Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Dusty Springfield | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: October 18, 2005
• Label: Eagle Records
• Genres: Broadway & Vocalists/Traditional Vocal Pop, International/Europe, Pop/Adult Contemporary, Pop/Live Recordings, Pop/Oldies, Pop/Pop Rock, Pop/Vocal Pop, R&B/Live Recordings, R&B/Soul, Rock/Live Albums
• ASIN: B000ZQ8ERU
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real find, November 7, 2005

By 

Tom (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Audio CD)

At first, this album will be purchased by Dusty Springfield fans for the curiosity value. Fans have anticipated the release of this concert on CD and DVD for many years; so much in fact that it's almost taken on a legendary status.

And in sense it deserves that status since "Live at Royal Albert Hall" is an excellent live album. I was always curious to hear what Dusty sounded like live, and this CD gives you a rare insight into Dusty the live performer. It's definitely of its time period (1979) since Dusty covers soul/disco classics such as Sister Sledge's "We Are Family", Natalie Cole's "This Will Be" and the O'Jays' "Put Your Hands Together", but they are good covers. Dusty sings many of her classics, mostly in a fine 11-minute medley beginning with her lovely rendition of "Goin' Back".

But the standout performance is Dusty's version of Peter Allen's "Quiet Please (There's a Lady on Stage)". It becomes Dusty's signature song, even more so than "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" or "The Look of Love". She sings it with touching vulnerability, a Dusty trademark. It's a song dedicated to "legends" yet singing this song, Dusty essentially was singing about herself, even though she would never see herself as a legend or believe her own staggering talent, which is so well displayed on this wonderful collection.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great companion piece to the DVD !, December 25, 2005

By 

Reader from Singapore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Audio CD)

"Live At The Royal Albert Hall" on DVD and CD is an ecstatic dream come true for Dusty's fans not only because it captures the legendary singer in fine voice and at her most lovely and joyous since returning from a long hiatus in the mid-70s but simply because apart from her 1966 and 1967 black and white TV series for the BBC which have since been (partially) recovered by the station, it is the only surviving tape of a full concert given by Dusty in her long and illustrious career that is still known to exist in the archives. Unbelievable but true.

Dusty's singing changed so much over the years it seems futile to debate when exactly she was at her vocal peak. Certainly, 1966 was an early peak when her voice was at its most searing and powerful whether she was tackling a big ballad or a torchy soul number. But then, the legendary "Dusty In Memphis" happened only in late 1968 and from thereon, Dusty began developing the softer, breathier and more delicate side to her singing voice, which effectively transformed her from 60s belter to mature pop stylist by the end of the decade. Still, many fans cite 1972/1973 - on the evidence of her performances on "Cameo" and private collectors' tapes of TV appearances given at the time - as another period when Dusty's vocal craft had possibly peaked in terms of control, flexibility and phrasing. By 1978, following a long break from singing, the new Dusty voice may have mellowed, but like good wine still retained its honeyed edge and sparkle. That's the voice we hear on the Live At The Royal Albert Hall concert performance given on 3 Dec 1979. For me, that's the third and (possibly final) vocal peak period I would assign to Dusty until the time she made her final album and public appearance in 1995.

The highlights of the concert are inevitably the spellbinding hits medley as well as full renditions of "I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten", "All I See Is You", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Son Of A Preacher Man". Having said that, Dusty's incredibly soulful live takes of Natalie Cole's "This Will Be" and the O'Jays' "Put Your Hands Together" showcase her broad range and stylistic versatility if nothing else. That's not to say that Dusty ignored her own contemporary material. She did in fact include three songs from her late 70s repertoire in the concert - "Sandra", "Hollywood Movie Girls" and "Baby Blue" - but these were unfortunately excised from the TV edit of the concert which we now have on DVD. Two of these three songs are included in the companion CD release as extras.

Dusty captured live at the Royal Albert Hall has a definite looseness about it. It was according to interviews with those close to the artiste (included as extras on the DVD) under-rehearsed, so there were a couple of less than polished spots like "The Look Of Love" which featured a laughing Dusty singing to the cameraman following her around on stage but these moments only add to the poignance of the concert experience. Dusty never seemed happier in front of her adoring fans in the audience. That two-way flow of love between artiste and audience just built and built as the concert went underway until it reached a climax in the encore.

"Live At The Royal Albert Hall" is a wonderful concert by a great artiste at one of her many vocal peaks and is a must in the collection of any self-respecting Dusty fan.

My only grouse is that Eagle didn't include all the 5 excised performances on the CD. The 3 that made it as extras were simply tagged on at the end. In the actual concert, "Hollywood Movie Girls" and "Baby Blue" followed the Sister Sledge medley while "Brand New Me" was the precursor to "Son Of A Preacher Man". More regrettable was the fact that they omitted "Sandra" and the concert's opening number - new to Dusty fans - called "I Found Love". But these are minor grouses that shouldn't detract from the gratitude Dusty fans must feel that this legendary concert is finally released on DVD and CD.

DVD or CD ? Get them BOTH !

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun with Sister Springfield!, January 31, 2006

By 

R. Carter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Audio CD)

This CD is wonderful. Even though Dusty missed a note here and there, giggled a tad at places during some of the songs, and mumbled a bit at times rather than talking directly into the microphone, it appears that she really had fun with this concert... and therein lies the wealth of it. Dusty could sing. Dusty could entertain. And Dusty seemed to truly enjoy doing those things, as is witnessed here in this remarkable concert. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended.