Queen 'Rock Montreal' album

On 29 October 2007, Eagle Rock Entertainment simultaneously released two incredible DVDs capturing the incomparable Queen in their pomp as the world’s biggest band at a sold out show in 1981 at Montreal’s 18,000-seater Forum. The single DVD is "Queen Rock Montreal" and there is a special edition double DVD “Queen Rock Montreal + Live Aid” [Cat Nos EREDV444 and EREDV666 respectively]. The live CD/LP from the concert is released on the same date on EMI with HD-DVD and Blu-ray versions to follow in November through Eagle.

Following their record-breaking South American tour, the Montreal shows on 24 and 25 November 1981 were to be the only concerts by Queen ever shot on film – indeed they were the first group to shoot an entire show in full cinema format 35mm. These releases offer the best ever sound and picture quality on a Queen concert release. Always a great live band, with two years non-stop touring behind them and Freddie Mercury in front of them, Queen excelled themselves with the cameras rolling. The footage has been digitally restored from the original film and the sound has been newly mixed and mastered for DTS Surround Sound and PCM Stereo from the original multi-track tapes.

“Hello Montreal...long time no see. You wanna get crazy?” asks Freddie as the band tear into their alternative ‘fast’ version of We Will Rock You, and from there on Queen show their hard rock roots, slowing down only for Love of My Life and the more mid-tempo Under Pressure, notably being performed live for the first time in this concert.

The real joy to be had in watching Freddie, Brian, Roger and John performing here is that, unlike any other Queen concert film available, this delivers raw Queen. This is before the Hot Space album, before keyboards would find a place in the band’s touring line up; this is simply four musicians in total cohesion.

Originally titled, “We Will Rock You”, this film was first launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1983 - as only Queen could. It was then released in North America (September 1984), becoming the first commercially available film of Queen in concert. For this special edition, the picture has been digitally restored from the original 35mm negative.

The double disc release offers the incredible bonus of a slew of Live Aid features and performances. Regularly polled as the greatest live performance of all time, Queen’s mighty Live Aid show at 6.44pm on July 13, 1985, is here in full. In addition to the set that reinforced Queen’s position as unrivalled rock entertainers, Freddie and Brian’s performance later in the evening of the poignant “Is This The World We Created” is included. Also featured are 11 minutes of never before seen Live Aid rehearsal footage, plus a rehearsal interview with the band. In addition, there’s the curiosity value of a 1982 news feature from US TV series PM Magazine. Brian May and Roger Taylor bring the story up to date with a brand new audio commentary on the Montreal concert.

Both these releases offer extraordinary footage of one if the greatest acts of all time, recorded at the height of the powers. Truly, Rock royalty.

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Queen - Rock Montreal