Kylie's Live Album

"Showgirl Homecoming - Live" hits music stores in the UK tomorrow and in order to celebrate Kylie's first live album since 1998's "Intimate & Live", I thought I would post a selection of Kylie's most spectacular live and acoustic moments. I can't wait to get my copy of "Showgirl Homecoming - Live" in the post. The concert itself was brilliant and the album should showcase the stunning creativity and effort that went into the show.


I'm also excited because they recorded one of the concerts I attended (read my slightly hysterical review). I was at the concert where Kylie & Bono performed "Kids" - so one of those screaming queens in the audience is me! The album also contains Kylie's much hyped "White Diamond", which strikes me as a waste of a fine song. I guess that's the end of "White Diamond", at least as far as a single release is concerned. It would not be the the first time that Kylie has scrapped a winner, as some of these fabulous offerings prove.

1. Dancing Queen

Kylie covered ABBA's "Dancing Queen" for her "Intimate & Live" concert tour and performed the song at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic games. I'm sure that Kylie's closing ceremony performance will be the first and last time that trannies are celebrated at an Olympic event! Kylie's version became an instant fan favourite and promos were sent to radio. I would have loved Kylie to record a proper studio version but her live interpretation is fabulous enough.

2. Put Yourself In My Place

"Put Yourself In My Place" is not one of my favourite Kylie songs despite the brilliant video and a handful of excellent remixes. However, the song comes alive when Kylie sings it live and this acoustic version, taken from the Australian re-release of "Kylie Minogue", showcases Kylie's voice and the sweet fragility of the song perfectly.

3. Physical

Ok, I'm cheating! This version of "Physical" is neither live nor acoustic, but it was recorded as a bonus for the Australian tour edition of "Light Years" after featuring prominently in Kylie's "On A Night Like This" Tour. It has become a tradition for Kylie to pick out a new gay classic to cover for every tour ("Dancing Queen", "Crying Game", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" etc) and I was beside myself when I realised Kylie had re-worked Olivia Newton-John's "Physical". I do wish Kylie had been a bit less creative and not re-arranged the song to quite this extent but it definitely worked in concert and this studio version has grown on me over the years.

4. Automatic Love

Talking about wasted songs, "Automatic Love" is another great Kylie song that somehow slipped through the cracks. Well, not really. It did make the cut for "Kylie Minogue" but with a bit of tinkering it could have made a great single. I would have preferred it to the BIR butchering of "Where Is The Feeling?". Sometimes I think Kylie should release two versions of every album, the standard version and the scrapped material. I don't think anyone in the music industry has wasted so many brilliant tunes as B-sides and bonus tracks over the years. "Automatic Love (Acoustic)" is dripping in new ideas and remains one of the many great reasons to buy "Hits+". It is a light and breezy delight.

5. Should I Stay Or Should I Go

"Intimate & Live" was such a vibrant and experimental show. I really can't believe it was almost a decade ago! Who else but Kylie could effortlessly cover ABBA and The Clash in the one show? Her version of The Clash classic "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" is great. The "Intimate & Live" show almost followed a pub rock format and this song fit in brilliantly. In fact, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" almost brought the house down!


You can buy "Showgirl Homecoming - Live" from most online retailers. I ordered mine from Amazon.