Cliff Richard - Dressed for the Occasion (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) (2004)

Cliff Richard's sixth live album, originally released in 1983 (and coinciding with his 25th anniversary in music), is also his most ambitious, avoiding his early repertoire entirely and focusing on his career from the mid-'70s up through the early '80s, and offering the accompaniment of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 60 pieces strong. Recorded live at Royal Albert Hall, it offered the Cliff Richard of "Green Light," "We Don't Talk Anymore," and "Devil Woman" in a bigger-than-life musical setting, his core band of the period -- including Mark Griffiths (bass), Dave Cooke (synthesizers), and Graham Jarvis (drums) -- augmented by more than two-dozen string players and the rest of the LPO, all conducted by Beatles/Paul McCartney veteran conductor/arranger Richard Hewson. The results are the most impressive of all of Richard's concert albums, at least as far as the sheer power of the singing and playing -- "We Don't Talk Anymore" as performed here could easily be in the running for the best recording ever done by Richard, and "Green Light" isn't far behind. His version of "True Love Ways" is also rather overpowering, his intonation and exquisite nuances, coupled with the most elegant accompaniment the song ever had (and remember that Buddy Holly also did it with an orchestra), making it one of the more finely realized renditions ever. Even numbers that were never that impressive before, such as "Galadriel (Spirit of Starlight)," offer a freshness and impact here that is memorable and, in the case of the latter song, ultimately quite haunting. The only flaw in the original LP was the pressing, which seemed to be a bit noisier than one was accustomed to getting from EMI, and also the relatively low volume utilized, partly due to the length of the LP.