Product Description

They are the Last of the Breed - the elder statesmen of classic country music who have inspired artists for generations. No one else sings country music with the passion and purity of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price, and in March 2007, these living legends and Country Music Hall of Famers united on-stage for a once-in-a-lifetime concert event. Now, the final, epic performance of their Last of the Breed tour has been captured in high definition and 5.1 digital surround sound to give fans the ultimate concert experience. Backed by the Grammy Award winning Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel and Ray Price s Cherokee Cowboys, THE LAST OF THE BREED: LIVE IN CONCERT delivers a feature-length master class in honky-tonk and Western swing.

WILLIE NELSON, MERLE HAGGARD, AND RAY PRICE
THE LAST OF THE BREED: LIVE IN CONCERT features live performances of 35 songs including: Always On My Mind, Crazy, For The Good Times, Make The World Go Away, Mama Tried, Night Life, Okie From Muskogee, On The Road Again, Pancho And Lefty, Ramblin Fever, Route 66, San Antonio Rose, Silver Wings, Sing Me Back Home, Take Me Back To Tulsa, That s The Way Love Goes, Whiskey River

DVD Features: Interview of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price on Willie s Buss by Ray Benson; Willie s Personally Guided Tour of His Bus; Photo Gallery

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10350 in DVD
• Brand: A&E HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2007-09-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.com
Traditional Western swing and good ol' fashioned honky-tonk music just doesn't get any better than this. With a short run of 15 performances in 2007, the Last of the Breed tour united Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price to celebrate their elder-statesmen status as Country Music Hall of Famers with over 150 years of shared experience between them. They truly are the last of their breed, and their history speaks for itself: Price gave Willie his first big career break in the late 1950s (he signed Nelson to tour with him--as a bass player!), and Nelson played a pivotal role with Haggard on some of country music's most beloved collaborations. Their continued vitality is on full display throughout this 35-song concert recorded at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont, Illinois, on March 25, 2007. It's a mid-sized venue, and this was strictly a no-frills performance with a plain stage, a sold-out crowd, and the pure pleasure of masterful musicianship. At 81 years old, Price looks rheumy and tired at times (he was ailing toward the end of the tour), but his soothing voice remains smooth and steady through such time-honored hits as "For the Good Times" and "San Antonio Rose," with the Cherokee Cowboys providing flawless back-up in Grand Ol' Opry tradition.

Led by Ray Benson throughout the two-hour concert, Asleep at the Wheel performs a pair of golden oldies ("Route 66" and "Miles and Miles of Texas") before Merle Haggard comes on for an eight-song set, effortlessly demonstrating his skill with fiddle and Fender. By the time Willie Nelson strolls onstage to trade vocals with Haggard on "Okie from Muskogee," "Pancho and Lefty," and three other favorites, it's clear that Last of the Breed is truly something special. This isn't the best performance ever given by these men or these bands (including Mickey Raphael on harmonica and Theresa Lane Haggard on backup vocals), but it's darn sure good enough, with some blissful moments of perfection at regular intervals. Special guest Freddie Powers appears for a breezy rendition of "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," and then Nelson, Haggard, and Price trade vocals on three songs (including Nelson's timeless classic "Crazy") before Willie takes over for a five-song set of his solo classics, including "On the Road Again," a pair of humorous new songs ("Superman" and "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore") and a show-closing performance of "Whiskey River" with everyone onstage. Despite a few rough edges, Last of the Breed is still a treasure to cherish, not simply for long-time devotees of country music but for anyone who wants to see and hear (in crisp, clean 5.1-channel digital surround sound) what real country music should sound like. DVD bonus features include Benson's delightful half-hour interview with Nelson, Haggard, and Price, and Nelson's personally guided tour of his lavishly appointed tour bus. For anyone who cares about the legacy of country music's greatest performers, Last of the Breed is nothing less than essential. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

On the Road Again, Making Music With All Their Friends
"Last of the Breed" is a remarkable DVD, recording Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price, live in concert, on the last night of their same-named tour, March 25, 2007 at the Rosemont Theatre. These three old friends, who do love to make music together -- and let's emphasize the "make" in that -- have been doing it for decades, and all are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. They're three old white guys -- Haggard is 70, Nelson, 74, and Price, 81 -- standing solid and performing, with nearly 100 years of performance between them. They may well be the last of the great honky tonk performers, and the last of the Texas Swing singers, too. They are backed in concert by the Grammy-winning Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel, and Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys. The road, on which they have all made their livings, features prominently. The DVD, a feature-length recording, gives us 35 songs, captured in high definition and 5.1 digital surround sound, plus extras such as extensive interviews with the principals, a photo gallery of the show, and a tour by Nelson of his bus. In fact, we get to see so much of these artists, we can almost begin to think we know them a little. By the way, it's easy to differentiate this DVD from the same-named CD: the DVD documents most of their greatest hits; the CD doesn't. There are only six songs that appear on both.

The concert is opened by silky country crooner Price. He delivers some of his biggest hits: "San Antonio Rose," "Crazy Arms," a powerful "Release Me and Let Me Love Again," and a melodic "Make the World Go Away." He does, as well, two great Kris Kristofferson numbers, "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and "For the Good Times." Asleep At The Wheel then gives us swinging versions of "Route 66," and "Miles and Miles of Texas." Price returns later in the show with an emotionally resonant "Night Life," which Willie Nelson had a hand in writing.

Merle Haggard has been quoted as saying that music saved his life. He once told the late country music great Johnny Cash that every one of the three concerts Cash gave at California's San Quentin prison was very important to him. Cash replied that he didn't remember Haggard's playing with him on those occasions. Haggard said he'd been incarcerated. And he's just as honest and gritty as a singer. He here performs several of his hits, such as "Take me Back to Tulsa," and, possibly his biggest, "Okie from Muskogee," which he wrote himself: he duets on this with Nelson, that 74-year old hippie, giving the song unexpected spice. He also has a harmonic duet with Nelson on Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty," reprising the song, a popular favorite, they recorded together years ago. Haggard further delivers a gorgeous "That's The Way Love Goes," by Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. (Whitey) Shafer, and several more of his own songs: the lovely "Silver Wings," the rollicking "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink," and "Ramblin' Fever," again with Nelson. Freddy Powers then gives us "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter."

Willie Nelson can render a song, any song, with a passion and purity few artists can match. Furthermore, the man does just seem to like to travel and make music with his friends: I was once lucky enough to catch him in New York's Central Park, one beautiful blue sky spring evening, playing and singing with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings, then calling themselves The Highwaymen. Lots of good vibes bouncing around. Anyway, on this DVD, Nelson and Ray Price duet on the timeless "Crazy," one of the first songs Nelson ever wrote, a big career-making hit for Patsy Cline. Nelson then does a warm "You Were Always on My Mind." Finally, he delivers rollicking versions of his own "On the Road Again," and "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore." And another of his signature tunes, "Whiskey River."

The world is unlikely to deliver another recording of such a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration as this, of these artists, especially with Asleep At The Wheel also on hand. You'd best get it.

Last Of The Breed
This is a must, especially for Willie, Merle and Ray fans. These 3 greats have been performing for many years and only get better as the years go by. I have had this disc since mid October and have almost worn it out playing it several times a day. I play it on my computer while I am reading or writing E-mail and playing games. I never tire of hearing this disc play over and over.

I am several years older than Willie & Merle and only a year older than Ray, and dearly love the music of all three of them. I no longer travel miles to see them in concert as I once did, so look forward to purchasing their new discs as they come out. I'm very unhappy with radio stations for no longer playing songs by these and other great country entertainers.

View of Last of the Breed DVD
You've got to see this DVD,if you totally enjoy this type of music. the color the sound the beat, it's all super fine to the eye & ear. this men show they can still give you one fine concert LIVE. Ray Price started in the 1950's or before knowen also as the Cherokee Cowboy. a room mate, one time, of Hank williams. did i lose you? sharing his great sound.then Asleep at the wheel, keep you happy with some oldies but real fine sounds.after, Merle Haggard is alive with a list of his tones,Mr.Cool Country. then the one & only Willie Nelson walks on stage to join in with Merle Haggard. MAN,they can make the party alive. As i've seen Willie Nelson live 4 times, i can say"this is real good fun". Buy this DVD & see it over & over again.share it with friends.But don't let it out of your hands.
I'm sorry that we lost two country singers/writers, that are not here.John Cash & Waylen Jennings.Boy,could they sing to are hearts.review by kenneth noell.....