The Kids Are Alright (film)
Encyclopedia
The Kids Are Alright is a 1979 rockumentary
film about the English rock
band The Who
, including live performances, promotional films and interviews from 1964 to 1978.
, The Who's principal composer and lead guitarist, about compiling a collection of film clips to provide a historical reference for the band's fans. Townshend initially rejected the idea, but was persuaded by the group's manager, Bill Curbishley
, to give their cooperation.
When Stein and his film editor, Ed Rothkowitz, soon previewed a 17-minute compilation of clips from their US television appearances to the band and their wives, they could hardly believe the reaction. "Townshend was on the floor, banging his head. He and Moon were hysterical. Daltrey's wife was laughing so hard she knocked over the coffee table in the screening room. Their reaction was unbelievable. They loved it. That's when they were really convinced that the movie was worth doing."
Stein knew that many of the band's best performances and most memorable moments had either never been recorded or been lost, erased or discarded. For more than two years, he collected film, television and fan film footage in England, the United States, Sweden, Germany, France, Australia, Norway and Finland, in some cases actually rescuing footage from the trash. Nevertheless, there were gaps in the depiction of the band's catalog and persona that required the shooting of new material. This began on 20 July 1977 at Shepperton Studios in Middlesex
, England
with the playing of the song "Barbara Ann
" at Stein's request. The film crew then spent five days chronicling the daily life of drummer Keith Moon
at his Malibu, California home, including his 31st birthday party. Finally, Stein attempted on several occasions to record performances of songs that were not covered by the archival footage, particularly "Baba O'Riley
" and "Won't Get Fooled Again
". The final recordings were made on 25 May 1978, but unfortunately, most of the original reels of this show were lost. A version of "My Wife
" was recorded at the Gaumont State in Kilburn in December 1977, and, although not included in the film, it appeared on the soundtrack album.
The sound editing was supervised by bassist John Entwistle
and, with the exception of a 1965 performance of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
" where Entwistle had to replace a missing bass track, and the footage of Moon smashing a drum kit - as the original 8mm footage was silent, Moon overdubbed drum sounds - most of the sound was authentic. Entwistle did fight for - and won - getting him and Pete to overdub their backing vocals on the Woodstock footage because Entwistle deemed the original gig's backup vocals "dire." During the process of sound editing, on 7 September 1978, Keith Moon died. All of the band members except Townshend had seen a rough cut of the film just a week before and, after Moon's death, they were determined not to change anything.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
on 14 May 1979. The Who promoted the release of the film with some live performances with their new drummer, former Small Faces and Faces
drummer Kenney Jones
.
An album was released as a soundtrack in June 1979 that included some songs and performances from the film. The album reached #2 in the UK, and fared better in the US where it peaked at #2 on the Billboard album charts and went Platinum.
show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
in Los Angeles
following the end of their first US tour. They lip-synched the songs "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation" and flustered host Tommy Smothers
by refusing to follow the script as he tried to converse with them before "My Generation". Moon made the biggest impact, however, when the destructive nature of his on-stage persona reached its highest level. After The Who's performance of "My Generation", they began smashing their instruments. Moon packed explosive charge in his bass drum which set Townshend's hair on fire and rendered him temporarily deaf for 20 minutes, while cymbal shrapnel left a gash in Moon's arm. Townshend then took the acoustic guitar Smothers was holding and smashed it to bits on the ground. Smothers was completely frustrated, but the audience thought the whole performance was staged. Since the guitar that Smothers was holding can clearly be seen with no strings on it, Pete's smashing of Smothers guitar was staged and expected by those on stage.
Clips of a 1973 interview from London Weekend Television
's Russell Harty Plus appear six times throughout the film. While Harty delves into the background of the members' lives, Moon again steals the show as he rips off Townshend's shirt sleeve and then promptly strips down to his underwear.
One of the TV interviews included in the film features Ken Russell
, the director of the film Tommy
, who makes his mark with his exaggeratedly passionate plea: "I think that Townshend, The Who, Roger Daltrey, Entwistle, Moon could rise this country out of its decadent ambient state better than Wilson
or all of those crappy people could ever hope to achieve!"
An early performance from ABC
television's Shindig!
and one of only two surviving tapes from the group's many appearances on the British program Ready Steady Go!
, both recorded in 1965, are included along with numerous interview clips from BBC Radio
, as well as mostly b/w interviews, stage and blue-screen performances (such as of Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
) on the music programme Beat-Club
recorded at the Radio Bremen
studios in Hamburg
, Germany. Segments filmed in each of the band member's homes include several conversations between Moon and fellow drummer Ringo Starr
.
" for the band, after Keith Moon died only one week after he'd seen the rough cut of the film with Roger Daltrey. Moon, according to Daltrey, was deeply shocked by how much he'd changed physically in just 15 years, "from a young good-looking boy to a spitting image of Robert Newton
". After Moon's death, the rough cut didn't suffer a single change, since neither Jeff Stein nor the rest of the band wanted to turn the film into an homage to remember Moon's passing, but to celebrate his life and career with The Who.
Moon's last performances with the band were:
In 2003, a DVD edition of the film was released. The film had been transferred from the restored 35mm interpositive
http://www.thekidsarealright.com/logs/log7-25.htm and the audio was extensively restored. In addition to the original film, with English subtitles, on-screen liner notes, commentary with Jeff Stein and DVD producer John Albarian, and a 27-page booklet, the DVD contained a bonus disc with over three hours of additional materials:
The DVD was released by Pioneer Home Entertainment. The digitally-restored version of the film was premiered at the New York Film Festival
in October 2003 with Daltrey, Lewis, Stein and Albarian in attendance.
Rockumentary
The term rockumentary is a neologism denoting a documentary about rock music or its musicians. The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap....
film about the English rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, including live performances, promotional films and interviews from 1964 to 1978.
Production
The film was primarily the work of American fan Jeff Stein who, despite having no previous experience in filmmaking, convinced the band to support the project and served as the film's director. Stein had produced a book of photographs from the band's 1970 tour when he was just 17. In 1975, he approached Pete TownshendPete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, The Who's principal composer and lead guitarist, about compiling a collection of film clips to provide a historical reference for the band's fans. Townshend initially rejected the idea, but was persuaded by the group's manager, Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley is a music producer and band manager, best known for his work with English rock groups The Who and Judas Priest as well as artists Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
, to give their cooperation.
When Stein and his film editor, Ed Rothkowitz, soon previewed a 17-minute compilation of clips from their US television appearances to the band and their wives, they could hardly believe the reaction. "Townshend was on the floor, banging his head. He and Moon were hysterical. Daltrey's wife was laughing so hard she knocked over the coffee table in the screening room. Their reaction was unbelievable. They loved it. That's when they were really convinced that the movie was worth doing."
Stein knew that many of the band's best performances and most memorable moments had either never been recorded or been lost, erased or discarded. For more than two years, he collected film, television and fan film footage in England, the United States, Sweden, Germany, France, Australia, Norway and Finland, in some cases actually rescuing footage from the trash. Nevertheless, there were gaps in the depiction of the band's catalog and persona that required the shooting of new material. This began on 20 July 1977 at Shepperton Studios in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with the playing of the song "Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann
"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart....
" at Stein's request. The film crew then spent five days chronicling the daily life of drummer Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
at his Malibu, California home, including his 31st birthday party. Finally, Stein attempted on several occasions to record performances of songs that were not covered by the archival footage, particularly "Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
" and "Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
". The final recordings were made on 25 May 1978, but unfortunately, most of the original reels of this show were lost. A version of "My Wife
My Wife
"My Wife" is a song by British rock band The Who, written by bassist John Entwistle. It was originally released in 1971 on Who's Next, and later as the b-side of the popular single "Baba O'Riley" on November 6, 1971 in the United States by Decca Records....
" was recorded at the Gaumont State in Kilburn in December 1977, and, although not included in the film, it appeared on the soundtrack album.
The sound editing was supervised by bassist John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
and, with the exception of a 1965 performance of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was a single released by The Who in 1965. It features call-and-response lyrics and some of the first ever recorded guitar feedback. The song was composed by guitarist Pete Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey, the only time they wrote together...
" where Entwistle had to replace a missing bass track, and the footage of Moon smashing a drum kit - as the original 8mm footage was silent, Moon overdubbed drum sounds - most of the sound was authentic. Entwistle did fight for - and won - getting him and Pete to overdub their backing vocals on the Woodstock footage because Entwistle deemed the original gig's backup vocals "dire." During the process of sound editing, on 7 September 1978, Keith Moon died. All of the band members except Townshend had seen a rough cut of the film just a week before and, after Moon's death, they were determined not to change anything.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
on 14 May 1979. The Who promoted the release of the film with some live performances with their new drummer, former Small Faces and Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
drummer Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
.
An album was released as a soundtrack in June 1979 that included some songs and performances from the film. The album reached #2 in the UK, and fared better in the US where it peaked at #2 on the Billboard album charts and went Platinum.
Contents
With the collection of material he included, Stein attempted to create not a linear, chronological documentary, but "a celluloid rock 'n' roll revival meeting" and "a hair-raising rollercoaster ride" that was worthy of the band's reputation. The performances which comprise the body of the film are organized around a number of playful encounters by the band members with various variety and talk show hosts, Pete Townshend's playful relationship with his fans, admirers and critics, and the endless antics of Keith Moon.Television shows and interviews
The film starts with a bang — literally — at the band's only US variety show appearance. On 15 September 1967, The Who appeared on the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.-History:...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
following the end of their first US tour. They lip-synched the songs "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation" and flustered host Tommy Smothers
Tom Smothers
Tom Smothers is an American comedian, composer and musician, best known as half of the musical comedy team The Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick.-Early life:...
by refusing to follow the script as he tried to converse with them before "My Generation". Moon made the biggest impact, however, when the destructive nature of his on-stage persona reached its highest level. After The Who's performance of "My Generation", they began smashing their instruments. Moon packed explosive charge in his bass drum which set Townshend's hair on fire and rendered him temporarily deaf for 20 minutes, while cymbal shrapnel left a gash in Moon's arm. Townshend then took the acoustic guitar Smothers was holding and smashed it to bits on the ground. Smothers was completely frustrated, but the audience thought the whole performance was staged. Since the guitar that Smothers was holding can clearly be seen with no strings on it, Pete's smashing of Smothers guitar was staged and expected by those on stage.
Clips of a 1973 interview from London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
's Russell Harty Plus appear six times throughout the film. While Harty delves into the background of the members' lives, Moon again steals the show as he rips off Townshend's shirt sleeve and then promptly strips down to his underwear.
One of the TV interviews included in the film features Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
, the director of the film Tommy
Tommy (film)
Tommy is a 1975 British musical film based upon The Who's 1969 rock opera album musical Tommy. It was directed by Ken Russell and featured a star-studded cast, including the band members themselves...
, who makes his mark with his exaggeratedly passionate plea: "I think that Townshend, The Who, Roger Daltrey, Entwistle, Moon could rise this country out of its decadent ambient state better than Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
or all of those crappy people could ever hope to achieve!"
An early performance from ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television's Shindig!
Shindig!
Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz....
and one of only two surviving tapes from the group's many appearances on the British program Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
, both recorded in 1965, are included along with numerous interview clips from BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, as well as mostly b/w interviews, stage and blue-screen performances (such as of Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
"Tommy Can You Hear Me?" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the sixteenth track on the group's first rock opera, Tommy . After the events in "Go to the Mirror!", Tommy is still captivated by the mirror. He remains captivated while his parents try to reach him. The song...
) on the music programme Beat-Club
Beat-Club
Beat-Club was a German music program that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, Germany on Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen, the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its members, Radio Bremen, later co-produced by WDR following the 38th episode...
recorded at the Radio Bremen
Radio Bremen
Radio Bremen , Germany's smallest public radio and television broadcaster, is the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state of Bremen...
studios in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany. Segments filmed in each of the band member's homes include several conversations between Moon and fellow drummer Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
.
Large concerts
Performances from three of the band's largest concert appearances bear witness to the band's progression from the British mod scene to global superstardom:- Their reluctant gig at the Woodstock Music and Art FairWoodstock FestivalWoodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
on 17 August 1969 was not an artistic success in the eyes of the band, but it helped TommyTommy (rock opera)Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
become a critical blockbuster. Warner Bros. allowed Jeff Stein to look through their 400,000 feet of film from the three-day festival. Stein, then, reconstructed a "new" cut of the Who's song highlights (as opposed to the "split-screen" images from the original Woodstock film). He chose three songs: "Sparks", "Pinball Wizard", and "See Me, Feel Me". He also added a snippet of "My Generation" when Townshend smashed his guitar following a brief excerpt of "Naked Eye". - The group's 1975 US tour reached its peak before a crowd of 75,962 at the Pontiac SilverdomePontiac SilverdomeThe Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
on 6 December. The images in the film were broadcast to large screens in the stadium so those in the far reaches could actually see the band members on stage. From this appears the "Roadrunner/My Generation Blues" medley. However, the soundtrack includes "Join Together" which precedes "Roadrunner". - While it appears near the end of the film, the band's appearance at the Monterey International Pop FestivalMonterey Pop FestivalThe Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
on 18 June 1967 brought about their first big media exposure in the United States. In the film, The Who's Monterey Pop appearance cuts away to footage from past concerts depicting the band destroying their equipment before returning to the destructive end of "My Generation". This performance does not appear on the soundtrack.
Discarded footage
At least three chapters in the film preserve performances that were discarded or thought to be lost:- When the English National OperaEnglish National OperaEnglish National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
allowed the band to play in the London Coliseum on 14 December 1969, the show was recorded for later release. The poor quality of the footage, however, made it expendable to the group and Jeff Stein retrieved the footage from a trash dump. The band's rendition of "Young Man Blues" is included in the film. - A promotional film for the song "Happy Jack" was shot on 19 December 1966 for a BBC TelevisionBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series called Sound and Picture City but the show was never aired. - The Rolling Stones Rock 'n' Roll CircusThe Rolling Stones Rock and Roll CircusThe Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a film released in 1996 of an 11 December 1968 event put together by The Rolling Stones. The event comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull...
was to be a television special featuring a variety of rock bands and circus performers, but after the filming the Rolling Stones felt their own performance was substandard and the project was shelved. The film includes a rousing performance of the group's first "rock opera" — "A Quick One, While He's Away" — shot on 11 December 1968. Originally, the clip's picture was cropped and bordered by flashing lights to compensate with the film's copy. After the Stones' former label, ABKCO, released the "Rock 'n' Roll Circus" on DVD, Stein extracted the Who's performance from the DVD and inserted it back in.
Moon's final performances
The film incidentally became a sort of "time capsuleTime capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
" for the band, after Keith Moon died only one week after he'd seen the rough cut of the film with Roger Daltrey. Moon, according to Daltrey, was deeply shocked by how much he'd changed physically in just 15 years, "from a young good-looking boy to a spitting image of Robert Newton
Robert Newton
Robert Newton was an English stage and film actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the most popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys...
". After Moon's death, the rough cut didn't suffer a single change, since neither Jeff Stein nor the rest of the band wanted to turn the film into an homage to remember Moon's passing, but to celebrate his life and career with The Who.
Moon's last performances with the band were:
- The clip for "Who Are YouWho Are You (song)"Who Are You", composed by Pete Townshend, is the title track on The Who's 1978 release, Who Are You, the last album released before drummer Keith Moon's death in September 1978. It was released as a double-A sided single with the John Entwistle composition "Had Enough", also featured on the album...
" -- Last studio performance. Jeff Stein wanted to show The Who recording in the studio, even though the band had already finished recording the song. Stein planned to have the band mime over the original recording, but The Who played it live at the Ramport StudiosRamport StudiosRamport Studios was a South London recording studio owned by The Who. Several major albums were recorded at Ramport, including the 1974 album Crime of the Century by the progressive rock band Supertramp. The 1973 album Quadrophenia was recorded there . Eventually, Virgin Records acquired it...
, London, on 9 May 1978. The only playback tracks were Entwistle's bass guitar, the acoustic guitar solo in the middle, the backing vocals and synthesizer track. - The show at Shepperton StudiosShepperton StudiosShepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
, London, on 25 May 1978—Last live performance.
DVD edition
For many years the film was released on VHS in an edited 90-minute form, extracted from a TV broadcast copy made in the 1980's. Several scenes were removed and the audio had several pitch problems and dropouts.In 2003, a DVD edition of the film was released. The film had been transferred from the restored 35mm interpositive
Interpositive
An interpositive, intermediate positive, IP or master positive is an orange-based motion picture film with a positive image made from the edited camera negative...
http://www.thekidsarealright.com/logs/log7-25.htm and the audio was extensively restored. In addition to the original film, with English subtitles, on-screen liner notes, commentary with Jeff Stein and DVD producer John Albarian, and a 27-page booklet, the DVD contained a bonus disc with over three hours of additional materials:
- "See My Way": Q&A with director Jeff Stein
- "Behind Blue Eyes": Q&A with Roger Daltrey
- "Miracle Cure": Documentary on the restoration of The Kids Are Alright
- "Getting In Tune": Audio comparison (old vs new)
- "Trick of the Light": Video comparison (old vs new)
- "The Who's London": A tour of Who locations in London
- "The Ox": Isolated tracks of John Entwistle for Baba O'RileyBaba O'Riley"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
and Won't Get Fooled AgainWon't Get Fooled Again"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next... - "Anytime You Want Me": Multi-angle feature for Baba O'RileyBaba O'Riley"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
and Won't Get Fooled AgainWon't Get Fooled Again"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next... - "Pure and Easy": Trivia game. The prize: A rare radio trailer of Ringo Starr promoting The Kids Are Alright
- "It's Hard": Trivia game. The prize: A slide show to the "Who Are YouWho Are You (song)"Who Are You", composed by Pete Townshend, is the title track on The Who's 1978 release, Who Are You, the last album released before drummer Keith Moon's death in September 1978. It was released as a double-A sided single with the John Entwistle composition "Had Enough", also featured on the album...
" 5.1 studio mix
The DVD was released by Pioneer Home Entertainment. The digitally-restored version of the film was premiered at the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
in October 2003 with Daltrey, Lewis, Stein and Albarian in attendance.
External links
- The Kids Are Alright at thewho.net. Includes photos and mp3 links.
- TV Guide.com Review