Hi everyone,
sorry to interrupt your daily "100th post about Rainbow Dvd" routine but I would like to introduce a new topic of discussion.
Yesterday I was watching this video on youtube wich contains a part ripped from "Champions of the world" documentary (link. At 14:28 the camera focuses on the original setlist for the FM tribute concert while the musicians were getting ready for the final rehearsals (see the image attached to this post). As you can see the "rehearsals setlist" contains "A kind of magic" wich was omitted from the final "chosen ones". Anyone has previously noticed this and has any clue about this decision? Thanks ;)
Yup, my recollection is the same as Pittrek's - I was at Wembley and recall wondering initially whether the problem Spinal Tap had with their amp was intentional to augment their comic performance, but sadly it wasn't. I have a feeling that Extreme's rendition of Love of my Life was unplanned too and therefore added to the delay.
Of all the bands they had to ask to drop a song, it was Guns n Roses, who were also due to play Sweet Child O Mine in addition to the two songs they did play (still, Knocking.... lasted a good while anyway with it's extended reggae interlude!)
U2's satellite link up was a wasted of time and could have gone to make room for ..Magic in my opinion!
Thanks for the reply guys :)
Your side of the facts actually corresponds: since Brian was singing one of his songs (Too much love will kill you) seems legit that in the original plans there was a little space for Roger.
Technical problems unfortunately can always arise in these "live" situations. Too bad for Magic though...
I was always under the impression that Roger was to have sung AKOM, but if it's true that it was Chris Thompson, then I really don't mind anymore that it was dropped.
Personally, in hindsight, I'd rather Brain had dropped TMLWKY as his version is quite maudlin and sadly takes a hell of a lot away from the Queen version that we finally got to hear a few years later.
I think Extreme were the best band tribute, in the sense of song choices and the enthusiasm of their performance. They worked the crowd pretty well too (that's how it seems on the video, at least).
Can't stand the singers voice though. Obviously a personal taste thing, but I don't enjoy listening to the set for that reason. Still a great set though.
I was reading a review from 1992 the other night and it was an embarrassing read. Can't really take any review seriously if it doesn't give credit to Daltrey's spot, at the same time as actually making it sound like Minelli's one was anything other than a warbling embarrassment.
Roger had written Old Friends (last track on the Happiness album) in early 92 and it was spoken about him performing that but alas it never happened, we had to wait till 94 in Gosport for that song to be heard live
TMLWKY was Brian's personal tribute to his friend; it was ABSOLUTELY appropriate for the time regardless of how well (or badly) it was performed.
ANYTHING would beat Bowie's 'Lord's Prayer' or Liz Taylor's HIV / AIDS lecture. As well as that stupid Lisa Stansfield IWTBF.
My only problem with Brian's performance of TMLWKY was that it was badly sung. Stylistically and thematically I thought it was fine, even on par with the Queen version. Overall, the concert's kind of fun to watch, and there are truly great moments (Heroes, All The Young Dudes), but recently I've come to the realisation that overall it's pretty crap. I probably enjoyed it more for the fact that it's a bunch of artists coming together with the remaining members of Queen to play Queen songs, but once the novelty of that wears off, it's just a clusterfuck. My opinion of course.
It was definitely one of those 'had to be there' concerts which the DVD doesn't really do justice to. The sound (and atmosphere) in the stadium was superb, and the DVD audio is just mixed so poorly that it really doesn't do anything for it.
I remember reading an interview much later from Gary Cherone (of Extreme) where he talks about the concert and mentions that they toyed between Hammer To Fall and One Vision for him. He also states that Brian quietly tabbed him to do the hard rock section of Bohemian Rhapsody if Axl had flaked out (which wasn't out of the realm of possibility)
I still wish Axl had been stuck in traffic. Would've made the show a lot better.
My favourite bit, honestly, is still the start of Tie Your Mother Down with (chiefly) just the 3 Queen guys playing.