'Live At Knebworth' [Blu ray]
(Various / SD Blu ray / NR / 2015 / Eagle Vision)
Overview: From those far off days back in 1990, this June 30th live performance entitled LIVE AT KNEBWORTH was the one place anybody who loved music would have been at. Heralded as 'The Best British Concert Of All Time," now 25 years later Eagle Rock Entertainment have just released the concert film on SD Blu ray for us all to enjoy, once again.
Blu ray Verdict: Filmed at the infamous (for grand, en masse style concerts) venue named Knebworth House in Hertsforshire, England back on June 30th, 1990, this benefit concert for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and The Brit School For Performing Arts, Live At Knebworth featured an all-star line-up.
Comprising musical legends who all previously received the Nordoff-Robbins Silver Clef Award, the incredible, truly incredible live grouping of stars under one roof meant that the aforementioned line-up included: Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Elton John, Phil Collins, Cliff Richard (and The Shadows), and bands such as Status Quo, Genesis, Tears For Fears and even Pink Floyd.
Watching this veritable flashback of classic songs with classic artists performing them is like getting all your Christmas presents rolled into just the one item - and you LOVE it regardless! Packed with 32 tracks, this Blu ray - which is now an upscaled standard definition (SD) version with uncompressed stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio - first brings us the "hot property" of the moment, a casually-dressed Tears For Fears ('Change,' 'Badman's Song,' and 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'). The fact that it was raining may well explain why the crowd shots show us a sea of colorful umbrella's, but quite why the backing singers and even the percussionists on stage behind TFF are mostly all wearing rain mac's too is beyond me!
Anyway, after that we get a bright-pink jacket-wearing Cliff Richard who is joined on stage by his old backing band The Shadows. Always in top voice, Cliff and the guys then take us further back in time with 'On The Beach,' 'Good Golly Miss Molly' and his HUGE hit of that time, 'We Don't Talk Anymore.'
Phil Collins & The Serious Band (?!) then provide both 'In The Air Tonight' and 'Sussudio,' a wavy long-haired, zebra-striped shirt-wearing Paul McCartney gives his all on 'Coming Up,' 'Birthday,' 'Hey Jude' and 'Can't Buy Me Love,' and then Britain's favorite sons Status Quo rock out with their own quartet of hits: 'Whatever You Want,' 'Rockin' All Over The World,' 'Dirty Water,' and their own current 1990 hit single, 'In The Army Now.'
The white suit-wearing Eric Clapton, his shoulder length hair blowing gently in the night air breeze gets his moment to shine with guitar-extended versions of 'Before You Accuse Me' and 'Tearin' Us Apart,' then Dire Straits perform 'Solid Rock,' 'Think I Love You Too Much,' and 'Money For Nothing,' before Elton John (in black complete with baseball cap) takes the stage with two understated songs: 'Sacrifice' and 'Sad Songs (Say So Much).' Next up is Robert Plant who, for all intents and purposes, steals the show with his quartet of songs: 'Hurting Kind,' 'Tall Cool One,' and then with a walk-on from Jimmy Page, both 'Wearing And Tearing' and 'Rock And Roll.'
The entire, massive Live At Knebworth concert is brought to a rousing conclusion with both supergroups Genesis and Pink Floyd. Firstly, Genesis with Phil Collins powering through his vocals bring us 'Mama,' 'Throwing It All Away,' and then an expanded 'Turn It On Again Medley' ('Turn It On Again,' 'Somebody To Love,' 'Reach Out, I'll Be There,' 'Pinball Wizard,' 'In The Midnight Hour, and 'Turn It On Again' reprise), before Pink Floyd wrap the evening up with two of their own highly expanded tracks, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' and the barnstorming 'Run Like Hell.' This is a Full Screen Presentation (4x3 Aspect Ratio) enhanced for 16x9 TVs. [FYI - Proceeds from the SD Blu ray sales will continue to raise funds for the charity named above.]
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