Kylie - Live in New York
December 24th 2009 05:16
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Review by Paul Fellows
I'm not going to lie to you on my first post - I LOVE Kylie Minogue!! She is truly a POP Goddess!! So it gives me great pleasure that our first review is of her new live album Kylie Live in New York.
Earlier this year Kylie embarked on her first North American tour, performing in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto (Canada) and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, where this album was recorded. When the tour was announced in Billboard Magazine Kylie stated, "I’ve wanted to tour in America and Canada for years now and know that fans have been waiting a long time for this. I’m thrilled that the opportunity has finally arrived." As such, a Greatest Live Hits show was conceived. Taking some ideas from her previous tours in Europe and Australia, the show was built upon, music production and costumes changed and sets and lighting deisgned to fit the smaller venues that she performed in. This gave her North American fans a totally unique show while also giving them a glimpse at some of the shows that they missed.
As the crowd cheer wildly, the show opens with the 20th Century Fox fanfare letting the audience know of the theatrics that Kylie has in store for them. Merging into "Somewhere" (from West Side Story), "Over the Rainbow" and "The Sound of Music", the audience feel as if they had arrived for a 1950s film musical. But as we sink into the electronic beats of "Light Years" and the countdown begins, we know that we are in for an exciting journey.
The newly remixed "Speakerphone" is truly one of the shows highlights. Why this song was never released as a single really amazes me!! Bow down and worship music producer Steve Anderson (Kylie fans know him as a co-writer of "Confide in Me" and the music producer for all of her tours since "Initmate and Live") for this awesome mix!! You can just imagine the whole crowd bouncing to the beat as one. And just when you thought they couldn't take anymore, Kylie slams into "Come Into My World" (yet another amazing mix by Steve Anderson) to keep the audience on their feet and begging for more.
And more she gives!!
"Everything Taboo" brings together "Shocked", "What Do I Have To Do?" and "Spinning Around" as another show highlight. Sampling "Do You Dare?", "It's No Secret", "Keep on Pumpin It", "What Kind of Fool", "Step Back in Time", the non-Kylie songs "Finally", "Ride on Time", "Such a Good Feeling" and Kylie's take on Eminem as the "Real Slim Lady", it is almost ten minutes of dance your arse off fun!!
It is when Kylie breaks into "Can't Get You Out of my Head" (after teasing the audience with an introduction of "Boombox") that she really gets to thank her American fans, as in 2002, it was her first top ten US hit since "The Locomotion", back in 1988.
The journey continues with some of Kylie's newer hits, an electro rock version of "Slow", "2 Hearts" which Kylie used to introduce the brilliant band, a sexed up version of "Red Blooded Woman" and the pop perfection that is "Wow".
The theatrics at the beginning of the show are returned with the "White Diamond Theme", which brings together some classic film quotes. In this next section of the show, Kylie's vocals are beauitful as she uses the ballad versions of "White Diamond" and "I Believe in You" and the dramatic "Confide in Me" to highlight her voice.
The crowd return to their feet with Kylie's nod to Madonna, a mash up of Kylie's "Burning Up" and Madonna's "Vogue". Only to sink into a sulty, big band version of her first US hit "The Locomation". Kylie's vocals are so strong during this song it almost begs for her to do a whole show of big band standards!!
Kylie doesn't forget her audience and returns to the dancefloor with "In My Arms", "Better the Devil You Know", "The One" (starting accoustically and then bursting into the Freemason's remix) and "I Should Be So Lucky", which was only performed at selected shows.
Our journey comes to its conclusion with "Love at First Sight", which must be one of Kylie's favourite songs, as she has sung it as her closing song for the past four tours.
To say I loved this album would be an understatement. I have seen all of Kylie's shows, so I was disappointed that I wasn't able to see this one (Note to Kylie - please film the concert if you are to do this again!!), but having this album somehow makes me feel like I was there. The production of the songs is excellent (Steve Anderson - I truly can't praise you enough). One of the things I love most about a Kylie concert are the new versions of the songs that are produced so I'm really pleased that these live recordings were made available.
Kylie Live in New York is only available to download, but if you purchase the album through iTunes, you will be treated to the studio remix versions of "Light Years", "Speakerphone" and "Come Into My World". Thus, making it an essential purchase from iTunes!!
***** Totally biased - I loved it!!
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