Although it went completely under my radar, the release of TINA Live is a wonderful surprise. Having seen Tina Turner's final tour last December, I can say that I have witnessed her greatness firsthand and to have a copy of it documented onto something I can hold onto and relive over and again is delightful. Turner is cut from a completely different cloth from this generation of female vocalists. She sings with utter conviction and when she delivers a song about pain, it isn't about that superficial level of hurt you get when you don't get called back by that hook-up you had two weeks ago. Turner taps into a well of gut-wrenching pain that very few can express, but many can appreciate as onlookers.What makes this release so positively amazing is that it is a combination DVD and CD. You can imagine my surprise when loading Disc One onto iTunes and scratching my head profusely in figuring why the program wouldn't recognize the disc. I then scanned the back of the collection and realized that it was actually the full TINA Live concert on DVD. It is the second disc however, which features audio highlights recorded from her show at GelreDome in Arnhem Holland last year. Turner indicates that she chose this show to record in particular because she recalled her fans being most enthusiastic here. This DVD and CD format has proven very successful in parts of Asia where it is very common for artists, but still underused generally in North America.
Disc One is mesmerizing. It is 26 tracks spanning the career of Turner. Her vocals are on-point from beginning to end despite her very challenging repertoire. She shows no signs of wear and tear nor does she show any hint of fatigue throughout the show. The concert starts off on a sultry note with Steamy Windows, then followed by Typical Male and a slightly slowed-down but still amazing delivery of the classic River Deep Mountain High. Better Be Good is sped-up for this show, but believe me, Turner can keep up without breaking a sweat. She then divides the men and women up in a battle of the sexes on What's Love Got To Do With It to see which is able to sing the chorus with the most passion. She struggles slightly on Private Dancer where she falls a little flat on the higher notes, but nonetheless she puts on a very good performance. And wait til you see the headgear and wig Turner dons in her rendition of We Don't Need Another Hero. Money can't buy the hours of entertainment one can get from that.
Later in the show, the audience is given a string of cover versions with Let's Stay Together (Al Green) reigning finest of all, while her cover of Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer) is also a rockin' good time. The biggest highlight of the show however, is her performance of The Best, one of my favourite Turner tracks. Proud Mary is the stuff of legends and she replicates the choreography we've all seen on television with her team of female dancers who look absolutely thrilled to be on stage with her. The show ends on a high note (literally, as she is propelled over the audience on a crane) with self-penned Nutbush City Limits and lastly, Be Tender With My Baby.
Disc Two is a viable alternative for Turner fans who did not purchase her TINA! compilation released last fall. I myself already owned a couple of her earlier compilations and did not feel the need to purchase that release. These live versions however, give the fans something new and unheard on previous versions of the songs. The excitement admittedly is relegated to Disc One, the DVD.
Although the tour is rumoured to be Turner's final tour, I have a suspicion we haven't seen or heard the last of her just yet. TINA Live is a must for any fan or novice looking to be familiarized with her material. It is an excellent cross-section of her accomplished 50-plus year career. The DVD and CD set was released October 13, 2009 via EMI. Grade: A+
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