Beyonce - Live at Wembley (DVD/CD, 2004, 2-Disc Set) NEW

As a member of Destiny's Child, Beyonc? Knowles was the first African-American woman to win ASCAP's Pop Songwriter Of The Year Award (2001). After collecting a truckload of awards and selling tens of millions of albums with Destiny's Child, Beyonc? stepped out on her own for 2003's triple-platinum Dangerously In Love. This recently racked live DVD exposes Beyonc? as one of R&B's hardest working stars.

Recorded during Beyonce's first solo tour, Live At Wembley is a grandiose concert film with enough bumping and shaking to please her legion of fans. The shapely singer drops to the stage on a wire, landing on a couch as an eastern rhythm pounds away in the background and a slew of dancers gyrate to the beat. The couch quickly disappears as the band launches into "Baby Boy." The delicious diva is in fine voice. Things get a little sassy for "Naughty Girl," with Ms. Knowles strutting across the stage grinding her hips while a group of buff, male dancers caress her body.

The concert portion of the DVD was filmed in High Definition to give it a crisp visual quality, while the audio portion is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. A medley of Destiny's Child hits bring waves of cheers (in stereo, of course) from the massive audience. DJ Diamond and Beyonc? take possession of the stage stirring things up with snippets of "No, No, No, Pt. 2," "Bootylicious" and "Survivor," among others. The eye-pleasing vocalist encourages all the females in the house to learn from their relationships, even the bad ones, before singing "Me, Myself And I."

The crowd seems to hang on every word Knowles sings, cheering each seductive moan that leaves her lips, on the slinky and heated "Fever." Whether she's getting sweaty to the stuttering beat of "Hip Hop Star," pumping up the steam level on "Work It Out," or slowing things down for "Speechless," Beyonc? is an electrifying performer. The sultry singer does a show-stopping version of "Dangerously In Love" decked out in a jaw-dropping outfit that highlights her well-sculpted figure.

The VIP section of the DVD includes backstage footage and interviews as well as a performance of "Crazy In Love" from The 2004 Brit Awards. Other bonus features include Beyonc?'s L'Oreal Commercial, a fan meet and greet, a day in London feature and a short Destiny's Child update. A six-song audio CD featuring three remixes and three new songs, the best of the bunch being the hypertonic "My First Time," is also included in the package.

With a voice like an angel, a body like a goddess and legs like Tina Turner, Beyonc? is one hot commodity. An actress, a pitch woman, a singer and a songwriter, this young Texan has it all. Live At Wembley is a visual and audio experience well worth the price of admission.

By Todd Sterling