I remember when I bought the 1st edition of this DVD a few years back, I would compare the video improvement with the VHS tape of the same concert. There was no comparison, the
DVD obviously showed up that old VHS tape in every way.
Then this version of the DVD came out and I compared it with the first edition DVD. I have to say that there is definite and obvious improvements with the video, and now since the new DVD is in DTS sound format, it is obvious that the sound would be better, and believe me, it is.
So this classic concert from 1982 never looked or sounded better. Brian May, Queen's guitarist, said that he wasn't happy with the DTS or 5.1 surround mix of this concert release, and that he and his people should have and could have done a better job with the audio mix. I am not sure how much better it could have been done. It would have been nice if there were more separation with the instruments and vocals, but it is still great.
The begining of this show seems so official, like a real Queen movie, a proper concert film. I suppose it is, but it's hard for me to see it that way. You can hear thunder rumbling for a few minutes as the lights on the stage are positioning themselves for the amazing emergence of Queen.
They rip right into the sped up, made for the stage version of Brian May's 1977 classic We Will Rock You. Freddie seems to be strutting with a lot more confidence than usual, and when he opens his mouth to sing, it's apparent why. Freddie's voice sounds great this night, and he's cock sure of it.
They almost immedietley start Freddie's equally as heavy, 1978 hidden gem Let Me Entertain You. The band sounds great, but it's a shame that the audience doesn't seem too familiar with this song. This show was filmed in Montreal, and maybe there wasn't too many fans relatively in Canada at that point.
They seem to respond well to the newer songs that Queen played that night, for example Play The Game went over well as it was from their 1980 release The Game, their last official studio Queen album, if you don't count the Flash Gordon soundtrack.
Some of the highlights for me were the songs from Killer Queen to Get Down Make Love. These three songs were a sort of Queen tradition of the Queen medley that they started doing from late 1974. It developed into the perfect medley in 1979, when they included Death On Two Legs, Killer Queen, I'm In Love With My Car, Get Down Make Love and You're My Best Friend. I love the segues.
The stage show seems a little sterile and drab. Not the band, mind you, but the stage itself. There are a lot of lights, yet it still seems dark and depressing for most of the show.
The setlist
We Will Rock You
Let Me Entertain You
Play The Game
Somebody To Love
Killer Queen
I'm In Love With My Car
Get Down Make Love
Save Me
Now I'm Here
Dragon Attack
Love Of My Life
Under Pressure
Keep Yourself Alive
Drum Solo
Guitar Solo
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Jailhouse Rock
Bohemian Rhapsody
Tie Your Mother Down
Another One Bites The Dust
Sheer Heart Attack
We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
God Save The Queen
The concert was very good. I never can watch it straight through though. When it comes time for the drum and guitar solos, I use the chapter skip option and go right to Crazy Little Thing Called Love. That's just me, some people love these things the most.
It also bothers me that this concert was filmed in Canada. Not Queen's biggest market I guess at the time. The US, Europe, and Japan were must more crazy for Queen. You can tell that these Canadians were mostly made up of people who knew Another One Bites The Dust, and probably purchased the album(The Game), because when Queen performed songs from The Game, the audience went wild.
When it was time to hear old classics and sing-a-long, the audience was mostly quiet. You even hear Freddie during Love Of My Life say, "they don't know it" when they didn't sing-a-long like most of the Queen world knew to do because of Live Killers.
Bonus Features
The extra features are pretty cool, great for a Queen DVD. First you have Queendom which is a virtual tour of Queen sites around London that includes a brief description of why it is significant, and always video-accompaniment.
Then there is the Band Biography. It has separate Bios on each band member. Also, and more interestingly there is a Queen timeline.
Another feature is Queen Trivia Game. It is alright, and it would have been great, if not for some blatant mistakes.
The next feature is Discography. This is probably my favorite feature in the special features. It shows the album cover and track listing with album sales and chart stats on each page.
Last but not least is the photo gallery. This has still shots of this particular concert. It's OK.
The DVD cover says that the show lasts about 90 minutes, It actually runs at a little over 95 minutes.
All in all, it was a great show. Freddie's vocals were amazing, but obviously overdubbed in some places. The band sounded very tight and groovin'.
Well, that's it. The good news is that the Queen camp promises more shows to appear on DVD. I hope that one would be the News Of The World tour.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
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