Right on the heels of the smash success of "The Rose," "Divine Madness" is Bette in concert - but not the usual Bette in concert up to that point. This is rock and roll, with even some punk rock thrown in ("Paradise") that couldn't have been better nailed if the Sex-Pistols themselves did it. Bette wails on Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below" and blows the roof off the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Ironically, Bette had the flu when this was filmed, and doesn't like the sound quality of it. Still, "Stay With Me" rips your heart out. Her cover of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" mixes with Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" perfectly. And of course, plenty of biting Midler language, vulgarities, and enough camp to keep everyone happy. Anyone questioning whether Midler should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this concert alone answers a resounding YES.
Review of Divine Madness
