Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Video: 1.78:1 widescreen (16:9) color
Audio: Uncompressed PCM stereo, DTS 5.1 surround
Extras: Audio commentary, Live Aid Rehearsal footage, Interview footage
Length: 138 minutes
Rating: *****
Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid showcases Freddy Mercury and Queen unquestionably at their peak, both musically and creatively; despite the two shows being over twenty-plus years old, each of the performances here offers a stunning reminder of what incredible musicians and showmen they were, and captures the essence of the guitar-based prog/glam amalgamation that endeared them to the loving masses. After Live Aid (which is generally considered their finest live performance), their music transitioned to a mix that included a much heavier emphasis on keyboards, and the resulting music never contained the rough edge so constantly in evidence throughout this impressive and thoroughly entertaining Blu-ray disc. The Montreal portion of the disc was conceived from the beginning by Mercury and company as the definitive Queen experience and was shot on 35mm film; the group obviously spared no expense with lavish production and Mercury’s frequent wardrobe changes. It’s obvious from the audio commentary that some members of the band found the constant swirl of cameras around them a terrible distraction, but you’d never know that from Freddy Mercury’s onstage antics – he’s clearly totally in his element in every aspect of the extravagant production. In 1991, Freddy Mercury was claimed by the AIDS epidemic, and a truly remarkable chapter of the rock era had come to a close.
The performances are nothing short of phenomenal; Queen knew how to rock hard, and the live versions here of all their classics are delivered with an incredible fervor that easily betters the already excellent studio recordings. Classics such as “We Will Rock You,” “We Are The Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are presented with stunning fidelity; Brian May’s guitar has a jarring edge that’s just phenomenal, and Roger Taylor’s drumbeats have an earthquake-like depth that will easily shake the walls of your home theater (including the rest of the house). Freddy Mercury thoroughly works the overly exuberant crowd – this show is so much more than just a concert; for Queen fans, it’s an almost religious experience! Of course, there’s plenty of 70s and 80s rock schmaltz, but hey, who better than Queen to document the excesses of the era?
The Montreal show was given the full HD treatment, and as such, is perhaps the best-looking concert video I’ve ever seen. Image quality is consistently good throughout, with only an occasional graininess that’s just barely perceptible. The Live Aid show, which is apparently sourced from video material, probably wouldn’t benefit significantly from the upgrade to HD, and is presented in standard definition. The image quality is pretty good for DVD, but of course nowhere nearly in the same league as the Montreal footage. It remains, however, essential viewing for Queen fans and seventies-era rock fans in general. Only two audio options were offered; the uncompressed PCM stereo track is superb, but it would have been nice to get a 5.1 option as well. The DTS 5.1 track is really good at bringing the enthusiastic crowds into the surrounds, but the sound quality isn’t quite in the same league as the uncompressed PCM track. However, this is merely nitpicking on my part; as an overall concert experience, this excellent disc is difficult to fault. Very highly recommended!
— Tom Gibbs
