5 comments about Mamma Mia!.

1. Good song covers, but NO "CHIQUITITA"???? I would have expected that to be part of the movie soundtrack. It's probably the best song ABBA ever did, aside from "Fernando".



2. This is a good soundtrack. Everyone in the cast has their moments. I am impressed with Meryl Streep. She can really sing. I love her performance of "Dancing Queen" "Super Trouper" and "The Winner Takes It All". "Mamma Mia" is quite good too. Julie Walters is so funny singing "Take A Chance On Me". Amanda Seyfried is the other surprise here. I love her vocals on "The Name Of The Game", "Gimmee Gimmee" and "Honey Honey". Christine Baranski shines on "Does Your Mother Know". The best male performance is "Lay All Your Love On Me" by Dominick Cooper. It is very upbeat. Pierce Brosnan is not the best singer, but he gives a good effort singing "SOS". If you like the music of Abba, you will like this soundtrack.



3. In this era of full cast recordings and double Cds (ie Hairspray,Dreamgirls)_that features ALL music from a movie, why are so many tracks from the movie missing? Especially the big showy cast numbers at the end of the film?????? I mean the movie and the music are hardly music theatre masterpieces, but if you want to buy a soundtrack CD these days, one expects the whole movie on the soundtrack, with one disc CDs running to 73 minutes this 60 odd minute job is very disappointing from this perspective.



4. Though I was never really an ABBA fan, I certainly knew who they were and I knew a few of their songs ("Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia!", etc.) I knew when MAMMA MIA! hit the stage that it was based on the songs of ABBA but never saw it.
   
   When I saw the movie trailer, though, I thought: This is going to be good. And I promised myself I wouldn't miss it.
   
   I have now seen the film three times (in 10 days); my husband has seen it twice; and my two sons (ages 13 and 10) just saw it with us. And we ALL loved it. (My 10-year-old asked me anxiously, WHILE he was watching it, if we could PLEASE buy the DVD ... the day it comes out!)
   
   It's the first time I've felt joyous in a movie since GREASE in 1978. I'd forgotten that movies were supposed to feel this good -- but MAMMA MIA! reminded me in a rush.
   
   Meanwhile, though, I bought CD to tide me over. And it's WONDERFUL.
   
   I usually have a preference for soundtracks of musicals over Broadway cast recordings, for one reason: The voices aren't always as good, but the orchestrations are usually much richer and fuller (ex: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which had a 50-piece orchestra for the show, had a 100-piece orchestra on the soundtrack -- yeah, it DOES make a difference!)
   
   Here the orchestrations stuck close to the ABBA originals, but with, of course, far more voices on the choral numbers. And what amazes me, after playing the CD for over a week (yeah, night and day, just like other reviewers), is that I'm discovering new songs I really love, that I hadn't been as crazy about to start with.
   
   I started out loving "Honey, Honey" (which I'd never heard before -- fantastic!), "Mamma Mia!" and "Dancing Queen" -- now I'm also in love with "Our Last Summer", "Super Trouper" and "Voulez-Vous", with "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" coming in for its own share of my attention.
   
   My sons have added the songs to their mp3 players. My husband insisted I burn him a copy of the CD for his car. I've uploaded the score to my computer and the original CD is in MY car. And though I have a CD changer that holds 6 discs, this is the only one I'm playing ... and I suspect it will be for some time to come.
   
   Meryl Streep has a fine voice, though not a strong one (not surprisingly, as she's not a professional singer). But she does full justice to her songs and dances in the film ... a bravura performance. I love Amanda Seyfried's voice -- she really has a singing future, if she wants one. And Julie Walters and Christine Beransky are terrific. I give Pierce Brosnan major points for doing something he's just not equipped to do, and giving it his best shot. Nice try, Pierce. And the other men, IMO, did just fine.
   
   My only word of caution: If you tend to have an addictive personality, you might want to stay away from this CD. I won't be responsible for the many hours you'll lose singing and dancing along to this wonderful score ... after all, I warned you!



5. I saw this movie on Thursday, and bought the soundtrack on the way home from the theater! I have listened to it non-stop for 3 days and still can't get enough of it. Abba fans will truly love it, but anyone who likes musicals, for their catchy tunes and lyrics, will love this CD. There are some slower numbers, but most jump right along. If you liked the movie, you should have this soundtrack! Crank this up while driving or doing housework - the time spent will FLY by!

5 comments about Viva La Vida.

1. I have never been an avid Coldplay fan, but this album cannot be denied the laurels which it deserves. In an era of music defined by generic punk-pop and ultra-repetitive hip-hop, this album is a breath of much-needed fresh air. Chris Martin and Co. teamed up with Brian Eno to give Coldplay's music a newer sense of urgency and purpose, and the results will surely be admired by the musical community for years to come. Songs such as "Viva La Vida" display an ethereal beauty that not only pleases the listener, but actually draws them into the music. Tales of deposed royalty and clever political commentary help make for an even more interesting listen. Flag-waiving, anthemic music at its best.



2. It's really sad to see a great band like coldplay release a botched album like that. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments, but overall, this album lacks coherence and is really... well... not good at all. Coldplay rose and is now down the wrong path: parachutes was really good, a rush of blood to the head was simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g, but then x&y took them back to 'just good', and then this new album. I hate to say this, because I really, really think coldplay is an amazing band... I tried hard, but this new album simply doesn't work for me. After years of critics towards the band about the fact that 'coldplay will always sound like coldplay', they obviously tried to change that, but instead of trying to make their own style evolve, they simply shoved as many random ideas as they could in this album, with songs that simply don't fit together. Don't get me wrong, I realize it's a challenge, but look at radiohead for instance, every single album has almost no connection with the others, and yet they all are coherent in their own way. Also, coldplay introduces the BOGO (buy one get one) concept, with a bunch of songs that actually are two songs in one. While it works amazingly for bands like queen, because again these 'multiple personalities' songs are disjointed yet coherently built, coldplay didn't understand the recipe: they took songs that don't match each other, and stuck them together anyway (happens multiple times on the album, e.g. tracks 5, 6 and 10). Only a handful of bands managed to pull this one off (queen, system of a down, radiohead...), coldplay will not be one of them. And don't get me started on how dull the lyrics can be... Anyway, they deserve at least one star, for viva la vida (the song) which is amazing, but sadly it's only one song buried deep in the album, stuck between 9 others that are so-so - at best. Disappointing - at least that's my opinion, you don't have to agree with me.



3. X&Y was what hooked me to coldplay's music, Their first two albums have slowly grown on me but none the less have grown on me. Just when I thought they couldn't sound any better they ring out the wild bells of "Viva la Vida" like they are in this for the long run. What other band can rock out on the cathedral organ and the string quartet like these? Then throw in some distorted guitar, fine tune it with some acoustic guitars, and put you in a trance with Martin's voice? Yes, Chris Martin is no vocal performance master. He has flaws in his voice. But he can take those flaws turn them around and use them make the song actualy sound better. That is what you call a songwriter in case you didn't know. If I want a perfect voice I'd listen to Josh Groban if I want a perfect song I'll listen to Coldplay (or Jack Johnson).



4. I keep on listening it and still I don't like. I rated 3 stars because I only found 3 good songs: track 1, 4, and 6 and maybe the last track; but no matter what I just said. In the deep of my heart I know that Coldplay is a great band.



5. 
   I was hoping to see some better tracks on this CD and was only fairly impressed with the songs I haven't heard before.
   
   My rating *** out of *****.

5 comments about ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits.

1. My sisters and I loved ABBA from the day we heard their first song. Funny, our Parents did also. It is happy music and it makes me want to get up and dance (great exercise) and sing (yes, I am tone deaf but who cares!) I bought the ABBA Gold when it came out and I am still playing it, never tiring of the music. Listen to the music and you might feel the same way. Get up and dance like the dancing queen or king that you are and feel good to music that is not busy making a statement. Good fun - that is what we all need and how long has it been since you have had plain old good fun? Enjoy!



2. ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits
   I play this CD loud in my car with the windows both up when in traffic and down when on the open road. I love Abba as much as I like my own books. Look me up. This one is about when I went to China. U.S. Chicanas and Latinas Within a Global Context: Women of Color at the Fourth World Women's Conference



3. I can smell the grass, and long to bounce the ball again; ABBA makes me want to go outside and PLAY!!!
   
   Just wonderful, joyful music. Thanks to whoever for bringing those wonderful memories back.



4. the cd I purchased through Amazon.com is excellent. As a matter of fact, it is the second one of the same - one for home, and one for listening in my car. My experiences with Amazon.com have been very good and I am happy that I have mastered "Purchasing on line" with limited computer skills! Thank you



5. 
   
   Nineteen of ABBA's best songs are plenty, but you won't tire of them. It is amazing that four Swedes (Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus as writers and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog as the main singers) could take such simple English cliches and turn them into pop music magic. Despite sometimes maddeningly simple lyrics, the song arrangements were unnervingly catchy and the multi-level layered compostions are fascinating. The keyboards and synthesizers were used in some of the more ingenious ways during the seventies to produce that unmistakeable ABBA sound. The energy and nearly anthemic enthusiasm eminating from each song marked them all as instant classics, no matter how jaded or synical the listener. It is doubtlful if you read the song list here that you would not know the melody. The one ironic thing about this groups phenomenal success, is that of over 400 million album sales, they only had one number one hit in the US - "Dancing Queen". But it is one heck of a great song.

5 comments about Rock n Roll Jesus.

1. This Cd is Fantastic!! Kid Rock has a mixture of slow songs mixed in with his more raunchier style. It is truly a Masterpiece!



2. Rock N Roll and Kid "Rock" don't belong in the same sentance...it's an insult to ROCK N ROll. Kid Rock is not rock N roll or even rock n relevent. He's on the fast track at proving how irrelevent he is. Rock N roll jesus.....a hip hop/country puke mix is nowhere near rock and that butchered version of a crappy song "sweet home alabama" renamed on this crapfest album as "all Summer Long" is horrid. Kid "Rock" (word used loosly when saying his name) should just go away or change his name to Kid Krapfest or no talent Tom.
   
   Who in the hell would listen to this. Rock N Roll jesus....he doesen't even deserve to use the word "rock" in his name or the title rock n roll. He is insulting rock music, and the rock gods need to punish this posing losera** retard. Kis rock doesen't know what he wants to be and no one cares.



3. I'm not a big fan of Kid rock, but I do like him and maybe other reviewers who are more familar with his music would be better to read then my review, but I do like this CD. It's a fine mixture of ballads, rockers and some very fun "summer" songs.
   
   Saying that, I'm not a fan of his rap stuff, but the ballads rockers and songs he actually "sings" are worth the price of this CD. He does have a nice voice to listen to, and even if his die hard fans would disagree, I'd like to hear him sing more and rap less!! Which is maybe why I do like this one.. not much rap on it, more rap rock then just rap. One thing I do like about Kid Rock's Cds, he has a nice mixture of ballads, rock/rap and even throws in a country, almost hillbilly sound on this one, and he does them all very well.
   
   I do have other CDs of his, and actually like Cocky more then this one, but it's worth the price for "All Summer long".
   
   This is just an overview. I've only had the CD a week, but wanted to review it fairly.



4. This is the Kid Rock I love! Plenty of songs with a southern rock feel, and many with lyrics that can really make me laugh. I bought it for "All Summer Long" but my new favorite is "Blue Jeans and a Rosary."



5. I bought this cd for the title All summer long, well I was amazed how versatile he is, my favorite song on this album, is New Orleans I can just close my eyes and listen to the mixture of instrumental music on that song from trompettes, harmonica,guitar, piano ect... also I got a kick from that country also, title Half your age, and the gospel songs also on that cd was fantastic, there is two songs with some ex rated lyrics but who cares, i am not a fan of Kid rock because of his hard heavy rock music but if he his again versatile on is next CD for sure I will buy it again. I have to listen again that New Orlens song

5 comments about Two Men With The Blues.

1. A great CD Willie & Wynton and as Willie says at the end a GREAT, GREAT BAND. If you like Blues it doesn't get better from Two Music Giants



2. These two great talents have come together and made one of the best cd's I own. The music is awesome !!



3. I listened to this CD in my car the first time I played it.
   
   I wanted to get out at the traffic light while it was red to dance around the car while Bright Lights, Big City was playing!!!!
   
   I thoroughly enjoy all the songs, but...felt like getting a "bucket" without a hole in it for that one.
   
   The entire album makes me feel great---and so very happy!!!!!



4. I love both these fellows. That said, Wynton is performing in his element. Willie makes a very good companion, but he is no 'blues singer'. Wynton is the Star. They complement each other in this offering very well and it is easy to listen to. It is unlikely that this CD will make it to my iPod.



5. Willie and Wynton and Louis Armstrong's ghost. An unusual combination that melds New Orleans with Texas.A treat for jazz and country fans.

5 comments about Rockferry.

1. I randomly came across this singer and became instantly in love. I also love Amy Winehouse but loved this CD more. My favorite songs are Warwick Avenue(which has an amazing video by the way) and Syrup and Honey, but all songs kept me listening over and over. If you're into this type of music I recommend her immensely.



2. in the music industry, when a performer (Winehouse for example) has opened a door in a certain genre (60's soul/jazz pop) and it becomes popular..again..then many clones are created to suck the life out of this genre until it is bled dry and people tire of it. Duffy is one of these clones. She'll be just another footnote in music history while Winehouse will be greatly remembered as an original voice. So that's my thought on it. If she wanted to stand separately from Winehouse and Dusty, she should have waited to release her cd, but the fact that she didn't shows she's just another bimbo trying to profit from the originality of another.



3. Another in the husky voiced femmes, but unlike Amy Winehouse, I feel Duffy has some talent that she won't throw away. All of the songs made me want to listen to the CD again. Looking forward to her next CD.



4. Duffy, now here's a new intreresting artist. She's a blonde girl with a lot of soul. Slightly reminiscent of Lulu, or Petula Clark. Great vocal control, style and emotional lyrics.



5. A great debut CD from an immensely talented new singer. The title song and Warwick Ave in particular are fantastic songs. The album is not universally great and I think the singer is still figuring out how to best harnass her talent, but the highlights certainly make this album worth buying alone. This is definitely someone to watch in the coming years.

5 comments about Modern Guilt.

1. Being a huge admirer of producer Danger Mouse's work (Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse) and a advent Beck fan, I was absolutely flabbergasted when I heard the two would be collaborating. I was even more amazed once the revelation actually came about. Boasting ten songs of the most highly "beck-tacular", "Modern Guilt" reveals Beck at one of his most thoughtfully confessing moments. Full of references (positive ones, if I may add) to global warming, wisdom and even tackling the actuality of Deity, the album feels a little less down and more compelled. Danger Mouse's production is top-notch; familiar to his previous work but re-animated and amplified by following Beck's direction. A touching and personal record, "Modern Guilt" may not be beck at his best, but it is beck acknowledging that he can be better, not just as a musician but as a person as well.



2. Beck's musical slump continues. It's really a tragedy because he was on such a prolific ride with every album he released from 1994 and 1996's modern classics "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay," respectively, to 1998's stunning off-roader "Mutations," on to 1999's eclectic grower "Midnite Vultures," and finally to his career's pinnacle, 2002's depressingly beautiful "Sea Change". The gossip around "Sea Change" was the love of his life broke his heart and out came his most raw, honest and ingenious work of art. It also drained him of everything he had left. Since then, Beck has struggled to create anything that can touch the greatness of any of his previous work.
   
   This year's "Modern Guilt" continues to see the decline of Beck and it really saddens me. I saw Beck on his "Sea Change" tour at Wolf Trap and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. He was ON and his band really helped carry him. Fast-forward a few years later to 2005's "Guero" tour at The Patriot Center and it was like night and day. Beck could barely perform the last half of his set. He didn't even MOVE. His stage hands had to switch his guitars on and off him, step on his effects pedals for him, and basically act as his crutch just to get him through. There was no encore which is unheard of for a headliner. That's the feeling and impression I get with Beck's latest albums and now with "Modern Guilt"...he's just barely getting by and simply fulfilling his contractual obligations.
   
   Not that there aren't some diamonds in the rough here (certainly not his best songs ever, but they're relatively good), such as "Orphans," "Gamma Ray" and title track "Modern Guilt," but the bus stops there. The remaining seven tracks meander off into cruise control, letting producer DJ Danger Mouse seemingly take full control thereby giving "Modern Guilt" a disappointingly un-Beck feel. What is the Beck feel you ask? Listen to the range of experimentation going on with every album before "Guero": boldly diving into multiple genres with a keen ear for melody, funk, folk, and mischievousness. Beck doesn't seem to be having fun anymore, not that "Sea Change" was a fun album...far from it, but it had soul. That's what's lacking from post-Sea Change Beck for me and I really want him back. Snap out of it, buddy. Please.
   
   Highlight tracks: 1) Orphans, 2) Gamma Ray, and 4) Modern Guilt



3. The word "modern" in the title is fitting for this album cause I think Beck has created a new style in rock music which is new and a style that I percieve will try to be duplicated again and again . The album is just a little over 30 minutes, but I don' t want to focus on its length, but rather its unique style and sound. Songs like Replica, Chemtrials, Walls, and Gamma Rays sound like songs well ahead of their time. Modern Guilt somewhat reminds me of The Velvet Underground and Nico album from the 60's which created a unique sound and feel in the world of rock which greatly influenced bands and artist for years. Beck is one of those artist which seems to always be outside of the mainstream rock music tread but is always setting a new pace for others to follow. Modern Guilt is a great album, even though I don't think its as soild as Guero, its still one of his best albums and dosn't sound like a duplicate of any of his past albums, but a new sound worth checking out.



4. Seems a very mixed CD to me. I would have put the tracks In another progression. But does have a few awesome tracks. I had an Idea what to expect and I should never do that with Beck he changes too much.
   Another reason for 3 Instead of 4 stars Is the CD Is very short like 35 minutes. Should be EP priced almost. No not almost 1 less song and It's an EP



5. Musical chameleon Beck released his latest album, "Modern Guilt," on his 38th birthday and the songs found therein display an artist far removed from the 23-year-old Los Angeles slacker who was telling us he was 'un perdedor' on "Mellow Gold," his 1994 breakthrough release. This disc finds Mr. Hansen truly exploring the heavy themes of death and personal reflection for the first time, and the results are nothing short of stellar. Middle age, it seems, has its benefits.
   
   Beck tried this feat, the "serious record," two years ago on 2006's "The Information," but the message was pretty much lost to critics and fans, who thought the filtered-through-a-ColecoVision beats and lyrics about cellular phones were more post-apocalyptic and self-referential than anything else. He gets straight to the point this time around, with 10 concise tracks, a 34-minute runtime and not an ounce of leftover ideas to clutter the proceedings.
   
   To the delight of fans the world over, Beck enlisted Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), the reigning critical darling of the music-production world, to man the boards on "Modern Guilt." They make an excellent team, what with their shared taste for `60s psychedelic rock, twitchy percussion and looped string samples -- not to mention their impeccable ear for catchy riffs. The surf-rock bass line that serves as the backbone for "Gamma Ray" makes it the closest approximation to a pop song Beck has written in years.
   
   Perhaps tired of hearing that his last two records were trying too hard to be "Odelay 2.0," Beck has dialed back his use of left-field audio samples and bits of obscure and forgotten songs from decades past, choosing instead to interpret those influences and recreate them as fairly straightforward rock tunes. People seem to forget that, if you ignore the space-cowboy production flourishes that saturate every last inch of Beck's late-`90s output, he was -- and still is -- one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the last 25 years.
   
   Of course, it wouldn't be a true Beck album if he didn't make room in his lyrics for a full notebook's worth of wacky one-liners and vaguely interpretable philosophical musings. The churning "Soul of a Man" finds our hero spitting out non sequiturs as if he made them up a few seconds before walking into the recording booth. "Beat my bones against the wall/Put a bank note on your bond/Gris-gris and a goldenrod/Deep down in a hollow log," goes one verse, the words apparently chosen for no reason other than to meet the song's syllabic needs.
   
   "Chemtrails," the slow and dreamy lead single, addresses the urban legend that the vapor trails from commercial airliners contain chemicals that, once they fall to Earth and are inhaled by an unaware populace, allow the government to control us. (Sample lyric: "You and me hit by a test of white evil/Watching the jet planes go by") Now, that may just be the Scientology talking, but the fact remains that "Chemtrails" is one of the most beautifully composed Beck ballads in recent memory.
   
   Prior to the release of "Modern Guilt," there was a lot of excited chatter over the news that soul singer Cat Power (Chan Marshall) would be making a cameo appearance on two of the album's tracks, "Orphans" and "Walls," but her contributions are so incidental (and not to mention barely audible) that I think mentioning them four-fifths of the way through my review will suffice.
   
   The most notable aspect of "Modern Guilt," in my opinion, is that it is the first Beck album since 1999's "Midnite Vultures" to not have a single clunker on it. Perhaps they were crafted that way, to get in and out in less than four minutes each and leave you wanting more. And there's no guilt in that, modern or otherwise.

5 comments about Camp Rock.

1. But more important mom likes it too.
   I feel ok letting them listen to this at such a young age.
   They are getting to the point where they want more than their toddler tunes but not ready for dad's cd collection yet lol.
   This is a happy medium where i do not have to worry about the language on it and guess what to those saying it is sickly sweet what is wrong with that exactly??? this is for KIDS and i for one am sick of people and society trying to tell me kids need to grow up faster! What is wrong with kids still being kids and not having to worry about the junk out there in the world right now.
   They love to sing and dance to the music on this and that is the point of it all that they are having fun and in a safe enviroment not being exposed to trash that is out there.
   This is a nice cd that the kids enjoy i give it 4 stars.



2. I got this CD as "a surprise comes in the mail"for my 10 yr old niece, who is of course, wild about the Jonus Brothers and Demi Lovato. She loves to get stuff in the mail! She left me a thank you voicemail the day she received it, and I swear I could hear her screams a mile away: Perfect, awesome, you rock, it rocks, etc etc.. Is's a great CD - highly recommended by this Aunt of a 10 yr old girl.
   
   Thanks



3. Hey Disney...Don't insult our intelligence by ripping off High School Musical and calling in ROCK. Just because you tell someone to sing "We Rock" doesn't mean it's rock music. This soundtrack doesn't even come close...it's very deceiving. It's an even mix of kiddie rock/pop, hideous rap, and slow songs.



4. The Jonas Brothers "Play My Music" is my favorite on the album. But Demi Lovato is a very talented girl as well. There is something raw and genuine in her voice, and it really shows in "This is Me." The songs aren't terrible, but were you really expecting a Grammy-nominated album here? It's good for what it is. The songs are cute, but wouldn't particularly cut it Kiss-FM or anything. Nevertheless...I do occasionally listen to the album and like to sing along.



5. I think this album is amazing.
   There's a lot of cool lyrics with amazing choreography.
   Camp Rock might give High School Musical some real compition.

5 comments about The Story.

1. Awesome voice, great lyrics, haunting melodies.
   Raw emotion, life experiences, beautifully sung!
   A keeper...



2. Very powerful CD ..extraordinary songwriting that seduces and rocks. She has the talent of a Nashville star combined with the energy of a Seattle rocker. This CD is sure to blow you away .. the same as it did me. She's the genuine article ..!



3. The music is wonderful - I'm so happy I purchased it. I especially love the song "The Story" but for me all of the songs were worth the purchase. You know how sometimes you get a CD and really only like one or two songs? Well, not the case with this CD. Brandie Carlisle's voice is unique and interesting, she seems to sing from the heart and for sure speaks to my heart, and the music is catchy. I couldn't ask for more.



4. This is by far one of the best artists waiting a long time to come. Her voice brings out the raw emotion in her song. She can pull highs and lows but the country tune gives it a very home feel. It makes you feel connected to the song. Yet the pace is fast enough to keep you engrossed all the way. "Turpentine" can be a very good example of how she pulls of this amazing feat of vocals which is hard to describe. Best you hear it for yourself. Other songs are more upbeat like "Have you ever?" makes you go back to the days when you are a kid. Just close your eyes turn up the volume and ignore the world as brandi guides you through hers.



5. My sister and I recently attended the Sheryl Crowe concert at the Mark in Moline, Illinois. While Sheryl was very good, her opening act upstaged her. Brandi Carlile opened and sang her heart out for 45 minutes and the audience fell in love with her. My sister and I went to the lobby and bought all 3 of her CD's. Her singing will capture your soul and her music will become a part of you for a very long time to come.

5 comments about Spirit.

1. What a great voice. Simon knows how to pick them. Sultry voiced with a good range. Good music.



2. Erica Asahan wrote:
   
   Wow! Her voice is amazing! Track # 3 is my favorite! I was only able to see her on YOUTUBE perfoming All by Myself and even then I was blown away by her range! The girl is simply amazing!



3. This CD is good, but I didn't think it was as good as I was expecting.



4. Previously, I gave this album three stars. The original review which I'll keep below will explain my initial views. But the album grew on me. I warmed up to it, mainly because of Leona's vocal talents. The production on some songs suffer from "done this heard that". For example "Angel", I mean if I hear another "Stargate" (ex. "Irreplaceable", "Tattoo") song I'll scream. The better songs (though none can compare to "Bleeding Love") are "Better in Time", "Whatever it Takes", "Yesterday", "Forgive Me" (which sounds very close to "The Sweet Escape"),"Homeless" (which in a crazy move was left off the U.S. album), and "Misses Glass".
   Original Review:
   I love "Bleeding Love". It's emotional, catchy, and has that timeless thing to it where you'll hear it ten years from now and kids (the next generation of iTunes buyers) will say "That was a good song". But the other songs leave a lot to be desired. Mainly because they are so "vanilla". I like Clive Davis and Simon Cowell and they have eye for good talent, but they seem stuck on the "copy, paste" method of constructing an album. You got a "Mariah" track here, a "Christina" track there, and like some others worded, I was looking for a "Leona" other than "Bleeding Love". Note to executive producer of Leona's sophomore album (I'm hoping this reaches you): Now that Leona is officially established in terms of vocal stardom, please focus on establishing Leona as an "artist". Give her elbow room and help her create an album with real cohesion and a theme. And detach her from those covers of the past and push her towards a future in music that will make people think of her as an "artist" more than just a "singer".



5. Let me start off by saying this. Leona Lewis is an incredible singer. The only singer out now that can challenge her vocally, is Christina Aguilera, who's been in the business for almost 10 years now. Simon Cowell was right to invest so much time promoting her, as well as Clive Davis. That in itself, should give you the idea of how much talent she has. Clive Davis has worked with, not only Alicia Keys, but the legendary Whitney Houston. We all know how hard it is to please Simon, as seen on American Idol. He is consistantly a tough critic, and for him to call Leona the best out of all the talent shows, and the best singer in the world, on Oprah, means something. Talent will take you places, but only with the right direction. This, is where the trouble comes in. We all know Leona can sing. No, she can SANG! But, the album was a bit of a letdown. Having heard Leona's pipes on "The X-Factor," at such a young age, I expected mega hits on this album. While there were some good tracks, there was nothing that compared to Leona's live rendition of Whitney Houston's classic "I Have Nothing" on the X-Factor, which I was only able to see on Youtube, being American.
   
   To make it worse, the American release of this album, is to me, inferior to the British release. The emotional power ballad "Homeless" was replaced by two sappy filler pop songs "Forgive Me," and "Misses Glass." The choices for the albums songs wer foolish, and didint utilize her strengths and weaknesses. None of the songs fully utilized her high range. Not one of the songs included her singing an F#6 or above, which she proved she can do, on her rendition of Minnie Riperton's "Loving You." None of the songs utilized her fantastic ability to sustain belted notes, and only one of them included her ability to belt in her higher register (G#5 on "Take A Bow")
   
   Overall, the song choices were weak, and the album was undeserving of this girl's tremendous talent. There WERE a few songs that I thought did belong. "Yesterday," though looped to a sappy, tween-like beat, showed how much power she could use in her voice, and included a stunning high falsetto note that would make Mariah proud. Her cover oof Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was a masterpiece, even better than the legendary diva, Celine Dion's rendition of it, in my opinion, which is a huge acomplishment. The song "Footprints In The Sand" was absolutely beautiful as well, ands could be a #1 Hit, if they release it as a single. "Better In Time" isnt paerticularly my cup of tea, but I very well see the appeal. "I Will Be" was also a strong song, nowhere near her best, but I do think it had a place on her album, showing her versatility. "Forgive Me," "Misses Glass," and "I'm You" were filler at best. Even her US album cover isnt as good as her UK one...
   
   My suggestions for a better Spirit, fusing her UK and US albums, and adding other things, would have been :
   
   1:Bleeding Love
   2:Better In Time
   3:I Will Be
   4:Homeless
   5:Forgive Me(Filler Track)
   6:The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
   7:I Have Nothing(I would have had her record a cover of this, the way she sang it on the X-Factor)
   8:Angel(Though not vocally strong, I think the song is nice enough in itself to do pretty well)
   9:Yesterday
   10:Take A Bow
   11:Footprints In The Sand
   12:Loving You(I would have had her record another cover of this)
   
   Im pretty sure the above album would have done 10 times better. Still, Spirit is a VERY good album. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Yesterday," "Take A Bow," "Footprints In The Sand," And maybe "I Will Be" are good songs that havent been released, that are worth a listen. Definately worth the purchase.