Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
Starring: Joan Baez, Ronnie Gilbert, Tom Paxton, Bonnie Raitt, Tom SmothersDirector: Jim Brown
Studio: Genius Products (Ingram)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release: August 5th 2008
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DVD Review
In Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Director Jim Brown documents the life of one of the greatest American singer/songwriters of the last century. Pete Seeger was the architect of the folk revival, writing some of its best known songs including Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Turn, Turn, Turn and If I Had A Hammer. Largely misunderstood and criticized for his strong beliefs he was picketed, protested, blacklisted, and, in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from commercial television for more than 17 years. Musicians including Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Brice Springsteen, Natalie Maines, and Peter, Paul and Mary appear in this intimate portrait and discuss Seeger s lasting influence on the fabric of American music.
User Reviews
Pete Seger - The Power of Song - Rating: 5/5
The Pete Seger - Power of Song DVD was so well done and historically significant that I ordered additional copies to give to my brother and sister. It also inspired me to compile my own CD of songs by the Weavers (from Itunes, Amazon.com mp3s, etc).
Pete Seeger - Singing Because Many Songs Fall Silent If You Don't Keep Singing Them - Rating: 5/5
This "biocumentary," a biography presented in a video documentary style, with apparent full cooperation of Pete Seeger and most of his immediate family, is excellent. If you don't know who Pete Seeger is, then learning his story, purposes, and methods will likely be worthwhile for you. This film presents a concise and fast-paced history of his artistry and advocacy.
Seeger used his talents and gifts to promote causes he believed in. He used songs to attempt to effect social changes. It would be easy to call much of his music didactic, but I think Seeger consciously conceded the loss of some of the beauties of indirectness and metaphor in order to speak more clearly to more people about issues he believed deserved more public attention and change.
Generations come and go quickly. Fashions and artistic trends of the world move forward quickly, leaving most things from a couple generations ago behind and mostly forgotten. Seeger sang to keep good ideas in circulation and to keep public dialogues going on less visible and often unpopular-to-view issues.
Seeger did not seek to keep others in the ideas of the past. He often used older musical styles to express newer ideas for the future. That is maybe what separated him from many folk and bluegrass musicians.
He spurred on and helped to create the 60s and 70s folk music movements, movements that were not interested in preserving the old and conservative, but rather were interested in stimulating new and critical thinking.
Most of us will not be remembered primarily for what we did to strengthen and improve ourselves. If we are remembered, it will more likely be for what we did to strengthen and improve others in our generation and future generations. If that is true, Seeger will likely be well remembered.
Great music DVD - Rating: 5/5
I really found this a great video about a great man, his work and his life's passions. Anyone for the 1960's and 1970's will find something in this DVD. I am very happy I got this DVD and I thinks there are many others that will like it as well.
O. R. Lyons
Beautifully made documentary of a life that inspires and shines - Rating: 5/5
This is a great chronicle of the times Pete Seeger has lived through and his activism which would not have been possible without the support of his wife, family and friends. He is a remarkable person who has lived by his ideals and proved that music/cultural tools can make a difference and inspire people. Worth watching!
the power of ideals - Rating: 5/5
I liked the film in many ways: It's a very interesting and inspiring biography, it tells an important part of the story of the civil rights movement, the american folk music revival and peace movement. It also shows that living in a democratic society means to be involved in it, to find out what part you want to take in it. And isn't it good to see how well he has grown old, how very compassionate his way of thinking is. He's going to be 90 on the 3rd of May - happy birthday!
