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  • Wow! When i first watched this is the spring of 1999, I had tears in my eyes for much of the concert. On the second viewing, five days later, I still had moist eyes. This was almost too good to be true! I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing.

    Now that I've watched this numerous times, I don't get emotional but I still love it. This is old-time rock 'n roll ("rockabilly," to be exact) at it's best with rocking short songs that if they don't make you tap your feet and get just about everything else moving on you, then you check yourself for a pulse. Only a couple of the 17 songs are slow, and they are decent, but the last few songs really cook and that's basically what this is - an hour of feel- good rock.

    Carl Perkins, one of rock's early but lesser-known pioneers, still can sing here (he died a few years later) and play his guitar well. He also comes across as a genuinely nice guy. Perhaps that is what drew George Harrison out for his first concert appearance in 15 years. Perkins had tons of respect and love among rock musicians.

    Ringo Starr is here to sing and play some drums; Dave Edmunds, a good friend of Harrison's and a decent performer in his own right, is here. So, too, is bass player Lee Rocker, who is animated and fun to watch....and then there is Eric Clapton, who is simply outstanding and even has Perkins shaking his head almost in disbelief at his guitar playing.

    The finale was Perkins' famous "Blue Suede Shoes," and was really nostalgic with the host and then several of the other performers taking turns singing it. You could just feel the warmth between Perkins and all his guests. They loved the man. This is just rock 'n roll heaven!
  • A truly great TV Special performance form a truly professional and genuinely nice Rock 'n' Roll pioneer - Carl Perkins.

    It's great that this classic show has finally got it's DVD release so that it can be savoured by future generations to experience the origins of 'Rockabilly' music from a legend from the Sun Records era. An all-star musical ensemble including Dave Edmunds, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and two of the members of the 'Stray Cats' ignite this celebration of what would have been the 30th Anniversary of Carl's classic hit "Blue Suede Shoes".

    This show was recorded at Limehouse Studios in London in 1985 and is a wonderful record of just how great a musician and performer Mr. Perkins was. It's fabulous to see the adulation that the likes of Dave Edmunds and especially George Harrison bestow upon the man whilst performing at his side. All his classic hits are here including the very first song he recorded at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis. The other great highlights include a rousing version of "Honey Don't" by Ringo Starr, a foxy performance by Rosanne Cash - Johnny's Daughter, some wild drumming from Slim Jim Phantom and some double-bass beating licks from Lee Rocker. And that's Carl's son, Greg on guitar too!

    A great segment during the show has everybody seated on stage with their relevant instruments and taking part in what Carl refers to as his 'School of Rock'. We are then taken on another trip down Rock's memory lane as the group pay homage to the sound of the man who made Rockabilly music an art form in itself - Carl's ol' buddy, Elvis Presley.

    "Carl Perkins & Friends" is an emotional event and will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles just like the TV audience at the finale - Long Live the music of Mr. Perkins!