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Various Artists
LIVE AID — JULY 13, 1985: THE DAY THE MUSIC CHANGED THE WORLD
(Warner Music Vision)
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The hyperbolic subtitle of this four-disc set seems kind of funny when you’re talking about a concert that began with Status Quo and ended, at least in England, with "Let It Be." No, Bob Geldof’s all-star transglobal benefit show to help fight Ethiopian famine didn’t change the world, but it did open lots of eyes and wallets, and it did feature some fantastic performances. One of the biggest surprises about watching Live Aid for the second time (the footage from that day hasn’t been available till now) is how much good music there was lurking amid the many garish ’80s fashion choices. U2’s soaring rendition of "Bad," complete with Bono’s leap into the audience, still evokes chills. And Wembley Stadium is barely big enough to contain Freddie Mercury during Queen’s magnificent set. A few bits are missing, most notably the Led Zeppelin "reunion" (Page and Plant nixed its re-release), but the restoration of Run-DMC to the line-up — they played before the Philadelphia telecast started — is more than welcome. All proceeds from the DVD go to feed the hungry in Africa. How little some things have changed in 20 years.
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