Album Review: Live at the Royal Albert Hall by Adele

Live at the Royal Albert Hall features British vocal sensation Adele performing at the storied venue during her promotional tour for her 2011 studio effort, 21. Backed by her rock ensemble as well as a string section, Adele runs through most of 21 while adding in earlier hits off her 2008 debut, 19, including "Chasing Pavements," "Hometown Glory," and "My Same. " Primarily, however, Adele focuses here on material off 21, including such cuts as "Rumour Has It," "Turning Tables," "Someone Like You," the über-ballad "Take It All," and the funky hit "Rolling in the Deep.

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Shortly after Adele performed at “Royal Albert fucking Hall,” the songstress was sidelined with on-going throat problems, yet her packaged CD/DVD shows few signs of the vocal troubles she’s been up against this year. Backed by a live band, including a string section and backup singers, Adele brings the dramatics of her two albums to life, with a bit of humorous, cuss-filled banter in between songs. Fans are given another reason to root for her while she recuperates, as her voice stands out in a sea of Autotuned “divas”.

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AdeleLive at the Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD)(Columbia)Rating: What kind of diva throws around liberal “f” bombs, flips the finger at an old boyfriend and dredges up an obscure country song from The Steeldrivers, all during her headlining debut at England’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall? Welcome to the Adele you probably didn’t expect to see. Sure, her riveting torch songs of heartbreak are here, performed with sincerity and requisite intensity for the sold out (in 30 minutes) hometown fans and captured in high def, multi-camera, surround audio perfection. But it’s the between song banter, much of it seemingly improvised, that tactfully knocks Adele off whatever pedestal her handlers might have once wanted, showing her as just one of the scarred but feisty girls, albeit one with better hair and makeup.

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