Music for Montserrat

I'd love to give this 5 stars, but I thought the initial Phil Collins track, the Arrow and Jimmy Buffett tracks could have been eliminated. Phil is stellar on the drums throughout, but he takes his solo appearance on Take Me Home, the first track on the DVD, and hams it up so much he ruins it. Jimmy and Arrow, while not exactly outclassed, just don't seem to have the stage presence of the legends that follow. So I usually start with Carl Perkins (track 3), and then cut to Mark Knopfler (track 5?), then the rest of the show.

That said, there are not less than 3 or 4 literally goose-bump inducing moments when the performances and/or the combined stature and command of these legends just takes over and you have a kind of magic. One is the effortless showmanship of Carl Perkins, wearing blue suede shoes to sing his timeless classic (rather see him do it than Elvis, honestly). The crowd reaction when Knopfler introduces Clapton to play along on Money for Nothing. Then Elton John completely filling the hall with just the piano and his powerful solo vocals on Live Like Horses (an appreciative member of the orchestra sitting behind Elton is seen shaking his head in awe and admiration).

And of course, as others have said, McCartney singing Hey Jude when Elton comes in on the second verse. Chilling. The sing-along with everyone is spectacular. I even thought Ray Cooper was a hoot. I've never seen a guy get so much joyous mileage (or style) out of a tambourine and a pair of sunglasses.

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.

Organized as benefit concert at The Royal Albert Hall on September 15, 1997, the event featured on MUSIC FOR MONTSERRAT was also a pay per view fundraiser hosted by producer and ex Beatles studio guru George Martin.

Martin was instrumental in rounding up the talent whose performances are on view in the nearly two hour running time of MFM.

Although Mark Knopfler's version of Money For Nothing (with modified lyrics, and featuring Sting on lead vocals) may be a high point for many, it's Elton John, accompanying himself on piano who 'steals the show' with a superbly unadorned trio of songs (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Your Song, and Live Like Horses) that fill the large hall in memorable fashion.

Paul McCartney wraps up the show with four songs -- a simple, acoustic rendition of Yesterday,followed by group assisted takes (including Eric Clapton, Sting, Elton J. Phil Collins and others) of Golden Slumbers, Hey June, and Kansas City. The indoor spectacle aspect of the night is very much up front during this segment, with the main participants surrounded (hemmed in?) by an orchestra, a choir, and what seems like a truckload of instruments. At one point, Martin appears on screen, waving a baton while McCartney plays piano a few yards away -- this seems like self serving showboating to me.

There is a lot to listen to on MUSIC FOR MONTSERRAT, with brief contributions from Jimmy Buffet, Carl Perkins, and Arrow. Sting does nice versions of two of his own songs -- Message in a Bottle and Magic. Clapton plays acoustic guitar to Knopfler's electric in a low key but swinging sit down interpretation of Layla.

Throughout the proceedings, percussionist Ray Cooper receives a lot of quick cut camera time, as he demonstrates an eye catching variety of embellishing movements while tapping his trusty tambourine.