Audra Mcdonald - Way Back to Paradise
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Free Music Notes for Way Back to Paradise
Free Music Review: Instant classic that bodes well of more
Hit: 5 Stars
I was hesitatant to buy this Cd given the disparity of reviews here and in other media. I think the fundamental problem lies in that this is indeed more an album of "art songs" than of "theater songs" despite the venue from which most of the material arises. Most of the selections and their orchestations would not be out of place in a vocal major's senior recital--perhaps harkening back to Ms. McDonald's Julliard days. This, however, does not make for distant, inaccessable music. All the contrary. Smooth melody and bold, dead-on interpretations predominate, with a range of style and substance. My personal favorites, and everyone seems to have their own, include "Baby Moon" and "Stars and the Moon," but with each listen, other gems emerge. My only regret is having to wait for another similarly smart selection to diplace this one from my CD player.Note to "music fan from LA": "Come to Jesus" uses phrases from the same-named Christian hymn to help express the female character's belief that her aborted baby will "rest with Jesus" until she is ready to receive it. "Come to Jesus just now," a line from the hymn, she sings to herself and her unborn child as she lies on the abortion table. A harrowing and untimately compassionate image.
Free Music Review: Beautiful Voice, Beautiful Music
Hit: 5 Stars
Unlike most listeners, I bought Audra McDonald's new album primarily for the three new Adam Guettel songs showcased on the album, and then for the chance to hear songs by Ricky Ian Gordon and the other brilliant new composers who are writing the types of musicals that so many theatre fans have been waiting to see and hear. McDonald, who I had thought was vastly overrated, was merely the vehicle through which I could hear these songs. And what songs they are! Guettel, Gordon, Michael John LaChuisa, Jason Robert Brown, and Jenny Guiering have all outdone themselves with these songs. They are stunning and brilliant all around, musically intoxicating and emotionally moving. No surprise there.
The real surprise here is McDonald herself; bland and rather uninteresting in her last two Broadway endeavors, McDonald explodes to life with a depth and passion that surpasses anything she has done before, proving that if she is given the rich material that her shattering soprano deserves, she can do just about anything. I went from disliking Audra to loving Audra with this album (as well as John Adams' "I Was Looking at the Ceiling...", which is a must for any Audra fans). Save me a seat at "Mary Christine", because I'm already there.
Free Music Review: Don't Let the "Unknown" Songs Fool You
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been eyeing this CD for months. The thing that kept me from buying it was the fact that I didn't recognize a single one of the songs! Then I saw Audra perform on the "Broadway's Leading Ladies" concert (a fabulous, defiant version of DOWN WITH LOVE) and knew I must dive into her recordings. I ordered this CD and Audra's new album HOW GLORY GOES. After listening to both (new songwriters versus standards), I keep coming back to this one -- the one with no recognizable songs!
Audra McDonald possesses a glorious instrument and an actor's instinct -- a great combination. Hear her roar through "Way Back To Paradise" (my favorite cut on the album -- so exciting! And a great arrangement). "Stars and the Moon" is a great, solid song with good singing. "Mistress of the Senator" is a fun, sexy number. "Dream Variations" sets the mood as the album's first track and contains some beautiful singing and some funky piano playing.
I really like these songs! I find them very listenable and catchy. I am so glad I got this album. I am definitely an Audra McDonald fan now.
Free Music Review: Hypnotizing
Hit: 5 Stars
I've had this recording since my wife gave it to me for Christmas and I'm old (62), but not too old to move forward. I'm astounded that the public critics who don't like this CD are so viscious. This is truly music of the late 20th century and definitely the 21st. I'm a Sondheim fan, too while Rogers and Hammerstein can drive me crazy with their formula scores. Remember, I'm old, so I've heard most of everyone's "masterpieces." Why do I understand and love this music when so many have missed it altogether? I've really heard it! One suggestion I might make for others is to take the booklet, with the lyrics, and read them carefully while playing the recording. Another is: release your mind from the voice and listen to the instrumental parts as best you can. If you don't find wonderful, lyrical, rich music you need to have your ears retuned. Then enjoy Audra, dissonance and all, as a unit and you may have second thoughts. I hope you will.Free Music Review: An Epiphany for the Ear
Hit: 5 Stars
Audra McDonald's WAY BACK TO PARADISE is heavenly. Her voice should be classified a national treasure. This lovely album is an epiphany for the ear. I was especially impressed with the vocal interpretation she gives to a number of Langston Hughes poems. Subject matter such as lynching and blackness seem all the more urgent as Hughes' verse is elegantly twisted around Mcdonald's expert phrasing. Perhaps my favorite song on the album is "I Follow". It is a gorgeous song about the intricate nature of love. The chorus is puctuated by a series of melodious "ahh"s that could easily make one believe that on the day of judgement, Gabriel's horn will sound much like Audra McDonald's voice.
I am forever in her debt for providing me with a new confidence in the art of singing. She will always have me as a fan of her art. Audra McDonald is a complete original and WAY BACK TO PARADISE certainly proves there is truth in this claim!