Description

Reduced price due to a small bit missing on the OBI-strip

Japan press with OBI-strip, japanese insert and an extra japan only Documentary file booklet

The Moscow Music Peace Festival was a one-time gathering of high-profile hard rock acts for a performance in Moscow, Soviet Union on 12 and 13 August 1989 to promote world peace and establish international cooperation in fighting the drug war in Russia. It was part of an era of momentous change in the Soviet Union, in which capitalism was on the march and communism was collapsing. In 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. The concert exposed the Soviet Union to western culture and specifically rock music. The concert was also a pinnacle moment in glam metal and the peak in hard rock music’s popularity. The concert was put together by the Make a Difference Foundation, rock producer Doc McGhee, Stas Namin and other major players in the Soviet Union and the United States. The Make A Difference Foundation was created by Doc McGee after his arrest for drug smuggling. As a condition of his parole he was to use his influence in the music world to start an anti-drug foundation. Even though Ozzy Osbourne, Richie Sambora, and most of the members of Motley Crue (particularly Nikki Sixx) were known for drug/alcohol abuse. McGhee agreed to bring his artists to Moscow wishing to avoid a jail sentence. Despite the intended anti-drug message of the album, some bands later admitted in interviews that the Moscow Music Peace Festival period ironically included much drug use. One notable event in that matter was Ozzy Osbourne who strongly expressed his views against drug abuse during the press conference straight after his performance. After having completed the press conference it was that same Ozzy Osbourne who had to be helped through the narrow corridor leading back to the dressing rooms after continuously stumbling into both facing walls, not being able to walk straight. Don’t Blame Me: The Tales of Ozzy Osbourne states that after the event, Osbourne was given multiple bottles of Russian vodka. Ozzy drank all of them and became “beyond drunk”. It was then that Osbourne attempted to kill his manager–wife Sharon Osbourne. Motley Crue has been on record stating they were upset with McGhee at this point in time. McGhee let Bon Jovi close the show, and use pyro, something Motley Crue was told they could not do. The members of Mötley Crüe were so incensed about preferences shown to Bon Jovi that Tommy Lee punched manager Doc McGhee backstage at the venue (McGhee was fired shortly thereafter by both Motley Crue and Bon Jovi). Motley Crue claims that this concert was the first time the band performed sober. The event was held over two days in Moscow’s largest stadium, Luzhniki Stadium, which has a seating capacity of about 100,000. However, as the concert also included spectators on the field, the number of attendees was much greater. The event was the first rock concert to be held at the stadium, which had previously been used primarily for sporting events. This was the first time that an audience had been allowed to stand up and dance at a stadium rock concert in the Soviet Union. Previous to this, all concerts had to be seated. Each band performed about a 5-song set, however the time lengths for some of the sets, particularly by Bon Jovi, are substantially longer. At the end of the concert was an All Star Jam of musicians, featuring Vince Neil and Sebastian Bach on vocals and Jason Bonham on drums, equally representing the bands performing a rendition of Led Zeppelin tracks. The compilation album that was released by McGhee and his Make A Different Foundation when he returned to the States featured 4 live jam songs from the festival together with 7 studio tracks where the bands each performed a cover version of a song written or performed by an artist or a group who had been touched by drug or alcohol problems.

Track listing:
1. Gorky Park – My Generation-The Who cover
2. Skid Row – Holidays In The Sun-Sex Pistols cover
3. Scorpions – I Cant Explain-The Who cover
4. Ozzy Osbourne – Purple Haze-Jimi Hendrix cover
5. Motley Crue – Teaser-Tommy Bolin cover
6. Bon Jovi – The Boys Are Back In Town-Thin lizzy cover
7. Cinderella – Move Over-Janis Joplin cover
8. Drum Madness – Moby Dick-live
9. All Star Jam – Hound Dog-live
10. All Star Jam – Blue Suede Shoes/Long Tall Sally-live
11. All Star Jam – Rock N Roll-live