Simply Red Live at Montreux 2003
Simply Red
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Review Date: May 20, 2012

Simply Red ceased as a group at the end of their final tour in 2010 but they still have avid fans around the world. Those fans are going to be thrilled to have made available to them this great, new concert DVD, Simply Red Live at Montreux 2003.

Filmed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003 (filmed in high def and recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, LPCM Stereo), the performance spans the band’s entire career that drove close to 50 million in album sales and world-wide fame.  There’s also the extra added bonus tracks (seven in all) from the band’s 2010 performance that are just icing on the cake. The band in both performances are tight and Mick Hucknall’s voice is as smoothly great as ever.

With twenty-five tracks to pick from, it’s impossible to pick three favorites so I’ll highlight three, instead.  First, is Enough from the 1989 album, A New Flame. Flawless. Beautiful.  Smooth. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to the performance of just his one tune.  Love it!

The second choice would have to be the brilliant cover of the Stylistics hit, You Make Me Feel Brand New.  Hucknall knocks this one straight out of the park with his incredible ability to sing three different vocal parts.  I believe this one performance alone is worth the purchase of the DVD.

Finally, the ingenious Sunrise rounds out the short list of choices.  The fact that the band could (and I hate to use the word again but it fits) flawlessly perform this tune that is partially based on the sampling of the Hall & Oates tune,  I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) is nothing short of courageous and amazing.

Not only do I think that Simply Red Live at Montreux 2003 will be loved by fans, I think this DVD can – and will – single-handedly create new fans who wished they were turned on to them sooner.