Alison Moyet - The Essential Alison Moyet DVD

The Essential Alison Moyet is a long overdue video retrospective of one of Britain's finest modern pop singers. To many ears, she has the best vocal equipment of any female pop singer to grace the charts in the last 20 years: a range that can soar from throaty blues to crystalline elegance in a key change. This collection is indeed essential. But it also traces the less satisfactory aspects of Moyet's career. The early videos expose how inept the music industry is at creating an image for a unique and visually unconventional talent. Moyet's talent hasn't always been... best served by her choice of material. Still, all those well-produced greatest hits are here: "Love Resurrection", "All Cried Out", "Invisible" and "Is This Love". However, her version of "That Ole Devil" is curiously soulless. Far more interesting are the later songs which reflect her greater input and satisfaction and a palpable relief at leaving the obligations of formulaic pop stardom behind. On the DVD: you can choose between PCM Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (by far the best) to enjoy this wide-ranging set. Moyet's commentary, presented in interview format, offers plenty of insight into the stages of a long career in the business. Of the multiple extras (photo gallery, Web site link and bonus tracks), the most interesting is a BBC guest appearance by Moyet singing a pared-down "Cry Me A River". --Piers Ford [show more]

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