Cliff Richard - World Tour 2003 [DVD]

I was lucky enough to be at Cliff’s World Tour, on 12th November 2002 at the London Arena. . It was the best night out of my life and I was completely spellbound! This DVD, however, was filmed at a huge open-air concert in Napier Mission Winery, New Zealand, and Cliff, having sold out almost instantly, was playing to more than 20 000 people, which should provide for an even more stunning and electrifying atmosphere. At these concerts, his voice seems to come from all around you and it really is one of the most beautiful voices you can hear. Elton John called it “the quintessential voice”. And also, on the tour, Cliff was backed by top class musicians, including the mesmerizing guitarist John Clark. Cliff divided his concerts into two halves. The first half was more laid back, while the second half was sacred to the frenzied, frenetic rock & roll that Cliff first fell in love with as a teenager in the fifties. The first half allows Cliff to perform songs from his latest album, “Wanted”. If I’m honest, 2001’s “Wanted”, devoted mainly to covers, was for many reasons not a good album, with Cliff sounding a little off-form, but his voice on these songs at the tour soars once again to its former poignant emotional strength, deep richness and ethereal sweetness. He breathes life and love into the mellow “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, the sensual “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, a funky dance version of “All Shook Up” and the inspirational “Let Me Be The One”. There’s more. You get vintage Cliff classics “Move It”, “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, “Some People” and “Dreamin’”, the first two radically revamped and sounding fresh, tangy and sexy; the latter two wonderfully faithful to the 80s originals. Cliff also treats his audience to forgotten, hidden gems from the past like “She’s A Gypsy” from “Green Light” album (buy that, it’s on Amazon) and “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”, revitalized and invigorated by the energetic 2003 Cliff. And then there’s the gorgeously soft and tender “I Honestly Love You” in which Cliff pays tribute to one of his best friends, Olivia Newton-John. If you are new to Cliff’s music, you will be amazed at the clarity and purity of this voice. A leather-clad Cliff tears into the second half with vigour and passion, rock & roll was his first love; he rips across the whole stage, teasing, enticing and sending the audience into raptures with rather raunchy dance routines and subtle moves, whilst performing not only classic Cliff rock & roll but some of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time. He smoulders on for “Born To Rock n Roll”, (he was), which was one of the best rock performances I’d ever heard (and I’m into Queen, Elvis, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Coldplay and The Yardbirds); a truly furious track that could only silence Cliff’s detractors. You get ancient Cliff and Shadows gems, and they’ve lost none of their magic; the delightful “Gee Whizz It’s You” and the alluring “D In Love”. Stunning. There’s a Doo-Wop Medley. Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Too Much”. Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On”, Chuck Berry’s “No Particular Place To Go” and an exciting part-falsetto-sung re-vamp of Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop a Lula”. Oh and the backing vocal group do a medley of Cliff classic hits “Green Light” and “Carrie” which is ok I suppose. A highlight is Cliff’s superb cover of Abba’s “Lay All Your Love On Me” which, as well as featuring sexy dance moves that brought everyone to their knees, is so lusciously sung and so beautifully re-arranged. Cliff ends on a medley of his Christmas songs, so warm and lovely, so comforting; and the encore is Cliff’s 1999 no 1 hit “Millennium Prayer”, after a plea for world peace. A very tearful and moving end to a great concert. I can’t wait to see him live again next April at the RAH. If you want to see a world-class entertainer and consummate live performer, don’t get R. Williams, GET THIS!

As a long-standing member of Sir Cliff's relatively small but extremely loyal Canadian fan base, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the World Tour DVD. I was not disappointed. Only one thing could have made this concert and documentary better - and that would be if Cliff had included North America in his world tour. That's my moan out of the way!!!
The best seats for this concert went to patrons of the Mission Estate Winery, and at the beginning it was painfully obvious that these people in the front section were not Cliff fans, but it didn't take long for the man to win them over, and soon everyone was on their feet, clapping, dancing, singing, and having a wonderful time. The "fly on the wall" documentary provides fascinating insight into the man, and into the mammoth task of taking a huge concert on the road and across the oceans.
Previous reviews on this site have outlined the content, which was varied, well chosen, and always interesting. Cliff's voice was outstanding, and he breathed new life into many songs from his own massive portfolio, and those of many other artists. He pays tribute to his rock and roll roots, and also to other artists whose songs he has enjoyed over the years. This man never ceases to amaze me. Apart from his exceptional energy and talent, he is passionate, warm, funny, a consummate professional, he respects and appreciates his audience, he looks great in leather, and he can dance! Maybe he doesn't write a lot of his own music, but that does not detract from his abilities as a performer. Cliff's gift is to give voice to many great song writers who do not sing - he is primarily an interpreter of the work of others. This concert and documentary brilliantly showcase the talent of Britain's original rocker - indeed the world's greatest and most enduring rocker - at his best, and I join the other reviewers in challenging his critics to watch this DVD and still write him off as trite and bland, as he has so often been called. This man is the best, he was "Born to Rock and Roll", he is vibrant, energetic, sensitive, and I could go on and on, but I would only be repeating what others, who recognize and applaud true talent, have said. Buy this DVD - you will not be disappointed.

Sir Cliff's huge world tour is all here for you to see, an incredible concert, which no true fan of Cliff's should be without. Not only do you get to see the concert itself, you also get to see the documentary, which goes backstage to show you how Cliff prepares for a show, how the stage is constructed and so much more.

I could go on and on about this release, but it's pointless, all I can say is that Cliff has the best voice in the world and that everyone should own this piece of magic, buy it or you will regret it!!!!!