The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		2.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 4, 2013

Count on Freddie Mercury to bring such a distinctive group of artists together for a concert memorializing his untimely passing while helping to raise awareness of the then rather frightening “new” disease of AIDS. Who else but the inimitable Queen frontman could have brought together such disparate people as Axl Rose and Liza Minnelli? And yet here they—and an incredible roster of other A-list stars—all are, in this often breathtaking 1992 concert which has long been on the “must have” lists of Queen fans. While this release is one of Eagle Rock’s “SD Blu-ray” series, and may invite a bit of head scratching for its use of DTS-HD High Resolution audio (rather than Master Audio), the performances are amazing and the historical value of the disc probably outweighs any technical concerns that some videophiles and audiophiles may have.

Opening Acts

Introduction
Enter Sandman – Metallica
Sad But True – Metallica
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
Medley: Mustapha/Bohemian Rhapsody/Keep Yourself Alive/I Want to Break Free/Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race/Another One Bites the Dust/We Will Rock You/Stone Cold Crazy/Radio Ga Ga – Extreme
Now I’m Here – Def Leppard and Brian May
Too Late God – Bob Geldof
Paradise City – Guns ‘n’ Roses
Knocking on Heaven’s Door – Guns ‘n ‘Roses

Main Show (All songs with Queen plus guests)

Tie Your Mother Down – Joe Elliott and Slash
I Want It All – Roger Daltrey and Tony Iommi
Las Palabras De Amore – Zucchera
Hammer to Fall – Gary Cherone and Tony Iommi
Stone Cold Crazy – James Hetfield and Tony Iommi
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Robert Plant
Too Much Love Will Kill You – Brian May
Radio Ga Ga – Paul Young
Who Wants to Live Forever – Seal
I Want to Break Free – Lisa Stanfield
Under Pressure – David Bowie and Annie Lennox
All The Young Dudes – Ian Hunter, David Bowie and Mick Ronson
Heroes – David Bowie and Mick Ronson
’39 – George Michael
There Are the Days of Our Lives – George Michael and Lisa Stansfield
Somebody to Love – George Michael
Bohemian Rhapsody – Elton John and Axl Rose
The Show Must Go On – Elton John and Tony Iommi
We Will Rock You – Axl Rose
We Are the Champions – Liza Minnelli and Cast

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert is the latest in Eagle Rock's upconverted line of so-called "SD Blu-rays", presented in 1080i via an AVC codec (in the somewhat unusual aspect ratio of 1.29:1). With appropriate expectations, things don't look horrible here, but they obviously never rise to anything even approaching high definition clarity and precision. The image is often fuzzy, to the point where wide shots devolve into mere blobs of color. There are also some inherent issues like video ghosting and noise which spikes during darker moments. Colors are generally okay looking, if it a bit on the pallid side.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The oddest decision here is the inclusion of a DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 mix (48/24), but the good news is it sounds rather vivid and clear. There is an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 mix (48/16) that offers excellent fidelity, if an obviously narrower soundfield. There are some occasional prioritization problems throughout both tracks, probably inherent to the stems. At times the audience noise is so overpowering it simply buries the sound of the bands and vocalists. There are also one or two very brief moments of high frequency feedback.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• 10th Anniversary Documentary (1080i; 56:44)


• Rehearsals (1080i; 12:31)


• Photo Galleries (1080i; 6:24)


• Mercury Phoenix Trust (1080i) is a text based supplement detailing the Trust.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This release was evidently caught up in rights issues for some time, and was delayed, driving some Queen fans slightly batty in the process. The release is finally here now, but there may be some niggling qualms with both the video quality and the lack of a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The historical value of the disc will probably ameliorate most fans' concerns, and there is absolutely no doubt this is one riveting set of performances.