I still have The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Concert on my DVR from when it originally aired on HBO at the end of 2009, and I still often find myself viewing many of the standout performances pretty regularly to this day. I have vowed not to erase it until it is released on Blu Ray and DVD, and finally owning this on Blu Ray will be a welcome treat on September 28, 2010!

If you’re wondering where the Blu Ray version is of the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts and you’re reading this prior to the release date, according to reports only the DVD will be available at Amazon on September 28th, and the Blu Ray version of the package will be available only at Best Buy for the first 30 days. Man, I hate that. But I’ve waited now for a year for this release, so waiting an extra 30 days is no sweat I guess. Anyway….

If you were at The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts or you saw it when it aired on HBO you already know how awesome these performances were that occurred over the course of two nights in late October 2009. If you haven’t seen this and you like music, even just a little, you’re in for a great experience. This collection is worth its weight in gold.

The great news is that the DVD and Blu Ray releases include a ton of bonus stuff that wasn’t aired on HBO, so it’ll be great fun again for me to give this entire release a fresh look.

According to Time Life, following is what’s going to be on the release, and I’ve marked the standout performances with this mark: ***** Rest assured that almost every performance stands out; it’s all a matter of musical preference. I like all kinds of music with a preference for hard rock, but some of these performances truly converted me into a fan of acts that I never liked or really paid little attention to prior to seeing this:

TOM HANKS

Introduction

JERRY LEE LEWIS

Great Balls of Fire

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

Woodstock*****

Almost Cut My Hair

Love Has No Pride with Bonnie Raitt

The Pretender with Jackson Browne

Love the One You’re With with James Taylor

STEVIE WONDER

For Once in My Life

The Tracks of My Tears with Smokey Robinson

The Way You Make Me Feel with John Legend (watch how Stevie chokes up singing this tribute to Michael Jackson…quite touching)

The Thrill Is Gone with B.B. King

Higher Ground/Roxanne with Sting*****

Superstition with Jeff Beck*****

PAUL SIMON

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (not included on the HBO airing)

You Can Call Me Al

Here Comes the Sun with David Crosby and Graham Nash

The Wanderer with Dion DiMucci

Little Anthony and the Imperials:

Two People in the World

SIMON & GARFUNKEL

The Sounds of Silence

The Boxer*****

Bridge over Troubled Water

ARETHA FRANKLIN

Baby I Love You

Don’t Play That Song

Chain of Fools with Annie Lennox

METALLICA

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Sweet Jane with Lou Reed

Iron Man/Paranoid with Ozzy Osbourne

All Day and All of the Night with Ray Davies

Enter Sandman

U2

Vertigo

Magnificent

Because the Night with Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Roy Bittan

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For with Bruce Springsteen

Gimme Shelter with Mick Jagger and Fergie***** This performance just blew me away; I’ve watched this over and over again!

Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of with Mick Jagger

Beautiful Day

JEFF BECK

People Get Ready with Sting

Let Me Love You Baby with Buddy Guy

Foxy Lady with Billy Gibbons*****

A Day in the Life*****This number is also part of Beck’s Live at Ronnie Scott’s DVD which I also highly recommend, but the performance of it here at the R&R 25th is greatly enhanced by large images of The Beatles behind the band.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND (Gotta admit that I was not the biggest Bruce fan prior to seeing him here; his performances with Sam Moore, and then of all people, Tom Morello absolutely knocked it out of the park.)

Hold On I’m Comin’ with Sam Moore*****

Soul Man with Sam Moore*****

The Ghost of Tom Joad with Tom Morello***** Okay, this is THE most memorable performance of the entire concert for me; Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine plays a guitar solo in this song unlike any rock solo I’ve ever seen!

Fortunate Son with John Fogerty

Pretty Woman with John Fogerty

Jungleland*****

A Fine Fine Boy with Darlene Love

New York State of Mind with Billy Joel

Born to Run with Billy Joel

Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher with Darlene Love, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Billy Joel and Tom Morello

BONUS MATERIAL

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

Mexico with James Taylor

Teach Your Children with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and James Taylor

STEVIE WONDER

Uptight

I Was Made to Love Her

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours

Mercy Mercy Me with John Legend

SIMON & GARFUNKEL

Mrs. Robinson/Not Fade Away

METALLICA

Turn the Page

Iron Man/Paranoid with Ozzy Osbourne (the HBO version was edited; this apparently is not)

U2

Mysterious Ways

Where Is the Love/One with the Black Eyed Peas

JEFF BECK

Freeway Jam

Big Block

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND

London Calling with Tom Morello

Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher with Darlene Love, John Fogerty, Sam Moore, Billy Joel and Tom Morello (the HBO version was edited; this apparently is not)

I don’t know how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert organizers could ever top this. All of these artists join together and play like they’ve been playing together forever to give viewers one of the most memorable shows in recent rock history.

There is no question here. Add this to your cart.

Rating: 5 / 5

I was at these concerts too and saw the special on HBO and the performances are awesome. Seeing U2, Mick Jagger and Fergie do the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” is worth the price of admission alone. But you also get tons of other great performances: Sting with Stevie Wonder; Jeff Beck with Buddy Guy and Billy Gibbons (the ZZ Top guy); Simon & Garfunkel doing all their biggest hits; Lou Reed and Ray Davies playing with Metallica; John Fogerty and Billy Joel playing with Springsteen; etc. etc. And it looks like there’s a bunch of bonus songs that we didn’t see on HBO. I definitely recommend this.
Rating: 5 / 5

I was there for the first night. HBO’s broadcast cut many magical moments, so this package is a must for most fans. Even though this isn’t yet released, I can state the sound mix that night was first class! We couldn’t believe how well produced, but not over produced the night was… 5 hours of pure magic.
Rating: 5 / 5

I was at the first night’s concert and watched the HBO special–which was nothing short of amazing—but I was surprised that so many incredible performances were cut. I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing the extra 16 performances in this DVD set and owning a piece of Rock history….giving this 5 stars!
Rating: 5 / 5

I was not at the concert but saw the HBO concert footage and want more! The HBO concert is amazing but according to the other they left a bunch of stuff out. Have pre-ordered it and can not wait to get it for some of the amazing performances and also so i can delete the HBO version off my DVR!
Rating: 5 / 5