Queen + - The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Special 10th Anniversary Edition

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Capitol
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: DVD
Total Time: 00:00:00

On April 20, 1992, rock music superstars performed with Queen in London's Wembley Stadium to celebrate Freddie Mecury's life and work. The devastating HIV/AIDS virus snatched away Mercury's life. It left the music world and the bands fans in a state of shock. As unfortunate as this was, it brought necessary attention to a worldwide epidemic that is still out of control to this day. The Mercury Phoenix Trust has enabled AIDS related organizations worldwide to conduct research and help patients and their families. With over $7 Million in assets, the organization has the financial means to support the array of benefits provided to its recipients. As the battle wages on against this deadly disease, Queen and Freddie Mercury's legacy continues to grow.

As Freddie said - "The show must go on." In true Mercury pomp and swagger, the show certainly did go on. There was an out-and-out who's who of rock music on stage that day in London with Queen to perform some of their greatest hits.

In a DVD packed with highlights, it is not a difficult task to site some of the tracks that I felt had the most impact. "I Want It All" with Roger Daltrey on lead vocals and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) trading riffs with Brian May on guitar, really set the tone for the entire performance. It was one of many spine tingling moments. Roger's voice is in perfect accord with the music as he belts it out with emotion and clarity whilst swinging his microphone around and actually getting the cord in the way of May's guitar at one point, but May laughed and stepped back to let Roger loose to continue with his patented antics. Elton John does a great job with "The Show Must Go On," Freddie would have been pleased. The highpoint of the entire performance had to be George Michael singing his heart out on "Somebody To Love." I do not think anyone besides Freddie himself could have done a better job. On the second disc, during an interview, Michael shares how he was feeling mixed emotions while performing the song. He explained that while he was fulfilling a lifetime dream by having the opportunity to perform the tune with one of his childhood idols, Queen, he was all at once feeling the elation and adrenaline of the moment while he felt tremendous sadness for the loss of one of music's most important frontmen. Roger Daltrey also added in the interview segment about how he knew how the band felt missing Freddie, as it took him five years to start getting over the loss of the Who's drummer Keith Moon. Daltrey went on to convey that a group's chemistry is a spiritual thing and it is more powerful than losing a member of your own family when a band member dies. Coming from another one of rock music's top showman, this is some powerful stuff indeed.

"Under Pressure" with David Bowie & Annie Lennox is superb. Bowie had originally recorded it with Queen, so it was appropriate. All of the people chosen to do the songs that they covered seemed like a perfect fit for each of them. I must hand it to the group for being so insightful choosing their songs to match the singer's talents and personalities. Notably, Seal does a tear-jerking version of "Who Wants To Live Forever" and Paul Young does a wonderful adaptation of "Radio Ga Ga" as the crowd of 72,000 are all clapping together right on cue. I have never seen anything like that before. It was weird; they all looked like automated robots. "All The Young Dudes" was a remarkable sight with Bowie on saxophone, Ian Hunter singing, Mick Ronson on guitar, and Queen with their entire entourage of singers behind Roger Taylor's drum kit; it was a moment to behold.

I was overwhelmed with emotion several times while watching this concert, I felt the chills a number of times and I was on the brink of tears more than once as well. As George Michael was saying?I feel a part of my past has disappeared now that Freddie is gone.

The day ends appropriately with the beautiful Liza Minnelli taking the stage to kick off "We Are The Champions." The entire cast joins her to finish the show and then the curtain finally drops. Wow! What an incredible concert. This was a very special concert for a great entertainer and a noble cause worth taking action on. A combination that is unbeatable to be sure.

Tracklisting:
Disc One: Tie Your Mother Down - (Queen with Joe Elliot and Slash) / I Want It All (Queen with Roger Daltrey and Tony Iommi) / Las Palabras De Amor (Queen with Zucchero) / Hammer To Fall (Queen with Gary Cherone and Tony Iommi) / Stone Cold Crazy (Queen with James Hetfield and Tony Iommi) / Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen with Robert Plant) / Too Much Love Will Kill You (Brian May) / Radio Ga Ga - (Queen with Paul Young) / Who Wants To Live Forever (Queen with Seal) / I Want To Break Free (Queen with Lisa Stansfield) / Under Pressure (Queen with David Bowie & Annie Lennox) / All The Young Dudes (Queen with David Bowie, Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson) / Heroes (Queen with David Bowie & Mick Ronson) / '39 (Queen with George Michael) / These Are The Days Of Our Lives (Queen with Lisa Stansfield and George Michael) / Somebody To Love (Queen with George Michael) / Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen with Elton John and Axl Rose) / The Show Must Go On (Queen with Elton John) / We Will Rock You (Queen with Axl Rose) / We Are The Champions (Queen with Liza Minnelli)

Disc Two: TV Documentary / Freddie Mercury Inserts / Photo Gallery / Mercury Phoenix Trust

Musicians:
Roger Taylor ? bass
Brian May ? guitar
John Deacon ? bass
Spike Edney & Mike Moran - additonal keyboards
John Macrae -additonal percussion
Chris Thompson, Maggie Ryder, Miriam Stockley and The London Community Gospel Choir - additional vocals

Discography:
Queen (1973)
Queen II (1974)
Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
A Night At The Opera (1975)
A Day At The Races (1976)
News Of The World (1977)
Jazz (1978)
Live Killers (1979)
The Game (1980)
Flash Gordon (1981)
Greatest Hits (Elektra, OOP) (1981)
Hot Space (1982)
The Works (1984)
The Complete Works (1985)
A Kind Of Magic (1986)
Live Magic (1986)
The Miracle (1989)
Innuendo (1991)
Greatest Hits, Vol 2. (1991)
Classic Queen (1992)
Live At Wembley (1992)
Greatest Hits (Hollywood) (1992)
Greatest Hits Vol 1-2 (1995)
Made In Heaven (1995)
Platinum Collection, Vol 1-3 (2001)
Gold (2003)

(and dozens of other compilations through the years)

Genre: Rock

Origin VA

Added: February 23rd 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.queenonline.com
Hits: 2870
Language: english