Nowadays, when a major catastrophe strikes and causes a humanitarian disaster, it is expected that music's superstars will rise to the occasion and provide much-needed monetary relief in the form of a benefit concert. Back in the early seventies, this was not the case. Despite the prominence of political themes in popular music, a group of rocks' elite had never gathered en masse to spotlight a singular issue in hopes of providing both relief and awareness that music could be utilized for a higher social purpose.

The disaster that motivated George Harrison was the armed conflict between West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). A war had erupted (in 1971) that lasted for approximately nine months, causing tremendous political and military turmoil, which in turn led to a massive refugee problem. The entire situation was compounded by devastating floods caused by torrential rains.

Harrison was approached by his friend Ravi Shankar regarding advice on a small fund-raising concert in the United States. Quickly, the ex-Beatle seized control and persuaded his famous friends and musical comrades to organize an event at Madison Square Garden. The rest, as they say, is history; a history that was documented, and now has been gloriously updated for a new generation of potential fans.

The list of performers is astounding: Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Klaus Voorman, and Tom Evans and Pete Ham of Badfinger. There were many more names involved, most notably the crazed producer Phil Spector.

What makes this particular performance so fascinating is the spectacle of watching a group of superstars who, at the time, were deep in seclusion. George Harrison and Ringo Starr had not emerged from the land of Oz that was Beatlemania since their rooftop performance for the Let It Be sessions. Eric Clapton had been tucked away in London in the grip of heroin addiction. Bob Dylan, too, had not graced a stage since 1969. These two appearances alone make the concert legendary.

Fortunately, the DVD provides a 45-minute documentary, "The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison & Friends," which provides in-depth interviews and additional background regarding the two live shows and the rehearsals leading up to them.

In addition to the documentary, the The Concert for Bangladesh DVD features a complete audio remix of the original master tapes and previously unseen footage from rehearsals and sound checks. There is also the superdeluxe version, which comes with a 60-page book, postcards, a reproduction of the original concert poster, and other swag.

Whether you are an original Beatles/George Harrison fanatic or a fresh-faced fan, the The Concert for Bangladesh DVD provides a gorgeous look at and into the first benefit concert of its time.

"George Harrison - Wah Wah (Exclusive)" Windows Media Player Required

"Bob Dylan - Just Like a Woman" Windows Media Player Required

"Billy Preston - That's the Way God Planned It" Windows Media Player Required