Count me among those enchanted with Susan Boyle's performance on "Britain's Got Talent" but disappointed in her first album. While I think she has a wonderful voice, this album doesn't really show it well. Her voice often seems quiet and blends in too much with the soft instrumentation accompanying it. Additionally, all the songs basically follow the same style which doesn't always feel appropriate to the song being covered.
The first song, "Wild Horses", is beautiful with her lilting voice matched well with the gentle string arrangement. "I Dreamed a Dream" is, as expected, a great version much like her performance on "Britain's Got Talent". After those two songs, I wasn't impressed with the CD much at all. "Who I Was Born to Be" and "Proud" are decent songs, particularly the latter which is along with the lines of "I Dreamed a Dream". "Cry Me a River" has a soulful sound but comes across as a little plain. Her version of "Daydream Believer" doesn't feel right at all. The original song is very upbeat, whereas this version is extremely slow and melancholy. I don't think this song works as a ballad at all. "You'll See" and "Up to the Mountain" are both very slow and her voice seems hidden. "The End of the World" pales in comparison to the original by Skeeter Davis. Susan's voice sounds a bit stronger than in the other songs but comes across as monotonous. Her versions of "Silent Night", "How Great Thou Art", and "Amazing Grace" are adequate but uninteresting. Judging by the show, she's capable of more than this.
The liner notes include little notes from Susan about each song. For "Daydream Believer" she writes about how happiness is "out there for everyone who dares to dream"; however, none of these songs truly evoke a feeling of happiness. Where is the spirit and spunk we saw from her on TV? I have no problem with slow songs and I love many ballads; however, aside from the first two songs, this CD is rather uninspired and hides her voice far too much.Get more detail about I Dreamed A Dream.
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