Engelbert Humperdinck: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Rating:
Summary: from '85, the first of the DVD concerts
Review: Fortunately this concert was re-released in 2004 (with the same "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" title), because it is grand. With the London Symphony Orchestra, four dancing girls, three back-up singers, as well as his excellent band led by Frank Leon, Engelbert gives us a terrific concert, the earliest of those currently available on DVD, from 1985.
It has a good selection of songs, and even a touch of disco, with "I'm So Excited" and "Come a Little Closer" which he sings and dances with the girls, with a lot of choreography involved in the routines.
There is a medley of songs Nat King Cole made famous, with a marvelous "Mona Lisa" to a solo guitar accompaniment (by Rick Vittallo), as well as many of Engelbert's early hits. Two songs that are standouts are Lionel Richie's "Hello", and my favorite, a superb rendition of Edith Piaf's "If You Love me (Really Love Me) which is the encore.
Engelbert is 49 in this concert and looks fantastic. Rakishly handsome, he has that trouble with a capital T look that the ladies tend to go for.

When compared to the DVDs of later shows, the 1990 from Birmingham (a rowdy, fabulous show, despite the fuzzy audio/visual quality), the 1995 show with Bebu Silvetti which is smooth and rich, and the London Palladium show from 2000, one can see how Engelbert kept getting better, as an artist and showman; like fine wine, he improved with age, and there is luster and polish to his performances that increases as time goes by. Nevertheless, this 1985 concert is fine entertainment, and his voice is always a marvel to listen too.
The audio/visual quality is much better than the '90 concert, but not as good as the '95 and 2000 shows, and total playing time is 59 minutes.
Track listing:
1: "Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"
2: "I'm So Excited"
3: "Hello"
4: "After the Lovin'"
5: Medley: "Mona Lisa" ~ "Unforgettable" ~ "Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer" ~ "Ramblin' Rose" ~ "Too Young" ~ "When I Fall in Love (With You)"
6: "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
7: "I'll Walk Alone"
8: "Help Me Make it Through the Night"
9: "Come a Little Closer"
10: "Release Me"
11: Medley: "This Moment in Time" ~ "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" ~ "Am I That Easy to Forget" ~ "Quando, Quando, Quando" ~ "A Man Without Love" ~ "There Goes My Everything" ~ " Spanish Eyes" ~ "The Last Waltz" ~ "Love is All I Have to Give"
12: "If We Only Had Love"
13: "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)"