On April 20, 1992 at London’s Wembley Stadium, the surviving members of the band, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor, got together with dozens of famous musicians and 72,000 screaming fans to pay tribute to Mercury. The event was also broadcast on television and radio around the world. While various versions of the concert have been released over the years, Eagle Rock has released the most complete package to date, include performances newly released on home video, and a host of extras.
The concert itself was divided into two parts. Opening with a message from the three remaining members of Queen in tribute to their lead singer, the music begins with several bands playing their own songs. The list includes: Metallica, Bob Geldof, and Guns N’ Roses. Much of this part of the concert has been truncated, with two Def Leppard songs M.I.A., as well as two additional Extreme songs. Most unfortunate is the fact that performances by Spinal Tap, U2 (via satellite) and Mango Groove have been completely jettisoned.
Thankfully (save for Robert Plant’s performance of “Innuendo”) the main concert has been left intact. Of the concerts two parts, it’s really the most compelling, as it’s interesting to watch other singers try to match Freddie Mercury’s vocals. I think most fans would agree that it just can’t be done, therefore these singers really have to put their own stamp on a Queen song, rather than trying to ape Freddie. The show is loaded with experienced rock n’ roll performers, such as James Hetfield, Roger Daltrey, and Joe Elliot, who really work to do justice to Queen’s impressive catalogue.
As you might expect, the glam rockers provide some of the concerts most memorable moments. David Bowie and Annie Lennox deliver a compelling take on “Under Pressure,” and then Bowie plays saxophone while Ian Hunter sings “All the Young Dudes,” performing “Heroes” with the rest of Queen and then surprising everyone, offering a straight, sincere reading of The Lord’s Prayer (yes, you read that right). George Michael delivers a strong “Somebody to Love,” and does a serviceable rendition of “39,” and “These Are the Days of Our Lives.” Elton John and Axl Rose team up for a surprisingly effective “Bohemian Rhapsody and John goes it alone for what may be the best performance of all, “The Show Must Go On.” The song fits his personality very well. Things wrap up with Liza Minnelli (one of Mercury’s favorite performers) leading an all-star jam of “We Are the Champions.”
Presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Eagle Rock’s 1080p transfer won’t win any awards. The image looks murky at times, as though it was transferred directly from a VHS tape. There is very little detail to be found. The whole thing was upconverted to 1080p, and in truth, it looks as good as it would if you watched on standard television.
The DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio mix has its own set of issues, with some tracks sounding fairly strong, while others are noticeably weaker. Consistency is a definite issue. Words and lyrics can be tough to clearly decipher in spots.
English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish subtitles are included.
The following extras are available in SD:
- Rehearsals: We get the following tracks: “Under Pressure” (3:59), “Days of Our Lives” (3:26), and “Somebody to Love” (4:54).
- 10th Anniversary Documentary (56:44) Despite the title, all but the introduction by Queen’s Roger Taylor is lifted from the 1992 concert. It includes snippets from the concert, rehearsal footage, Interviews with Roger Taylor, Brian May, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Seal, guitarists Slash and Tony Iommi, Paul Young, Lisa Stansfield, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Elton John, and more.
- Photo Galleries: These are split into two sections “Fans Photos” (1:53) and “Official Photos (4:31). Both are set to Queen songs. While they contain some interesting shots, there’s nothing remarkable.
- Mercury Phoenix Trust: Five pages long, it details the work done by the organization.
