Music for Montserrat [VHS]

One of the best DVD concerts available. I love my DVD music performances. I have a large collection. This is one of the very best. In some ways, for me, a child of the 60's it is the best. When Paul McCartney sings "Yesterday" I got a tear in my eye. It means even more than ever from ...

Format : Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Publisher : Image Entertainment
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Description

On September 15th, 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall, legendary music producer George Martin assembled many of the world's greatest music stars in this spectacular benefit concert for the island of Montserrat. Performing their hits in this all-star show are Elton John, Sting, Paul McCartney and Carl Perkins in one of his final appearances. Songs: Take Me Home (Phil Collins), Hot, Hot, Hot (Arrow), Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins), Volcano (Jimmy Buffett), Brothers in Arms, Money For Nothing (Mark Knopfler), Message In a Bottle, Magic (Sting), Your Song, Live Like Horses, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me (Elton John), Broken Hearted, Layla, Same Old Blues (Eric Clapton), Yesterday, Golden Slumbers, Hey Jude, Kansas City (Paul McCartney).

Amazon.com

On the evening of September 15, 1997, legendary British music producer George Martin (who had risen to prominence with the Beatles) held a benefit concert at London's Royal Albert Hall for the small Caribbean island of Montserrat, which had recently been devastated by a volcanic eruption. All of the invited superstars had recorded some of their biggest hits at Montserrat's Air Studios, which Martin had founded in 1970, and this shared history gives Music for Montserrat an added sense of enjoyment among friends. Despite a few vocal dropouts and forgivable mixing problems, this outstanding concert has been captured with impressive fidelity, and while each artist performs songs appropriate to the occasion, they share the stage (along with a house band, choir, and orchestra conducted by Martin) in brilliant combinations that bring out the best in everyone involved.

The show hits full stride with Mark Knopfler's exquisite "Brothers in Arms," which segues nicely into "Money for Nothing" with guest vocals by Sting, who then performs two hits from his Police years. And while Elton John and Eric Clapton form the centerpiece of the concert (especially Clapton and Knopfler's acoustic "Layla"), Paul McCartney anchors the show with a spectacular four-song conclusion. Phil Collins's expert drumming is matched throughout by legendary percussionist Ray Kooper, and McCartney's fully orchestrated "Golden Slumbers" is a genuine show-stopper, followed by a "Hey Jude" sing-along with everyone on stage. They all follow McCartney's lead for a rockin' rendition of "Kansas City" (which the Beatles had performed as early as 1960), by which time Music for Montserrat had given its royal audience a show they would never forget. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer reviews

One of the best DVD concerts available. by .. ()
I love my DVD music performances. I have a large collection. This is one of the very best. In some ways, for me, a child of the 60's it is the best. When Paul McCartney sings "Yesterday" I got a tear in my eye. It means even more than ever from a 50+ year old. The video and music recording are excellent in every way. Seeing Clapton, McCartney, Mark Knopfler, Carl Perkins, Sting, Elton John, Phil Collins and Jimmy Buffet on stage together for the final songs was UNBELIEVEABLE!!!! They looked like they were having as much fun playing as I was watching. It is a mistake to not have this in your collection.

FANTASTIC - What a show! by .. Tony Chandler (Atlanta, GA USA)
I was afraid to buy this after some of the reviews here, but I went ahead anyway. With such a LEGENDARY lineup, I couldn't resist. And I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Elton John's solo set was great, and so was the sound. Clapton's set also was FIVE stars, both performers received well deserved standing ovations. Yes, Phil Collin's song and on Sting's two the sound was uneven, but not enough to ruin their performances! Paul's voice, yes like Elton and Clapton, has matured, but was very good. I thought his voice was actually strong, nowhere did I hear him struggle. AND! to see Phil Collins on drums, Eric Clapton on guitar, and then Paul sing a verse of HEY JUDE, then Elton John sing a verse, and then Sting. AND all of them NaNaNANA. WOW WOW WOW. I think some of the reviewers must be perfectionists who reviewed this earlier. IT WAS FANTASTIC. I sat down today for my first go to just listen a tiny bit, and couldn't drag myself away! I played the entire concert. It is that good. Maybe the recording is not top notch, but the performances ARE. Yes, the tamborine bloke was a distraction, but only on a handful of songs, I'll grant that. But the sound is 4 stars. I gave this 5 to offset the perfectionists! It is at least 4.5 stars, overall. Honestly.

Great hits from top rockers even today !!!! by .. Rudolf Spoerer (Weston, FL United States)
Cut at the Royal Albert Hall benefit concert September 15th, 1997, for the volcano ravaged island of Montserrat this concert brings out some of the hardest hitting rockers of the ages.

More than half of the concert lets Elton John, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney strut their highly polished artistry, we also get to enjoy, Phil Collins, Sting, Carl Perkins, Mark Knopfler (Money for Nothing), and Jimmy Buffet. The greatest thing about these concerts is that we get to see and hear some of the greatest masters performing rocks greatest hits .......

While some concert DVD's are lacking on the technical side this disc was perfectly mastered and the producers managed to let the enthusiastic audience add to the show ..... Both sound and video quality are top notch making this one of my favorite DVD's to enjoy both alone and with friends...

7th Row Seats by .. ()
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.

Excellant piece for a good cause by .. ()
All around brilliance. The greatest performers gathered for one magical event. I only wish they had more of Jimmy Buffet. THe version of Money for Nothing by Mark Kno (I can't spell it) Sting and Eric Clapton is the best version I've ever heard. Mark's rendition of brothers in arms is even better. Haunting. By the video and the CD, they're both worth the cash