I purchased the Stevie Wonder - Live At Last yesterday and I have to say that finally Motown stepped up and put together a great DVD featuring one of the great pioneers of our musical time. Simply one of the best from beginning to end. My all time favorite song is also featured on this DVD "Visions", I went to see Stevie in concert this last year in Philadelphia, and I would have to say that the picture quality and the surround 5.1 DTS sound made me feel like I was at the concert all over again at a reasonable price. I was also amazed at how wonderful Stevie's daughter sounds on her solo. All in all....this is definately a classic DVD with all of his favorite songs, from "I Wish", "All I Do", " "As", "Don't You Worry About A Thing", "Superstition", "Overjoyed" to the all time classic "Lately". Truly a must have for any music lover and keep in mind that after almost 6 decades....Stevie Wonder is still selling out arena not only in this country....but around the world. If you've never been to a Stevie Concert.....sit back, relax and enjoy this 2 hour DVD concert....you may never get a chance to enjoy great music like this again, so don't take it forgranted. Just simply enjoy and again....thanks Stevie and Motown.....You both finally got it right!!!!!

I have been WONDERing for years...why no Stevie Wonder live dvd? The wait is over..and this is a brilliant collection of old and new...stunning back up band....a wildly enthusiastic crowd and a hi-def WONDER! I could quibble about a song choice here or there but for goodness sake...this is one of the great WONDERS in the history of music so 5 stars is still not enough. Great camera work, great sound, did I mention the stellar back up 14 piece band?

The opening number Miles Davis' "All Blues" which finds Stevie playing it on harmonica is enough to warrant the purchase...he is as much a virtuoso on that as Miles was on trumpet...maybe greater.

I am listening/watching to him sing "Isn't she Lovely" right now...and I truly have goose bumps!

I could have lived with a bit less audience participation ...which would make a CD of this less enjoyable...but that is a minor distraction.

the BLu-ray and regular DVD feature the same menu and options (I bought both so I could watch away from my big screen) so enjoy at long last Stevie Wonder live!!!!!

Comment

I noticed in one of the reviews that a purchaser complained about the audience participation. Well... of course you want to here the artist sing, that's why you buy their merch. All I can say is that it was between some songs or to get a groove going when he wanted participation. Some songs he asked them to sing a song he's done for more than a decade (and I'm sure he's probably tired of singing) where everyone knows at least the first verse, he then takes over. It seemed it was a way to get the audience loose and have fun; Get a party vibe going. And it worked. I almost didn't purchase this for the reason the reviewer voiced but I am glad I followed my first mind.

I also noticed he did give a (very minor) reference to GOD but didn't go overboard like many artists after they have decided for them religion is the way to go. There was a minor reference to let you know where he stands and it was constructed in a way that it was plain, or at least for me, that he wanted things to be viewed as a suggestion of love not religion. Can't we all get along type of vibe without preaching.

The band as usual was tight and in the groove although the background vocals were turned down on the low side at times leaving the impression stevie was singing alone. His beautiful daughter Aisha, the one of whom he sings about on Isn't she lovely, was among the singers. She has a solo that showcases her pretty voice with all it's "no surprise she can sing, look at her dad" although, it was entertaining, there was nothing spectacular in her performance.

My surprises were the opening of a brief Miles Davis blues groove followed with a flood of dance jams right off the top of the concert. The way it was arranged it flowed beautifully and surprisingly with an ever so slight jazz feel. His input of the jazz filled "Spain". The soulful groove of a voice box while welcoming and wooing the london audience were also welcomed surprises. Making references of the Beatles, Lennon, Rolling Stones and the London Bridge(falling down) sounds pretty boring in writing but his medley done with the voice box sounded more funky than I've heard Stevie in a long time.

A very much needed LIVE DVD in this music industry of today. It displays what the newer artists need to study. Showmanship with vocals, instrumentation, arrangments, musicianship and dare I say...yes talent.

If you were a Stevie Wonder fan from before "Music of my mind" or one after "In Square Circle". This concert will not dissapoint. Kudos Stevie & Wonderlove. Thank you for giving everyone, who wants to, a chance to view you Live at Last.

Welcome back, Stevie! Where have you been in the last...oh, say, 20 years?

I bought this Blu-Ray with a great deal of trepidation, having been exposed to the few live sets available both officially and unofficially. Of the official releases, there was the pre-Electric Lady _Stevie Wonder, Live!_. Not bad, but it was of the pre-_Music Of My Mind_-era, and he was still trussed up with the Motortown Revue conventions. This tour apparently was in support of the hit single, "My Cherie Amour". Not bad, but kind of "long in the tooth" for those of us jaded by _Innervisions_. The next live Stevie I heard was contained in the album, _Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants_, an album that everyone but the most steadfast of his fans *hated*, particularly considering that it was the first release following the legendary _Songs In The Key Of Life_. The double album contained one live track recorded in Africa, "A Seed Is A Star, A Star Is A Seed (Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye, Lolo Ye Kesse De Ye)" It was interesting (and studio "sweetened"), but it really didn't give much insight into Stevie in a live setting. Years later, Motown released the 2CD _Natural Wonder_, which had in equal measure transcendent moments and cringe-worthy moments.

I hadn't been moved by many of the recent CDs or TV appearances, including those in support of then-Presidential candidate Obama, and frankly I wrote him off after _A Time 2 Love_. I wasn't nuts about _Conversation Peace_, either, but I was willing to give him another chance.

I'm the guy who scored a pre-release copy of _Key Of Life_, and played it loud in a relentless loop for 48 hours. I love Stevie, but I think his music ultimately took a back seat to his socio/political activism. And when he *was* about the music in latter days, he was trying to out-sing the new young bucks who as children learned how to sing by listening to Stevie Wonder recordings, for better or for worse.

That whole preamble is to let y'all know that this water is safe to drink.

Stevie is back on his game. The production qualities are great, both audio and video. The band is cracking, and Stevie is in wonderful voice. This is the live Stevie that I've wanted to see since 1972, and now I get to watch it whenever I want from my couch. I can now *watch* "Knocks Me Off My Feet", and that's good enough for me.

I didn't mind at all that Stevie gave the audience a chance to sing. It's not as though he had to beg them to chime in (they sang complete songs), and they seemed to have a command of the lyrics. They paid a lot of money for those seats in the O2 Arena, so why would anyone want to begrudge them being part of the show?

This is a Wonderful disc, and I'm surprised that I'm recommending this, but I am. If you like Stevie, you'll love this.

I saw portions of this concert on PBS and enjoyed it so much I went on line to Amazon and discovered it's available, thankfully, in Blu-Ray. (I say "thankfully" because they're not enough quality concerts on Blu-Ray yet, in my opinion.)

Anyway here's the "skinny" on this Blu-Ray:

1. The concert I think was fabulous. Stevie's been around so many decades that he can sing song after song of big hits. As a result many in the audience know the lyrics and "sing along". Stevie at times significantly encourages this: even letting the crowd sing the first stanza to a couple songs at least. I read the other reviewers' comments. I don't understand the criticism of hearing the crowd sing along. I mean, to my way of thinking, if you want pristine "sound" sans crowd then don't buy a "live album". Buy the CD or download the music. If I want to go to, see, a CONCERT, however, I want it to be a concert experience (sans, of course, the part about not seeing the stage due to everyone standing or arena view issues)! This means, I WANT to hear the crowd sing along at times. I want to hear the gaffs, coughs, the cheers, the applause! I'd give this concert an A.

2. The video quality is excellent, but not 1080p quality. It says 1080i, but to my way of thinking, more like 720. It even has a "film/grainy" look at times. Not bad, but this isn't anything like the quality of Planet Earth or Avatar. I'd give the video quality a C+, for Blu-Ray. If it were DVD, I'd rate it B+ or A-.

3. The audio quality is in three choices: the Default seems to be LPCM 2.0, which is VERY GOOD. The other choices are Dolby 5.1 (not as good) and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I've listened to all three. The LPCM manages to quieten the crowd and external noises quite a bit. This emphasizes Stevie and Band a bit at the expense of crowd. However the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 blows me away. I mean, I could really think I was "there". I hear things, including in the music, I just can't hear otherwise. You can "really" hear the crowd. I give this AUDIO an A.

Conclusion: For ME, I think this Blu-Ray disc with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 turned on is the BEST true to life concert experience I've yet had in my home. But I love concerts, loud music, music of all kinds, and I could easily see that many might think the somewhat subdued LPCM 2.0 default setting is better for them. With an A for Concert, C+ for Video, A for Audio, overall it's an A-.