Who but Neil Young could have brought The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and Los Lonely Boys together on the same stage?  Though Young is an easy target for what can appear as a capricious attitude towards his back catalogue – announcing, then delaying or cancelling titles with alarming frequency – one aspect of the man’s great legacy cannot be in dispute, and that is his philanthropy.  Since 1986, Young and his wife Pegi have offered annual support for The Bridge School, an organization dedicated to the education of children with severe speech and physical impairments.  That was the year Mr. and Mrs. Young created The Bridge School Benefit Concert. 

The very first line-up included Young with his friends Crosby, Stills and Nash, Nils Lofgren, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty and Robin Williams; the 2004 concert offered the diverse group including Bennett and McCartney.  This year’s shows, on October 22 and 23, will continue the generally all-acoustic ethos, and will offer faces both old and new.  Bennett and Vedder are to join Diana Krall, Dave Matthews, Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Los Invisibles featuring Carlos Santana, Beck, Jenny Lewis, and Mumford and Sons.

Held yearly at Mountain View, California’s Shoreline Amphitheatre, The Bridge School Benefit Concerts have welcomed artists including David Bowie, Willie Nelson, Sarah McLachlan, Elton John, Leon Russell, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Brian Wilson, The Who, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Bob Dylan.  All of those names (and many more!) appear on The Bridge School Concerts: 25^th Anniversary Edition, due on October 24 from Reprise Records in 2-CD and 3-DVD formats.  There has been one prior Bridge School CD (1997's The Bridge School Concerts Vol. 1) and a number of digital-only offerings, but these sets mark the most comprehensive package of music from the Bridge School's archives.

Though there is some overlap among the CD and DVD releases (which will be sold separately), each features a unique selection of music.  Contributions from David Bowie, Patti Smith, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Simon and Garfunkel, Tom Waits and Billy Idol only appear on the DVD set.  No Doubt, Jack Johnson, Sonic Youth, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Nils Lofgren, Norah Jones and Jonathan Richman are among those artists only appearing on CD.  Both formats include tracks from Elton John and Leon Russell (“My Dream Come True”), Bruce Springsteen (“Born in the USA”), Brian Wilson (“Surfin’ USA”), Fleet Foxes (“Blue Ridge Mountains”), Metallica (“Disposable Heroes”), The Who (“Won’t Get Fooled Again”) and Paul McCartney (“Get Back”).  Neil Young himself is represented on CD with “Country Feedback” with R.E.M. and “Love and Only Love” with Crazy Horse.  “Country Feedback” reappears on the DVD, along with a Young solo performance of “Crime in the City.”

Whereas the first two DVDs in the set are exclusively devoted to performance footage, the third disc contains bonus material: two documentaries, Backstage at the Bridge School Benefit and The Bridge School Story, along with artist and student interviews.

Hit the jump to watch the video trailer, as well as for the complete track listing and pre-order links!  The Bridge School Concerts: 25^th Anniversary Edition hits stores on October 24 from Reprise, and it's important to note that "all profits from this release go directly to The Bridge School."  The label has set up an official site for the project here!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO2Vz_AIdJE&feature=player_embedded]

Various Artists, The Bridge School Concerts: 25^th Anniversary Edition (Reprise, 2011 - 2-CD and 3-DVD)

CD 1

1. Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
2. Too Much – Dave Matthews
3. Magic’s in the Makeup – No Doubt
4. Gone – Jack Johnson
5. Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes
6. Love and Only Love – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
7. Rain On Tin – Sonic Youth
8. Better Man – Pearl Jam
9. The Way It Will Be – Gillian Welch
10. Country Feedback – R.E.M. and Neil Young
11. The Great Divide – Willie Nelson
12. Cry Just a Little – Nils Lofgren

CD 2

1. Elsewhere – Sarah McLachlan
2. Get Back – Paul McCartney
3. A Dream Come True – Elton John and Leon Russell
4. Marry Song – Band of Horses
5. Disposable Heroes – Metallica
6. After the Gold Rush – Thom Yorke
7. The Difficult Kind – Sheryl Crow
8. Maybe This Time – Tony Bennett
9. Déjà vu – CSNY
10. Jesus, Etc. – Norah Jones
11. I Was Dancing in the  Lesbian Bar – Jonathan Richman
12. Surfin’ USA – Brian Wilson
13. Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who

DVD 1

1. Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
2. People Have the Power – Patti Smith
3. Better Man – Pearl Jam
4. Heroes – David Bowie
5. There Will Be A Light – Ben Harper
6. Girl From The North Country – Bob Dylan
7. Country Feedback – R.E.M. and Neil Young
8. Love Hurts – Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller
9. Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes
10. At the Hop – Devendra Barnhart
11. The Road is My Middle Name – Bonnie Raitt
12. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol

DVD 2

1. Surfin’ USA – Brian Wilson
2. The Way It Will Be – Gillian Welch
3. Sense of Purpose – The Pretenders
4. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
5. America – Simon and Garfunkel
6. Shadow of a Doubt – Tom Petty
7. Too Much – Dave Matthews
8. Crime in the City – Neil Young
9. Sixteen Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six – Tom Waits
10. A Dream Come True – Elton John and Leon Russell
11. Get Back – Paul McCartney
12. Disposable Heroes – Metallica
13. Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who

DVD 3

1. Backstage at the Bridge School Benefit Concert
2. The Bridge School Story
3. Student/Artist Interviews