Music DVDs

The latest releases reviewed

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy ! Universal ***

In 1961, Judy Garland performed a memorable concert at New York's Carnegie Hall - so memorable for Rufus Wainwright that he decided to restage the concert himself. The event was recorded at London's Palladium, and Rufus really gives it some welly.

Highlights are many, including San Francisco, Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart and Do It Again.

Guest appearances on the night were from his sister Martha and mother Kate McGarrigle, as well as Garland's daughter Lorna Luft.

As enjoyable as this is, you do have to wonder how much of is this a vanity project for Wainwright. Not everything works but when it does, it's frequently enthralling enough to make you want to track down the original Garland concert. BRIAN BOYD

QUEEN Rock Montreal & Live Aid Eagle Rock ****

Few rock bands of the past 30 years could carry off a mixture of granite and glam, camp and composure as well as Queen.

On record, they dabbled with most genres; this meant that few of their albums gelled as they went from hard rock (Brighton Rock, from Sheer Heart Attack) and end-of-pier tomfoolery (Seaside Rendezvous, from A Night at the Opera) to anthemic nonsense (We Are the Champions, from News of the World).

In the live arena, however, they were nigh on unbeatable, and these two DVDs demonstrate why.

Bridging the gap between riff-hard dynamism and gay decorum, frontman Freddie Mercury holds the audience in the palms of his hands.

The Montreal set is good, but the Live Aid set (recognised by many as the greatest live rock performance of all time) is unrivalled.

Extras include unreleased Live Aid footage and new audio commentary from Brian May and Roger Taylor. www.queenonline.com  TONY CLAYTON-LEA

© 2007 The Irish Times