When Paul McCartney and a select band of ace musicians played this 15-song set of vintage rockers (including two new "old" tunes) on December 14, 1999, 300 lucky people were packed into Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club, where the Beatles got their start nearly four decades earlier. But the show--comprised entirely of songs from McCartney's 1999 release Run Devil Run--was also seen by a record-setting Internet audience, allowing the whole world to share the joy of seeing McCartney return, literally and musically, to the roots of his illustrious career. This is no-frills McCartney, liberated from the Beatles and Wings (with the exception of a rousing "I Saw Her Standing There"), and while the trademark McCartney howl has grown rough at the edges, his love for this music is enduring and infectious; it's easy to imagine him 40 years earlier, in the Cavern's previous incarnation (the old club was excavated and refurbished in 1984), belting out a similar set with the same youthful fervor that he demonstrates here. Boosted by the flawless guitar duo of David Gilmour and Mick Green, McCartney starts out unevenly (his vocals on "Lonesome Town" are undeniably strained), but the show steadily improves, and the Mac original "Try Not to Cry" qualifies as a bona fide highlight, proving that McCartney can hold his own in any rock-historical context. And while the 45-minute set is regrettably brief, this DVD includes two excellent features--a McCartney interview and a Run, Devil, Run promo documentary--that combine illuminating history with latter-day perspective. Band-member biographies and two 1999 music videos make this a well-rounded package for McCartney's devoted fans. --Jeff Shannon
On December 14, 1999, 300 people squeezed into the Cavern Club in Liverpool to watch Paul McCartney perform at The Beatles' legendary venue for the first time since 1963. Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice were among the other great musicians joining Paul on stage. You can now view this unique piece of rock 'n' roll history, as well as two of Paul's latest music videos and an interview with him on this special DVD release. Songs: Honey Hush, Blue Jean Bop, Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, Fabulous, What It Is, Lonesome Town, Twenty Flight Rock, No Other Baby, Try Not to Cry, Shake a Hand, All Shook Up, I Saw Her Standing There, Party. 63 minutes.
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