21

'Sometimes it lasts in love... and sometimes it hurts instead'.

My expectations for this release were raised when I saw Adele perform 'someone like you' on Jools Holland - and it literally made me cry. It was the first track that I played when I got hold of the album, and I was pleased that she had stayed with the simplicity of the live performance - but slightly disappointed that the album version is a bit sterile in comparison. But this is nit picking. At a tender age Adele has proven herself as a fantastic writer and performer. Her vocals are distinctive and she is equally at home with pop, blues, soul and torch songs. There are any number of stand out tracks here, - in fact the first six are so good I instantly wanted to repeat play each track on first listen - just to take it in.

This is very much a break up album, sad, but uplifting at the same time. I liked 19 but had no great expectation that she could produce a second record of this quality. Suddenly I am a huge fan.

Highly recommended.

Not suprisingly for someone in my forties, 19 passed me by completely but I was brought to the edge of the sofa by Adele when she performed 'Someone Like You' on Jools Holland. I have subsequently played this song a thousand times and am still not tired of it. Dumbfounded how someone so young could write such an insightful and beautiful song and then deliver it with such power against that achingly simple piano. Less is more. And then listening to chirpy Miss Adkins herself discussing giving up smoking and walking her dog on Radio Two at the weekend. She is amazing and so is this album. Of course her voice is amazing but those songs? And alongside this faultless production and US influence, something very special has been created. If you don't like this, whatever your musical taste (I'm no soul boy) your heart has died. She is going to be a Megastar.

First of all Adele 21,as a piece of Music is a great, Turning tables, Set fire to the rain are just brilliant, and the Cure cover Lovesong also fantastic. So why the three stars. Well first of all Adele 21 is a five star album, however the compression on this CD is unbearable,it has at times is so harsh it has distorted the music.This appears to be because the transfer being so loud you loose the quality of the recording. I was so disappointed with the sound I bought the vinyl version hopping it would be better, it is not leaps and bounds but it is of a higher quality than the CD. I can only believe the CD has been mastered from an MP3 file, hence the loss of quality. I appear not be the only one who felt this i looked on line and it appears to be many people upset by this transfer. I personally do not understand why this is being done, why can't the record companies just let the quality of the recording come through. If you want to know what I mean put the CD in a reasonably good system and turn it up, you will not be able to go to loud before the sound begins to distort and clip,if this is the future we are going backwards, there are many recording 50 years older than this that sound 100% better. This is a shame that one of the best albums this decade has been mastered so badly I do hope XL recording take note and solve this problem. Those thinking of buying the vinyl version don't bother it sounds the same as the CD. This review is based on the very poor quality of the CD so please make sure you understand it not for the album musically. Shoot the mixer!