Queen - Live at Wembley Stadium

Rating:
Summary: Excellent show from Queen's final tour
Review: Queen's Live at Wembley Stadium concert film was released in the summer of 1992 originally as Live at Wembley '86.
The original film was shoddy and the performance was severely edited and was nothing to write home about.
Then in June of 2003, Hollywood Records in the US and Canada re-released the whole concert with remastered sound and a 5.1 surround mix, a new title Live at Wembley Stadium and a new cover with loads of extras on two DVDs.
To promote their A Kind Of Magic album in the summer of 1986, Queen played exclusively stadiums and outside concert venues for the first time. Over 2 million people saw Queen on that tour. The Wembley Stadium shows (July 11th and 12th 1986) which were suppose to be the end of the tour were eclipsed by the Knebworth Park show in August of 1986 - playing to 180,000 people after selling out Wembley so fast and could not find another Wembley date open.
Unbeknownst to the band, The Magic Tour was to be their last tour. Queen ended their touring career with a bang.
This new version of the Live At Wembley film shows four very talented musicians and showmen how to give the people what they wanted.
Besides bringing to life classic Queen songs (In The Lap Of The Gods, Seven Seas of Rhye and 15 secs of Liar, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Love of My Life, Bohemian Rhapsody, Tie Your Mother Down, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions), the 80s material (Under Pressure, Radio Ga Ga, Hammer to Fall, A Kind of Magic and many others) are performed with a vitality that lacked on the studio versions. You can hear how guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass player John Deacon play off each other and have a sixth sense when anticipating where each one is going. And, what could be said about the late Freddie Mercury, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Freddie was the best frontman ever hands down. His voice is in top form and with his vocal improvisations, he took the audience to places that not many can. Also, if you watch Brian's Brighton Rock Solo, it shows you once and for all why he is one of rock's best guitarists.
This deluxe DVD issue has new interviews with Brian and Roger, Gerry Stickells and archival interviews with Fredddie and John on a separate documentary on The Magic Tour included here. This DVD also has songs from the first Wembley perfomance of Kind of Magic, Bites the Dust and Crazy Little Thing. Also, the destruction of Wembley makes you sad when you see this proud stadium get demolished in favor of some crap stadium.
This DVD and its offshoot CD is hugely recommended!


Rating:
Summary: I WAS THERE
Review: I was at this gig.

I was 16 years old at the time. The support acts were INXS (at that time virtually unknown in the U.K.) and Status Quo.

All I can say is that I remember this gig like it was yesterday. It left such an impression on me.

Every time I watch this, shivers literally run up my spine when the band hit the stage.

It was the first BIG gig I'd ever been to, and it was a fantastic occasion.

Buy this DVD, you won't regret it.



Rating:
Summary: A long-awaited jewel in the Queen crown.
Review: Previously, this concert was only visually available on a VHS which contained only highlights from this amazing show. However, the complete concert was available on CD for the world to hear. So of course, there was great demand for visual footage of the complete concert, particularly when the DVD format was introduced. In the summer of 2003, Queen released the second installment of the Queen DVD Collection by giving the fans what they desired for so long, and the result is beyond phenomenal. The DVD was given a new look and title (the old one being "Live At Wembley '86"), and the CD was rereleased with the new title and artwork with bonus tracks (also well worth picking up).

This DVD both looks and sounds phenomenal, as if it were recorded yesterday. Both sound and picture are as crisp and clear as can be. The music blares out of the speakers and gets the adrenaline pumping at a rapid rate. Those who view this are in for an amazing visual and audio experience.

Though this was Queen's penultimate concert of their career, one would not think so, as they are truly in top form. "One Vision" kicks things off with a real bang, as "Tie Your Mother Down" follows and continues to rock you hard. A real treat here is "In The Lap Of The Gods," and obscure track from the Sheer Heart Attack album. One major high point is the "Brighton Rock Solo," where one gets to watch the master, Brian May, in action. The acoustic set of oldies is also very enjoyable as the band really appears to be having a blast. Every track is jaw-droppingly awesome.

In their stage show, Queen show that they are just as good showmen as they are musicians. Freddie Mercury is arguably the greatest frontman in the history of rock music, and that is definitely evident here. Moments such as the vocal interplay with the audience, the crowd taking over the singing of "Love Of My Life," and the entire stadium clapping in unison during "Radio Ga Ga" shows Freddie's albility to work an entire stadium. One particularly touching moment is when Freddie reassures everyone that Queen have no plans to split up despite rumors ("They're talking from here" [points to his rear end]) and says that the band will stay together "until we f--king well die." He was right. They never split up, and they stayed together until the end.

Continuing the high standard of Queen DVD releases starting with Greatest Video Hits 1, there is also a second disc loaded with bonus features, including all-new exclusive interviews with Brian May and Roger Taylor, footage from the previous night at Wembley, a photo gallery, and some bootleg rehearsal footage. Like GVH1, this release has a very strong drool factor.

Every Queen fan must own this DVD. You all know this concert, you've all heard the original CD, you've all seen the original edited-to-bits VHS, this is what you've been craving. And it is now available to us, and the result could not be better. A Queen fan would be mad not to buy this. You know you love Queen, don't bother to hesitate, you will not be disappointed.

5/5

Rating:
Summary: I'm Impressed!
Review: I'm Impressed!

By the time I decided to purchase this DVD I had never seen Queen performing live - in any form. All I knew they had excellent songs. I had also heard that Freddy Mercury was an amazing entertainer. The bottom line is that I was impressed with the band's live show and Freddy's showmanship as well as talent. I truly enjoy every bit of it every time I watch it.

Great DVD!