Recorded live at the impressive Althorp Park in Northamptonshire U.K., it's easy to tell why this album was nominated for a Grammy. What a better way to celebrate her 60th birthday then with a live concert! Bassey is vocally superior to counterparts half her age, as she flawlessly belts out all her best on this CD. Having studied voice and music theory myself, I can appreciate the quality of Ms. Bassey's voice that progessively gets better with age. There's no shaky grandma voice here when she hit's those unbelievable high notes in "Hey Jude", "This Is My Life", and "I Wanna Know What Love Is"! Not only is every song a vocal masterpiece, but her audience interaction is fun and playful.
An expanded version of this same concert is available on the Import CD titled "Diamond Collection" and on another CD titled "Contemporary Classics". These versions include the songs "GoldFinger", "Crazy", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Eleanor Rigby" which were actually extracted from another concert that same year and combined with the "Birthday" CD.
If you've never experienced Dame Shirley Bassey, this CD is an excellent place to start. You won't be disappointed.
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How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
How does it rate alongside the competition
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Good
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