Rating: 
Summary: A MUST Have - good, great and some magical performances
Review: This is a Must Have DVD for any Rock & Roll fan. The list of performers alone should peak your interest. Imagine Mark Knopfler, Sting, Eric Clapton & Phil Collins doing the best rendition of 'Money for Nothing" you have ever heard, then add Ray Cooper's animated percussion, a choir and and an orchestra - WOW! The individual performances are very good, but when the performers team up - it is phenomenal! Other notable selections include Eric, Mark, Phil, Ray and Jools Holland in 'Same Old Blues'; when Paul McCartney, Elton John and everyone else team to do 'Golden Slumbers', 'Hey Jude' and 'Kansas City' it is magical. The video quality and sound are both excellent. Thank goodness this is a DVD, I have experienced this so many times other media wouldn't have any quality left.
Rating:
Summary: Whow !!! Great !!!
Review: How to make a good concert ?Easy ! You take Mark Knopfler (without Dire Straits but still great), Eric Clapton (and his fabulous guitar and vocals), Phil Collins (with one song and a lot of battery), Sting (wonderfull as usual), Paul Mc Cartney (singing good old songs), Elton John (i don't like him so much but that's ok) and some others (such as the legendary Carl Perkins and his "blue suede shoes"). Tell them to play with each other and you'll get a fantastic "jam session" ! With some moments of real anthology like this FABULOUS "Money for Nothing with Mark Knopfler, Sting, Eric Claton and Phil Collins (at the battery) !!! And they all have fun on stage !!! Who wants more ? A must-have DVD for a noble cause !!! Run for it !!!
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing moments but weak start
Review: I'd love to give this 5 stars, but I thought the initial Phil Collins track, the Arrow and Jimmy Buffett tracks could have been eliminated. Phil is stellar on the drums throughout, but he takes his solo appearance on Take Me Home, the first track on the DVD, and hams it up so much he ruins it. Jimmy and Arrow, while not exactly outclassed, just don't seem to have the stage presence of the legends that follow. So I usually start with Carl Perkins (track 3), and then cut to Mark Knopfler (track 5?), then the rest of the show. That said, there are not less than 3 or 4 literally goose-bump inducing moments when the performances and/or the combined stature and command of these legends just takes over and you have a kind of magic. One is the effortless showmanship of Carl Perkins, wearing blue suede shoes to sing his timeless classic (rather see him do it than Elvis, honestly). The crowd reaction when Knopfler introduces Clapton to play along on Money for Nothing. Then Elton John completely filling the hall with just the piano and his powerful solo vocals on Live Like Horses (an appreciative member of the orchestra sitting behind Elton is seen shaking his head in awe and admiration). And of course, as others have said, McCartney singing Hey Jude when Elton comes in on the second verse. Chilling. The sing-along with everyone is spectacular. I even thought Ray Cooper was a hoot. I've never seen a guy get so much joyous mileage (or style) out of a tambourine and a pair of sunglasses.
Rating:
Summary: Best Seat in the House!
Review: On the evening of September 15, 1997 the cream of rock 'n' roll royalty gathered at London's Royal Albert Hall to make music for a packed house of 4,500 fans. The occasion was to raise funds to aid the volcano stricken Caribbean island of Montserrat. More than half of the 11,000 residents of the island fled when a volcano erupted in 1995. Many years ago, former Beatles producer George Martin built a top-notch recording studio on the island. Musical colleagues of Martin's ranging from Sting to Paul McCartney became part of a rock invasion of the island when they recorded at Martin's Air Studios. It was no surprise when Sir George called upon his friends to help raise funds for the island that the pop music icons were more than willing to help. The result was the star-studded Music for Montserrat benefit concert that featured Phil Collins, Arrow, Carl Perkins, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Knopfler, Sting, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney. The concert video was first shown in the U.S. as a pay-per-view cable television special and has recently been airing under the title Superstar Volcanic Rock. The three hour concert was trimmed down to 112 minutes for the DVD. I hadn't viewed the video since it first aired in 1997, so it was quite enjoyable to revisit this concert through the medium of DVD. This concert made me realize what made me love music in the first place - long before the Beatles ever stepped on US soil. Music just makes you feel good! There's a variety of musical styles wrapped up in this concert and they all blend together very well. Not just a concert by rock and rollers, performers include the Band of the Irish Guards, the Foundation Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir. As always, Sir George Martin seems humbled and overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reception of the audience. Among the supporting musicians are former McCartney band members Robbie McIntosh on guitar and Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards. The latter is incorrectly identified in the closing credits. From the opening drum beats of Phil Collins on Take Me Home to the closing jam of Kansas City, this concert event is pure enjoyment. Rockabilly guitar man Carl Perkins tells how he was invited to Montserrat by Paul McCartney to record a song for the Tug of War album. Watching Perkins rock out on Blue Suede Shoes (even wearing a pair!) - it's hard to believe that only four months later he passed on to Rock 'n' Roll Heaven. There is no weak segment during any of this concert. Each artist not only performs at his best ability, but they all look like they are having such a great time playing with one another in this superstar band. It's easy for a Beatles fan to say that they saved the best for last, with Paul McCartney performing an acoustic version of Yesterday. McCartney is then joined on stage by Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Phil Collins and Eric Clapton, along with the orchestra, conducted by George Martin, and the gospel choir for a raucous rendition of "The Abbey Road Medley": Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End. McCartney and Knopfler pair up for some jamming with their matching Gibson Les Paul Standards. The encore is a high-energy exuberant all-star version of Hey Jude with solos by Sting and Elton John, followed by McCartney singing lead on Kansas City. Both the video and audio quality of the DVD are exceptional. I've watched and listened several times and it's practically impossible to sit still - it makes you want to get up, dance and sing along. The only downside of the DVD is that there are no extra features. It would have been great to have included a documentary about the island of Montserrat, interview clips with the artists who have recorded there, and perhaps have that narrated by George Martin. One of the main selling points of DVDs for me are those extra features, so I'm always disappointed if no extra gems are included. The song list: Take Me Home - Phil Collins Hot, Hot, Hot - Arrow and His Band Blue Sued Shoes - Carl Perkins Volcano - Jimmy Buffett Brothers in Arms - Mark Knopfler Money for Nothing - Mark Knopfler Message in a Bottle - Sting Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Sting Your Song - Elton John Live Like Horses - Elton John Don't Let the Sun Come Down on Me - Elton John Broken Hearted - Eric Clapton Layla - Eric Clapton Same Old Blues - Eric Clapton Yesterday - Paul McCartney Golden Slumbers - Paul McCartney Hey Jude - Paul McCartney Kansas City - Paul McCartney
Rating:
Summary: 7th Row Seats
Review: Was fortunate enough to have great seats at RAH for this amazing concert in 1997. The DVD captures the magic of that evening and I've played it many times for friends who were getting tired of me telling them about this once in a lifetime concert. In addition to the great performances, the DVD captures much of the fun and comradery between these legends -- it was like watching a bunch of old friends playing for kicks. While most of the magic was captured, there were some great songs and British wit that didn't make the final edit -- Midge Ure doing an acoustic "Vienna" and Mark Knopfler opening with "The Theme to Local Hero" are two they should have found room for. One of the more amazing moments was hearing McCartney say that he hadn't performed at RAH in "34 years to the day." Beatles fans will recall the clip of that performance when Lennon asked "the people in the cheap seats to clap their hands...and the rich folks to rattle their jewels" (a sly reference to those in the Royal box). Highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST Have - good, great and some magical performances
Review: This is a Must Have DVD for any Rock & Roll fan. The list of performers alone should peak your interest. Imagine Mark Knopfler, Sting, Eric Clapton & Phil Collins doing the best rendition of 'Money for Nothing" you have ever heard, then add Ray Cooper's animated percussion, a choir and and an orchestra - WOW! The individual performances are very good, but when the performers team up - it is phenomenal! Other notable selections include Eric, Mark, Phil, Ray and Jools Holland in 'Same Old Blues'; when Paul McCartney, Elton John and everyone else team to do 'Golden Slumbers', 'Hey Jude' and 'Kansas City' it is magical. The video quality and sound are both excellent. Thank goodness this is a DVD, I have experienced this so many times other media wouldn't have any quality left.
Rating:
Summary: With this many reviews you know its gotta be awesome!
Review: This DVD is one encore after another. Everyone involved gave 110 percent and when you are talking the caliber of talent on this DVD it is just mind blowing. Buy it, there is no way you will be dissapionted. If you dont buy it you will never be happy knowing you missed out on this. If you buy it your life will be fulfilled. So click a few buttons and buy it stupid.
Rating:
Summary: Music for Montserrat
Review: The most amazing music DVD I have ever seen. I have had many a party when this DVD was played that captivated the crowd. To have Paul McCartney, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Sting, Phil Collins, Mark Knoffler and more all playing together is an historic event. DC
Rating:
Summary: One of the best musical DVS's out there.
Review: Some classic performances of classic songs. Mark Knopfler's live version of 'Brother's in Arms' is simply superb, and the combination of Mark Knopfler & Eric Clapton on the acoustic 'Layla' is stunning. Great sound (DTS) and a great show. Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: gloomy
Review: a fine cast, but in reality, their all heavy, sleepy and well, old.
a disapointing concert, not worth it.
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