Josh Groban - Closer
List Price:
Our Price: $5.96
You Save: $8.02 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.75 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Josh GrobanBrand: GROBAN,JOSH
Edition: Music CD
Format: Enhanced
CD Release Date: 2003-11-11
Music Label: Reprise / Wea
Product features:
- GROBAN JOSH CLOSER
- Oceano
- My Confession
- Il Postino (Mi Mancherai)
- Si Volvieras a Mi
- When You Say You Love Me
- Per Te
- All Improvviso Amore
- Broken Vow
- Caruso
- Remember When It Rained
- Hymne a l'Amour
- You Raise Me Up
- Never Let Go
Free Music Notes for Closer
Free Music Review: A Popular Baritone; How Rare
Hit: 5 Stars
I rarely listen to music like this. I suppose you could argue that the vast majority of people rarely listen to music like this. There are few baritones that sing music that straddles pop and classical, choosing instead to sing pop where it is easier to attain commercial success. How fortunate for us to hear this young man as he furthers his career with the release of this, his second album.
The first song on this CD is one of the best. "Oceano" is a gorgeous song that highlights Josh's wonderful voice, keeping the instruments just far enough in the background to keep from detracting from the power of his voice. I believe "Oceano" will become one of those songs that are collected multiple times in the future.
The second song on this CD belongs in a movie or a play. "My Confession" has those elements that long for a pivotal romantic scene to complete the choreography. The song certainly has the power to stand on its own, but I immediately think of the scenes between Conner MacLeod and Heather MacLeod in "Highlander" and think of how this song could have led up to the Queen song "Who Wants to Live Forever."
The third song is "Il Postino," a lovely Italian song that I am clueless in understanding, but Groban sings the song so beautifully that I am instantly caught up in the emotions he places into the song. Joshua Bell's violin is featured prominently in this song and is an awesome enhancement. Be prepared to put yourself deeply into this song. I like the following song, "Si Volvieras a Mi," which loosely translates to return to me. However, as pretty as this song is, I think that this song would have been better positioned before "Il Postino." This song is a bit of a let down after the previous song, and could have helped the build up to the previous song.
Groban seems to be quite at home with romantic music, and "When You Say You Love Me" is a simple middle-of-the-road pop tune that Groban could do in his sleep. While I object to the term "filler," this song is much less than the average song on this CD.
"Per Te" is almost as much above average as "When You Say You Love Me" is below average. This song has a lot of drama and sweeping moments that provide an operatic flavor.
"All Improvviso Amore" is Italian (I think), but sounds like pop rather than classical or opera. Yet another song stylistically similar to the previous song is "Broken Vow." Both songs have moments of bombast in the second half of the song. These are two very light and mellow pop songs.
I am unsure of what Groban was trying to accomplish with "Caruso." The song is mellow with few of the heights that I would attribute to Enrico Caruso. If Groban's intent was a muted tribute to the great singer, then he succeeded. However, since the song is sung in Italian(?), I am unable to discern his approach. The song finally scales some heights for about 15 or 20 seconds in the last minute of the song, but once again I am unsure of Groban's intent. Groban's voice has the power to create a much stronger tribute to Caruso, so the song comes across as a lament rather than an operatic tribute.
As much as I like some of the earlier music on this CD, I am positively wild about "Remember When It Rained." Groban uses his voice sparingly and well, imbuing the song with emotional power. This song has a perfect combination of music and vocals, and is one of my favorites from this CD. "Hymne a l'Amour" is a very good follow on to the previous song. The mellow tone of this song building to the soaring vocals at the halfway point makes this a nice transition song.
This song begins with a Celtic flavor. "You Raise Me Up" borrows styles from folk music. The song has lovely piano and violin music in the transitions between the choruses that will likely make this song another favorite of musical collections. I was hoping this song would keep that simplicity to the end, but about halfway through the song the music and vocals become unnecessarily dramatic. Just because Groban has the vocal power to sing dramatically does not mean that every song requires such drama. In fact, Groban proves this with the final song, "Never Let Go." This final song sends chills down my spine, and is my favorite from this entire CD. In this final song the musical style departs from the formula used in many of the other songs to tantalize us all with the possibilities that Groban has as a singer and an artist.
I always want to believe that every musical artist I enjoy has ever more potential. In Josh Groban's case, I think the potential is very real. Josh is still very young, and this CD clearly shows that he has incredible potential in his voice and in his musical styles. I believe that he will continue to impress us with his abilities, and I look forward not only to his next CD, but to what happens as his voice matures.
Closer Poster
Japanese edition of the acclaimed vocalist's sophomore album features 14 tracks including 1 bonus track, 'She's Out Of My Life', plus enhanced material including a link to Josh Groban's fan club. 143 Records/Reprise. 2004.Thanks to a fortuitous intersection of talent and fate, 22-year-old Josh Groban hasn't finished his senior year in performing arts school but has already released his sophomore effort on a major major label. Fans of the young vocal phenom's debut will find much to enthrall them here, even if it nudges the singer closer to the center of producer/mentor David Foster's MOR pop sensibilities. Eschewing much of its predecessor's more overt classic-lite pretensions and pop-rock covers for a slate of dramatic, Eurocentric ballads that serve as a showcase for the singer's inviting baritone, Groban shrewdly positions himself as the American alternative to the Bocelli-Watson crossover axis. "Caruso" may find the singer falling short of its operatic inspiration, but "Oceano" and "My Confession" quickly showcase his true dramatic range (which seems to all but yearn for a bona fide Broadway musical challenge), while a vocal take of Bacalov's graceful "Il Postino" theme uses classical virtuoso Joshua Bell's violin flourishes to good effect. To his credit, Groban displays some promising efforts at songwriting collaboration on the bittersweet "Per Te" and "Remember When It Rains," while the ambient/ethnic soundscape of Deep Forest's "Never Let Go" offers a teasing alternative to the record's otherwise melodramatic production formula. Groban has found commercial triumph via Foster's mentoring, but there remains a nagging sense here that he hasn't truly pushed himself as an artist--yet. --Jerry McCulley
Broadway & Vocalists Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Broadway & Vocalists Music CDs
George Shearing, Mel Torme - Elegant EveningSHEARING,G/TORME,M; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $7.05
Price in other shops:
Stan Getz - Spring Is HereRelease date: 1993-01-11; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Rosemary Clooney - Girl SingerRelease date: 1999-04-01; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
The Blenders - NogRelease date: 1998-10-20; Music CD
Best price: $9.69
Price in other shops:
Brave Combo, Tiny Tim - GirlTIM,TINY/BRAVE COMB; Release date: 1996-03-19; Music CD
Best price: $10.36
Price in other shops:
Belleville a Cappella Choir - Southern Journey, Vol. 11: Honor The Lamb - The Belleville A Cappella ChoirRelease date: 1998-02-10; Music CD
Best price: $83.93
Diane Schuur - Love SongsRelease date: 1993-05-11; Music CD
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
![Love Is the Thing [Vinyl] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Nat King Cole - Love Is the Thing [Vinyl]Release date: 1996-11-19; Music CD
Best price: $169.99
Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt: Greatest HitsRelease date: 1998-01-13; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis Jr - Sounds of 66Release date: 1996-09-17; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Josh Groban - With YouPublished: 2007; Music CD
Best price: $69.98
Andrea Bocelli - The Best of Andrea Bocelli: VivereIgnatius Press; Release date: 2007-10-30; Music CD
Best price: $8.18
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - Josh Groban In Concert (with Bonus DVD)GROBAN,JOSH; Release date: 2002-12-03; Music CD
Best price: $13.95
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - Josh Groban Live at The Greek (CD/ DVD)GROBAN,JOSH; Release date: 2004-11-30; Music CD
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - Awake (Special Edition, CD/ DVD)GROBAN,JOSH; Release date: 2006-11-07; Music CD
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - NoelHeart Beat Records; Release date: 2007-10-09; Music CD
Best price: $4.83
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - IlluminationsIgnatius Press; Release date: 2010-11-15; Music CD
Best price: $3.70
Price in other shops:
A Collectionby JOSH GROBAN
Music CD
Best price: $11.71
Herbie Hancock, Josh Groban - AwakeGROBAN,JOSH; Release date: 2006-11-07; Music CD
Best price: $5.89
Price in other shops:
Josh Groban - Josh GrobanGROBAN,JOSH; Release date: 2001-11-20; Music CD
Best price: $4.65
Price in other shops: