Sade is as enchanting as ever in this excellent follow-up to the first concert DVD ("Sade Live"). This performance, which was filmed in September of 2001 at two SoCal venues, proves that after eight years, the attraction of Sade herself is just as strong as her music.
At just under two hours, you get a comprehensive show: 22 songs, with ten from the latest "Lovers Rock" CD. The remaining twelve are all favorite hits from Sade's previous four albums. Sound-wise, everything sounds great, and you can select from either stereo or 5.1 Surround Sound to suit your tastes. The band plays really tight, and there are some nice surprises, such as a cool intro to "Sweetest Taboo" and a funky/rock version of "Paradise" (check out the choreography).
Visually, you see lots of Sade (a good thing), yet the camera time spent on her and the rest of the band is fairly balanced. I loved the editing since I was watching what I wanted to see pretty much most of the time. The lighting for this tour is somewhat more interesting than the last, and the use of the video screen in back of the stage adds some pizzazz, especially the film of water dropping in synch with key accented beats in "Somebody Already Broke My Heart." The camera work and editing are superb. Even the credit track is awesome, with some really touching footage of the audience.
DVD Extras: 1) behind-the-scenes video (pretty funny) of the band members dancing and mugging for the camera; 2) Sade, behind-the-scenes; 3) concertgoers' "messages to Sade"; and 4) excellent "King of Sorrow" video, directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in Puerto Rico.