Customer Reviews

Music for Montserrat

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned the laserdisc version of this concert since it was first released. While the sound quality is occasionally disappointing (especially Sting), it's generally quite good. And most of the performances are excellent, particularly Knopfler, Elton, Clapton and McCartney.

I'd buy it again, if only for the McCartney/Elton exchange on "Hey Jude." I've watched this concert many times, and it still sends chills everytime Elton's voice appears in the second verse of this song.

As for the complaints about the "tambourine bloke" -- that's Ray Cooper, the legendary (with good reason) percussionist who has backed most of these performers in studio sessions, and who is a mainstay of almost every all star concert. If you want a video concert that will absolutely knock you over, try to find "An Evening with Elton John and Ray Cooper" -- it used to appear occasionally on the Disney Channel (oh, well, so did Annie Lennox's Central Park concert), and if I ever found it on a commercially released video, I'd pay almost anything for it. Listen to Cooper's incredible performance on this concert (or better yet, see one of the live Elton John/Ray Cooper, sans band, shows) and you'll never again complain about Cooper being a "distraction." Ray rocks!

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.

The concert performances are par excellent... but when I bought this video, I truly thought it was defective. Phil Collins faded in and out on "take me home" and the sound was extremely uneven on many other tracks. I immediately logged in to check this and other reviewer websites and found that many complained about audio quality, but there were a FEW who DID NOT. After closer inspection, I found that there were two versions of this DVD-- one with Dolby 5.1 only (released 02/02/99) and one with Dolby and DTS (released 10/26/00). Well, I searched around until I found the DTS copy and low and behold-- audio is MUCH better on DTS format-- like night and day for me and my sound system is definitely NO great shakes.... I highly recommend this DVD, even though ths sound still won't quite rate a 5 star, but the performances and collection of musicians definitely come close. BUT buy the DTS version!!!!!!

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.

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...

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.

How to make a good concert ?

Easy ! You take Mark Knopfler (without Dire Straits but still great), Eric Clapton (and his fabulous guitar and vocals), Phil Collins (with one song and a lot of battery), Sting (wonderfull as usual), Paul Mc Cartney (singing good old songs), Elton John (i don't like him so much but that's ok) and some others (such as the legendary Carl Perkins and his "blue suede shoes").

Tell them to play with each other and you'll get a fantastic "jam session" !

With some moments of real anthology like this FABULOUS "Money for Nothing with Mark Knopfler, Sting, Eric Claton and Phil Collins (at the battery) !!! And they all have fun on stage !!!

Who wants more ?

A must-have DVD for a noble cause !!! Run for it !!!

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

What an amazing concert! I was there at Albert Hall in 97 and this DVD does justice to this exceptional Performance. Kudos to Sir George Martin for staging this incredible benefit. (Too bad they couldn't show the whole concert.) I'm very glad to have the video of Carl Perkins(just before he died). He had a lot of fun out there. I was a little disappointed in Clapton's playing but there were just so many great performances. Knopfler's Brothers in Arms (with those amazing kettle drums...sounded like the blitz over our heads!)left the audience literally weeping. Money for Nothing was fabulous. Sting was in great form. If that wasn't enough, Elton John (who had just finished the Diana tribute only weeks before)doing "Your Song". I'd never seen him live before and I now understand why he is such an incredible performer. Just him and a piano. If that still wasn't enough.. Paul McCartney playing Albert Hall (34 years to the day) that he was last there. When he came out solo and strummed the first few chords of "Yesterday", there wasn't a dry eye in the place. And the Beatles tunes too! Overall an amazing concert, great camera work, great sound and a worthy cause. Buy it.

Not a bad concert but the sound is uneven. I tried every permutation on my Yamaha DSP A-3090 processor to fix the problem but failed. I can't figure it out considering that this is a recent recording.