Live Aid

July 13, 1985: the day the music changed the world. The brainchild of Sir Bob Geldof (former lead singer of the Boomtown Rats), the Live Aid concerts--performed at London's Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's JFK Stadium--featured the most amazing rock 'n roll lineup ever assembled: Bob Dylan, U2, The Who, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Queen, the Beach Boys, Joan Baez, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Elton John, Sting, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Duran Duran, Pretenders, and more. The four-disc, 10-hour Live Aid compiles a good chunk of the footage (Led Zeppelin and others are missing) from this landmark event, with highlights including Costello's solo electric guitar rendition of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," the Sting/Phil Collins/Branford Marsalis collaboration on "Every Breath You Take," U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bad," Patti LaBelle's wild version of Dylan's "Forever Young," and Mick Jagger and Tina Turner's combustible "State of Shock," as well as the ensemble performances for "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and "We Are the World" (also featured as music videos). But the real jewel in the British crown here is the set by Queen, featuring the late, great, magnificently flamboyant Freddie Mercury (although the buzzword at this concert was "aid," the sad acronym that would be on everyone's lips a year or so later would be "AIDS," which claimed Mercury in 1992) on such crowd-pleasers as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Radio Gaga," and "We Will Rock You." And props to Bette Midler (one of the emcees, along with Jack Nicholson), who introduces Madonna as "a woman who pulled herself up by her bra straps." Yes, there are a few of-the-moment clinkers here (Nik Kershaw?), but for the most part this is--as advertised--"the biggest rock event in history." DVD extras include nearly an hour's worth of bonus performances (by INXS, B.B. King, Run DMC, and others), the 65-minute archival documentary "Food and Trucks and Rock 'n' Roll," and a couple of music videos. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, this handsomely packaged set, bundled with a 24-page booklet, is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: also newly available, We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song, a double-disc 20th anniversary special edition behind-the-scenes look at the making of the landmark song/music video, from Image Entertainment ($19.99).] Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)