Queen: Live at the Rainbow \’74 review

Queen is one of the few bands that can hold their own when it comes to the neverending debate on best band of all time. Their anthems are legendary, their choruses iconic and the classic lineup is one of the most prolific in history. With their latest DVD release, Live At The Rainbow ’74, we catch a glimpse of Queen as they once were- one of the hardest-hitting bands in the world. Long before “We Will Rock You,” “We Are The Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” decided the band’s career for the rest of time, Queen were one of the heaviest bands in rock. Mix that with the beautiful voice of Freddie Mercury and you have one of the strongest knockout punches in music. 1974 was a different time for Queen. Instead of the arena anthems played in sports stadiums around the world and long before Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar were blasting “Bohemian Rhapsody” at max and cruising down the strip in a beat up old car that barely fit all five people in it, Queen was a much different band and we see this firsthand in the first-ever release of their legendary and rare concert at The Rainbow. Queen’s long-lost rock ballads are played with extreme swagger and confidence and they take the stage only to make it their own and show the world why they were one of the fastest-rising bands at the time. Late singer Freddie Mercury’s stage presence is incomparable and sees no competition. Mercury is in the prime of his career during this performance and it shows- physically and vocally. Guitarist Brian May is one of a kind and in this performance he’s in rare form, playing at the top of his game and proving exactly why he’s gone on through decades seen as one of the best of all time. Live At The Rainbow ’74 may very well be one of Queen’s best performances and it’s brought to life in many different formats with this release. Regardless of which format you buy this concert on, we should all be thankful the band chose to finally release this beautiful piece of Queen history. Any Queen fan will be in absolute heaven with this concert DVD. Rating: 9.5/10 -Reggie Edwards