Queen Live In Montreal To Get HD-DVD/Blu Ray Release

[Kevo]

Queen's 1981 specially filmed concert in Montreal 1981 (aka 'We Will Rock You') is to get a high def release according to Brian May's home page.

http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brians...bjun07.html#02

http://www.dvd-home.nl/release/hd/nieuw.asp



Another one to add to my VHS, and two DVD versions!

Still, Queen in high def should be excellent with a re-mixed audio, despite it being one of their poorer concerts due to the lack of enthusiasm from the Canadian audience.

Personally, I would much prefer Live in Budapest 86 on high def, AFAIK Queen's only other concert short entirely on film.

It wil also be released on SD DVD and CD.

[Kevo]

Here's an update with the official press release...

Queen Rock Montreal

On 29 October 2007, Eagle Rock Entertainment simultaneously release 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.

TRACKLISTING
1) Intro
2) We Will Rock You (fast)
3) Let Me Entertain You
4) Play The Game
5) Somebody To Love
6) Killer Queen
7) I'm In Love With My Car
8) Get Down Make Love
9) Save Me
10) Now I’m Here
11) Dragon Attack
12) Now I'm Here (reprise)
13) Love Of My Life
14) Under Pressure
15) Keep Yourself Alive
16) Drum & Timpani Solo
17) Guitar Solo
18) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
19) Jailhouse Rock
20) Bohemian Rhapsody
21) Tie Your Mother Down
22) Another One Bites The Dust
23) Sheer Heart Attack
24) We Will Rock You
25) We Are The Champions
26) God Save The Queen

TRACKLISTING (Double Disc Live Aid footage)
Live Aid:
1) Bohemian Rhapsody
2) Radio Gaga
3) Hammer To Fall
4) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
5) We Will Rock You
6) We Are The Champions
7) Is This The World We Created

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.

Product information:

Release date: October 29, 2007

Source QueenOnLine.com and QueenRockMonteal.com

For some reason no audio spec is given, but I would assume DTS os some sorts going off previous Queen DVD releases.

[russ123]

Sounds good but I can't help wishing they'd dig something new up out of the vaults rather than spruce up what is already out there. What's happened to the talked about box sets or why not a dvd of rare live performances (not an intercut of different performances like the dreaded Rare Live vhs).
They did a lovely job with the Freddie box Set a few years back. If they could make that out of his solo stuff...

[Kevo]

Totally agree, the infamous so called 'box sets' have been doing the rounds for as long as I can remember and have spawned many a threads on various Queeen Forums.

QP (Queen Productions) only seem to want to release the marketable stuff of Queen, i.e. the '80s image' of Queen where concerts wer over produced, highy professional and include a much fuller and more well known catalogue to the masses and not just us dedicated Queen fans.

[danvitale]

I wish they would release the much older stuff, ie Rainbow 74, Hammersmith Odeon 75, Earls Court 77 or something from the 79 Crazy tour.

Everything that's been released so far has been the 80s stuff but their best yeaers were in the 70s.

[Mr Merrick]

I was in London last night with my partner and saw (quite unexpectedly) that the Empire Leicester Square were showing a Digital Presentation of this concert...I saw it and I have to say, the picture and sound for this "re-release" is nothing short of awesome.

Having already seen many far older films and concerts being transferred to high definition, This version ranks among the best I've seen, with perfect colour reproduction and image resolution. The source is meticulously free of dirt and scratches and doesn't suffer from artificial removal of natural grain on the 35mm stock, preserving the concert's filmic look.

Tim Young at Metropolis Studios is on top form and has really outdone himself with the sound mix...It's quite front heavy which is the way I like it with the surrounds only adding to the illusion of actually being at the concert. The bass is deep, fast, clean and tight (and any other words you'd like to describe good bass) and had that real "kick in the chest" gravitas.

The Empire has long been my favourite cinema for picture and sound, so I was surprised when, at one point during the concert, the sub bass distorted rather alarmingly. In their defence, the bass on that particular section was insane, but if Empire want to reclaim their "most spectacular cinema in the world" title, they need to update their sound system to something with a bit more wallop.

I'm expecting great things from this one...and the fact it's coming out on Blu-ray with a HD sound mix means we hopefully won't see it 're-released' for a good few years to come.

[Kevo]

I heard about the the new high def cinema release and I believe it's showing at a few more cinemas, though I think i'll wait for the HD-DVD release instead.

Here's the list of cinemas showing, albeit an odd mix!

QRM - CINEMA DATES/TIMES

Empire, London Leicester Square
Fri 21 Sept & Sat 22 Sept at 11.15pm
Tue 25 Sept at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm & 10pm

Empire, Wigan
Fri 21 Sept & Sat 22 Sept at 10.30pm
Tue 25 Sept at 8.30pm

Empire, Swindon
Fri 21 Sept & Sat 22 Sept at 10.50pm
Tue 25 Sept at 8.30pm

Empire, Slough
Tue 25 Sept at 8.30pm

Also Empire, High Wycombe
Expected Fri & Sat late shows and Tue - please check with cinema.