. I think it IS good to see Preston and Russell given a few leads, but Ringo only gets one song and, as an example of the lack of showbiz flair at this gathering, he sings it while buried behind a drum kit instead of being brought up front stage to a mike (no, that wouldn't leave the song without a drummer: Jim Keltner, drummer extraordinaire, bangs away beside Ringo on his kit throughout the concert). It's also surprising that Clapton never sings and has no guitar solos except his classic work on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Also surprising is how it ends, with the band playing Harrison's song "Bangla-desh" at full-tilt, when Curious George puts down his guitar and rushes off stage as if in need of a bathroom break, then it's closing credits as the band plays on sans George... and that's it. Not a good concert film, needless to say, but definitely an artifact worth keeping for rock-history purposes.

JoeKarlosi This is the film version of the historical show that took place in New York's Madison Square Garden on August 1st, 1971. People may take charity shows like this for granted these days, but back then it was a very special event. It was famed Indian musician Ravi Shankar who thought up the idea of helping the starving underprivileged people of East Pakistan, and he approached former Beatle George Harrison with his concern. George organized a concert to help the cause, in addition to writing and recording a song called "Bangla Desh," which he used to close out the night's performance. Among the musicians who gave their efforts were: ex-Beatle Ringo Starr (on one drum kit with Jim Keltner playing another), Eric Clapton (guitar), Billy Preston (keyboards), Leon Russell (bass and keyboards), Badfinger, and the legendary Bob Dylan.The program starts off with Indian music, with Ravi Shankar and other musicians, and it is an acquired taste. Ravi asks the audience for patience during their act before the crowd gets to hear their "favorite stars" later in the show. It's a long twenty or so minutes, but eventually George and Friends take over the stage. Harrison performs songs off his recent ALL THINGS MUST PASS album, like "Wah-Wah," "My Sweet Lord," "Beware of Darkness," and "Awaiting On You All". During the course of the evening, he continues with Beatles favorites like "Something", "Here Comes the Sun," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Ringo gets to do a vocal of his recent hit, "It Don't Come Easy", but manages to screw up the words pretty badly which is a shame, as it's always been a favorite of mine.It's purely a matter of personal taste as to what one will take from the performances, but for me Leon Rusell and Billy Preston provide some low moments of the concert. But the highlight of the event, even to a Beatles fanatic like me - which is really saying something here - comes from "a friend of us all, Mr. Bob Dylan". I am a moderate fan of Dylan's, and have always felt he was in excellent form on this particular venue, singing wonderful versions of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry," "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Just Like A Woman" (the latter tune with Harrison and Russell in vocal support).While the show is not perfect, it's quite good. It may seem more quaint alongside today's LIVE AID's and FARM AID's, and even in comparison to the superb 2001 CONCERT FOR GEORGE tribute for the late Mr. Harrison -- but this baby was an innovator. ***1/2 out of ****

Brian W. Fairbanks George Harrison organized this 1972 Madison Square Garden concert, but Bob Dylan steals the show. Clad in a faded blue jean jacket, his pudgy face surrounded by a halo of tangled curls, Dylan looks like an Oakie and sings like one, too, warbling "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "It Takes a Lot to Laugh" with a definite twang in his nasal voice. Watching him, I was reminded of the critics who insist that Dylan is always reinventing himself. In this film, it's hard to recognize him as the possessor of the contemptuous voice that rode "Like a Rolling Stone" to the top of the charts in 1965. Here he has reverted back to his pre-electric, pre-polka dot shirt days, and once again inhabits a persona reminiscent of Woody Guthrie. His appearance makes this otherwise grainy, unattractive looking film (shot in 16mm and blown up to 35), a cut above the usual rock concert film, although the finest moment is when George Harrison and Leon Russell join Dylan on the chorus of "Just Like a Woman."