Search - Dionne Warwick :: Hot Live & Otherwise

Fairly disppointing re-release

Isnogud-der-Grosswesir | Hamburg, Germany | 02/12/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Having been a dedicated Warwick-fan for years, naturally I was excited to hear that her live album from 1981, which was only on the market as a CD for a short time, was to be re-released. Ms. Warwick is AWESOME, but.....



......for some peculiar reason, (or as noted in the booklet: "due to time restrictions") two tracks have been omitted from the original 2LP release, namely "We Never Said Goodbye" and "Dedicate This Heart".



To my knowledge, the latter track was never ever released on CD, neither on the US-release which contains the same 13 original tracks as this re-release nor on the Japanese release which in stead of "Even A Fool Would Let Go" contains "We Never Said Goodbye".



So, why on Earth does soulmusic not go to a little expense and release, say, a 2CD set, containing ALL the tracks from the original 2LP-release and add whatever "bonus tracks" are available - here two so-called "bonus tracks" were added: "When The Good Times Come Again" and "Right Back".



THEN all the dedicated Warwick fans out there would be happy. This half-hearted release seems to be "neither, nor.....""

Career highlight!

M. Bell | Atlanta, GA | 07/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My favorite old school diva of all, Miss Dionne Warwick came back in the early 80s strong. This mostly live set captures this period of her long recording career when she could really still soar vocally. Her cousin, Whitney Houston can only hope to be half as good on her delayed, re-tooled "comeback" CD."

Four stars for a kindly assembled, near-perfect, and worthy

Kyles Beguiles | NJ USA | 04/13/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hot! Live and Otherwise is an essential album for Dionne Warwick fans. It contains well-known songs that were staples of her live shows around the time of this recording (1981) and Dionne favorites that she hadn't recorded in the studio ("What You Won't Do For Love", "In The Stone", "One In A Million You") along with a slightly abbreviated hit record medley (this one clocks in at 20 minutes, whereas her live shows often featured 30-minute medleys) that nicely sums up the bulk of her impressive string of hit records from the 1960s (plus her sole Warner years hit "Then Came You") and wraps with hits from her Arista career (then only into its third year). The Arista song performances easily rival and even outdo their studio originals -- "Deja Vu" transforms from a subtle jazz ditty to an oomphy vocal gymnastic delight, "Easy Love" gets a boost in tempo and becomes a swinging affair, "No Night So Long" is a stirring tear-jerker, and "I'll Never Love This Way Again" allows Dionne to flaunt both her enviable range and control, holding notes for 15 seconds as if an effortless feat. The remaining tracks are adult contemporary triumphs of which Dionne was immensely proud, and rightfully so -- "There's A Long Road Ahead Of Us" is easily one of the best Dionne performances on record and has range and power to spare, "Some Changes Are For Good" is a sentimental journey that sounds strangely similar to Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love Of All" which would become a massive hit some four years later, "Even A Fool Would Let Go" is a tender and softly sung ballad, and "Now We're Starting Over Again" is a memorable tune that would be covered by the likes of Stacy Lattisaw and Natalie Cole (the latter of whom found AC success with a slightly reworked version some eight years later). As an added treat, two previously unreleased bonus tracks round out the set -- "When The Good Times Come Again" is another emotional tour de force sung with the conviction and passion only Dionne could deliver to such a richly orchestrated composition (it was later recorded by Dionne collaborator and fellow orchestration fan Barry Manilow) whilst the breezy "Right Back" could easily have soared up the adult contemporary charts had it been given the chance.



It is interesting to note that this reissue is based on the US CD release which has a slightly faster playback on certain tracks which results in slightly shorter track times (understandable considering the label most likely aimed to include as many tracks as possible on the CD) and omits select bits of audio such as the extended round of applause and Dionne commentary at the end of "No Night So Long" that appear on the Japan CD issue of the album. I played this CD against my original US CD of the album and could not tell a difference in sound quality, so I am unsure if this reissue was also remastered or not; nevertheless, the music plays clean and clear. This CD also omits the live version of "We Never Said Goodbye" (no major loss unless you are a Dionne completist as the live recording is near identical to the studio version) and the upbeat studio cut "Dedicate This Heart" which appeared on the original LP (this track appears on the Legends boxed set and now the reissue of Dionne's 1980 album No Night So Long). Detailed liner notes take the reader/listener back to the era of the album's recording and also explain why certain tracks were not included on the album (including "This Time Is Ours" which was bside to "Some Changes Are For Good" and now appears on the No Night So Long CD reissue).



This album beautifully showcases the production talents of Steve Buckingham and Michael Masser as well as Dionne's mesmerizing singing voice. Though age and factors (namely, frequent touring and cigarette smoking) have caused significant deterioration to Dionne's once unstoppable voice, this album serves as an unarguable testament of a legendary artist at the peak of her powers. You will find yourself enjoying this album time and time again, for years to come."