As with almost every archival Beatles-related release, this is another product that tries to straddle the line of being for the collector and the casual fan both (leaving neither really happy with the end result). Once again they have erred on the favor of the casual fan, who will not be the one buying the majority of this release. Capitol/EMI never seem to learn from the great bootlegs how to compile really good releases.

If you have Imagine (the videos film), and Imagine (the documentary film), and Yoko Ono Then and Now, and the John Lennon videos collection, then you already have more of THIS video than you SHOULD have. The NEW stuff in this video is GREAT! Where is the rest of it? I could have gone for way more recording scenes, this hardly shows George playing, no King Curtis, no Badfinger. Just enough to tease us, then back to more recycled footage. Obviously these people filmed everything they did almost all the time, so why do we have to keep seeing the same scenes over and over again in each (NEW?) product. I am all for putting things in context, but the old stuff makes the basis for this dvd, not the new stuff. Just enough is left out of each product that you have to buy all of them, but once you have them it's pretty redundant. Of course the casual fan is not going to care because they will only see one of the versions, but for the rest of us this is getting really old. They also took the cheap way out and left in all the dust, hairs, scratches, and streaks in the video too, rather than cleaning it up like Yellow Sub. And, unlike Yellow Sub, the 5.1 soundtrack is not that big of a deal musically, and not that sonically different from the cd remaster.

The extra interview is nice, since they went out of their way to make that complete. I just wish as much thought would have gone into the main feature. Do you need this? Yes. If it's the only Lennon video you have, you'll probably be pretty happy, and it's much better than the videos version Imagine. If you have all the others, you still need this because there is just enough new to re-sell you the old again.

"Gimme Some Truth" is a great quality (sound and picture) DVD which will excite both die-hard and casual fans. Yoko and crew did a great job cleaning up this nearly 30 year old footage and having it sound so good on DVD as well. The tracks are first rate John Lennon from his biggest selling solo album. This is a nice companion piece to the remastered "Imagine" CD which was released at the same time. "GST" shows you up-close and personal of John at work and play in 1971. Sure some footage we have seen a million times (the "Imagine" video and the loner who "searches" for John whom the Lennons invite in for breakast)but the quality here is very high as this is John Lennon's first solo release on DVD. I only wish that the very underrated rocker "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" was given more than just a minute clip (which was lifted from the "Power To The People" music video. These are small qualms for 1 hour of enjoyment. The bonus DVD features are nice add-on's and a nice way to look over the entire John Lennon solo catalog. Here's to more John Lennon on DVD real soon!

Don't be fooled by reviews that you have seen this stuff before. I have personally seen only about 5% of this footage before. A small amount of the footage has been seen on the 1988 theatrical release of IMAGINE, however, those parts are greatly expanded upon in this DVD. The sound is incredible to listen to in 5.1 surround sound especially with headphones on as I am listening to it now. It truly makes you feel as if you are hearing the CD for the first time and the video only makes you appreciate the songs even more. The only negative portion is when Lennon seems extremely impatient during the background vocals of OH YOKO. His temper is soaring and Phil Spector looks as if he would rather be somewhere else. However this is important to see because it shows that creating art is not an easy task and keeping your temper intact is a tough one to master even by this master. If you don't have this DVD you are missing an important link into knowing Lennon.

I really loved this video. It has alot of extra rare footage that I have never seen before in other Lennon videos. I enjoyed seeing how he recorded each song. It's as if your right in the studio with him. I treasure any footage of John.I'm a huge Beatles/Lennon fan!

First I thought carefully whether or not to get the DVD since

I already had the video, the movie "Imagine" on Video as well as

the film "Imagine" with the songs to the album, but this is

something completely different again ... plus stunning bonus

material.

First of all most of the songs are - as the title suggests -

part of the making off of the album imagine, they are rough

cuts ... at one point John Lennon complaining that the

technician has to change tape in the middle of the track.

Secondly, the sequence including George Harrison is much longer

than on the other videos and one can watch him play the electric

guitar.

Furthermore we get a very short glimpse of Jack Nicholson,

Miles Davis and Andy Warhol - all pitching up at Ascot.

The Video/DVD contains a short snap of an interview sequence ...

and that's one hell of a nice Bonus track which contains the

entire interview ... partly with a black screen due to the

change of filmreels, the tape has to be changed as well, but

during the entire filming a second tape appears to be recording

so that the interview remains completely intact.

I'd say a must for any person interested in The Beatles.

J.P.Wilbrand