Donna Summer – Live And More (1977/2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

After becoming the queen of disco thanks to orgasmathon hits like “Love to Love You Baby” and “I Feel Love,” Donna Summer topped off her five-year rise to fame with this live set. Certainly not a contender for first-disc choice, Live and More still works quite well as a ’70s sampler for the converted. And since disco was the party music par excellence, the album’s feel is one of a all-nighter in action. Featuring her signature hits and a fat chunk of disco tracks from the Once Upon a Time record, sides one and three solidify Summer’s reputation as one of the most exciting and slick singers on stage. Balancing out the requisite dance material, Summer spends side two waxing nostalgic via a pop standards medley (“The Man I Love,” “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good,” “Some of These Days”) and some nice jazz and blues-imbued fare of her own. And ending the album on a very high note, Summer indulges in “McArthur Park Suite,” a classic long-player that bookends two of Summer and producer Giorgio Moroder’s pop disco numbers with a dance-friendly take on Jimmy Webb’s monumental classic. Along with cloud-walking bouncers like “I Love You” and “Last Dance,” this closing piece finds Summer at her sophisticated and tuneful best. There’s nothing here to eclipse the original versions of these cuts – save for the Webb cover, which is new – but the Summer faithful will nonetheless want to pick up this very enjoyable concert recording.

Tracklist:
01. Once Upon A Time (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
02. Fairy Tale High (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
03. Faster And Faster To Nowhere (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
04. Spring Affair (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
05. Rumour Has It (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
06. I Love You (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
07. Only One Man (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
08. I Remember Yesterday (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
09. Love’s Unkind (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
10. My Man Medley: The Man I Love/I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good/Some Of These Days (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
11. The Way We Were (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
12. Mimi’s Song (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
13. Try Me, I Know We Can Make It (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
14. Love To Love You Baby (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
15. I Feel Love (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
16. Last Dance (Live At Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles/1978)
17. MacArthur Park Suite: MacArthur Park/One Of A Kind/Heavens Knows/MacArthur Park Reprise