I was fortunate enough to have experienced a very surreal evening with the angel of music, Sarah Brightman, last March on her Harem World Tour concert in Anaheim, CA and just had to acquire her first live recording, which took place in Las Vegas here, so that I could relive the experience whenever I wanted to. I was naturally skeptic as there aren't many live albums that can capture the magic of the event as it's actually happening but this nailed it quite well. Sarah's voice is in perfect form and the production is superb! Crank up the volume, close your eyes, and you'll be taken to Sarah's harem...

"Kama Sutra" is a nice two minute intro into "Harem", which brings me to my one and only gripe about this album, and that would be how they chose to cut out most of the good parts and pretty much make this an overture instead of using the entire song. Also, I could have lived without "Who Wants To Live Forever". It seems she includes this song on every tour she does when in fact it is one of my least favorite songs of hers. I was, however, thrilled to hear "Phantom Of The Opera Suite" and, even though I would have loved to hear "Music Of The Night" as well, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was probably the better selection. I also enjoyed "Anytime, Anywhere" (always a highlight for me) and the somewhat extended version of "Dust In The Wind", which I prefer over the original found on EDEN. Granted, Sarah also closed her LA LUNA set with "A Question Of Honour", this is hands down the best version I've yet to heard of that song. I could really feel the energy of the crowd with their harmonious clapping to the beginning drum section after the brief "La Wally" aria.

Many complain about the music being too loud but, HELLO!, that's how it is when you attend a live concert! And Sarah handles the ethereal power of her vocals like the pro she is; never failing to soar above it all without sounding as if she's trying too hard. This is a wonderful live recording that I recommend all fans get - even if it's only for the brand new studio track, "Snow On The Sahara", which I've been playing excessively as of late... It is absolutely gorgeous and has quickly become a favorite of mine!

Having seen Sarah's Harem concert in NYC, I was quite excited to hear about this live CD and 2-disc live DVD release. Having purchased the CD, I was overall pleased with this new album. Sarah's singing, as always, is spectacular and beautiful, whether moving from dance-Euro-pop to her special way with "operatic" materials. It's interesting to hear the difference in her voice between a perfectly controlled and produced studio recording and a live, at-the-moment performance. Sarah does not disappoint as a live performer, visually or aurally. Some of these live renditions, "Nessun Dorma", and "It's A Beautiful Day, to name but two, are actually superior to her studio versions. There are times however, when Sarah, trying to produce a fuller "operatic" sound to her voice, resorts to "scooping" before hitting certain notes (in this concert, it occurs during parts of "La Luna" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", and also to be heard on her studio recording of "O Mio Babbino Caro", found on her "Classics" CD, as examples). This "technique" is not used too often and, when not employed at all, her singing retains it's clarity, brightness, power, and ethereally magical sound. It is a shame, as others have noted, that the "Harem" live version selection is terribly cut short, and there should have been more of the "Harem" material included. However, what is on this CD is beautifully sung, expertly produced, and acts as a perfect album for the Brightman fan or a newcomer to Sarah's incredibly magical and sexy universe. I found myself repeating "Dust In the Wind" over and over, Sarah's singing being infinitely moving. The bonus "studio" track, "Snow On the Sahara", is simply another Brightman classic. Sounding like it may have been recorded during the "Harem" album sessions, it just whets my appetite for the next (and hopefully soon!) Sarah Brightman studio album.
Luigi in NYC.

I attended my first concert ever when Sarah was in Reno this year. From the first step inside the auditorium, she "assaults" your senses immediately with a giant incense burner filling the stadium and brilliantly colored lights focused on a huge exotic curtain. I didn't know what to expect at all. I had paid $75 for a ticket and was hoping I'd get my money's worth.

Wow!! Did I get my money's worth!

Dancing girls, an elaborate, somewhat abstract stage, phenomenal lighting, and here comes little Sarah down the runway ramp. Little -couldn't be 5 feet tall- Sarah with this HUGE voice pure as liquid light.

My favorite songs were It's a Beautiful Day, Dust in The Wind, La Luna, Free,Time to Say Goodbye and the one that literally brings down the house: A Question of Honour, where tons of colored confettie falls from the ceiling drawing in the audience and the show DOES end with a "Bang", a huge white explosion. I was so jazzed I would have gone out and bought another ticket if she had given two performances. The audience was ecstatic and all of us were shouting "encore!" Never had so much fun in my entire life. Such talent, such class!! Sarah is a class-act unlike the drug addled rockers and borderline singers like Madonna. I am now a bonified Brightman fan and will drive 500 miles to her nearest live performance.

Buy this beautiful CD, hear this out-of-this-world voice. Sarah can take your mind off the violence prevelant in the world today. Thank you, Sarah!

P.S. I just watched "Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love", a very well directed story of a fatal love affair between a Raja, his beautiful consort and her artist lover whose love for her kills him. Remarkably, the lovers' theme was the music Sarah Brightman opens her show with (Cut#1). Rent or buy this excellent (extremely sexual-hence the title)1996 movie and see where she got some of the ideas for her wonderful show.

The more Sarah Brightman grows and changes, the more she stays the same. Talented, creative, innovative and, of course, beautiful. For those few critics out there, I should add very successful to the list. To those of us who have come to love all these things about Sarah, her "Live from Las Vegas" show was simply another extraordinary performance. The music cd is an audio sampling of that remarkable event.

If you already have previous cds, with the same songs featured on Live from Las Vegas, you will find Sarah's new renditions make this a must-have, as well. La Luna is, in my opinion, her best version yet and worth the price of the cd.

Classical/pop star Sarah Brightman has become known for her spectacular concerts -- and they're pretty good even when you can't see them. "Live in Las Vegas" brings the allure of Brightman's live performance through, with an array of her better songs (and a couple of new ones).

Opening the album is an acoustic-led, vaguely sexy little tune called "Kama Sutra," which is a new creation just for this concert. It's followed by a chunky, percussion-heavy mix of the "Harem Overture." But the bulk of songs on here are old favorites: the windy strings of "Who Wants To Live Forever," the throbbing "War is Over," the ethereally trippy "Whiter Shade of Pale," and even the gothic, organ-led "Phantom of the Opera," a medley of songs from the hit musical. As an extra treat, a studio track called "Snow on the Sahara" ends the concert album -- a sweet little pop tune with a rich string accompaniment.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in this CD is that you'd expect the "Harem World Tour" to feature more material from her latest album. Most of the songs are from "Eden" and "La Luna," with a few from "Harem." However, she also did that in her prior tours. And her choice of songs can't be faulted -- these are some of her most gorgeous songs.

However, don't expect them to sound too different from the album versions -- except "Harem Overture," which is mysteriously cropped down to a much shorter length, and "A Question of Honour," which has been watered down somewhat. It has lost its hard edge in favor of a more operatic sound.

A lot of live performances suffer on live CD, thanks to audience noise and bad sound production. Thankfully, "Live in Las Vegas" doesn't suffer from either. The audience is reserved except for a few bursts of applause, and the sound production is very good except for that slight tinniness that the few offstage sounds have.

Brightman's ethereal soprano gets a thorough workout in this concert, and she doesn't disappoint even once. She's backed by an orchestral collection of keyboards, guitars, lutes, sitars and the Harem Orchestra for those gorgeous sweeping string melodies. In a word, even when Brightman isn't singing, it's a thrill to listen to the music. Oh yes, and it had a cannon too.

Sarah Brightman's performance in "Live From Las Vegas" is quite good, with her ethereal vocals and strong musical backing. Just sing a few more songs from "Harem," okay?