Party At The Palace

Release: 2002  

Reviewer: Andrew Muller

The Party at the Palace concert is a motley assortment of has-beens and time-wasters, a curious number of whom felt it proper to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 50 years by singing old Motown songs badly. The concert also features Lenny Henry shouting and an extended plug for Queen's (that's the band) risible musical We Will Rock You. Bewilderingly, Party at the Palace is not only redeemed, but made worth owning, by the four-song set by Brian Wilson, who gives a heartbreakingly earnest performance of "God Only Knows," accompanied by Andrea Corr. The concert ends with a pantomime version of "All You Need Is Love." Party at the Palace is the night rock & roll gave up. Proceeds from the sale of the DVD, "after the deduction of costs and expenses in relation to its production and distribution," will be donated to the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Trust.

The Concert For New York City

Release:2001

Reviewer:macca-central.com

This now-historic concert took place at Madison Square Garden, a mere six weeks after the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Thousands of firefighters, police officers, survivors, families, and fans witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event as, in the space of nearly six hours, many legendary musical performers donated their time and their talent to one of the greatest causes ever, in the process giving their audience an unforgettable burst of pure emotion. Organized by Sir Paul McCartney, the Concert for New York City was an overwhelming experience that deserves to be saved for posterity. The two-CD audio recording is crammed with dozens of superb performances but doesn't give a sense of the whole show that this two-DVD set certainly does. Not only can we relive such seminal performers from that evening as the Who, David Bowie, John Mellencamp, and Sir Paul himself, we can see the charming and personal short films made for the occasion by such New York filmmakers as Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, or the dozens of celebrities and unsung firefighters and police officers who immortalized that day with their stories and musical introductions.