Anthems

I love this album! my pre-order copy came today and I suppose I could be counted as a 'new' Kerry fan as although I had heard of her before now and thought she was very good, I never appreciated just how good she was until I heard this album.
Track by track:

1. Dangerland- very good start to the album, probably not my favourite, definately anthemic 4/5
2. Anthem- amazing, one of the best songs from chess and with added Brain May guitar, what more could you want! 5/5
3. I can't be your friend- Written by May and Black- incredible 5/5
4. Defying gravity- I don't think I need to say more than wow for this- 5/5
5. I'm not that girl- more rocky than it is in the musical, but this way it fits in more with the album, I like the song, but not as much as defying gravity 4/5
6. You have to be there- I have never heard this song before which is from a swedish musical written by Benny and Bjorn of ABBA - this may become another favourite 5/5
7. Love it when you call- My favourite song from 'The Feeling' and kerry does it justice and them some, great harmonies- 5/5
8. save me- cover of Queen song 3.5/5
9. Diamonds are forever- again another amazing version of a classic, kerry has a unique style and never sounds as though she is trying to copy anyone- not that she needs to, very atmospheric- 5/5
10. No one but you- this is by far the best song of the album, sounds as though this was written for her it suits her so well - 5/5
11 I loved a butterfly- more chilled end to the album 4/5

This album should do well, it deserves to as it fits so well with her voice and style, there is no filler and not a bad song on it!Buy this, you will not regret it.

If you haven't heard Kerry Ellis sing before, you haven't lived. simply the BEST cd i have ever had the pleasure of purchasing. Beautiful tone, great song selection with amazing re-vamps and some new songs too. If you like Queen and you like things that little bit different then you need to buy this Cd. I have it on repeat since the day a bought it, brilliant buy.

I have been a Queen fan all my life and I was even a fan of the Paul Rodgers partnership which, contrary to belief and narrow-minded critics inappropriately making hopeless Mercury comparisons, I thought was great. Cosmos Rocks was a great LP.

The reason I opened talking about Queen was because this album, in case you didn't know, was produced by Brian May. Now, I am a huge fan and admirer of his but sometimes these tracks come across as overproduced. I had the pleasure of seeing Kerry live in Wicked and she has an outstanding voice and whilst hearing that inimitable Brian May sound roaring through 'Defying Gravity', you can't help but think that the track is just overkill from beginning to end. A great song is one that starts from nothing and then builds to something magical. Crashing and bashing through songs just ruins the whole atmosphere. Especially for slower numbers like 'Anthem' and even Brian's own 'No-One But You'.

Because the music and production is so huge, Kerry Ellis ends up shouting most of the album to be heard and she seems to be showing off that she can belt rather than showing her more sensitive side when it would be appropriate. The best songs are probably the ones composed for the album with the majority being covers that end up being Brian May covers with Kerry belting away. I still give this three stars as sometimes it works but you may end up with a headache if you listen to the album in one go. I like noise, I am a big Muse fan for example, but big loud moments need to be built up to. Without the build up, the climax is not effective and that is what I feel when listening to many of these songs. 'Diamonds are Forever' is just bizarre and 'I Love it when you Call' comes across as an unnecssary attempt for both Kerry and Brian to get "down wit da kids". Either Brian is domineering, is losing it or Kerry relied on him too much.

Considering this LP took ages to get released, it is amazing that the production seems so thrown together. I was not surprised when I read that all instruments (excluding drums and orchestral arrangements) were played by May. We know he can play a guitar and a bit of keys but perhaps a few session players would have made the sound better. Brian May is a superb solo artist, I highly recommend his two solo albums available on Amazon, but he has lost it here. Kerry is supposed to be the star but she ends up shouting her way through a crowded score and muddled production. It probably works much better live than on record. There is no subtlety at all.

This review seems harsh and seems to be one that reflects an opinion below three stars but it is still fairly good and should be listened to. All I will say is, Queen fans beware as some Queen songs are shouted through, musical theatre fans beware as the songs are not portrayed as they should be. This leaves the original tracks which are probably the best on the album. Unfortunately, Brian and Kerry is not a musical match made in heaven.