THE BEATLES AT THE BUDOKAN

I don`t have this DVD, but I watched to this concert film when it was broadcasted once in a Mexican Goverment`s TV channel (now defunct...well... it really was sold in 1993 to a private enterprise; it is now called TVAzteca) in mid 1979. Years later (in 1988 or 1989) I recorded on a Betamax videocassette some songs from this concert film from a TV special about The Beatles which was broadcasted by another TV Mexican private enterprise. I also recorded in 1988-89 from another TV broadcast the film called "The Beatles Compleat", an 1982 unofficial Biographic film about the band which also includes some scenes from this concert. I think that some scenes of this concert film were also released in the "Anthology" videos series, but I can`t remember well now.

I can remember that the main impression this concert film gave me then is that The Beatles were really tired and bored of being on tour in 1966. It is shown in their faces, mainly in Ringo`s face, who looks very tired and bored of being on the road. The band plays song after song like a juke box, with the occassional jokes to the audience from John (who tries to "speak Japanese" to the audience in an effort to stop their screaming). They play their instruments more or less well, but their singing is out of tune sometimes, and they even smile and laugh to each other when one of them sings out of tune (this is mostly evident during the performance of George Harrison`s "If I Neeeded Someone" when he sings the lead vocals really out of tune and in a tired style).

The importance of this concert film from one of their last live performances is historical by that fact and by showing why the band stopped touring since 1966: they were tired of playing their songs trying to please their audiences, which always were screaming, and as a band they couldn`t hear themselves very well due to the lack of stage monitors and for the eternal screaming of their fans. By 1966 the band couldn`t care less: they played the songs with lack of energy, singing out of tune, without interest, because their fans would be screaming without paying much attention if the band played and sang well or not.

After this 19966 short Japanese Tour, they went to other countries, the Philippines being one of those countries, on which they had the worst experience of their lives, as it is widely known (created by their then President, Ferdinand Marcos, and wife), and finally they went to the U.S. for a final tour which became a nightmare for them (created by the most conservative sectors of their population), as it is widely known. So, this concert film is a good historical document which shows why the band stopped touring. For collectors / fans only.