Customer Reviews

Alison Moyet: One Blue Voice

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I must preface this review by saying I have been a fan of Alison Moyet's work for nearly 25 years now. While not all of her work has been absolutely incredible, it has been at the very least consistent and well above average, with many moments of brilliance. Of course her voice is what she is most known for and it has always been impeccable, never faltering. Her voice. I recently read online somewhere someone referring to Alison Moyet as "England's Best Kept Secret". That sums it up pretty good. Virtually unknown in the United States (yet a household name in Great Britain and in many other countries), take one listen to any part of her three decades worth of recorded music and you will see what all the hoopla is about. It all began with "that voice". Anyway, if you have never heard Alison Moyet's music or voice before, this DVD is a great place to start.

Her performance on "One Blue Voice" is nothing short of stunning. For an artist to impress me this much artistically, even after all these years of fandom, is significant. I mean I was absolutely blown away. And I would be the first one to admit it if a favorite artist's work was just so-so. The DVD features many of the same songs from her 2005 CD, "Voice" (thus the similarly titled DVD "One Blue Voice"), which is mostly a collection of well-known standards from yesteryear but with a few more recent compositions thrown in the mix. The "One Blue Voice" DVD consists of a 15-track live performance, with assorted extras including several music videos, extensive interview footage, a photo gallery, and even 4 more bonus live performances!

She covers classics such as "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Cry Me a River", "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", "Dido's Lament" as well as two Elvis Costello songs ("Almost Blue", "God Give Me Strength") and several tracks from her own critically acclaimed 2002 CD, "Hometime". The showstoppers on this DVD are as follows: "Momma Momma" (a Melanie cover), fan favorite "This House", the Jacques Brel classic "La Chanson des Vieux Amants", and her own 80's classic "Only You" from her days with Yazoo. Other standout tracks include "Satellite", "You Don't Have To Go", "Ski", and a very unique and rare cover of "Wraggle Taggle Gypsies-O". Alison is an accomplished and acclaimed songwriter as well; eight of her own songs can be found throughout this DVD. Her longtime collaborator, Pete Glenister, co-wrote many of these songs with her and he also mixed the pristine concert sound for this DVD.

Every track is impressive. Her voice is note-perfect throughout. The Costello songs are awesome. The "Hometime" songs are new (and improved!) takes on the recorded studio versions. The eight or nine tracks from "Voice" are performed to perfection. The impressive eight-piece band features a string quartet that enhances every song immensely. The entire DVD is amazing to watch.

PBS please take note: if you, PBS, were to give "One Blue Voice" an outlet for exposure, I guarantee it would make Alison Moyet a household name in the United States, resulting in enormous pledge support for your stations. Plus, it would sell a million units. I have no doubt. It is one of those rare, filmed concerts that just has a certain magic about it...beautifully lighted and the camera work is perfect. The band and the string section take equal stage to Alison Moyet; and she gladly shares it with them. How hard it must have been to perform these types of songs live, and to keep them as perfectly executed as they have captured it here. Additionally, this DVD would appeal to everyone in age from those in their 20's to those in their 70's. Thus the PBS-ready appeal. PBS...are you taking note???

If you are already a Moyet fan, then you already know. If you are not familiar with her, BUY THIS DVD!

I most definetly agree with the prior review of this DVD concert. Moyet has always been one of my favorite singers because of her depth & strong voice: at times it sounds strong & robust and in a few seconds she sounds delicate & tender; just an amazing vocalist with a great range. I liked all the songs but I really liked the renditions of:
Satellite, This House, Almost Blue, Ski, If you don't come back to me, Windmills of Your Mind, Momma Momma, You don't have to go & Only You; but my 3 favorites were: Satellite, This House & You Don't Have To Go. Watch it & be the judge; and yes PBS take notes & broadcast this concert please. She's certainly "England's Best Kept Secret", indeed.

As a longtime Moyet fan, I was a bit leery of this disc being able to capture the essence of her live performance quality.

Wow.

From the first track until the end, all one can think is that this is the greatest vocalist of our times. Her control and pitch are beyond perfect, and the way that she delivers is...beyond description. Her songwriting skills are just as equally as perfect. Only once in a great while does such great talent emerge, and we are all blessed to be living during one of those such times. Holiday, Fitzgerald? May I introduce to you, Moyet.

Thanks Alison...you done good.

Although I think that alot of Alison's best material is missing on this DVD, what is presented is nothing short of amazing. Her voice stands up to the strongest singer's of today. My favorite cuts are Momma Momma, This House and Only You. An enjoyable listen all the way through.

Having been a fan of Alison since the days of YAZOO - I had always wanted to see her in concert - and I was lucky enough to do so AND meet her during her ESSEX tour of the USA - words cannot describe the voice/stage presence that Alison gives off.

While most singers are jumping around and acting stupid - Miss Moyet stands there and puts so much emotion into her material, and the material of others, that you want to hear more and more from her...and on this DVD we finally get to see her at rare form!

The production quality is SUPERB to say the least - the extras are quite nice, the band is an amazing compliment to her vocals - and Alison herself looks fantastic.

Each song is a pure joy to hear - WINDMILLS< ALMOST BLUE< THIS HOUSE....stunning songs...and my personal fav after THIS HOUSE - WRAGGLE TAGGLE GYPSIES. it's a pleasure/honor/treat to have known her material for so long, and to have stood next to her and chat for a brief moment, but buy this DVD and see what the raving is all about - the UK loves her, her loyal USA fans adore her, and this DVD is just a sampling of the many vocal talents of this wondrfully gifted human being! Cheers to you Alf - well done ole' girl~! :-)

This is my most-watched DVD ever...and that includes classic movies such as "The Godfather" and "Pulp Fiction"! Alison Moyet is barely known in my part of the world (United States) and what a shame that is for her and for the U.S. I am a huge music fan and have been since I first saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, and I've got a large collection of LPs and CDs to prove it. But of all the varied genres and voices I enjoy, Alison Moyet is my top favorite. This DVD should be given a chance by everyone who loves music! Ms. Moyet toured North America last year (2008) after her successful Re-Connected tour with Yaz(oo) bandmate Vince Clarke (now of Erasure). Unfortuantely, Alison's solo tour here was cut short due (at least in part) to poor ticket sales and I'd bet she'll never set foot on North American soil again...not that she's bitter! It just wouldn't be worth it for her promoters or for herself. I was lucky enough to catch one of the shows before the tour ended, and she was magnificent. Luckily we have this "live" DVD to help compensate. And, if we're really fortunate, Alison just may release a CD/DVD of her 2009 U.K. tour which ended less than one month ago to rave reviews. In the meantime, this DVD shows off the voice of Alison Moyet as no studio CD can (although they're excellent as well). Her band (consisting of keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, 2 violins, viola and cello, with back-up vocals from the all-female string section) is the perfect compliment to Moyet's rich, sultry voice. The quality is extremely good, offering dts sound, a high quality picture and great production. Known here mostly for her work with Yazoo in the '80s (they were called Yaz in the U.S. because the name was already taken here), Alison performs her best work ever as a solo act in my opinion. This DVD is filled with extra performances and an interview as well as the very intimate "One Blue Voice" concert itself. Obviously I can't recommend this DVD highly enough. Do yourself a favor and buy it before it's out-of-print!

I have been a fan of Alison Moyet's since her Yazoo days, but this concert is a new high. It is so rare to see a live performance of hers anyway, but the setting, the instrumentation and the fantastic voice-ah, that voice-all blend to make this a must for any music lover. I cannot recommend this DVD more.

This is a flawless concert. Alison Moyet has many facets, my favorite being the bluesy singer of the "Hoodoo" era--but she is also a good interpreter of standards, and this is the focus of "One Blue Voice." The intimate setting, before a small audience of devoted fans, suits the material. It is recorded well, and features mostly songs from her last two albums, "Voice" and "Hometime," the first being standards, the second one of her very best albums of originals. Alsion is very candid and intelligent about her work, and the bonus interview is better than most of its ilk.

Alison Moyet is awesome here! This is a must have for all Alison Moyet fans and general music lovers to add to their collections. Alisons versatility of musical style and form is wonderful...which showcases her primary instrument...her incredible voice. Beautiful! A true artist of song.




paul

Could not wait to get this DVD to see and hear her. I've been following Alison Moyet since the mid-80's. Every new release is a great surprise to hear the depth and flexibility of her amazing voice. To see this benefit performance along with the interviews in the extra materials was a special joy ... I only wish that I could have been there!!

My only negative comment about the DVD is that the production does seem to be a little dark at times. If you're viewing this on a computer, one can compensate by increasing the brightness.

Enjoy!!