I still have The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Concert on my DVR from when it originally aired on HBO at the end of 2009, and I still often find myself viewing many of the standout performances pretty regularly to this day. I have vowed not to erase it until it is released on Blu Ray and DVD, and finally owning this will be a welcome treat! If you're wondering where the Blu Ray version is of the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts and you're reading this prior to November 2, 2010, the DVD is available at Amazon on September 28th, 2010, and the Blu Ray version of the package is available only at Best Buy for the first 30 days. Man, I hate that. But I've waited now for a year for this release, so waiting an extra 30 days is no sweat I guess. Anyway....
If you were at The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts or you saw it when it aired on HBO you already know how awesome these performances were that occurred over the course of two nights in late October 2009. If you haven't seen this and you like music, even just a little, you're in for a great experience. This collection is worth its weight in gold.
The great news is that the DVD and Blu Ray releases include a ton of bonus stuff that wasn't aired on HBO, so it'll be great fun again for me to give this entire release a fresh look.
According to Time Life, following is what's going to be on the release, and I've marked the standout performances with this mark: ***** Rest assured that almost every performance stands out; it's all a matter of musical preference. I like all kinds of music with a preference for hard rock, but some of these performances truly converted me into a fan of acts that I never liked or really paid little attention to prior to seeing this:
TOM HANKS
Introduction
JERRY LEE LEWIS
Great Balls of Fire
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
Woodstock*****
Almost Cut My Hair
Love Has No Pride with Bonnie Raitt
The Pretender with Jackson Browne
Love the One You're With with James Taylor
STEVIE WONDER
For Once in My Life
The Tracks of My Tears with Smokey Robinson
The Way You Make Me Feel with John Legend (watch how Stevie chokes up singing this tribute to Michael Jackson...quite touching)
The Thrill Is Gone with B.B. King
Higher Ground/Roxanne with Sting*****
Superstition with Jeff Beck*****
PAUL SIMON
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (not included on the HBO airing)
You Can Call Me Al
Here Comes the Sun with David Crosby and Graham Nash
The Wanderer with Dion DiMucci
Little Anthony and the Imperials:
Two People in the World
SIMON & GARFUNKEL
The Sounds of Silence
The Boxer*****
Bridge over Troubled Water
ARETHA FRANKLIN
Baby I Love You
Don't Play That Song
Chain of Fools with Annie Lennox
METALLICA
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Sweet Jane with Lou Reed
Iron Man/Paranoid with Ozzy Osbourne
All Day and All of the Night with Ray Davies
Enter Sandman
U2
Vertigo
Magnificent
Because the Night with Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Roy Bittan
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For with Bruce Springsteen
Gimme Shelter with Mick Jagger and Fergie***** This performance just blew me away; I've watched this over and over again!
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of with Mick Jagger
Beautiful Day
JEFF BECK
People Get Ready with Sting
Let Me Love You Baby with Buddy Guy
Foxy Lady with Billy Gibbons*****
A Day in the Life*****This number is also part of Beck's Live at Ronnie Scott's DVD which I also highly recommend, but the performance of it here at the R&R 25th is greatly enhanced by large images of The Beatles behind the band.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND (Gotta admit that I was not the biggest Bruce fan prior to seeing him here; his performances with Sam Moore, and then of all people, Tom Morello absolutely knocked it out of the park.)
Hold On I'm Comin' with Sam Moore*****
Soul Man with Sam Moore*****
The Ghost of Tom Joad with Tom Morello***** Okay, this is THE most memorable performance of the entire concert for me; Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine plays a guitar solo in this song unlike any rock solo I've ever seen!
Fortunate Son with John Fogerty
Pretty Woman with John Fogerty
Jungleland*****
A Fine Fine Boy with Darlene Love
New York State of Mind with Billy Joel
Born to Run with Billy Joel
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher with Darlene Love, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Billy Joel and Tom Morello
BONUS MATERIAL
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
Mexico with James Taylor
Teach Your Children with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and James Taylor
STEVIE WONDER
Uptight
I Was Made to Love Her
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Mercy Mercy Me with John Legend
SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Mrs. Robinson/Not Fade Away
METALLICA
Turn the Page
Iron Man/Paranoid with Ozzy Osbourne (the HBO version was edited; this apparently is not)
U2
Mysterious Ways
Where Is the Love/One with the Black Eyed Peas
JEFF BECK
Freeway Jam
Big Block
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND
London Calling with Tom Morello
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher with Darlene Love, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Billy Joel and Tom Morello (the HBO version was edited; this apparently is not)
I don't know how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert organizers could ever top this. All of these artists join together and play like they've been playing together forever to give viewers one of the most memorable shows in recent rock history.
There is no question here. Add this to your cart.
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