Kylie Minogue Album: “Showgirl: Homecoming Live”

It seems that lately every pop artist is releasing "LIVE" CD's of their recent stage extravenganzas...and why should Kylie fans be missing out? The sorely interrupted "Showgirl Tour" ended all too quickly when super Euro-pop icon Minogue was diagnosed with cancer. But not to be beaten by her condition, as soon as Kylie received a clean bill of health she resumed course and honored those tour dates she had to postpone...and fans loved her for it! If you weren't fortunate enough to catch this tour live, this CD is the closest US audiences (and its an import) will get to hearing this siren sing her song! This CD is wonderful; not comparable at all to Madonna's stage excursions and tour de forces "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" or the most recent "The Confessions Tour"..."Showgirl" stands alone! Madonna would be proud! You'll welcome Kylie home!

Kylie Minogue left audiences concerned & waiting in mid-2005 after her cancer diagnosis. Minogue didn't disappoint fans when she stepped back onto the stage in late 2006, looking refreshed & poised for action.

Her second live record, after 1998's "Intimate & Live" record, "Showgirl-The Homecoming Tour" captures what has made Minogue the single most important euro-pop and world pop figure or influence since ABBA. Her transformative pop ability and genuinely enthused pop ethos has surpassed any disapproving critics wagging finger over the past decade.

Spread over two discs & encompassing the entire show as performed in Sydney, Australia, Minogue breezes through familiar favorites & gives them all unique transformations in a live format.

Highlights include "On A Night Like This" which opens in a ballad setting, giving the track a certain poignancy that it lacked in its studio version. The medley of "Shocked"/"What Do I Have to Do"/"Spinning Around" is a heady pop attack. It will also please longtime fans that she interpolates several minor albums cuts & singles such as "I'm Over (Dreaming Over You)", "I Guess I Like It Like That", "What Kind of Fool (Heard it All Before)" & "It's No Secret" into the medley.

Live, Kylie's voice is surprisingly strong, & carries the familiar girlish charm that it is known for. She shines on the smoky, torch rendition "The Locomotion", Kylie bends her voice on "Too Far", & soars on a new number "White Diamond."

Also of interest is the mash-up of a "Fever" cut, "Burning Up" & the rap from Madonna's 1990 house classic, "Vogue." This alone shows that the only true successor to Madonna is Kylie.

This double-live album captures Minogue at a very interesting crossroads, one that her fans will appreciate. Her formidable vocal prowess, and her embrace of all of her material across the years, shows that Minogue is ready for the next step in her musical journey. One sure to thrill all who hear it. Highly recommended.

Ms. Minouge has done it again,she sounds absolutely fabulous live ,and truly shows us she is still the wonder from down under. This is the greatest live CD from any artist I have Heard. must have for any Kylie fan.

It's great to have Kylie back performing her Showgirl tour after beating breast cancer. I wasn't able to see all of her show, but I've seen some videos on Youtube and it looks awesome. I already own the Showgirl 2005 tour (before she was diagnosed with breast cancer) and that was awesome as well. I respect Kylie very much: when she was diagnosed with cancer, she had postponed the tour in 2005 for treatment and after her treatment, she continued to finish the Australian leg of the tour. It takes a strong person to make a comeback like that. Another thing that I respect about Kylie is that she always sings during her tours. Many artists usually lip-synch their songs, but not Miss Minogue. Every tour that she does, she always sings. Here's the setlist

Disc 1

1. Overture

2. Better The Devil You Know (Kylie's anthem and one of my favorite songs)

3. In Your Eyes

4. White Diamond (a new song that she did with The Scissor Sisters)

5. On A Night Like This

6. Shocked/What Do I Have To Do/Spinning Around

7. Temple Prequel

8. Confide In Me

9. Cowboy Style

10. Finer Feelings

11. Too Far

12. Red Blooded Woman/Where The Wild Roses Grow

13. Slow

14. Kids (with Bono)

Disc 2

1. Rainbow Prequel

2. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

3. Come Into My World

4. Chocolate

5. I Believe In You

6. Dreams (with When You Wish Upon A Star Intro)

7. Burning Up/Vogue (she does the rap of Vogue to the music of Burning Up)

8. The Loco-Motion

9. I Should Be So Lucky/The Only Way Is Up

10. Hand On Your Heart

11. Space Prequel

12. Can't Get You Out Of My Head

13. Light Years/ Turn It Into Love

14. Especially For You

15. Love At First Sight

This live CD is perfect for die hard KM fans. I am anxiously waiting for the DVD to arrive.

I find that most live CDs do not make well for good listening; purchased more so for the novelty of hearing the songs performed live. But for some reason I am listening to this CD over and over for the shear listening pleasure. I am glad that this was decided to be released and any Kylie fan will need this CD. However, music fans will enjoy the music as well. Kylie really does seem to connect to a live audience and for it to come across on CD rather than DVD is fairly noteworthy.