Simply Red: Live in London

Mick Hucknall calls it “one of the finest live performances of my career,” and it's tough to argue with that assessment after viewing this two-hour concert by the singer-songwriter and his group Simply Red. Recorded in 1998, Simply Red: Live in London offers a generous 26 songs, most of them Hucknall's own (including the superb “Holding Back the Years”) but also including some interesting covers (the Hollies' “Air That I Breathe,” the O'Jays' “Money's Too Tight to Mention”). The 12 musicians and backup singers offer able support throughout, giving the music--presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 and 2.0 options--both a funky edge and a smooth groove (perhaps a bit too smooth; the middle of the road occasionally beckons here). There's little in the way of frills or theatrics here; this is nothing more or less than a straightforward filmed concert performance, and Hucknall and Simply Red are plenty good enough to pull it off. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)