Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie Review

As a performer, Michael Bolton has proven everything there is to prove. He has won multiple Grammys; he has written songs for Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Patti LaBelle and Kiss; he has performed with the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Ray Charles, Celine Dion and B.B King. With other words, he has proven that he could do it all.

Bolton began his career as a rock singer. During the late 70s, he was part of Blackjack, a rock band featuring ex-Grand Funk Railroad and future Kiss member Bruce Kulick. He did a couple of tours with Blackjack, but eventually decided to pursue a solo career. By 1987, Bolton had already released four albums, and after his fifth, The Hunger, which produced the hits "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and "That's What Love Is All About", he was well on his way to become one of his generation’s most successful male performers.

After The Hunger, Bolton released a number of albums that went platinum - Soul Provider (1989), Time, Love & Tenderness (1991), Timeless: The Classics (1992), The One Thing (1993), and This is the Time: The Christmas Album (1996). His hits, "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" (1990) and "When A Man Loves A Woman" (1992), also won Grammys for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall was recorded in October, 2009. In front of a sold-out crowd, Bolton performed an array of songs, including such hits as "How Can We Be Lovers", "Said I Loved You But I Lied", "Soul Provider" and "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", as well as terrific covers of Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind", Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman", George Gershwin's "Summertime", and Otis Redding's "(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay". Bolton also performed the popular "Murder My Heart", a song he co-wrote with Lady Gaga, which appears on his latest album One World One Love (2009).

From start to finish, Bolton's singing is terrific. His voice is as strong and convincing as it was more than twenty years ago. When he sings "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "Crazy Love", you can’t help but smile - the man might have aged but his voice has not. The new material is also great. I particularly enjoyed the upbeat "Hope It's Too Late". The backup singers are also outstanding.

You Don't Know Me

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall arrives on Blu-ray courtesy Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The show has been recorded with multiple strategically positioned cameras that follow Micheal Bolton and his band from a variety of different angles. Clarity is pleasing and contrast adequate. I noticed mild motion-judder here and there, but I don't believe that the majority of you would be bothered by it. During selected scenes, mild noise is also present, but, again, I don't believe that your viewing experience would be affected by it. There are no serious shadow issues; the stage lighting is convincing throughout the entire show. Finally, there are no serious transfer-related technical flaws to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The bass is potent, the rear channels intelligently used and the high-frequencies not overdone. The separation between Bolton's voice, the backup singers and the band is excellent. The crowd's presence is definitely felt, but it is never overpowering.

The LPCM 2.0 track is also solid. It does lack the strong dynamic amplitude of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but its fidelity is still pleasing. The strong hall effect that is present on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, however, is practically non-existent here.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the least impressive one. It is quite anemic and occasionally also uneven ("Summertime"). Bolton's voice also feels somewhat distant and not as warm as it is on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interview - a rather long interview with Michael Bolton in which he talks about his fascination with music, the type of music he likes, his success as a performer, his new album, etc. In English, with optional English, German, Spanish, and French subtitles. (28 min, 1080i).

Countdown - a short intro to the show. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080i).

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Michael Bolton: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is yet another terrific release from Eagle Rock Entertainment. If you consider yourself a fan of Michael and his music, then you absolutely need to add this disc to your libraries. Wonderful show! RECOMMENDED.