Music

Noel
$18.98
I'm not keen on beginning Christmas festivities before Thanksgiving, but once we've observed a day of gratefulness, I'm ready to hear carols and get into the "mood". Josh Groban has accomplished that for me, today. I am thrilled by the beauty of this album - I'll even forgive him for singing "in excelsis Deo" incorrectly. C'mon Josh - surely you've been trained to pronounce Latin "i" as "ee". Apart from that, I'm completely smitten.

I Dreamed A Dream
$11.98
Considering Susan Boyle has never had formal training, her first professional venture into the recording studio is nothing less than astonishing. Far better than her t.v. appearances, her voice is expressive, powerful and controlled. I am very impressed by her natural, unaffected talent. Kudos!

The Fall
$18.98
I have loved Norah since her first album. I like to get on Youtube and listen to those unreleased songs like "Love Me Tender" "I'll be your baby tonight" and others.
Her first album was amazing, the second one had some high points and her third did too just fewer high points. But we still had Norah's voice which I think is her big draw. Listening to her is like laying in a warm bath with a glass of wine. Or next to a glowing fireplace. I just find comfort in that voice.
With this album I can listen to some but not all of the songs. Her voice seems to be behind the music rather than in front or even equal to it. You hear the bass and drums and have to strain to hear her voice.
So as much as I hate to do this I can only call this album average. If I heard it and didn't know it was Norah Jones I would never buy it.

Crazy Love
$18.98
Dangerously close to Muzak. It's not the Sinatraisms, the Boy Croonerisms (Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Neil Sedaka, et al.), or the retread arrangements, it's the lack of art. Sinatra was an innovator, and a superb actor, who mined the subtext of lyrics with a sensitive intelligence, and who constantly grew as an artist. Buble is not in his league, and not even in the majors. There is nothing here to indicate a life experience deeper or more recent than high school romance. A conceit may account for the selection of songs, but there is no dramatic arc, and this is not a concept album -- it's a hodgepodge of borrowed styles. At this moment, at least, there is no there there.