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"Live At The Royal Albert Hall" on DVD 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 full concert given by Dusty in her long and luminous career known to still survive 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 spark. 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 we now have on DVD. Two of these three songs are included in the CD companion 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 artist (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. 

Tracklisting: 
1. Close My Eyes & Count To Ten 
2. We Are Family 
3. You Can Do It 
4. On Your Knees 
5. Lose Again 
6. All I See Is You 
7. This Will Be 
8. Going Back 
9. I Only Want To Be With You 
10. Stay A While 
11. Just A Little Loving 
12. Some Of Your Lovin' 
13. The Look Of Love 
14. Wishin' & Hopin' 
15. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself 
16. I'm Losin' You 
17. Son Of A Preacher Man 
18. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 
19. Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage 
20. Put Your Hands Together 

Bonus Features: 
1. Interviews 

Extra Informatie: 
Genre: Pop, Soul 
Formaat: ISO/MDS (DVD9) 
Geluidspoor: DD2.0, DD5.1 & DTS5.1 
Audio: Engels 
Ondertitels: Geen 
Menu: Ja 
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 & 16:9 
DVD Release Datum: 24 October 2005 
Speelduur: 100 minuten 
Cover: Hoesje is in de RARs verwerkt