Charlotte Church - Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
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Free Music Notes for Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
Free Music Review: Hopefully a more balanced review than some :D
Hit: 4 Stars
I'm writing this review to balance the negative ones that have been posted recently.
There's some substance in a few of the criticisms that have been made, but no artist is perfect and it's always possible to fix on a defect and make a much bigger issue of it than a balanced review requires.
Singers and musicians in particular can tend to be hyper-critical and fix on details and blow them out of all proportion. As a musician myself I know how easy it is to fall into that trap.
The fact is, Charlotte Church has a voice that doesn't appeal to everyone (after all, who has a voice that does appeal to everyone? These things can be very subjective.) But many people find the tones in her voice quite beautiful. I certainly do.
Yes, there are technical defects if you compare her voice with much more developed singers. But technical perfection isn't everything. The Ave Maria mentioned by one of the negative reviewers is a case in point. I have that same Ave Maria sung by several different artists, and Charlotte's is by far the best, for me, not because it's as highly technical as some of the other versions, but because she brings a warmth and meaningfulness to the piece that's really what an Ave Maria should be about.
Music isn't about technical precision. If it was about that it would be better performed by robots. But it's about having enough technical ability to convey feelings to the person listening. Charlotte Church does that, and sometimes does it supremely well. She may not appeal to everybody, but no reasonable person would expect that.
The same goes for Charlotte's age. In some ways she brings new clarity to some pieces because of her age and the lightness of her voice - and the less developed technical training can actually help. Sometimes she may not carry it off, but maybe even then it's a question of personal preference. She's been criticised for her Habanera, and really this should be sung by someone with more maturity and gutsiness. At least, in the original setting it should be. But this isn't the original setting, and maybe Charlotte's entitled to interpret the song her own way. The first time I heard her sing Habanera was on stage, and she danced to it as well. To me it didn't convey what a more mature woman would have been able to convey, but then again I'm a more mature man. :D To a younger person it may have been an excellent way of bringing the song and the character alive.
But on the whole, Charlotte appeals to a wide variety of people of all ages and diverse musical tastes. She arouses admiration and hostility, and both can be too extreme. I'd advise anyone to just listen, not over-critically, but openly and warmly. Certainly don't let any technical criticisms - whether real or imagined - come between you and a voice that can be rich and full of feeling.
If I was asked to compile a track list for an album like this, I'd make a different choice. I suppose everyone would have their own list of preferences, though. In view of that, I wondered about giving this CD three stars, but Charlotte really deserves four, and I think that's a better reflection of what this CD is about. (BTW I'm not a person who'd give five stars very often, so four is high praise from me.)
Free Music Review: A little girl with a lot to offer...
Hit: 4 Stars
Ah, to be 16 years old and release a greatest hits album. How amazing that would be! For Miss Church, this is a reality. After only 4 studio albums, and one of them being a holiday cd, Charlotte and her company (Sony Classical) have decided that the time has come to release a greatest hits package. Is it really just a marketing gimmick? Most likely yes. She is a lovely girl with a voice to match, and each song on this disc is sung with a lot of strength and grace. For new fans of Charlotte Church, this album is especially good for you, as it is an excellent way to catch up on what has been happening since 1998 when Charlotte first appeared on the scene. Be aware, this disc is not titled "Greatest Hits." That would imply that each of these songs were successful on the charts and, probably, released as singles. That is not true at all. These songs are, in the opinion of the company, the most well constructed pieces that are most likely to be popular with the public. Some of the songs here are also Charlotte's best known ("Pie Jesu" and "Just Wave Hello" anyone?).
In my opinion, Charlotte is already a beautiful singer and still has great potential to grow. Anyone who says she has a terrible voice must be tone deaf. My faves on this disc are "Flower Duet," "Just Wave Hello," and the very soft "All love can be" from the "A Beautiful Mind" soundtrack.
For anyone thinking about buying this cd, you might want to consider how much you really enjoy Charlotte's music. If you only like one song on the whole disc, forget about it. If you have heard a lot of her material over the years and have enjoyed it for the most part, then this might be a worthy investment. Not everyone will like this cd, and not everyone will hate it either. But please, regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, don't say this girl is a bad singer. Think of it this way: Charlotte possesses a simplicity and clarity that is rare. No frills or fancies, just singing that is simple and clear (of course, hitting high notes really isn't that simple). Remember, this cd isn't a career capping collection by any means (but it sure could have waited for a while longer). Charlotte is just beginning, and should be around for years to come. I'm sure that, with time, she will only get better and produce music that will appeal to many.
Free Music Review: A refreshing change from the usual teenaged singer
Hit: 4 Stars
My first exposure to Charlotte Church was in a friend's home. She put on "Voice of an Angel" and said, "Listen to this singer. There's a secret here and I want you to guess what it is." I listened, intrigued, for several minutes and then guessed, "Is it a boy soprano?" My friend told me I was close. "It's a girl," she said, "but she recorded this song when she was only 13."Having myself begun voice training at a very early age with an ambitious middle-school teacher who thought I had unusual potential, and therefore knowing the kind of discipline that must go into developing any natural gift, I was charmed by the clear, sweet quality of Charlotte Church's voice. In fact, I must have talked about her a lot over the next few months, because my own 13-year-old daughter bought me "Prelude" for Christmas. It was one of my favourite gifts that year and I played it over and over until the rest of the family began dropping gentle hints that they'd like to hear something else...
Her voice has certainly matured as shown in, for example, "All Love Can Be" from the "Beautiful Mind" soundtrack. However, my all-time favourite (so far) would still have to be her rendition of "Psalm 23" which appears on the "Voice of an Angel" CD. If "Prelude" had "Psalm 23" instead of "Habanera," which to me does sound a bit unnatural (if, admittedly, well-executed) sung by such a very young girl, I'd be even more satisfied with this recording.
Free Music Review: Let's give her some credit!
Hit: 4 Stars
It's amazing to me to read some of these reviews. Obviously, we have talented, musically trained people who don't like Charlotte's voice as explained in their scathing reviews. Why do people feel like they have a right to critize what some people choose to sing. It's almost like they're trying to sell their abilities by showing how much training they received and how many flaws they noticed. So, Charlotte is not a seasoned singer and her voice is not as strong as can be. So what? She dared to tackle some difficult material - but she has impeccable taste. She sings material that can be neither popular nor appreciated by those her age. She is not one of those cookie-cutter pop-singers and doesn't try to be. Yes, she's young and her voice has not developed but I still enjoy listening. I don't have to be musically trained to appreciate someone's effort. I can't catch the flaws like most can but I'm not looking for them. I enjoyed her rendition of Delibes "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and the flamenco-styled "Habanera." I feel she is making them her own and not necessarily following the steps previously covered by others. Remember - she is just a teenager who has a lot of growing up to do and this album gives a glimpse of what to expect in the years to come. She has talent and grace!
Free Music Review: An Outstanding Prelude
Hit: 4 Stars
If Charlotte Church can put together a collection as has been included in The Best and this is just a prelude, then her next CD must be out of this world. There is some excellent music sung here. I didn't find all of the selections I was hoping for from her previous CDs, but there is enough included to satisfy even the fussiest of listeners.This young lady sits at the head of her class in the world forum and everyone should take the opportunity to listen to this great voice and wish that someday the pop singers we hear on the radio all the time will sound this good.
I'm hoping for some more Charlotte Church's to come into the recording industry. Maybe then, the industry will start making some money and quit complaining about how bad all of those pop artists sound.
We need more artists like this in stores and on television.