Stevie Wonder -
Live At Last
(A Wonder Summer's Night)
Performance
Production
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Stevie Wonder -
Live At Last
Performance
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If there were ever such a thing as American music royalty, Stevie Wonder would be the prince of that royal family. Elvis Presley being the king, of course. As a gifted multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and record producer, Wonder has recorded more than thirty top ten singles, won twenty-two Grammy Awards, and has been inducted into both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. The fact that he was born blind and went on to sign a Motown record deal at the age of eleven, does not exactly make him your average success story either. The title of Wonder's first ever concert DVD, Live At Last, may be one of the biggest understatements of all time. As a young, white, kid growing up in 1970s America, my taste in music was dominated by the popular hard rock and heavy metal acts of the time, such as Aerosmith, Kiss, Boston, and Styx. My older brother also turned me on to a wider range of musical styles, including Steely Dan, Jeff Beck, Santana, and The Beatles. The first time he played me Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, I knew, even at that musically immature age, that I was hearing something extraordinary. Live At Last - A Wonder Summer's Night was filmed at the O2 Arena in London, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, during Wonder's first world tour in over a decade. I was a bit skeptical as to whether Stevie could still really cut it live, probably because I had assumed he was much older than his 57 years (last year), but I can assure you that he still sounds amazing. Its hard to believe he was only 21 when he released the first of his classic '70s albums, Music of My Mind, which is around the time he wrestled complete artistic control of his music from Motown. The DVD set list features 31 tracks, including a "UK Medley" of Beatles and Stones songs, along with a few other covers. One of those cover songs kicks off the proceedings, when, after being escorted to the stage by his daughter and backing vocalist, Aisha Morris, Wonder tears into the Miles Davis classic "All Blues" on his harmonica. Near the end of the song, Dwight Adams does Miles proud with a trumpet solo that flows into the second song of the night, and my favorite Hotter Than July track, "As If You Read My Mind". Wonder is surrounded by a talented, 11-piece, band this night, and they really know how to bring these amazing songs to life. Stevie strings together several songs from the same album throughout the show, and three more Hotter Than July tracks soon follow. During "Master Blaster (Jammin')" Wonder more than hints at his political leanings as he joyously sings, "Barack Obama is gonna be the next president of the United States". OK, you got your wish Stevie, just don't write a damn song about him now. MSNBC would probably make it their new theme song. Midway through the set, Stevie rolls out a string of songs from my favorite album of his, Innervisions. I could watch him play his clavinet and sing "Higher Ground" all night long. How can you hear that instrument and not think of Stevie. Even after adding some killer performances of "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", "Visions", and "Living For The City", I was still asking myself, "how could he not have also played "Too High" and "Golden Lady". The album is that good. Also mixed in there somewhere was a marvelous performance of Chick Corea's "Spain", where each band member was given a short solo spot to shine. Towards the end of the set Stevie mixes in a couple of his '60s hits, "My Cherie Amour" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours", with a few of his more recent hits (relatively speaking), "Part-Time Lover", and "Overjoyed", from 1985's In Square Circle. "I Just Called To Say I Love You" also brought back some fond memories of the '80s comedy classic, The Woman In Red. Who can forget Kelly LeBrock in her prime huh? The later part of this set is where things really take off though, as Stevie unleashes a string classics from Songs In The Key Of Life, including "Sir Duke" and "I Wish", before bringing the house down with an electrifying performance of "Superstition". During "Superstition" he even manages to mix in a few bars of "So What The Fuss", as well as introduce all of the band members. "As" serves as a magnificent show closer which goes on long enough for Stevie to say all of his "thank yous" and "goodbyes" to the appreciative London crowd, before being escorted off the stage at the hands of his backup singers. The production quality of this DVD certainly lives up to the performances contained inside. Your audio options are DTS 5.1 surround and PCM stereo - no need to even bother with any inferior Dolby tracks here, and they both sound excellent. The DTS surround track is particularly pleasing as the near orchestra of instruments and vocalists completely envelopes you to present the perfect live concert experience. The colorful light show enhances the music wonderfully, and the high-def, widescreen, picture presented it flawlessly. The camera work included a good variety of intimate close-ups while still capturing the overall majesty of the event perfectly. There were no special features included on this DVD. If you were the least bit skeptical as to whether Stevie Wonder can still deliver the goods live, Live At Last - A Wonder Summer's Night definitely puts those thoughts to rest. It is one of the best concert DVDs of the year. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - May 2009 |
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Running Time: 134 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - March 2009 |