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kcuteus



Joined: Jan 14, 2006
Posts: 172
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reviews Reply with quote
I thought it would be nice to strat a topic were we could put reviews of her cds and dvd. But so someone knows what you are reviewing you have to put what it is.
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Nicola



Joined: Jan 14, 2006
Posts: 208
Location: Borehamwood, Herts
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last time I posted my review on a Hayley forum I caused a massive debate. I'm so controversial Sad
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roger_m_hw



Joined: Jan 15, 2006
Posts: 29
Location: UK
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If it was the one on the HWI Forum, Nic, it opened up one of the best discussions we ever had..... until another member took it so off topic that it spoilt it for everyone. Pity, had there been a more natural conclusion to it, I was planning to copy your initial review and all the subsequent replies and have them uploaded to the main site.

Sadly, it was not to be. Sad

Roger
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kcuteus



Joined: Jan 14, 2006
Posts: 172
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nicola,

I thought your review was very good. Very Happy
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Nicola



Joined: Jan 14, 2006
Posts: 208
Location: Borehamwood, Herts
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
If it was the one on the HWI Forum, Nic, it opened up one of the best discussions we ever had..... until another member took it so off topic that it spoilt it for everyone. Pity, had there been a more natural conclusion to it, I was planning to copy your initial review and all the subsequent replies and have them uploaded to the main site.


Ah, that is sad. I didn't know that. And it's an honour for you to say I initiated the best discussion you ever had! Woah. I almost didn't post it thinking I would get my head bitten of by purists (I don't know the members that well so I didn't know if there were any or not). Thankfully there wasn't any. Amazon.co.uk customers don't agree, only 10 out of 18 people found my review helpful Laughing
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roger_m_hw



Joined: Jan 15, 2006
Posts: 29
Location: UK
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Nic,

Having been online continuously for over 15 hours, I don't think I'll get around to looking for it tonight. But if you can find it sometime, take a quick look at the replies that followed. A lot of them said it was the best discussion we had ever had.

The trouble with the voting system at Amazon is that most people who read their reviews have already decided to buy the album. Therefore, if they read a review that isn't entirely favourable, they vote that it was unhelpful. That's nonsense. It just measn their opinions vary. The ones that give little or no real details or opinions are the unhelpful ones. Your arguments were well supported and HWI would be perfectly willing to use such a review.

(It's late and there's nobody looking so) Love, Roger xx Wink
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Nicola



Joined: Jan 14, 2006
Posts: 208
Location: Borehamwood, Herts
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't think it would have reached a natural conclusion. All you can do with these things is say at the end: well, it's down to personal taste. I think other than the member going on and on about emotion that was how the discussion ended. I found my review on your forum (and read everything after... and before, and for the first time I saw what a difference I made to the thread)

Quote:
Hey all,

I posted my review on amazon.co.uk (as I always do, you can find a review by me on each of her albums on there) I gave it 3 out of 5 stars for the reasons I state in my review. It's just my take on the album. Unfortunately, I didn't like it that much Just so you all know, I am a very hard person to please and a harsh critic. Majority of my reviews are 4 stars or less on anybody.

Title of review: Just not emotional enough.
* * * * *

After hearing Hayley sing some of these songs live I was very much looking forward to getting this album. Hayley, unlike so many other artists, has a better voice for a live audience. Her recording voice is somewhat sedated.

Overall, this offering from Hayley is a disappointment on many levels. Hayleys voice has matured, and has let go of that bell like clarity from 'Pure' and sings with a lot more vibrato, this is an up for me. But the same problem remains on this album as did on 'Pure' and her other New Zealand releases: she lacks emotion. I don't think Hayley Westenra is a highly emotional music listening experience. It's background music. Don't get me wrong, her voice is very sweet, it's very high pitched. It seems to remain on that pitch. Her voice lacks diversity that so many other classical crossover artists have. She just sounds bored.

The tracklisting has many problems. First of all, do you see anything original? I didn't think so. It's either classical repertoire or cover songs like 'Both Sides Now', 'May It Be' and 'What You Never Know'. Ironically, 'What You Never Know' possesses the only original material on the album, as this cover of Sarah Brightman has an extra chorus written in by Hayley. The lyrics of this extra chorus is nothing amazing (I'm falling for you... I'm falling for you...) - but at the start of what is perhaps Hayleys music writing career the music is quite impressive and it's a sweet part of the song. Hayley's not so wonderful production team has taken what is normally the emotive and atmospheric 'Both Sides Now' and torn into a million pieces by making it a bit upbeat (very much in the same way as they did on 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' from her first album). Personally, for me, an Enya song should never be covered for no one can achieve the sound that she does, the same rings true here. Her rendition of 'May It Be' does absolutely nothing for me and it was originally done by her I wouldn't have given it a second listen. I know that Hayley really likes these songs and so wanted to do her own touch on them. I'll also never know what possesses an artist to decide to do 'Ave Maria'. It may sound different to them singing it but to the audience - we have heard it over a hundred times. If I counted every single artist in my CD Collection of who has done 'Ave Maria' and 'She Moves Through The Fair' we would be in the two digits area. Having said that, the arrangement to Hayleys 'She Moves Through The Fair' is very moving.

So what does this album have to offer? By looking at the tracklisting you might already know. The highlights of this album are probably the duet with Andrea Bocelli (not for my taste, but its a very different feeling song with tension grabbing percussion) and 'She Moves Through The Fair'. 'I Say Grace' is a bit swingy and old fashioned. 'My Heart Belongs To You' feels like a rather mediocre pop ballad. 'Prayer' is a nice little gem and 'Never Saw Blue' is kind of forgettable (though she done it much better live). This CD has some contemporary pop songs and some classical repertoire. Unfortunately, this is nothing we haven't been treated to before.

This album is not as good as 'Pure' (though it suffered with a lot of the same problems), but her voice HAS improved. Yes, it could be a little more emotive but this album is the milestone where Hayley is finally turning into a woman and experimenting with different songs and classical pieces. It just so happens to be an experiment that doesn't meet my tastes. As any listener of Hayleys previous albums would know, her voice is truly beautiful - there just needs to be some emotional input. I'll still be looking forward to the next one.

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