July 19, 2013 was not only a special day for Queen guitar legend Brian May, being his birthday, but it also happened to coincide with this performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival alongside West End/Broadway vocal sensation Kerry Ellis. The duo had played an extensive UK tour in 2012, and this concert at Montreux capped off all their efforts the previous year. Mostly acoustic with just Brian's guitar/vocals and Kerry's soaring singing (although some musical accompaniment is added on multiple songs), the set is filled with lovely renditions of Queen favorites, cover songs, standards, and classic ballads. All you Queen fans out there can look forward to emotional renditions of "Somebody to Love", "Life is Real", " '39", "Love of My Life", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" , "We Will Rock You", and "Tie Your Mother Down", but as good as these are, it's the covers and standards that really 'stand' out. Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" is gorgeous, and George Harrison's lovely song "Something" is given royal treatment by the duo. The showstopper though is a remarkable "The Way We Were", with Ellis laying down a beautiful vocal that would make Barbara Streisand proud. May cranks up the electric guitar for a bombastic "Last Horizon", and his dedication to Freddie Mercury "No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)" is a poignant tribute. The two also include a song they wrote together called "The Kissing Me Song", which is kind of silly at first until the quirky, catchy melodies grab hold of you. Of course, you have the song that named the tour, "Born Free", which the duo completely do justice to as well.
The high-definition video clarity of the Blu-ray is simply stunning; you'll feel like you are in the front row watching the concert, and the audio is warm & inviting. Over on the CD you get a selection of songs recorded on the 2012 tour, including most of those that appear on the Blu-ray plus 4 additional songs. Overall, this is a wonderful Blu-ray/CD set that any fan of Queen, Kerry Ellis, or wonderful pop music in general will enjoy immensely.
Track Listing
Blu-ray-at Montreux July 19,2013
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) The Kissing Me Song
12) Tie Your Mother Down
13) Will Will Rock You
14) No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)
15) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
15) Bonus Video-Nothing Really Has Changed, filmed on location at Shamwari Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa, March 2012
CD-on the Born Free Tour November 2012
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)
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