Independent distributors Eagle Rock Entertainment will release standard Blu-Ray and 2CD+Blu-ray Deluxe Editions of Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live In Budapest. Originally filmed in 1986, this momentous concert movie has been re-mastered in high definition and superb 5.1 surround sound. Street date is November 6th.
Also included on the Blu-ray is a new 25 minute documentary feature entitled "A Magic Year". This follows Queen from just after their historic show–stealing performance at Live Aid, London, on July 13, 1985, through the year leading up to the epic concert in Budapest. Using archive footage from rehearsals, interviews with the band in the studio and on the road during the Magic Tour - some of which has never been seen before - this fascinating feature has been specially created for this new release.
As part of the hugely successful 1986 Magic Tour that, poignantly, was the last to be played by the band with Freddie Mercury, Queen were for the first time able to include Hungary on the tour schedule. With three years to go before the fall of the Berlin Wall, this was the largest concert ever staged at the Népstadion, Budapest, and the first Western Rock Concert staged in a stadium behind the then Iron Curtain. It was of such significance to the Hungarian authorities and film industry that a group of the country's top film cameramen and technicians were brought together to film it for posterity.
Staged for 80,000 ecstatic fans, the concert set includes favorite hits like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "I Want To Break Free," and "We Are The Champions."
"We're delighted that Queen fans across the world will finally have the chance to relive this amazing moment for the band. We knew a stadium concert in Budapest was ground–breaking, but hadn't quite anticipated what a historic night it would turn out to be. The concert looks fantastic on the screen in all its digitally re-mastered glory and the documentary does a great job of setting the scene – it really was an extraordinary time in the band's history." Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Long Time Queen fan here. I saw this in the theater and the concert is edited (you can see the CDs have additional tracks). It's missing Another One Bites The Dust, the Rock n Roll Medley, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love also looked edited. Keep in mind though this is the actual full version of the film produced for airing across the Eastern Block, so the complete concert it is not - but in the sense of the "film" it is a complete version of what people across the Soviet Union would've seen on TV. It's great they provided what looks like an unedited version on CD to supplement in the deluxe version.
Maybe I am just bored after seeing Wembley '86 so much, but I was expecting the same type of show and I was dead wrong, even though the set list was EXACTLY the same. The energy is in your face and more powerful, and Freddie's voice is much better here than at Wembley. Overall this performance is spot-on and the quality is fantastic ,shots of the legendary lighting rig are spectacular. in and of themselves, something that never really came across well at Webmley. I felt more like I was on stage watching the band, than I remember feeling when I watch Wembley.
IMO, this is the best (currently) available concert of the band who were at their height, in terms of performance, and audio/video quality.
I would really love The Magic Years on Blu Ray at some point and of course, more Queen concerts. Too bad that Wembley was snubbed for a Blu Ray release.
Why does the above DELUXE Edition state '2-CD SET', but when you click on it, it shows 1 BD, 1 Dvd, & ONE Cd?? I've read it's Two CD's so someone should either change the info on the description page or verify it Is, in fact, Two CD's.
