Cheap Cds - Symphony

Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: Absolutely wonderful
Comment: This is the first time that I've actually listened to Sarah Brightman properly. A mixture of
classical and gothic rock, it sends goose bumps up your arms, in particular when you raise the
volume and the music envelopes you. I wanted something different and that it certainly is. The best
music I've listened to in a long, long time. Buy the album and treat yourself.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Brilliant
Comment: I came across this by pure accident and it is absolute brilliance....Gothic is reminiscent of
nightwish. I love this album.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Surprisingly ,quite good.
Comment: I never thought I would ever write a review for this type of music. I normally listen to Heavy,
Gothic, Thrash or Death Metal, my girlfriend in her wisdom tried to 'culture' me one evening and
played me the track with Ms Brightman doing a duet with Paul Stanley of KISS. I was quite surprised
that I liked it, so grudgingly I started listening from the start of the album. The opening track is
very gothic and it really is an appealing piece of music that should appeal to most music lovers
regardless of their chosen genre of taste. Since listening to this album I have listened to some of
her other material and unsurprisingley, I don't like it or ever will. I do recommend this album as
it is quite unique and I managed to enjoy it without feeling I have compromised and/or neglected my
metal roots.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Has delivered what is expected, but the expected is getting tedious now.
Comment: This is a good solid album which probably delivers what die-hard Sarah fans have been yearning for
over the past five years since her last studio release of 'Harem'. 'Harem' was quite a departure
from the crossover realm that Sarah created with 'Eden' and 'La Luna', and for those hoping that she
has further branched out with this album in the same way will be disappointed, as this album is of
the same skeleton of those two albums. For critics of 'Harem' and for safe listeners that wish for
Sarah to never change, this album will be their delight. 'Harem's package promised a Eastern
influenced sound, which it definitely delivered.

The album cover, and the promo that
led to this release led us to believe that this album was going to be heavily symphonic metal
influenced. I understood she couldn't go down the Within Temptation route, as it would have
alienated a lot of her fans, but only two songs (or maybe three, if you include the intro 'Gothica')
has any real gothic influence which does not justify the misleading marketing.

'Fleurs
Du Mal', the opening number and the most 'gothic' influenced (and arguably, the only) song of the
album makes me want to reach for a Within Temptation album instead of Sarah. I understand it maybe
liked by the faction of Sarah fans that are not familiar with the Nightwish/Within Temptation/Lacuna
Coil circuit, as it sounds refreshing and new, but for those that are, the artificaility of the song
is easy to recognise. It sounds as if Sarah, Frank and team have copy and pasted Within
Temptation's 'Stand My Ground', 'Angels' or 'See Who I Am' from 'The Silent Force' album. This in
unlikely to be a coincidence, as Sarah's fans have been screaming about this band on her official
forums on a regular basis, and how Sarah should try out their sound. Her fans wishes have been
granted, and it was a good move. But for more die-hard fans of these type of bands, this song is
extremely pale in comparison.

There are more covers than usual on this album. Her
interpretation of Sanvean is notable, different and very enjoyable. The original is far more
atmospheric (you can't compete with Lisa Gerrard's voice), but in a different way. Sarah has
created such a different sound that you can feel like putting one of the other on, depending on your
mood. Her cover of 'Where the Lost Ones Go' by Sissel is atrocious compared to the original,
basically because it is interpreted in the exact same way, but also because it is performed
inferiorly. What is really disppointing are the original songs, excepting 'Let It Rain' and 'Fleurs
Du Mal', the originals are quite bland. 'Let It Rain' is a very sweet pop song. It's one of those
songs that draws you into the album as it is instantly catchy and memorable, but does not hold much
substance for long.

The highlight of the album is definitely 'Canto Della Terra'. I've
heard it several times before (Katherine Jenkins included), but this version blows all the others
out of the water. A fantastic interpretation. This is the first example of true crossover done
well, as a classic piece is given a dramatic and 'symphonic metal' arrangement. Fans of Andrea
Bocelli will enjoy this, as he delivers a powerful chorus (Sarah's verse lets the song down a
little). As someone who has never really enjoyed Bocelli, this song is very persuasive to his
cause.

'Sarahbande' is a bonus track for the UK release, but die-hard fans may already
have it as a bonus track for the 'Harem' album, where it fitted more nicely. It's a powerful and
somewhat electronic rendition. It certainly throws a punch, and on an album that is immensely
eclectic anyway, it easily finds it place here, especially after the song 'Running' which is a more
tame and paler version of the format of 'A Question of Honour'.

Unusually for Sarah,
there are no lyrics in the booklet, but as people have previously said, the packaging and the
booklet are stunning. The booklet itself is in the same glossy material as the 'Harem' and 'La
Luna' booklet and the photos are more lavish and hyperbole than ever before. Certainly the best
produced packaging not only from Sarah, but of any album I have ever encountered. Cynical critics
could creep in and say she should spend more time on the music than getting photos of herself
digitally enhanced, but I just don't think that is of much concern in this case. Besides, all her
fans know how theatrically over the top she can and likes to be, and we like to be on the receiving
end of it.

Over all, I was a bit let down by this album. The classical crossover trick
is getting tired now - unfair, as Sarah basically created it, and there has been scores of copy cats
since that have tired out her sound (Katherine Jenkins, Hayley Westenra, Il Divo, etc.), but that's
what happens when you are away from the market for five years. Not her fault at all, she went
through a lot in those five years, but the time of poppifying classical pieces, and turning pop
songs into italian translations is surely past? Simon Cowell has his hands in this genre now, and
the genre has been transformed into a novelty sector of the market, marketed for Christmas and
Mother's Day. Having said that, Sarah is still above her copy cats, and she is still able to dodge
this type of audience as her albums are genuinely injected with her vision and creativity, rather
than the Katherine Jenkins gag, who spurns out one to two albums every year with very little
creative thought, but with a lot of marketing ploys in mind.

I hope, that for the next
album, she can be a little more original. A lot to ask for, considering the originality she has
presented the world over the past two decades, and the sound she currently creates is one that she
innovated. Still, I hope she does not create yet another 'Eden' or 'La Luna' as she has done with
this album. Sarah has promised that she will start composing - already a very talented lyricist, I
am eager to hear her compositions.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Well worth the long wait
Comment:
Five years between studio albums is a very long time for Sarah Brightman fans to wait,
although I've been pleasantly distracted during that time by the rise to popularity, plus five album
releases along the way, of another lovely singer that is Katherine Jenkins.

Symphony is
a whole world away from those sultry Welsh tones though, with its mix of gothic rock-chick power
ballads, sweet melodies and duets with singers some of whom I would have considered a mismatch but
which really do work.

The album's opening track `Gothica', a short instrumental piece
laden with rumbling thunder and silky synthesiser chords, is a piece worthy of any rock band's
concert intro and immediately creates an atmosphere of expectancy. It glides seamlessly into `Fleurs
du Mal' (Flowers of Evil) where the tension is broken by a guitar powerchord sequence and piercing
vocal siren sound which leads into a full scale rock anthem. Add to this a lush orchestra
accompaniment and powerful backing chorus and it turns into a fist clenching, head banging classic
which any modern rock band would be proud to play.

The theme changes of course, in
typical Brightman style, from goth rock to pop ballad (great duet with Kiss guitar/vocalist Paul
Stanley), and takes in a little classical music (Mascagni) along the way.

Some tracks
will be familiar, like the previously available Canto Della Terra (Song of the Earth duet with
Andrea Bocelli - who else?) and some are simply lovely melodies like Sanvean (I am your shadow), a
song co-written by Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator theme) and also previously available.

The
tracks fit together well, and at just under an hour (excluding bonus track Sarahbande) the album is
very playable straight through, start to finish, just like a symphony is intended.

The
artwork is delicious, the gothic princess cover theme continuing throughout the gatefold opening
sleeve and enclosed high quality booklet.

Sarah Brightman fans shouldn't be
disappointed with this treasure, even if it did take five years to appear.

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