'Back to Basics: Live and Down Under': A Review

As you may have noticed, I am quite the dedicated Christina Aguilera fan. And, so of course, I pre-ordered my copy of her new live DVD as soon as it was available, and when it arrived, watched it from start to finish, relishing every high note. Here are my impressions, most of them positive (go figure).

For the Back to Basics album, Christina went retro. Not everyone loved it, and I think Christina knew that while her fans would eat anything she dished out, this sort of material wasn't going to exactly take off on pop radio. And so, even though Christina is constantly criticized for her histrionics and acrobatic vocals, she made sure to sing the s*** out of every song anyway. Almost as if to say "You may not get or like what I'm going for, but you won't doubt my pipes for even a second." But, if you liked the album, or even if you didn't, as creative director, Christina put this show together incredibly well, and what seemed to be such a sprawling album translated surprisingly well to the stage.

Most of the tracklist is pulled from her latest album, but the few oldies she did include make for show highlights. Her newer material is definitely the most vocally mature, though, and so not a song goes by where you don't witness the power and versatility of her voice. Makes Me Wanna Pray, one of my favorites from Back to Basics, is, suffice to say, the greatest showcase for her vocals throughout the show. It just doesn't stop. It's interesting to note that during her first tour she focused more on the technical, and during her second she was clearly more concerned with putting her range on display. But, this time around, it's all power. Honestly, during many of the numbers, I was nervous she would crack. There's just so much force. But, her pipes hold up, of course. Some people don't care for this style of singing and wonder why Christina has to belt so loud and wring every note for all it's worth. But, all I can do is marvel. No one else on the pop scene can do what she can do.

Aside from her encore, Christina updates the older songs in the set to fit her new mood. Come on Over, Baby gets jazzed up to awesome results. What A Girl Wants gets a reggae twist. Dirrty becomes a circus anthem. It all works very well. Whoever is responsible for the retooling of her old hits definitely deserves his credit. It's interesting how well the songs lend themselves to reinterpretation.

It's not your typical pop concert; it's definitely a spectacle. Christina really went all out to achieve this vision, what with the stilts, flappers, and whatnot. I really think it's a testament to her artistry to do something so left-field. She's constantly evolving her sound and image, but all the old versions of Christina are still identifiable. Dirty Xtina's certainly still around, especially in her footage for I Got Trouble. All in all, I'd say it does the job of entertaining very well. I think there's a little something for everyone to enjoy, and Christina fans will enjoy it all. Now that the tour is out on DVD, the Back to Basics 'era' if you will is now complete. Can't wait for what's to come.