The Candlelight Concerts
Brian May and Kerry Ellis
Label: Eagle Rock Records/Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: April 01, 2014
Review Date: March 30, 2014
As a teen growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Queen was one of the phenomenal bands who dominated the airwaves and stereos across the Valley of the Sun. Their amazing creativity and blend of classical influences with solid rock and roll (with just a tad of flamboyance thrown in just to make it interesting), made Queen the stand out band of the seventies.
While we have lost Freddie Mercury, the remaining members of the band are still alive, still creating, still innovating. This is especially true for the band’s iconic guitarist, Brian May, who, along with the lovely and talented, Kerry Ellis, have teamed together to release The Candlelight Concerts – Live At Montreux 2013 as a DVD + CD set and Blu-ray + CD.
This package offers up a treasure trove of covers classic songs that include, We Will Rock You, Born Free, The Way We Were, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Tie Your Mother Down, and I Who Have Nothing.
The DVD was filmed at the Stravinski Auditorium during the 2013 Montreux Jazz Festival. The Candlelight Concerts – Live At Montreux 2013 masterfully melds Ellis’ beautiful voice with the amazing guitar playing of May. The film is of primarily acoustic performance sof standards, ballads, Queen songs and cover songs. Brian’s guitar style flawlessly compliments Kerry’ vocals, giving a different life and interpretation to these timeless songs.
The Acoustic By Candlelight CD, recorded live during the UK portion of their tour in Autumn 2012. The songs benefit from introductions by both Ellis and May that share background and influences of certain songs before they perform them. While some may not like the banter, I believe that it adds to the intimacy of the performances and give insight into the music that influenced these gifted artists.
There are two songs on the CD (I’m Not That Girl, I Can’t Be Your Friend, and In The Bleak Midwinter) that aren’t on the DVD. There are also some songs on the DVD that aren’t on the CD (Somebody To Love, ’39, Last Horizon, We Will Rock You). From what I can discern, the songs shared on both discs are different performances thus making both discs uniquely entertaining. In both cases, the listener/viewer is treated to what can only be said to be a truly amazing musical experience.
What is especially moving (and THE Boomerocity favorite) is the “bonus” performance on the DVD of Nothing Really Has Changed. It was recorded on location at the Shamwari Game Reserve in Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was performed for the person who actually wrote the song thirty-two years ago, Virginia McKenna, who also happens to be the founder of Born Free. Brian shares more of the story behind the song on the DVD and is worth the price of the package just to hear it.
If you’re a Queen fan hoping for some royal rockin’, this isn’t one of those kinds of offerings. But, please, don’t rob yourself of an incredible musical experience that will broaden your listening palate just like Queen began to do over forty years ago.
Some things never change.
TRACK LISTING
DVD:
1) I Who Have Nothing
2) Dust In The Wind
3) Born Free
4) Somebody To Love
5) Nothing Really Has Changed
6) Life Is Real
7) The Way We Were
8) ’39
9) Something
10) Last Horizon
11) Love Of My Life
12) The Kissing Me Song
13) Tie Your Mother Down
14) We Will Rock You
15) No One But You
16) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
CD:
1) Born Free
2) I Loved A Butterfly
3) I Who Have Nothing
4) Dust In The Wind
5) The Kissing Me Song
6) Nothing Really Has Changed
7) Life Is Real
8) The Way We Were
9) Something
10) Love Of My Life
11) I’m Not That Girl
12) I Can’t Be Your Friend
13) In The Bleak Midwinter
14) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
15) No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)
