Bitter Sweet

Amazon.com
This sophomore album may suffer slightly in comparison with Richey's stunning, self-titled 1995 debut, but there wasn't much else out there in 1997 that it didn't eclipse. Richey is a stellar songwriter (with several hits by others to her credit) whose own records straddle the rock/country divide, placing her squarely in commercial limbo. But it's our loss that there isn't a niche for songs like the gorgeous "Every River," the insanely catchy "I Know," the subtly '60s-ish "Lonesome Side of Town," and the devastating "My Whole World." Richey's voice is not Nashville's most distinctive, but it communicates a full range of emotions, and she abets it skillfully by double-tracking her own harmonies. The playing, writing, and fascinatingly varied stylistic touches here are a joy to hear; Richey's career merits your undivided attention. --Ken Barnes

Bitter Sweet,Kim Richey,Mercury Nashville,Contemporary Country,Country,Country & Western,Pop

Average customer rating: Perhaps the Cd to have this summer. Relexing! Convertible Music Awesome music!! Refreshing, Interesting

The Mating Game Bitter:Sweet Manufacturer: Quango Fontana ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Garden Notes from the Underworld Versions Alright, Still Speak for Yourself ASIN: B000C6NNVA Release Date: 2006-04-24

Tracks:

1. Don't Forget To Breathe
2. The Mating Game
3. Overdue
4. Heaven
5. Bittersweet Faith
6. Moving Forward
7. Moody
8. Dirty Laundry
9. Our Remains
10. Salty Air
11. Take 2 Blue

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps the Cd to have this summer........2007-07-11

Introduced this to a Dj friend over the weekend, track by track, counting out their number...You know a minute or two of each one? Let's just say we were into double digits and still calling each track exceptional...When I first got it I started sending emails comparing it to the new DePhazz, he nailed it later...It sounds ALLOT like early DePhazz, which is a complement and not a bad thing in this world of plastic.

Dj4cast

Relexing!.......2007-05-23

I personally think this is the best album i have ever heard. The relaxing music with up beat is definately made you feel more relaxed than ever!

Convertible Music.......2007-04-01

Are you driving down Sunset Boulevard with your convertible top down? Then you need this in your CD changer.

Awesome music!!.......2007-03-09

I actually don't listen to "electronica/dance" music, but I saw a Korbel commercial during the Holidays and that short bit of editted music (The Mating Game) got me curious enough to track down the album on the internet and purchase it for just that one track. I love this album! All the tracks are cool and sultry, with the title track reminding me of all those "James Bond" and "In Like Flint" movies I used to watch as a kid. For me, this album has been a really nice change of pace from what I normally listen to and right now it's still holding a dominant spot in my cd-changer.

Refreshing, Interesting.......2007-03-09

This is a pretty fun album. I like the vocals and the techno/electronic combination. I listened to a couple times, put it away for a couple weeks and listened again and found even more to love about it with each listen.

Average customer rating: another beautiful voice! A strong follow up to a dynamic debut Never leaves the CD changer! Worthy Follow-Up Don't Let Me Down Easy...

Bitter Sweet Kim Richey Manufacturer: Mercury Nashville ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Kim Richey Glimmer Rise The Collection Chinese Boxes ASIN: B000001EQA Release Date: 1997-03-04

Tracks:

1. Every River
2. I'm Alright
3. Wildest Dreams
4. Straight As The Crow Flies
5. I Know
6. Fallin'
7. To Tell The Truth
8. My Whole World
9. The Lonesome Side Of Town
10. Don't Let Me Down Easy
11. Let It Roll
12. Why Can't I Say Goodnight

Amazon.com

This sophomore album may suffer slightly in comparison with Richey's stunning, self-titled 1995 debut, but there wasn't much else out there in 1997 that it didn't eclipse. Richey is a stellar songwriter (with several hits by others to her credit) whose own records straddle the rock/country divide, placing her squarely in commercial limbo. But it's our loss that there isn't a niche for songs like the gorgeous "Every River," the insanely catchy "I Know," the subtly '60s-ish "Lonesome Side of Town," and the devastating "My Whole World." Richey's voice is not Nashville's most distinctive, but it communicates a full range of emotions, and she abets it skillfully by double-tracking her own harmonies. The playing, writing, and fascinatingly varied stylistic touches here are a joy to hear; Richey's career merits your undivided attention. --Ken Barnes

Customer Reviews:

another beautiful voice!.......2007-03-14

I recently bought Kim Richey's "the Collection" and instantly fell in love with her voice and songs. This CD was just as good. Simply great music!

A strong follow up to a dynamic debut.......2005-12-04

Though I may agree that BiterSweet may not be as enjoyable (merely for the fact that the debut KIM Richey, was nearly flawless), it is certainly a great album by a highly talentled artist. This album features her crossover hit "I Know", which is socmething the debut can not claim. Richey's hit from the first album was "Just My Luck" which was widely recieved by country radio, but "I Know" made it continuously onto VH1, which I can recall the black and white video to this day. :) I highly reccomend this disc as comparred to "Rise" which i found to be a bit too experimental for Richey, though I admire her for trying new things. In addition to the debut and this release, my favorite Kim Richey release is "Glimmer", which features my fav song by her "Keep Me" as well as many other great song! Rock on Kimmy! :)

Never leaves the CD changer!.......2003-06-17

This has been in the CD changer in the convertible ever since I purchased it. When I sold the car and got a new one Bitter Sweet went right in the new convertible's changer.

I had heard a couple of the tunes on a progressive radio station and took a chance on the CD. While I do repeat some of my favorites, there is not a song on here that I skip. They are all good. This is my favorite Kim Richey CD and the place I would start listening to her work. Glimmer would probably be the 2nd CD to get.

Listen to the samples here - then buy this CD!

Worthy Follow-Up.......2002-07-27

Kim Richey has always been a hard one to categorize(as if she really needed to be), but unfortunately in a day when commercial success seems to be fueled by what radio format your music can be programmed into, Richey's always been left off the boat. Far too sophisticated and clever for the typically narrow-minded world of Nashville, and maybe too jangly/guitar pop for mainstream radio, she's nevertheless managed to stay the course and put out several first-rate discs, with this one falling somewhere between the slickly-produced but exquisite debut and her even more polished pop-powered third set. Richey's songs here are definately given tons of room to breathe here, with the production using more typically country arrangements and instrumentation(mandolins, banjos)than previously heard in her music. She pulls it off beautifully, particularly on the set's opening six tracks, after which she takes a detour into Mavericks-style country-rock('To Tell The Truth', 'My Whole World'), then slowing down the tempo a bit at the end. And while it fails to live up to the consistently clever hooks of her debut, the best songs here('I'm Alright','Every River','Fallin')are as good as anything on that set. All in all, a more than worthy follow-up to an unbelievably good debut.
it

Don't Let Me Down Easy..........2002-04-20

I went through a painful final separation from the love of my life when this CD was released in 1997, and I identified with every song. I listened to this CD over and over for several months. I saw Kim at the "House of Blues" in Hollywood during that time and sang along to every song. This CD is my favorite "bitter sweet" CD of all time. I love you, Kim.

Average customer rating: Jazz with a social conscience Inventive Jazz A MUST HAVE album if you like afro-cuban influenced jazz!!!

Percussion Bitter Sweet Max Roach Manufacturer: Grp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music GRP | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite Deeds, Not Words Out Front The Max Roach Trio, Featuring the Legendary Hasaan/Drums Unlimited Now He Sings Now He Sobs ASIN: B000003N6L Release Date: 1993-02-16

Tracks:

1. Garvey's Ghost
2. Mama
3. Tender Warriors
4. Praise For A Martyr
5. Mendacity
6. Man From South Africa

Amazon.com

Percussion Bitter Sweet is the most compelling, varied, dynamic snapshot of Max Roach's post-Clifford Brown ensembles. It features the doomed young genius Booker Little on trumpet, the innovative Eric Dolphy on alto and bass clarinet, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Julian Priester on trombone, Mal Waldron on piano and Art Davis on bass. Roach is never content just to mark time. Instead, his drums essay complex metric and polyrhythmic devices, while suggesting keyboard-like counterpoint and melodic motifs, as Davis goads him on with stately walking bass lines. But what makes Percussion Bitter Sweet such a rich, enduring recital is the drummer's colorful use of Afro-Cuban percussion and voice as a powerful multicultural subtext, celebrating the struggles and triumphs of Africans and African Americans (circa 1960) from Harlem (the celebratory "Garvey's Ghost") to Capetown ("Man from South Africa"). Little's darting filigree on the hard-swinging "Mama" is indicative of his breakthroughs in harmony and phrasing, while Dolphy's glorious, airborne flute, fulminating bass clarinet, and torchy, enraged alto enliven the waltzing "Tender Warriors" and the sardonic "Mendacity." On the latter, vocalist Abbey Lincoln's sassy, theatrical phrasing drips bluesy sarcasm in her spanking of a hypocritical racist establishment, setting the stage for Roach's furious, ritualistic rhythmic exorcism. Inspiring stuff. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Jazz with a social conscience.......2000-11-29

Step into the political/musical world of master drummer with "Percussion Bitter Sweet." This is jazz charged with a social conscience, as immediately evidence by some of the titles, such as "Garvey's Ghost." While albums with overt political motivation can sometimes fizzle musically, this is assuredly not the case with "Percussion Bitter Sweet," which uses superb jazz music to enhance the sense of urgency that characterized the '60s civil rights movement.

Besides, how could a drummer with the superb taste of Max Roach ever trivialize music? And when he is joined by the likes of the brilliant but doomed trumpeter Booker Little, the legendary reedman/flautist Eric Dolphy, the gifted composer and steady pianist Mal Waldron, and the great bassist Art Davis, the musical blend grows richer with every note.

Add to that blend the wonderful voice of a young Abbey Lincoln, and you have an especially powerful musical date. Abbey is at her best on the caustic "Mendacity," which skewers specifically those who dragged their feet on voting rights in the '60s. But the song's contempt for political temporizing could find a sympathetic ear in any decade.

This is music with a heart and soul, and the genuine emotion of the music stands out from the first listen and never wanes. A grand release from one of our greatest musicians and tireless musical innovators.

Inventive Jazz.......2000-09-19

This is an intense album. Max Roach really shines, taking the soundscape of the drum set to another level.

Using this album to voice his social and political concerns, Roach chose top of the line musicians to convey his message, including the exhuberant and masterful Eric Dolphy on alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute.

Influenced by, but not flat out Latin jazz, Roach stirs up a blend of sound that is completely original, bordering on the mystical.

Dolphy indulges in one of his best recorded solos on the twisted 40s style bop number, "Mendacity."

Masterful.

A MUST HAVE album if you like afro-cuban influenced jazz!!!.......1999-09-03

This is the afro-cuban influenced jazz sound I've been searching for for years!! (NO exaggeration). Too much of contemporary latin influenced jazz seems somehow either too salsa oriented or too mellow lounge sounding, somehow lacking a real jazz sound. But this recording has a terrific hard bop jazz sound backed with outstanding afro-cuban percussion. This is truely one of the COOLEST jazz albums I've ever heard - I only wish they were making latin influenced jazz this great today! If you like Buena Vista Social Club but want to hear a punchier jazz style, you owe it to yourself to check out this incomparable album. You might also want to check out the 40s & 50s heavily afro-cuban influenced big band jazz sound of Dizzy Gillespie on "The Original Mambo Kings" and on the Verve Masters series. In conclusion, THIS ALBUM IS MORE THAN AMAZING - I CAN'T RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY ENOUGH.

Average customer rating: Imperfect but not without interest Wedding Processional Love, life, happiness/Nothing more/Nothing less listen to it! The title tales no lies

Bitter Sweet Symphony The Verve Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Space Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Neo-Psychedelia | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | CD Singles | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Verve EP Urban Hymns Lucky Man # 1 No Come Down A Storm in Heaven ASIN: B000007W6U Release Date: 1997-12-15

Tracks:

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony - Original
2. Lord I Guess I'll Never Know
3. Country Song
4. Bitter Sweet Symphony - Radio Edit

Album Description

The first single & smash hit from the reformed Verve's 1997album 'Urban Hymns'. Pt.1 features 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'(Original) and three non-album tracks: 'Lord I Guess I'llNever Know', 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' (Radio Edit) & 'CountrySong'. 1997 Hut/ Virg

Customer Reviews:

Imperfect but not without interest.......2004-11-23

The Verve were rashly hailed in Britain as saviors of art pop when they came along in the late nineties, and this was their best-known track. And it's true, there's something vaguely interesting about looping an old violin riff from a discarded Rolling Stones session and building a song around it. There's also something highly repetetive about it, and the computerized drum tracks don't help the matter. There's also something whiny about the lead singer's voice, and something highly inelegant about the lyrics if you ever take the time to suss them out. ("You know the one that takes you where all the thing meet, yeah. I'm here in my mo, I am here in my mo...") Be all this as it may, it's a catchy riff and there are some fun sound effects whirring around in the background.

Wedding Processional.......2004-07-12

Don't have the CD, but my friend who just got married had a group of musicians play the "Bittersweet Symphony" music as the wedding processional. I must say the music was 100% perfect for the occassion, and really made it unique and orginal, yet not to "weird." Perfect for the couple getting married. :)

Love, life, happiness/Nothing more/Nothing less.......2000-07-09

More like 4 1/2 stars. I received this CD packaged with it's sister half (Pt.2) two years ago, and I still find it (and the other) to be a good listen when I'm in the right mood.

In addition to the already brilliant "Bittersweet Symphony," the long edit doing a superb job of extending and elaborating on the emotions the original stirs up, "Country Song" is one of my personal favorites. It is anything but "country," and I am glad for it. It immerses you in that same empathic, dark, simultaeously solemn and exhilerating mood that BSymphony does, but in a slightly subtler fashion.

I don't own Urban Hymns, but I've been told by my friends who have heard this and the other import singles that they exceed their parent album in quality and consistency. I had my doubts as to whether the band amounted to more than the BSymphony, and they ended up shattering my skepticism on this maxi-single. If Urban Hymns disappointed you, this little gem surely won't.

I would also suggest for those interested in a really good, (I am assuming) somewhat obscure, non-album single by the Verve, to check out their track on the Doom Generation soundtrack.

listen to it!.......2000-01-03

HE... music fan from Springfield. you're the only one, who knows, what's going on when I am listening to the symphony! Thank you very much. btw, if you wanna get me know:

clemens_e@yahoo.com

my real name is Rick. hope to hear from you soon.

BY THE WAY to all amazon users: I LOVE THE BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY

The title tales no lies.......1999-09-14

Bitter Sweet Symphony is life set to music, of the love that we all wish we had, sometimes find, and end up loosing it. We turn a blind eye to love until we are faced with loosing it. Verve was able to capture the feelings of lost love with Bitter Sweet Symphony.

Average customer rating: For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.): The songs that didn't get away Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts Good, for Sarah Brightman Pleasant, but not up to standard

The Songs That Got Away Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rodgers, Richard | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Sondheim, Stephen | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Brightman, Sarah | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Bernstein, Leonard | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Berlin, Irving | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Rodgers, Richard | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Brightman, Sarah | A to B | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Dive Surrender The Trees They Grow So High Fly Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Vol. 2 ASIN: B000005S0R Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

1. Meadowlark
2. I Am Going To Like It Here
3. I Remember
4. Mr. Monotony
5. Dreamers
6. Silent Heart
7. Lud's Wedding
8. Three-Cornered Tune
9. If I Ever Fall In Love Again - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman
10. What Makes Me Love Him?
11. Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
12. Away From You
13. If Love Were All
14. Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman

Amazon.com

For those Sarah Brightman fans who didn't spring for The Songs That Got Away when it was a pricey import, this domestic release will be a must-buy. Originally recorded in 1989 shortly after she achieved international fame in The Phantom of the Opera, the album spotlights obscure American and British musical theater songs that either were removed from shows or were "lost" when the shows themselves slipped out of the repertoire. (Of course, some of the songs aren't nearly as obscure as they were in 1989--the opening track, Stephen Schwartz's soaring "Meadowlark," has since been claimed by Liz Callaway, Patti LuPone, and Betty Buckley, while Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember"--well suited to Brightman's glasslike tones--is now recognized as one of his most gorgeous and haunting compositions.) Brightman performs well on this diverse collection of entertaining and often lovely songs, including an early draft of Frank Loesser's "Fugue for Tinhorns," here sung as a triple-tracked, lilting waltz, and the Puccini aria "Chi il bel sogno di doretta," which foreshadows her later, more ambitious crossover projects. There's also a tune from Jeeves by then-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, who produced this album not long before he and Brightman divorced in 1990. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.):.......2007-02-24

This is an interesting and surprising production that showcases the vocal prowess of Sara Brightman. It is not however, representative of the new and highly overproduced vocal productions that constitute her newer recordings. Although this production really allows the listener to hear a very melodic and unencumbered vocal performance, as it is pleasing in it's simplicity, yet meant for the more discriminating listener. Fans of Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Richard Rodgers will feel right at home here. For those seeking another major sonic production as in Eden, La Luna, Dive, or The Harem Tour this is not it! My criticism is not of her vocal prowess or production values but the apparently endless array of previously released material offered as a new and different recording. But I suppose that this is rather due to the greedy objectives of of A&M Records just trying to go to the bank, often and laden heavy with dollars. Nothing that any label wouldn't try to do. My advice with Sara Brightman is "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) check the disc carefully for redundancy of tracks within her discography. If you're a fan of this genre of music, you will probably respond quite well to this recording.

The songs that didn't get away.......2004-02-12

This is one of my favorite albums by Sarah. She surprised me with her ability to go from light opera to jazz. Here we don't find the over-produced albums such as Harem, just a superbly trained voice. No little girl breathy tunes here, just solid performances. This is the Sarah Brightman that I like to remember and enjoy. If you see this album and you're a Sarah Brightman fan, pick it up and treasure it. I'd like to see her do more of thisgenre, where she showcases her voice. Who ever thinks that Sarah has a small voice will be convinced otherwise by this album.

Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts.......2003-12-11

Before experimental albums like Dive and Fly, as well as the ones where her classically-trained voice enchanted millions, Sarah Brightman did a collection of musical and theatrical songs originally released in 1989, but reissued when she made it big with Time To Say Goodbye. Her vocal style leans towards the theatrical Broadway side, but more mellowed. But on songs like the strings-laden mid-tempo "Meadowlark" from Stephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife, the way she would later do splendidly interpret Lloyd Webber's songs is in the making. Here are other highlights, including those that were reissued on Sarah's Encore album (2002).

Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember" is a sad ballad told from the POV of a window mannequin remembering the sights it has experienced throughout the seasons, but the memories are now hazy and at the end, it sings, "At times I think/I would gladly die/for a day of sky."

Some songs like "Lud's Wedding" from Bernstein's failed bicentennial musical, only seem to work due to Sarah's voice. Ditto for the simple "Three-Cornered Tune." Consisting of three verses, each repeated twice. However, Irving Berlin's "Mr. Monotony", a tune understandably cut from Easter Parade, is not a particularly inspiring song.

Marvin Hamlisch's "Dreamers" is one of my favourites here, as I have affinity to it, and I'm sure Sarah is one at heart as well. "Only dreamers have wings with which to fly far away", as in their own fantasies, but unfortunately, "sometimes dreamers are forced to leave their dreams far away", i.e. the harshness of reality. However, it paints them in a positive light and states that everyone needs to have some sort of dream "to take time to find treasures and mountains we can climb."

"Silent Heart" really showcases Sarah's voices, on how some things the heart is best left silent, as in things that really thrill it. "If I Ever Fall In Love Again" is taken from The Crooked Mile and is a nice love song Sarah really wraps herself in.

"Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine is a great showcase of the operatic voice that would come into full bloom on Time To Say Goodbye. This song would be reissued on Encore.

"Away From You" by Richard Rodgers, and taken from a musical biog of Henry VIII (!!!). "The clocks are frozen and time's a traveler who's lost his way" is one of the sentiments Sarah conveys effectively. Also reissued on Encore.

"If love were all, I should be lonely" sings Sarah from Noel Coward's Bittersweet, "If Love Were All" was the one song that stood out for me when I first heard this CD. The ability of a talent to amuse is seen as a solid standing for mental security. A definite standout here.

From Lloyd Webber's Jeeves, the lush strings of "Half A Moment" features the vocal stylings familiar enough to those who have Sarah's Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. It focuses on how important the capture of a moment to bright up a future rainy day is. Also reissued on Encore.

Initially, I dismissed this as the songs that should've stayed away. Although they lack the magical punch of Time To Say Goodbye or La Luna, it's still a worthwhile collection, because Sarah's clear birdlike theatrical/musicals voice makes it all worthwhile.

Good, for Sarah Brightman.......2003-08-25

Some people just love Sarah's voice, but I don't see what's so special about it. She sings in two sorts of ways, the first one is lovely, simple, forgetable, and the other sounds like Stitch with a high voice. This CD does her justice, though. A lot of the tunes are catchy and nice (how she sings them could be better) but the one I really like is "Three cornered tune." Now that's a good song! She does not have a particularly bad voice, but nothing interesting - that's for sure. And when she tries to act in her music she sounds even worse! But that's alright. After all, everyone has a different style. A highlight of this CD includes "Mr. Monotony," which, unfortunatly, did not come with lyrics in the CD case. Too bad, because its a great song. At the end of this record, though, she writes about these songs and - wow! It is amazing how many shows that song was taken out of! At one point it said it had Judy Garland singing it, and when I try to imagine her doing it I know that must have been awesome. I really want to hear Judy Garland singing this song sometime. Maybe I'll find it here on Amazon... But anyway, back to Sarah Brightman. The only other thing I can think of to say at the moment is that from what I've heard of her records, this is as good as it gets. And also, the track titled "Dreamers" is nice. I like the tune and she doesn't sing it too bad, either. It would be a good song to be played at a graduation. Only after a while the sound of it gets a little creepy and annoying. And its sticky, too. "Silent heart" is a classic, though she shouldn't sing it twice. For you see, she sings it, and then you think, "Ah, that's a sweet song. Wonderful words, soft tune," and the music gets at a great stoping point and then comes back for an encore (as one of Sarah's other records is titled). And then we have to listen to it all over again - and its not as good the second time. So overall is it good? Yes, it is. Though perhaps not good enough.

Pleasant, but not up to standard.......2003-06-22

I love Sarah Brightman's singing and her musical style as presented on Eden and La Luna. This CD is completely different in style from those two. I find it enjoyable, but it is not my favorite. Her singing is nothing special on this CD, it doesn't display her vocal range or talent in the way that her other CDs do, especially her CD "Surrender", her vocals are absolutely stunning on that CD.

Average customer rating: A Composition that Missed the Mark I generally admire Tan Dun, but this project was a misstep Dark depths and bright voices, a shock, a whimsy A Music Collage Mind Opening

Bitter Love Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hero House of Flying Daggers Ghost Opera Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000 Film) Water Passion After St Matthew ASIN: B00000JWBU Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

1. Against Time Of Desire
2. I Once Dreamed
3. Moist With Sweat
4. NChiCa
5. Gentle Showers
6. How Sweet This Incense!
7. It Is A Ghost!
8. Your Solemn Vow
9. Can It Be True
10. This Is My Fear
11. To Come
12. At Peony Pavilion
13. Stir My Belt Ornaments
14. Secrecy Departing

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When he was a youth in his native China, Tan Dun spent a period as a fiddle player for a Beijing opera troupe. His intimate familiarity with the great Chinese epic opera The Peony Pavilion from the 16th century (produced during the 1999 Lincoln Center Festival) is evident in his own work of the same name, for which Peter Sellars collaborated as stage director. Bitter Love is a self-contained fusion of music and poetry that draws from Tan's larger opera score. The traditional love story of The Peony Pavilion--which bears some striking similarities to the Orpheus myth--comes through in floating, dreamlike fragments that reflect Chinese poet Tang Xianzu's lucid imagery like a smoky moon against water. As in his earlier and fascinatingly experimental opera Marco Polo, the New York-based Tan creates an eclectic collage of styles that mix East and West, old and new, as well as classical purity and pop energy, all with audacious imagination. This is, after all, a composer who has written music for water and stones, and he exhibits an almost childlike delight in the sensuous appeal of sounds here, in the overlay of traditional Chinese instruments such as pipa with synth beats, cross rhythms, and a panoply of percussion. Soprano Ying Huang gives Tan's fluttering threads of melody a silver sheen. However tempting it might be to label Tan's project as "crossover," it displays a depth and artistic integrity not usually associated with the term. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

A Composition that Missed the Mark.......2007-06-15

'East meets West' appears to be the hallmark for this work of avante garde Chinese composer Tan Dun.
Well, I love Chinese music, been listening to large volumes of Chinese operatic recordings and performances for more than 40 years - from the southern Cantonese to the north-western Qin and Yu operas, and even more the Eastern Kun operas and Huang Mei lyrics.
What is being achieved in this album? I would hesitate to call it East meeting West.
Fine, it is original. Fine again, that Miss Huang Ying is a lyrical soprano with a good voice and sound technique.
But please do not mistook the work as having any lineage with the Chinese operatic tradition: it has virtually none of such.
The choice of singer alone reveals that there is no regard to the authentic Chinese operatic tradition: a Western lyrical soprano is UNABLE to bring out the style and sonics in Chinese traditional-styled melodies. For such performer, go for the celebrated Chinese soprano Miss Wu Bixia instead, the pioneer of fusion of Chinese and Western vocal styles.
Very much unlike the more recent work of Tan "The First Emperor", this album endeavours to present music that is off the beaten track. However, the result is that it is off track. The stuff here, I dare say, accounts for more than half of the adverse criticism of that opera, a much more valid work in all respects but for these 'grey area' elements.
Chinese operatic arias are much more than wailing and whining. Musical lines are more melodious, harmonics much clearer.
The blurred effects here are not authentic Chinese style.
I envy those who are able to enjoy this album.

I generally admire Tan Dun, but this project was a misstep.......2006-03-28

BITTER LOVE is a selection of songs from Chinese contemporary composer Tan Dun's 1998 version of the classic Chinese opera "Peony Pavilion". Soprano Ying Huang has the spotlight, with the New York Virtuoso Singers and the NChiCa-Orchestra performing and the composer himself conducting. The staging of the opera, produced by Peter Sellars, was toured around the world, but no video recording was made. These fourteen songs are all we have, but make a conveniently concise single-disc presentation.

Tan Dun's updating is drastic, maintaining the text (in English translation by Cyril Birch) but with totally new music. The traditional music of "Peony Pavilion", of which "Hang the Curtain Down" might be the most well-known, is nowhere to be heard here even in brief quotation. Instrumentation consists of pipa (a Chinese flute), percussion, several midi instruments, electronic sampler, and water gong. The rhythms, the scat singing, and the electronics make this work quite outside both the Western and Chinse traditions, and lovers of chillout projects such as Thievery Corporation may find this CD to their liking. Ying Huang's singing, however, displays the mannerisms of Beijing opera, so the work is a real fusion of styles.

Were this the only work by Dun, it might seem fresh and admirable, but it compares poorly to some of his recent works like THE MAP and the WATER PASSION. Some novel ideas, such as the mix of Chinese and Western instrumentation and the use of water for sound are present, but all in all the musical material here is very limited and repetitive. Perhaps it would be another matter entirely if I were watching a live performance where the orchestra is meant to accompany action onstage, but on its own the music isn't rich enough. Furthermore, Sony's packing of the material, with very unhelpful liner notes, makes it look as if Tan Dun's talent is being used to advance some mission of world music crossover gimmickry. I regrettably cannot recommend this like I can other works by Tan Dun, who is generally one of the most interesting living composers.

Dark depths and bright voices, a shock, a whimsy.......2004-05-24

This piece of music either creeps up on you out of nowhere - like a tarantula imitating a meteor streaking out of outerspace - or it "conveys" itself to you like a waiter extending to you a glass of dark wine - or a film that seeks to shock you with an unexpected silence and a pagan cry. You must be the judge. But if you are faint hearted - quick to flee sexuality in all of its forms - you should go nowhere near this piece. And and if you are bold and brazen and hot for simplistic outrages you should probably bury your head in the sand. This work is for mature listeners only. By "mature" I mean a listener who is willing to cast to the side - as if she or he is flinging to the wind cherry blossoms in autumn - all grotesque fundamentalisms of ANY KIND. The music begins with a luminous voice slowly moving out of darkness. The voice wanders around in the dark over a deep abyss but I do not sense that the abyss is strong enough to terrify that wondrous voice. And the full piece, as it develops, may be best called "The Complicated Tales Of Incandescent Bliss". This piece of music is hideously subversive. I say that with a tongue in my cheek and a fart in my belly. The mere "subversive" is hideously dull. For a century now we have lived with a million, billion artists who wished - desperately wishing to canonize their egos - to "subvert" things. "Bitter Love" is horribly subversive. It is horribly subversive because it does not aim to be "subversive". Its power comes from a source that is not easily described. I am not a witch, but I would like to pretend that I am a witch gazing with my dark-gold eyes into a blasphemously kitsch crystal ball. I would say, gazing into profound fires, that I see a century of struggling, sick, twisted artists striving to catch up to "Bitter Love". It is dark without that pretentious quality that defines the run-of-the-mill Goth. It is bright without protestatiing itself before the blasphemously sentimetality of movies like "The Sound of Music". It plays havoc with our senses without toadying up to the most stupid features of the avant-guard. "Bitter Love" will shock you even while it consoles you.

A Music Collage.......2003-12-01

A soprano; a tenor; a monk; a baritone chorus; an infant; unconventional Chinese orchestration mixed with bits and pieces of Peking Opera; folk tunes; lots of percussions, these are the sounds with which the story of Peony Pavilion is musically revealed. Rather than an opera, it is a musical dream or a conception. Chinese traditional culture is always a rich resource for musicians (especially Chinese musicians) to tap into, and Tan Dun is one of those who know exactly where to get his inspirations. The work is a collage of various individual and seemingly disparate elements of West and East, ritual and sensual, ancient and modern, only that Tan displays them with a sense of assimilation at times, and antithesis at others. As always, Tan's unique music perspectives, distinctively modern though they are, are fulfilled by returning to the original purity and simplicity of the basics and down-to-earth folk music elements.

Ying Huang's pure soprano displays the poetry of the music beautifully. With sensuous approach, her singing is well attuned to the music's aura of longing and exotic beauty. The fabulous baritone chorus from The New York Virtuoso Singers gives a touch of the western opera and provides an indispensable layer to the otherwise rather thin orchestration.

But the music is not for everyone, nor for everyday. Despite its depth and range, it could be a strange land for the ears not tuned to its novelties and diversities, and as for that matter, one may wonder how much of the profound emotions Tan meant to deliver has actually reached the audience at general level.

Mind Opening.......2002-04-24

If you're unfamiliar with Chinese Opera this album may be shocking. But, once you take the time to listen this is a beautiful experience. Tan Dun's blend of eastern and western musical traditions is brilliant. Ying Haung's voice is clear with tones "razor sharp."

I would recommend this to anyone. Truly, a wonderful musical experience.

Average customer rating: great

Tango Bitter Sweet Quadro Nuevo Manufacturer: Justin Time Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Gypsy | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music European Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Canzone Della Strada Mocca Flor Luna Rossa Appassionato Con El Permiso De Bola ASIN: B000LXSSYQ Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

1. L'ete Indien
2. Swing Vagabond
3. Petite Fleur
4. Tango Bitter Sweet
5. Paroles, Paroles
6. The Windmills Of Your Mind
7. Tango Jalousie
8. Avant De Mourir
9. Malafemmena
10. Milogna Tati
11. Et Maintenant
12. An Einem Winterabend
13. Mude Sonne
14. Isla De Las Mujeres
15. Gloomy Sunday
16. Afternoon
17. At Night
18. Sabre Dance

Customer Reviews:

great.......2007-03-22

This is exceptional background music. I listen to it all the time! You can't go wrong with these guys if you dig that style of music.

Average customer rating: a voice teacher and early music fan Mad dogs and an Englishman called Ian Coward the Composer, Quite Charming without the Camp COWARD'S THEATRE SONGS

Noel Coward Songbook Ian Bostridge Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc Perspectives Mad About the Boy Schubert: Winterreise Die Schone Mullerin ASIN: B00006HM8Z Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

1. I Travel Alone
2. Parisian Pierrot
3. Poor Little Rich Girl
4. World Weary
5. Mary Make-Believe
6. A Room With A View
7. Dance, Little Lady
8. If You Could Only Come With Me
9. I'll See You Again
10. Zigeuner
11. The Dream Is Over
12. Any Little Fish
13. Twentieth Century Blues
14. Mad Dogs And Englishmen
15. Let's Say Good-bye
16. Something To Do With Spring
17. The Party's Over Now
18. Someday I'll Find You
19. Never Again

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-03-25

I have always admired the nonchalant and somewhat dry humor of Noel Coward lyrics, not to mention the interesting twists and turns that his music often takes, I admire Ian Bostridge for attempting his songs and doing a "bang-up" job of it! A quote from Ian Bostridge prior to making this recording:"My first concern while contemplating a disc of Noel Corward songs was finding a voice for them,,,,,,We need to remember that, in Coward, we have not only a formidable playwright and screenwriter, but also the English equivalent of Irving Berlin or Cole Porter". After I heard this from Bostridge (on an interview on ABC) I began to appreciate the songs much more than previously.There is much philosophising going on as in "I Travel Alone" and some are quite humorous as in "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". One has to listen more than once to get it all, but it's worth the time. And I definately think that Ian found the voice to sing them.Do I prefer Bostridge singing classical??Of course!!!!!But I still enjoy a break now and then and I'll take this disc for that reason.

Mad dogs and an Englishman called Ian .......2005-09-02

I must say that I approached this album as a fan of Ian rather than Noel Coward (and admittedly still don't really have a good idea of who the man is). So in terms of Ian's singing, I like it a lot. He has a wonderfully dextrous voice and a clear tone, complemented by Jeffrey Tate on the piano and the soprano Sophie Daneman for several numbers.

Generally I find myself unable to appreciate the work of classical singers who do crossover albums, but Ian is an exception. It has been said elsewhere that he may lack a robustness in his voice, but here in fact, one would not wish for an overpowering tenor. He isn't at all overblown, unlike many other singers in crossovers. The lightness of his voice lends a kind of intimacy to these recordings, as if he were singing in a café or an at-home musical evening.

The material is, of course, a departure from Schubert, &c., but he handles it well. However, I do think that he has a better emotional feel for the 19th century German romanticists and the 20th century British classical composers (i.e. Britten). This recording is pleasant but it seems to me to lack the emotional depth of Ian's Schumann in particular - a perceived deficiency that might lie with the composer Coward rather than the performer.

I like to listen to this CD when I want to listen to Ian sing, but am not in the mood for his more serious/depressing recordings (a la Schubert & Britten). The lyrics are pretty inane, the same goes for the songs themselves - melodically speaking - but Ian makes them special. So four stars.

Coward the Composer, Quite Charming without the Camp.......2002-11-18

I love this CD. I have a collection of Noel Coward performing his major songs, and I found it entertaining, but frankly I was never much drawn to it after the initial novelty wore off. I never really appreciated Coward as a composer because his campy persona and limited vocal talents got in the way. I bought this CD as a gift for a big Coward fan, and I am ashamed that I have not yet given it to him because I enjoy it so much. Bostridge is a really fine tenor. The beauty and subtlety of his voice bring out the beauty of Coward's melodies and the wit of his lyrics without overwhelming them with a heavy and mannered "classical" style, which is the bane of most such "crossover" CDs. The CD is also beautifully recorded. Outstanding songs include "I Travel Alone," "Parisian Pierrot," "World Weary," and "A Room with a View." Bostridge also has just the right touch with the goofier songs like "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," "Something to do with Spring," and "Any Little Fish." I highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys witty cabaret songs in general and Coward in particular. It really did give me a new and greater appreciation of Coward's considerable talents as a composer.

COWARD'S THEATRE SONGS.......2002-09-30

Sometimes musical artists should NOT attempt cross-over albums. I am a huge fan of Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland, but their ventures into "popular" music were, at best, misguided and, at worst, heavy-handed and pretentious. Although Ian Bostridge does not embarrass himself, there is no question that he should stick to more "serious" music and leave musical comedy to other singers.

The theatre songs of Noel Coward take a very different kind of approach than Bostridge gives them. They need an actor who happens to be singing. Except for a very few of the songs on this CD (written by Coward for operettas instead of musical comedies) Bostridge's approach is absolutely without any character. All of these numbers are impeccably sung by Bostridge, but none of them are ever really acted. Coward's songs MUST be acted whether they were written in a comic or sentimental vein. The result is another misfired cross-over album in what otherwise is a splendid career.

Average customer rating: Underated Treasure What a remarkable voice, it's deserves your attention

Lesley Garrett: Soprano in Red Jacques Offenbach , Franz Lehár , Emmanuel Chabrier , Ivor Novello , Johann Strauss II , Noel Coward , Sigmund Romberg , Richard Heuberger , Arthur Sullivan & W.S. Gilbert , James Holmes , Lesley Garrett , and Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Chabrier | Chabrier, Alexis Emanuel | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romberg, Sigmund | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lesley Garrett - Prima Donna Lesley Garrett - I Will Wait For You ASIN: B000004BQS Release Date: 1995-11-21

Tracks:

1. New Moon: Lover Come Back To Me
2. Casanova: Nun's Chorus & Laura's Song
3. La Belle Vivette (La Belle Helene): My Traitor Heart?
4. Perchance To Dream: We'll Gather Lilacs
5. Gipsy Love: Gypsy Fiddles Playing
6. Bittersweet: If Love Were All
7. L'etoile: 'I'm Called Lazuli' The Pedlar's Rondo
8. L'etoile: Pretty Little Star
9. The Dancing Years: Waltz Of My Heart
10. Frederica: Why Did You Kiss My Heart Awake
11. New Moon: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
12. The Opera Ball: A Chambre Separee
13. The Contrabandista: Only The Night Wind Sighs Alone
14. The Merry Widow: Vilja
15. Orpheus In The Underworld: Hymn To The Bacchus - Infernal Gallop (Can - Can)

Customer Reviews:

Underated Treasure.......2003-08-30

This Cd is delightful. I love Leslet Garrett's voice but most of all, I love the selection. This cd is great for introducing any true lover of opperetta to some truly great operas and composers. I originally bought this cd for a musical glimpse at Sullivans 'The Contrabandista' and discovered the beautiful worlds of Offenbach and Lehar and so many more that can not be heard except in pieces (many of which only exist on this cd such as 'The Contrabandista' and 'The Opera Ball' and 'The Dancing Years'). I recommend that anyone who loves opera buy this album. But on a final note, all of the songs are sung in english, even those not originally done so.

What a remarkable voice, it's deserves your attention.......2000-11-05

If you adore great singing by a super star this cd is for you. What a voice! Everytime I hear it, I loose my breath i'm so excited. I tell you, there are not many voices like this around. When you find one you have better latch on to it for there may not be another.

The main concern I had for this cd was the repertoire. It had too many songs that I didn't particulary like. If the repertoire had of been better this cd would definately have been a 5. I will say this, Lesley's voice was super even on the songs that I didn't like.

I know a lot of people are unfamiliar with Lesley, since she lives in the U.K., but she deserves you attention. She is a great talent.

Recommendation: Despite giving this cd a low rating, I still would like to recommend it.

Average customer rating: Excellent Single with Great Bonus Tracks

Bitter Sweet Symphony The Verve Manufacturer: Virgin Records US ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Space Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | CD Singles | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Urban Hymns ASIN: B000006JSS Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

1. Bittersweet Symphony
2. Lord I Guess I'll Never Know
3. So Sister
4. Echo Bass

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Single with Great Bonus Tracks.......2004-10-23

It's hard to believe that it's been more than 7 years since the Verve hit a (commercial) nerve with the beautiful and haunting single "Bitter Sweet Symphony" of the "Urban Hymns" album, but as the years roll by, their biggest hit stands the test of time.

The US release of the "Bitter Sweet Symphony" single (4 tracks, 21 min.) includes 3 addititional non-album tracks that makes this a perfect combo. "Lord I'll Guess I'll Never Know" is a pensive song. "So Sister" is lead singer Richard Ashcroft's at his achingly best, just a beautiful ballad. But the closer "Echo Bass" is the best of the bonus tracks, an up-tempo song reminiscent of the Stone Roses' "Fool's Gold".

After the "Urban Hymns" album, Richard Ashcroft went solo, and he never reached the high of that album. This single presents the best of the Verve, and of Richard Ashcroft. Highly recommended!

Music Album:

1. Blue Moons and Broken Hearts: The Anthology 1979-1996
2. Blue Ridge Mountain Music "Old Time Banjo"
3. Box of Photographs
4. Brian McComas [Enhanced]
5. Burning Daylight
6. Capitol Years: 1965-1977 [Import]
7. Change
8. Chock Full of Country Goodness
9. Christmasville
10. Chrome

Music Album