Luther Vandross - Live at Radio City Music Hall 2003 (11 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Take Me Back, Take You Back...To A Luther concert

G. Bates | Rockford, IL USA | 11/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must confess, Luther's last CD "Dance With My Father" was the first time I did not rush out and buy it. I own everything else!! I bought this CD hoping to relive the magic of Luther's concert and like others, hoping that I will be able to see him perform live again.I was not disappointed. If you are a Luther fan, this CD is a must!!! If you never have seen a concert, here is an inexpensive way to get a taste of what you hear. Luther has been my favorite vocalist since the early 80s and this CD rekindled all these years oflistening to his vocal art. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!"

BRILLIANT VOCALS...made all the more poignant by tragedy...

G. Mitchell | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hard to believe this is Luther's FIRST LIVE CD?! How can it be, after literally dozens of hit singles and amazing albums to his credit - but here it is, and sadly, Luther's sterling, stunning, literally UNTOUCHABLE vocal performances here are made all the more POIGNANT by the fact that, after last year's severe stroke, Luther will most likely never sing again - at least not like THIS - it's not just a brilliant VOICE, but his way with a lyric - the sense of rhythm, space, timing, breath, phrasing, and shading to really get INSIDE a romantic lyric - WOW! I've been fortunate enough to witness Luther LIVE in concert a few times during the 80s and 90s, but for those who weren't so lucky, this CD (although I am docking it one star since it's only a single CD and should have deserved a DOUBLE CD!) is ESSENTIAL listening for anyone remotely interested in quality music PERIOD. My thoughts are with you Luther - YOU GO!"

The Art of Seduction...

theanonymousone | New York, New York. | 11/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The best way to appreciate what Luther -- and his band, OH MY GOD let's please not forget that magnificent band -- has done in this live-recorded CD is to go back and listen to the studio versions of each song, particularly his classic ballads.When an true artist finally gets around to recording a live CD (and all TRUE artists eventually do!) you hope that he or she will bring a new interpretation of their material and not just sing it verbatim to what they recorded in the studio.Then there's always that overriding fear when someone releases a live CD they'll be exposed for the fraud they truly are.Not LV.He's one of the a select few that actually sounds BETTER live than when he's "augmented" with electronics in a studio. And he NEVER performs his songs the same way twice -- a hallmark of creativity, ingenuity, and skill. Of course, he's been at it a very long time so anything less than perfection would be unacceptable...and perfection is what you get on this disk.I'll agree with what I've seen in other reviews. The atmosphere on this CD is so intimate that you're completely unaware at times it's being recorded live.Take Superstar, for example. Everybody familiar with his original version of this song knows it's the vamping/ad-libbing that he does near the end that transforms it from a story of lost love to one of subtle sexuality and seduction. Well, if you thought what he did on the original version was captivating, you will not believe what he does on this live version. With the help of angelic background singers (which are absent during the vamp on the studio version), a near perfect "bass drum" level and pacing (at the same level as the studio version but a much slower pacing!!), and his ability to stretch a harmonic phrase to its breaking point make this one of the most beautiful R&B ballads you'll likely hear in your lifetime. He does three falsetto passes just near the end that will absolutely melt your soul and send shivers down your spine. I guarantee it.You could right a review like that for each song on the CD but his ballads steal the show by a long shot. You will be transformed after you hear them. Again, I guarantee it."

Raised his own bar

L. Pascua | Wahiawa, Hawaii USA | 11/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From time to time, I listen to my treasured vinyl of Change to hear Luther's voice when he first started, singing backup. Then, on to the vinyl of Never Too Much, and on and on, all the while recalling all of his concerts that I attended. Eventually I get to Here and Now, the song I sang to my wife at our wedding; by the end of the day, I'm listening to him singing about how his mother misses her spouse. So all in all, I'd like to think that I've been listening closely to Luther like this from time to time for the last 30 years. Every once in a while, an artist who has already been recognized by his peers as setting an industry standard raises his own bar. In this recording, Luther has done just that.Every once in a while, a live version of a selection supplants an earlier studio version (remember EWF's "Devotion"?). This album gives you about 8 of those instances. He owns these songs. He owns the tempo, the inflections. The artist is making you privvy to a private collection of originals 30 years in the making. Looking at the jacket you might think "but I've heard these songs many times before", and my response to you would be "no, you haven't, not like this, not even in 30 years". Finally, the album is technically perfect. A live performance recorded with the type of control audible in this recording is hard to come by.I've decided that if I were stuck on a desert island, I'd be content with 2 recordings. One would be an undisputed landmark of classical music: Artur Rubenstein's renderings of the Chopin Nocturnes. The second would be Luther Vandross Live at Radio City Music Hall 2003."

Luther Takes it to the Stage.

The Groove | Boston, MA | 12/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"2003 is the year of the live CD. From Coldplay to Floetry, everybody is getting their live discs out in the fall to rack up pre-Holiday sales. But to call Luther Vandross' "Live at Radio City Music Hall" a mere cash-in would be a severe miscalculation. It's a thoroughly enjoyable 75 minute performance that proves, once again, Vandross is THE man to beat in the game of r&b. If singing live is the ultimate measure of vocal talent, then Luther passes with flying colors. "Live at Radio City Music Hall" cruises through older material as well as his hits from his last two studio albums. While the set omits a few personal favorites ("Don't You Know That" and "Since I've Lost My Baby"), it does include stellar renditions of "Never Too Much," "Stop to Love," "Superstar," and the oft-sampled finale, the classic "Glow of Love." Luther's delivery on these songs is just as good in concert as they are in the studio, and they stand tall as classic samples of old-fashioned r&b stripped of glitter and overproduction. "Live at Radio City Music Hall" is a standard by which all live CDs should follow"

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	Luther Vandross Live at Radio City Music Hall 2003 Genres: Pop, R&B, Rock, Soundtracks Track Listings (11) - Disc #1 Never Too Much Here And Now Take You Out Love Won?t Let Me Wait Superstar Stop To Love If Only For One Night Creepin? I?d Rather A House Is Not A Home Glow Of Love
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