Their blues-folk songs encapsulated the feelings of the '30s, and their influence is still felt today. An array of stars, including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, John Cougar Mellencamp and U2, talk about and perform the music of Woody Guthrie and Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter. 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby stereo; song access.

Average Customer Review: ( 11 customer reviews )
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The performances of these two men's music by Little Richard, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and John Mellencamp are nothing short of outstanding, but all the performances in the film are well worth a listen. Other musicians include Taj Mahal, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie.

The biggest flaw is that it should be longer. I wish it had included the complete U2 recording of "Jesus Christ". It could have also included more of the actual recordings of Guthrie and Seeger that this film was made to help save.

Still, these are minor flaws in a very entertaining film.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:

A Vision SharedSep 26, 2005
By Terence E. Richardson
Excellent video footage of Woody Guthrie and Leabelly songs covered by artists of today. First class overview by Robbie Robertson and all-in-all a great piece of history in music, that transcends many of todays top artist repertoires.

Worth every cent - buy it, you will not be disappointed.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

This Land IS Your LandMar 03, 2008
By Alfred Johnson
If any of the older generation needs an introduction to Woody Guthrie or Leadbelly then I ask what planet have you been on. Woody's This Land Is Your Land is practically a national anthem. And Leadbelly's Goodnight, Irene is in that same category. So to have the two highlighted on one program, as they had been in life on a number of occasions, is a treat. This tribute has the further virtue of highlighting both original performances by them and tribute performances by some of these who have been influenced by their work, individually or collectively.

Anytime you get Taj Mahal, Little Richard, Sweet Honey in the Rock (a real treat as I was not familiar with their work), Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and a host of others under one cinematic roof you are bound to have a good performance. And added attraction was the appearance of Arlo Guthrie, Woody's son and a folk legend in his own right, commenting on his father's work. And, of course, an all too brief recorded performance by Bob Dylan, a man who probably did more to revive Woody's work in the 1960's than any other. For my money though, John Mellencamp and his ensemble band (including washboard player) stole the show at the end with their rendition of the afore-mentioned This Land Is Your Land. Watch it.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

A Vision SharedFeb 08, 2008
By R. Lichtendahl
Seeing this video is like being in heaven.
It can be compared with documentaries like "Songs of the civil war" and "Bringing it all back home", to name a few. In all these documentaries the various artists put their best feet forward.
Strangely enough these are seldom seen on tv.

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