Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World
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Free Music Notes for Half the Perfect World
Free Music Review: Five stars for "River"
Hit: 5 Stars
Yes, for just one song, Joni Mitchell's "River" this album deserves pure five stars. Peyroux's voice is so fragile and humble with Lang's one melodic and strong without overpowering. Sheer pleasure for vocal lovers.
But there is more. I could never figure out that somebody can sing "Summer Wind" after Frank Sinatra covered it. Frank is of course always perfect. Yet, Madeleine's version is equally good. She has a naturally swinging voice and it shows. Leonard Cohen's songs are real delight, especially "Half the Perfect World", sung by Madeleine almost jokingly. And Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" ends the set. Bravo!
Free Music Review: The best so far.....what's next??
Hit: 5 Stars
Listen.
Well, I guess that says it all. Let me explain.
Picture this if you will...
You've had a bad day and just want to get home to relax. You walk in the door, kick off your shoes and get you're coffee maker goin'. You pop into the living room and click on your audio system... letting it warm up while you get into something more comfortable. You grab a cup of coffee and head back to the living room. You pop Half The Perfect World in the CD player. You grab the remote and head for your listening spot. You click the 'GO' button on the remote and AHHHHHH... utter relaxation!
Great music and great performances. There's nothing left to say.
I rated this CD FIVE STARS based on the music and performances and that I'm writing to a non audiophile audience. HOWEVER, if I were reviewing this for my web page, I'd rate it this way:
Music A+
Performance A-
Recording C-
About the recording... the overall sound is "thick & muddy", that is, it lacks overall clarity and ambience. If you can relate to the difference between flying thru the air and swimming in mud, this thing was recorded in a mud puddle.
But don't let that stop you from buying Half The Perfect World. The beauty of the music and the excellence of the performances far outweigh the muddy, 1950's jukebox sound.
As I suggested at the beginning of this review ...sit back, relax, enjoy.
Free Music Review: Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World
Hit: 4 Stars
Very soulful artistry and a wide range in style made this cd very enjoyable. Peyroux's voice is very remeniscent of Billie Holiday and it has an undercurrent of angst. I would have liked a bit more up-tempo tunes but overall a very pleasant listening experience that I do not tire of.Free Music Review: Madeliene Peyroux is Bossa Nova!
Hit: 5 Stars
Madeleine Peyroux is Bossa Nova! She's jazzy, but she's more, she's Bossa Nova! She presents us the liric "Half the perfect world" in the finest Bossa Nova way.
She's great and we'll listen to her in Brazil next september, 28.!
Carlos Salgado
Porto Alegre
Brasil
Free Music Review: not really distinctive
Hit: 2 Stars
It's a sad thing when the most engaging music on a vocal album comes from the backup musicians. I had heard parts of this singer's first CD and enjoyed it quite a bit. Ms. Peyroux seemed to have a sense of style -- even if most of it was borrowed from you-know-who -- and a retro taste that made her stand out from the current crowd.
But I have been unable to listen to this entire CD in one sitting. In fact I haven't gotten more than three tracks into it without giving up in boredom. The pianist was doing more interesting things than the woman he accompanied.
Unbelievably lackluster performances. And not very well mixed or balanced either, although at least one can say the production is consistent with the flavorless artistry on "display" here.
Anyone who experiences M. Peyroux for the first time via this album will probably wonder what all the fuss is about. Sorry to be so negative. Even sorrier I spent money on this.