One of rock's nobler dividends has been a legacy of ambitious fund-raising
concerts that carry on the social consciousness that first entered
the music in the '60s as a byproduct of that decade's urban folk
music. Even after much of the music retreated to safer, less partisan
themes, the right crusade has been able to mobilize artists to raise
funds and awareness, and Amnesty International has proven among
the most reliable of these missions: from The Secret Policeman's
Ball shows produced in England, to more recent tour packages helmed
by '80s superstars such as Peter Gabriel and U2, the human rights
organization has inspired bold concerts.
This production, mounted December 10, 1998, commemorates the 50th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone
underscored with between-songs informational segments that succinctly
promote the beneficiary's themes of tolerance and social responsibility.
Filmed and live cameos mix celebrities with sage comments from the
Dalai Lama (whose impish "thumbs up" to the crowd elevates the entire
affair) and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. An underlying fervor
also sparks much of the music, particularly from Peter Gabriel,
Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, and a solo Bruce Springsteen, whose
songs all allude to the human rights agenda. Alanis Morissette's
brief set likewise takes on a spiritual glow consistent with both
her second solo album and the context at hand, while jubilant sets
from Kassav and the Asian Dub Foundation serve as potent multicultural
celebrations.
The show isn't without its rough spots: an opening rendition of
Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" by Chapman, Gabriel, N'Dour, and
Springsteen is more awkward than transcendent (especially in Springsteen's
wooden delivery), and Gabriel's subsequent duet with N'Dour starts
out shakily. Two Led Zeppelin classics from Jimmy Page and Robert
Plant incite Zep fans but seem nearly irrelevant here, as does Shania
Twain's slick but shallow stint. But Radiohead's three-song set
restores the two-hour concert's generally thoughtful and thought-provoking
substance.
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