I was startled when I heard this for the first time (but not surprised). It was so exciting when Stevie first "got her voice back". I remember reading in the local LA papers how the crowd at the Wiltern Theater stood up for a long ovation for Stevie when she finished the song. I think she converted a lot of skeptics that night in LA.
It kind of makes me wonder if she could pull off an album of standards the way Joni Mitchell did a few years ago. Maybe not, but I think she should keep "At Last" up her sleeve and roll it out every once in a while as a surprise. She really is a terrific singer - whether or not you're a fan of her songs. I wish more people could hear this - and I wonder why it was never broadcast on TV - for some reason I remember hearing it was filmed/taped.
You kind of get the impression that she took her rehearsals for this really seriously - sort of the way Silver Springs rolled out of her throat for the Dance taping. Very studied, very careful, but oh so perfect. If I were the kind of guy who used sports metaphors, I'd say she hit this one out of the park.
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