20-12-2010, 12:45
not brand new, but I had the opportunity.
Not supposed to like her, because of the Simon connection.
too bad, the girls got some chops
very nice Lou Reed cover
Grade - 1.8
released Nov 6th, 2010
![[Image: o77129ap05a.jpg]](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dro700/o771/o77129ap05a.jpg)
from the album - O Holy Night - grade 2.0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOH6GBll_M
from all music
Bio
Amateur vocalist Susan Boyle became an overnight sensation after appearing on the first round of 2009's popular U.K. reality show Britain's Got Talent. Boyle, who was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland in 1961, caught the judges (and the world) off guard with her masterful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Misérables, due in part to the unemployed and undeniably plain church volunteer's "salt of the earth" demeanor and country spinster back-story. Boyle attempted a singing career in 1999, recording a handful of demos that showcased her rich and expressive voice, but chose to look after her aging mother instead of pursue the dream full-time. Within hours of her appearance on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle was not only an Internet sensation, she was a worldwide phenomenon. Her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, was released in 2009 and reached number one on both the US and UK charts, setting a record in her homeland for first week sales. I Dreamed A Dream was more than an instant success: it wound up as the second-biggest seller of '09 in the US and topped charts throughout Europe. Boyle delivered a second album, the Christmas-themed The Gift, for the holiday season of 2010.
Album Review
If ever there was an ideal candidate for a holiday album it’s Susan Boyle, the reality TV show contestant who caused a sensation with her pretty, old-fashioned performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” in 2009. If ever there was a genre that calls for old-fashioned prettiness it’s the holiday album, a genre that cares not for the whims of fashion, a genre where predictability is cherished. For the most part, The Gift is indeed predictable in its sound -- a continuation of the glassy, stately march of I Dreamed a Dream -- and songs, relying on carols, not secular seasonal tunes. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is a very, very large exception to that rule and that is the inclusion of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and Neil Finn’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” These three modern standards are given the same somnolent treatment as the rest of the record and popped right into the thick of The Gift without explanation. Presumably, they exist in order to call attention to the album, to give Boyle a single that could be played on radio outside of the holiday season, yet it’s exceedingly odd to have The Gift dotted with tunes that by no stretch of the imagination could be called Christmas carols. Of course, since they sound as stuffy as the rest of the record, they don’t necessarily stand out; they merely meld into the wash of pianos, strings, and choirs that provide an appropriately tasteful aural wallpaper to any holiday occasion you may choose.
Track Listing
1 Perfect Day Reed 4:30
2 Hallelujah Cohen 3:52
3 Do You Hear What I Hear? Regney, Shayne 3:54
4 Don't Dream It's Over Finn 3:47
5 The First Noel Traditional 2:59
6 O Holy Night Traditional 4:04
7 Away in a Manger Traditional 2:55
8 Make Me a Channel of Your Peace Temple 4:23
9 Auld Lang Syne Traditional 2:44
10 O Come All Ye Faithful Traditional 2:05
Not supposed to like her, because of the Simon connection.
too bad, the girls got some chops
very nice Lou Reed cover
Grade - 1.8
released Nov 6th, 2010
from the album - O Holy Night - grade 2.0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOH6GBll_M
from all music
Bio
Amateur vocalist Susan Boyle became an overnight sensation after appearing on the first round of 2009's popular U.K. reality show Britain's Got Talent. Boyle, who was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland in 1961, caught the judges (and the world) off guard with her masterful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Misérables, due in part to the unemployed and undeniably plain church volunteer's "salt of the earth" demeanor and country spinster back-story. Boyle attempted a singing career in 1999, recording a handful of demos that showcased her rich and expressive voice, but chose to look after her aging mother instead of pursue the dream full-time. Within hours of her appearance on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle was not only an Internet sensation, she was a worldwide phenomenon. Her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, was released in 2009 and reached number one on both the US and UK charts, setting a record in her homeland for first week sales. I Dreamed A Dream was more than an instant success: it wound up as the second-biggest seller of '09 in the US and topped charts throughout Europe. Boyle delivered a second album, the Christmas-themed The Gift, for the holiday season of 2010.
Album Review
If ever there was an ideal candidate for a holiday album it’s Susan Boyle, the reality TV show contestant who caused a sensation with her pretty, old-fashioned performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” in 2009. If ever there was a genre that calls for old-fashioned prettiness it’s the holiday album, a genre that cares not for the whims of fashion, a genre where predictability is cherished. For the most part, The Gift is indeed predictable in its sound -- a continuation of the glassy, stately march of I Dreamed a Dream -- and songs, relying on carols, not secular seasonal tunes. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is a very, very large exception to that rule and that is the inclusion of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and Neil Finn’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” These three modern standards are given the same somnolent treatment as the rest of the record and popped right into the thick of The Gift without explanation. Presumably, they exist in order to call attention to the album, to give Boyle a single that could be played on radio outside of the holiday season, yet it’s exceedingly odd to have The Gift dotted with tunes that by no stretch of the imagination could be called Christmas carols. Of course, since they sound as stuffy as the rest of the record, they don’t necessarily stand out; they merely meld into the wash of pianos, strings, and choirs that provide an appropriately tasteful aural wallpaper to any holiday occasion you may choose.
Track Listing
1 Perfect Day Reed 4:30
2 Hallelujah Cohen 3:52
3 Do You Hear What I Hear? Regney, Shayne 3:54
4 Don't Dream It's Over Finn 3:47
5 The First Noel Traditional 2:59
6 O Holy Night Traditional 4:04
7 Away in a Manger Traditional 2:55
8 Make Me a Channel of Your Peace Temple 4:23
9 Auld Lang Syne Traditional 2:44
10 O Come All Ye Faithful Traditional 2:05
