Soul Power by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - Classic Music Documentary DVD - Perfect for Music Lovers & 70s Culture Enthusiasts - Great for Movie Nights & Retro Parties

Soul Power is a documentary about the 1974 music festival put on in Kinshasa in what was then Zaire before the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. It featured a mix of Americans James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Wither, Celia Cruz, The Fania All-Stars, The Spinners, The Crusaders, Big Black and African acts Miriam Makeba, TPOK Jazz and Tabu Ley Rochereau.The movie is good because it’s not just a concert film. It has shots of the people of Zaire, Muhammad Ali who had to wait weeks for the fight because Foreman got injured, and how chaotic it was to put the concert together. It also showed what a party it was on the plane ride from America to Zaire with Cruz and the Fania All-Stars busting out with some music. The best part might be when some of the musicians were out on the streets and Ray Barretto gets down with some local musicians.Added bonus if you know your Ali history one of the girls whose shown a couple times at the start Veronica Porche Ali promoting the concert would go on to have an affair with Ali in Zaire while his wife Khalilah Ali was there with him. They would later marry.Of course what you want to see and hear is the music and there’s plenty of that. James Brown does Soul Power at the start and then finishes things. The Spinners, TPOK Jazz, Bill Withers, Miriam Makeba, B.B. King, The Crusaders, Celia Cruz, The Fania All-Stars, Big Black, and Tabu Ley Rochereau all get to do a song as well.An earlier film, "When We Were Kings", covered this momentous event, as a Documentary centering on Muhammad Ali, and the behind the scenes build up to "The Rumble in The Jungle". The concert in Zaire was secondary to the boxing.Here, the main figure is James Brown - in concert - the man who wrote and delivered the hit record of 1971 - and the title of this movie.Its been said that JB was the only act to excite the crowd, and the filmed performances of "The Payback" and "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud" are among the best in his VHS/DVD/movie career. "Soul Power" is the best version I've ever heard, with Fred Wesley (Trombonist)-led band, in the super heavy funk mode -a new Brown sound, emphasizing the *music* a little more.Not to forget strong performances by Bill Withers, B. B. King, and the great Miriam Makeba, who gets some well-deserved frame time. Although he is not shown on stage, Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer, Lloyd Price, as Concert Promoter, offers some fascionating commentary on the proceedings.Ali himself is just support to the above - strangely, his segments do not display a man of depth and humanity, but an angry, politically motivated radical. In 1974, there was plenty for his home country to explain to the world, but this world-figure comes off a bit one-dimensional.Camera work is sometimes erratic and out of focus. Another issue is in the over-use of behind the scenes business complications. Seems the Producers wanted to give the new movie/DVD project a "Woodstock" aura.["Extra" feature with James Brown performing "Try Me"].The tale of this film is the film, which makes it doubly fascinating. It tells the whole story of the concert, which, considering it mainly uses the stars and players to tell it, is a chance to see these artists before they come on stage, and their interactions with each other Their respect for each other is rich, and heartfelt. It doesn't take long to start feeling something while watching this film, and then to have that feeling just get stronger as the story progresses to finally amazing concert footage. Once you see the solo Bill Withers song, you may agree with me that is simply the best vocal of anyone you have ever seen. It just seems to get stronger and better, and then Mr. Brown's incredibly tight show at the end just power punches you right out of your seat. Just marvelously human and wonderful entertainment. The extras have a kind of hidden layer to find the extra concert material as opposed to just extra scenes...so be sure to bump around those extras layers to find them...there's more james brown...Man, what a great film. I'm lucky, I watched this on my front projection system with a 72 inch screen and a great surround sound system with all Paradigm speakers...I tell you, the cost was justified.The first time I saw this film I knew I had to find the DVD. This is one of the best concerts available on film, and I can watch it over and over. Every piece of this from performers engaging with residents of Zaire to the live on stage footage is powerful, and what is incredible to experience are the downtime conversations between the performers (and sometimes with Ali). Every performer represents (and of course the Godfather brings it), but I would be remiss without mentioning Celia Cruz and the Fania All Stars...and Sister Sledge dancing with some sisters from Zaire!In 1974, JB was at the top of the stack. Following some disappointing sales '72, '73 he came back with a long string of Number One hits, many found in the SOUL POWER movie (seen on Amazon), such as "The Payback" and "My Thang".The "deleted" song, offered here, was still huge in '74, but it dated back to late '58, when Brown a man in search...in need...of another hit. More precisely, his second hit, and one which could establish his longtime partnership with King Records. Here it is, "Try Me", in a fresh new, arrangement which we assume had a big contribution by 'bone man/band leader/arranger, Fred Wesley. Part of the update was an Astrological interlude, by the man later called, "Universal James".The song is delivered with alot of feeling and actually more Soul than found on several live albums of the period.Excellent concert and singing sung most of their hits loved this dvd.An important record of what took place. It's all about African culture. Nice to see on and off stage shots of my own favourites - Ali, JB, Ray Barretto, Nicky Marrero.Nice to see informal shots of Sister Sledge rehersing.Some interesting footage of the logistical problems in setting up the show.arrived on time and not brokenVorweg: Der Film hat mir gefallen ! Er ist sowohl als Dokumentarfilm über das Konzert in Zaire im Zusammenhang mit Muhammed Alis spektakulären Kampf 1974 interessant und bietet darüber hinaus geradezu beseelte Auftritte etlicher Soulgrößen, sowie nicht minder interessante Auftrtte zairischer Megastars (Tabu Ley Rocherau, Franco). Was diesem Film fehlt ist die Balance zwischen beiden Aspekten. Wenn beispielsweise eine Stunde mehr Konzert dabei gewesen wäre, hätte man als Zuschauer emotional mehr einsteigen können. So bleibt es bei einer solide gemachten Dokumentation, die einen hin und wieder anteasert, um letzendlich die geschürte Erwartung nicht zu erfüllen.Zum Dokuteil: durchweg interessant, wie sich die Soul und Sportprominenz in ihrer back to Africa-Phase gibt. Erwähnenswert natürlich die testoteron und Black Power gepushte Großmäuligkeit eines Muhammed Ali, die im deutlichen Gegensatz zum einkommensorientierten Opportunismus eines James Brown steht. Erfreulich in diesem Zusammenhang jemand wie B.B. King, der sich weder von überbordendem schwarzen Selbstbewußtsein anstecken lässt, noch unumwunden auf seine Profit schielt, sondern einfach den pflichtbewussten und gerdezu liebevollen Entertainer in Interviewfragmenten erkennen lässt. Abgerundet wird das Ganze durch afrikanische Impressionen und organisatorische Notizen.Zur Musik: Durchweg fantstische Auftritte vieler schwarzer Soulgrößen: James Brown in Hochform oder ein überaus liebenswürdiger Bill Withers und einiges Lohnenswertes mehr.Ausstattung: Die Blu Ray bietet ein fantastisches Bild, hervorragenden Ton, was bei Material von 1974 nicht selbstverständlich ist, die Kamerarbeit im Konzertteil ist sensationell gut und bildet die Vitalität des Großereignisses perfekt ab.Ärgernis: leider gibt es nicht die Möglichkeit, sich die Konzertschnipsel ohne Unterbrechung anzuschauen, also wird man stets und unweigerlich immer wieder aus der grossartigen Atmosphäre herausgerissen. (daher nur drei Sterne)Tipp:Es gibt eine Auskopplung des B.B. King Konzerts aus dieser Veranstaltung, die unter zahlreichen Bezeichnungen günstig als DVD zu haben ist. In dieser kann man die Atmosphäre und die tolle Kameraarbeit ungstört sehen und ich würde mir dringlichst noch mehr solcher Auskopplungen wünschen.Lots of grain on the picture that should have been gotten rid ofa pure delight to watch , especially with this pandemic going on..... a great way to spend an afternoon!!