Freddie Mercury and Brian May during Queen’s concert in Montreal in 1981
Rock Montreal + Live Aid, a previously released pair of films from Queen, has returned in a two-disc edition that features upgraded audio and video.
The first disc delivers a 25-song 1981 concert from Montreal, in which the quartet—and especially its late lead singer, Freddie Mercury—is at the top of its game as it serves up versions of many of its hits. Among them are “Killer Queen,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Another highlight is “Under Pressure,” which the quartet handles just fine sans David Bowie, who co-authored it and sings along with Mercury on the single. Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor share observations on an audio commentary track.
The second disc, which presents an excellent eight-number Live Aid set from 1985, duplicates several songs from the Montreal show and adds a few others, including the then-recent hit, “Radio Ga Ga.” Bonuses include 11 minutes of rehearsal footage and a band interview.
Available on Blu-ray as well as 4K Ultra HD, the set, released on May 10, 2024, offers the Montreal show in a widescreen version as well as a full-screen format that, according to a publicist, is more faithful to the way the film was shot. The Live Aid performance is in high-definition for the first time, and both shows boast new Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD surround-sound mixes.
The title is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
Related: Our Album Rewind of Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack
A top editor at leading consumer and trade magazines for more than 40 years, Jeff has interviewed dozens of musical luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Wolfman Jack, Tommy James, Tom Waits, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan.
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