The Concert for Bangladesh (Limited Deluxe Edition)
January 2006 Reviewed by: Joseph Taylor Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

In the summer of 1971, the country of Bangladesh was in trouble. Natural disasters and war had killed hundreds of thousands of people and left many more diseased, starving, and without homes. Ravi Shankar, the great Indian musician, grew up in Bangladesh when it was East Bengal, and he asked George Harrison if he would help make people aware of the crisis. Harrison’s first step was to record a song about the country’s problems. His second was to organize a concert in New York’s Madison Square Garden that brought together a stellar group of musicians, including Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and, most impressively, Bob Dylan, who hadn’t toured since 1966.

Harrison arranged to film the two shows on August 1, 1971, one each in the afternoon and evening. The result, The Concert for Bangladesh, was popular in its initial release in 1972 and became a staple of midnight movie shows. Cable television was still in its infancy at that time, so the concert and film didn’t have the impact Live Aid would create nearly 15 years later. But Harrison was the first rock star to realize he could use his fame to help others and bring their plight to the attention of the rest of the world.

The DVD of the film is presented in fullscreen format (it was originally shot in 16mm and blown up to 70mm for theatrical release) and offers a choice of stereo, and 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS. Twenty-five musicians and singers were gathered onstage for the show, six of them guitarists (three electric, three acoustic), so the sound is a little crammed. The 5.1 mix is cleaner and has less emphasis on the bass than the two-channel version, but the stereo mix remains truer to the wall-of-sound effect that co-producer Phil Spector was probably aiming for. The film’s grainy look adds to its time-capsule charm.

The performances have held up well over time. Harrison sounds a little hoarse in spots, but he sings with passion and the band plays his songs with precision and class. Eric Clapton sounds tentative, but he and Harrison trade a nice series of solos on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Thirty years have changed my mind about some aspects of the film. When I was 16, Ravi Shankar’s performance drove me up a wall. I now wish it was longer. Leon Russell’s medley was a high point when I saw the film 30 years ago, but it now seems to go on a bit. Bob Dylan’s five songs are still as compelling as they were when I first saw them.

A second disc includes some performances that weren’t included in the film, as well as documentaries about the development of the concert, film and LP. Dylan and Harrison sing "If Not for You" during a rehearsal, and they seem to be bucking each other up for their first appearances onstage in quite a while. Harrison and the other performers onstage that day 30 years ago demonstrated a generosity they can remain proud of, and it is well presented on this DVD set.

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