The Very Best of Michael Ball: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After making his name as Marius in Les Misérables, Britain's Michael Ball has showcased his strong tenor in both theater roles (Aspects of Love, Stephen Sondheim's Passion) and a solo career that can get heavy on the schmaltz. Fortunately he's on relatively good behavior in his 1999 concert from London's Royal Albert Hall. It's a combination of retro pop culled from his movies album--disco ("Hot Stuff"), '60s folk-rock ("Everybody's Talkin'"), '70s Neil Diamond ("Love on the Rocks"), a Blues Brothers medley, and '90s power balladry ("My Heart Will Go On")--and moments from his musical-theater roots, including a New Testament medley taken from Godspell (his first show) and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as his two signature tunes: "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and "Love Changes Everything." He even performs the theme song from Friends and a pleasant though undistinguished song he cowrote, "Someone Else's Dream." He's accompanied by three backup singers and a full orchestra and probably supplies less chatter during this 77-minute recording than he did in his segment of the London Sondheim tribute. Serious fans will of course welcome this release, while others might have to wade through a bit of schtick to find the Marius Michael they know and love. --David Horiuchi

The Very Best of Michael Ball: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Music, Michael Ball, Pop, Pop Vocals, Popular Music, Show Tunes, Vocal
The Very Best of Michael Ball: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The very best of Michael Ball Live at Royal Albert Hall
  • A First Class Performance!
  • IM IN LOVE!!!!!
  • The reason I gave it 5 stars was . . .
  • A must have!!
 The Very Best of Michael Ball: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Michael Ball
Manufacturer: Hip-O Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
ContemporaryContemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music
Vocal PopVocal Pop | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional PopTraditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal PopTraditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Michael Ball - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
  2. Michael Ball Christmas
  3. Musicals
  4. Always
  5. Music

ASIN: B00002MCH0
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

  1. Hot Stuff
  2. Everybody's Talkin'
  3. Love On The Rocks
  4. Something Inside So Strong
  5. Someone Else's Dream
  6. Medley - The Way We Were / The Rose
  7. Medley - Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord / Gethsemane
  8. Oh! What A Circus
  9. My Heart Will Go On
  10. Empty Chairs, Empty Tables
  11. Medley - We Have All The Time In The World / Millennium
  12. Let The River Run
  13. I'll Be There For You (Theme From Friends)
  14. One Step Out Of Time
  15. Blues Brothers Medley - Shake Your Tail Feathers / Think / Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
  16. Love Changes Everything

Amazon.com

After making his name as Marius in Les Misérables, Britain's Michael Ball has showcased his strong tenor in both theater roles (Aspects of Love, Stephen Sondheim's Passion) and a solo career that can get heavy on the schmaltz. Fortunately he's on relatively good behavior in his 1999 concert from London's Royal Albert Hall. It's a combination of retro pop culled from his movies album--disco ("Hot Stuff"), '60s folk-rock ("Everybody's Talkin'"), '70s Neil Diamond ("Love on the Rocks"), a Blues Brothers medley, and '90s power balladry ("My Heart Will Go On")--and moments from his musical-theater roots, including a New Testament medley taken from Godspell (his first show) and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as his two signature tunes: "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and "Love Changes Everything." He even performs the theme song from Friends and a pleasant though undistinguished song he cowrote, "Someone Else's Dream." He's accompanied by three backup singers and a full orchestra and probably supplies less chatter during this 77-minute recording than he did in his segment of the London Sondheim tribute. Serious fans will of course welcome this release, while others might have to wade through a bit of schtick to find the Marius Michael they know and love. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The very best of Michael Ball Live at Royal Albert Hall.......2007-05-12

Michael is a wonderful performer. I would love to see him in person, but thisDVD will have to do. He is the best in our theatres today.

5 out of 5 stars A First Class Performance!.......2007-03-04

Michael Ball's vocal talents are amazing and this Concert at the Royal Albert Hall CD is the perfect showcase for them! From the opening song, the techno pop 'Hot Stuff', to the last, his signature, always popular, (and my favorite), 'Love Changes Everything', Michael delivers non-stop delightful entertainment.

I especially loved the medley goups, 'The Way We Were' and 'The Rose'; 'Prepare Ye The Way of The Lord' and 'Gethsemane'; 'We Have All The Time In the World' and 'Millennium'; and The Blues Brothers Medley: 'Shake Your Tail Feathers', Think (Everybody Needs Somebody to Love)'. This Broadway Baby ROCKS!

'Empty Chairs, Empty Tables' was excellent as expected. He has performed it many, many times on stage as Marius in Les Miserables. What was unexpected was a beautiful performance of 'My Heart Will Go On'.

I have seen Michael perform live and already had another studio CD but this one is wonderful. He really put his heart and soul into this performance and it shows!

5 out of 5 stars IM IN LOVE!!!!!.......2006-01-05

I bought this CD after falling in love with his voice form Les Miz... and I can't get enough of it! He really put his all into this concert. Every song is perfectly written and perfectly sung. I woulrd recommend this CD in a heartbeat, especially for all of those broadway fans out there. The ONLY problem is, that I wasn't there to experience the concert myself. PLEASE COME TO THE U.S.!

5 out of 5 stars The reason I gave it 5 stars was . . . .......2005-11-28

One word: Gethsemane (from Jesus Christ Superstar). That one song is worth the price of the CD now as it was in 1999.

(The rest of the CD isn't bad, either.)

5 out of 5 stars A must have!!.......2004-11-23

I couldn't resist purchasing one of Michael's albums upon seeing it the store instead of ordering it from a store in the UK as I had to do several years ago. It was hard to decide among the few that were in stock. The reasons I chose this album: to hear him live, the excellent mix of his old classics and new songs, and to pretend I actually get to see him live. His voice has grown beautifully, making his old songs like "One Step Out of Time" and "Love Changes Everything" sound new. One can really hear his range on this album with the different genres of music from show tunes to rock & roll. It was a very nice surprise to hear him perform his first written song, "Someone Else's Dream", which was really good. I highly recommend this album, you won't be disappointed. My only disappointment is that I have yet to see him perform live.

Music:

  1. The Very Best of the Manhatan Transfer
  2. Those Were the Days/Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet"
  3. Today, Tomorrow, Forever
  4. Tom Jones Sings Country [Import]
  5. Wholly Earth
  6. You Came a Long Way from Saint Louis [Import] [Original recording remastered]
  7. You Were Only Fooling/Country Love Songs [Import]
  8. Young at Heart
  9. American Glory
  10. Ames Brothers/Destination Moon [Import]

Music

Music