Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The quiet fire of Sade--live in concert!, February 22, 2001
Recently Sade ended their seven-year hiatus with the fine year 2000 LOVER'S ROCK album, which is musically so-close-yet-so-far from their 1984-1993 recordings. SADE LIVE (recorded in San Diego, October 1993) closes the book on the first decade of their/her musical career, presenting live versions of eighteen songs culled from the first four albums. Obviously this is a must-have for fans, but anybody who wants to hear these memorable songs again periodically should be happy with either this collection and/or the simultaneously-issued videoclip compilation (LIFE PROMISE PRIDE LOVE). All of the hits are here, plus a few choice album tracks. The remastered 5.1 sound is excellent on this DVD release, capturing their live sound with clarity and fullness. The DVD has a few minor extras besides the surround sound, such as chapter access, a discography, a brief biography (basically a press release for LOVER'S ROCK), and offering the option to display lyrics karaoke-style on the screen in several languages. For the most part, the group sticks closely to the original studio versions in these performances, although occasionally the group's subtle jazz touches become more overt (particularly on SMOOTH OPERATOR). Mostly though, vocalist Sade Adu is in the forefront, singing with a quiet fire and at times physically moving within the flow of the music. Never demonstrative either vocally or in her stage mannerisms, she nonetheless is a captivating presence both to hear and to look at, and her voice is in top form throughout this concert.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect combination of performance and audio/DVD mixing, January 27, 2002
I was impressed when I saw this concert aired on PBS in the mid-90's, and I'm even more impressed with the DVD. In terms of live performance discs, this one is at the top of my list.Touring in support of her fourth album, "Love Deluxe," Sade was in top form for this October 1993 concert, recorded at the San Diego University Open Air Theatre. On-screen, she looks fantastic and sounds even better (that voice!). Her persona is at-once confident yet reserved, appreciative, carefree and even demurely sexy at times. Her band members play really tight and show off their talent by taking up a variety of instruments. [Note: Rick Braun on trumpet; one of my favorite jazz artists]. The seventeen songs are divided fairly well between old and new (at the time), with ten being from the latter two albums "Stronger Than Pride" and "Love Deluxe." I can think of a couple more earlier hits I would have liked to hear, but tours need to highlight the most recent work, so I'm okay with that. Visually, I can't say enough good things about this disc. With Sade, the attraction has to be the singer, and I'm glad that the film crew kept that in mind, while spending no time at all on the audience (not the case with so many concerts-for-TV spectacles these days), yet still giving the band its due during some nice solos and instrumental flourishes. In fact, the camera always seemed to be focused right where I wanted to look. Big thumbs up in that regard. Even though there's a lack of interactive features, I don't care: it's the concert that counts. I'd recommend this DVD to anyone, whether you're a Sade fan or not.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Sade, July 24, 2003
Reading all of the claims that this was studio rerecorded made me pull out this DVD again to see for myself if this was true. Not that I needed an excuse to watch it... In any case, I seriously doubt this is the case with this concert. The background instruments (congas, tambourine, etc...) were all in sync with the songs and you could hear Sade's voice fade in and out at the exact spots she moved away from the mic. Perhaps there was a cut to an instrument or two that was a little off in the edits, but you would have to consciously be looking for mistakes as I was. I know in today's age of lip-synching pop stars, vocal harmonizers, and drum machines it's difficult to imagine a band that sounds as good live as they do in the studio, but this band is just that good.Recorded live at the San Diego Open Air Theatre, this DVD gives you a great selection of Sade's classic hits. No flashy stages or explosions here. The subtle lighting combined with Sade's breathy voice invokes the intimate feel of a jazz nightclub. The director does a great job of showcasing the various band members, but keeps the focus primarily on Sade throughout the show. The sound quality is excellent (especially considering it was recorded ten years ago) and this DVD edition doesn't have the lighting problems and graininess the VHS owners were complaining about. Even if you own all her albums, you'll want this live performance to add to your collection. Watch it with someone you love.
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