Retro Spins: Make A Difference Foundation - Stairway To Heaven / Highway To Hell

 

The Moscow Peace Festival which took place in August 1989, brought hair and metal bands together under one venue for a night of rock across the USSR. Cinderella, Gorky Park, Nuance, Brigade S, Scorpions, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, and special guest, Jason Bonham, would all take respective turns performing a selection of their hits, all broadcast live across fifty-nine nations. The event would go on to inspire the hit, Winds Of Change by Scorpions.

This was followed by the compilation, Stairway To Heaven / Highway To Hell, released under the banner, Make A Difference Foundation, which featured studio performances of cover hits by most of the folks noted above. All album proceeds would be split between Make a Difference and the Soviet Union's All-Union Society for Sobriety.

Now I'll be the first to tell you that most covers never hold a candle to the original, but there are exceptions. What's surprising is that all of them on this compilation fall under the exception. They're amazing!

Each respective artist brings their all, in only the style they know how. With amps cranked up to eleven, and bellowing vocals that would scare a pack of wolves away. Part hair band, part metal, all loud.

It's awesome to hear some of my favorite artists from the 80's performing "new" material, like an old friend come to visit again. While each artist performs their own studio cover, it wraps up with a three-part live performance "jam" from the event with everyone involved performing Hound Dog, Long Tall Sally, Blue Suede Shoes, and Rock & Roll.

Though it was never released on DVD, you can also get a two-volume VHS set from 1989 of The Moscow Peace Festival, though volume one is far rarer than two for some reason. While I wish it was on DVD, this is still a great way to enjoy the show.

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