Sarah Jane Morris In
Concert (Ohne Filter)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Concert: B-
Sarah
Jane Morris is a controversial vocalist who does not care what anyone thinks
about her politics, though her music is not usually political itself. Her biggest international hit remains as a
guest vocalist on The Communards’ remake of the Thelma Houston classic Don’t
Leave Me This Way in late 1986, where she was a duet partner with Jimmy
Somerville, who had made a name for himself as the lead singer for Bronski
Beat. Somerville and Richard Coles
crated Communards and that song remains the biggest in the career of all
involved.
Instead
of going commercial or selling out, Morris continued singing and also a
separate acting career, then went solo in 1989. In this March 29th, 1990 concert for the German
concert TV series Ohne Filter, she did this show to announce her solo
launch and establish herself as a force to be reckoned with. The songs in this set include:
1)
To
Blind
2)
Another
Side To Love
3)
Do
You Know?
4)
China
Blue
5)
Afraid
Of The Dark
6)
Ain’t
No Turning Back
7)
Another
Time
8)
Me
& Mrs. Jones
9)
That
Ain’t Living
The set
works best when the songs are hard, fats and rockin’ in that they show off her
vocals to best advantage, as well as the amazing band she assembled for this
performance. Too bad there is not a
musician’s list here, but maybe we’ll get one when this potentially is issued
on SACD, as several of the Ohne Filter programs are due (and overdue) to
be released as. In one interesting
twist, she remade another R&B classic, Billy Paul’s Me & Mrs. Jones. This was before the Bill Clinton/Paula Jones
scandal, but was banned from British radio because of its lesbian context. Though her performance is not as good as it
was on The Communards remake, the controversy is amusing. Overall, this is one of the best Ohne
Filter programs we have seen to date, if a little uneven.
The full
frame PAL color video is about what would expect for a taping of the time a
while ago, having limits in its good color and limited definition. The sound is available in the usual PCM
CD-type 2.0 16bit/48kHz Stereo, as well as a slightly better Dolby Digital 5.1
AC-3, which plays better all around.
The depth in the 5.1 here is nearly as good as say, the Mark King and
the band America’s installments, both reviewed elsewhere on this site. Besides repeating the same stereo cords ad
placement, other DVDs in the series, and Ohne
Filter producer interview, it has a biography of Morris that updates where
she is now. We hope to hear from her
again.
- Nicholas Sheffo
