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Begin To Hope
 
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Begin To Hope

~ Regina Spektor
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
Price: £4.98 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 6 to 10 days.
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Frequently Bought Together

Begin To Hope + Soviet Kitsch + Far
Price For All Three: £22.44

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  • This item: Begin To Hope ~ Regina Spektor

    Usually dispatched within 6 to 10 days.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Soviet Kitsch ~ Regina Spektor

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Far ~ Regina Spektor

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Product details

  • Audio CD (10 Jul 2006)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Sire Records
  • ASIN: B000FFJ80I
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 280 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in these categories:

    #31 in  Music > Adult Contemporary > Singer-songwriters
    #50 in  Music > Adult Contemporary > Pop Rock

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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Extraits
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Fidelity 3:47£0.69
Listen  2. Better 3:22£0.69
Listen  3. Samson 3:09£0.69
Listen  4. On The Radio 3:20£0.69
Listen  5. Field Below 5:18£0.69
Listen  6. Hotel Song 3:28£0.69
Listen  7. Après Moi 5:08£0.69
Listen  8. 20 Years Of Snow 3:30£0.69
Listen  9. That Time 2:37£0.69
Listen10. Edit 4:51£0.69
Listen11. Lady 4:42£0.69
Listen12. Summer In The City 3:50£0.69

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe, it's less interested in rebellion and more concerned with the joy of eccentricity, melody and surprise. Begin To Hope is full of surprises, and like her promising major label debut Soviet Kitsch, it displays an easy facility with song structure that enables her to go in different--sometimes wildly off-the-wall--directions without sounding scattered. Classically trained on the piano, she's been compared to Tori Amos, but her music isn't as delicate or precious. Fiona Apple comes up as well, but just because neither fits in the usual female singer/songwriter cookie cutter mold doesn't mean they sound the same. Her voice is actually the primary attraction, cracking and loopy on would-be lullabies like "On The Radio" and "Field Below," then punchy and cute on "Hotel Room." But the music, if understated in the mix next to her vocals, makes an impression as well, breaking in with twisty piano arpeggios ("20 Years of Snow") and occasional touches of electronica. It's a consistently intelligent and daring record, yet remains enormously listenable--a neat trick for anti-folk, or any other genre of music for that matter. --Matthew Cooke

CD Description
Third studio album from eccentric, eclectic Russian-born New Yorker follows hot on the heels of her 'Mary-Ann Meets TheGravediggers' compilation. Whilst Spektor made her name as part of the ultra-lo-fi "antifolk" scene, this release, produced by Dave Kahne (Bangles, Paul McCartney, Sugar Ray), hasa lush, expansive sound replete with a multitude of musicalideas through which Spektor's street-smart songwriting shines. Includes the single 'On The Radio'.

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Customer Reviews

34 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, perky and perfect, 30 Nov 2006
By Ian David Curry "Legal Eagle" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This is the third studio album from a woman varyingly described as eclectic, eccentric, energetic and enigmatic. Alliterative descriptions aside, this album is one of the most purely enjoyable and listenable CDs I have bought in a long time. Spektor is a classically trained pianist, and as a woman singer songwriter inevitably attracts comparisons with Tori Amos. Its not a bad comparison - but Spektor is a feistier, happier and bouncier musician than her better known comparator.

The music is a combination of gloriously catchy, poppy songs with loopy lyrics and gripping chorus lines, and the more delicate, heart-stirring songs that seem to come directly from and to the soul. That leaves another set of songs which are derived from Spektor's wide and varied imagination, complex, twisting and haunting melodies which weave fairy tales of varying degrees of darkness and intensity.

This is one of the first albums of the year that I have listened to in a state of joy and sheer exuberant pleasure. Each track is enjoyable, and there are more than a handful which are simply great. From the happy, clappable Fidelity to the stirring, childlike delight of Samson and the repeated delights of On The Radio.

Not only does Spektor utilise a range of instruments, notably focusing on her ability on the piano, but her voice is quirky and interesting. At once New York, and then surprising with a Russian accent.

For a CD that has been labelled "anti-folk" this is both off-beat and gloriously listenable. It is the perfect way to enjoy something that is different, surprising, intelligent, daring but that doesn't stray into the mainstream.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, 9 Jul 2006
By Mr. T. S. Guy (York, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Regina's latest release has come under fire from some of her hardcore fans for being more "mainstream" than her earlier releases. Although the charge is true, in the case of Regina I feel inclined to say that this is in fact a good thing.

In her earlier work, Regina utilised only her voice and her piano, and created some stunning albeit spectacularly strange music. In this current work she has experimented more with other instrumentation, and the outcome is more radio-friendly than anything she has previously released. However, this is not the sound of an artist compromised; Regina sounds confident and at ease with the material. What some would call selling out, I would call artistic growth.

I thoroughly recommend this album, and if you enjoy it then I'd consider purchasing "Soviet Kitsch" next, as out of all her other CDs it is probably the closest in sound to this one.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive, 10 April 2007
I have all of Regina Spektor's albums and as a pianist myself I love her music.
I like the more poppy/indie sound that she has in this album, it comes across as alot more mainstream and is alot more easy- listening than her previous albums.
I have become completely addicted to this album and have not only listened to it non-stop but my friend made me a book of the sheet music for my birthday and I have been playing it also.
As I said above, this album is alot more well rounded and flows easier than previous albums however I feel that it is Regina's orginal style, lyrics and piano accompaniment that make her such a wonderful artist to listen to.
On conclusion, although slightly different and possibly a more developed sound than her previous music.... still a BEAUTIFUL album and definately worth buying. If you are anything like me you will fall in love with it and question the meaning of your life without it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music, Awful Recording
I love the songwriting of Regina Spektor. I love her lyrics and the way she sings them, I love the way she plays the piano. Read more
Published 12 days ago by YellowSphere

4.0 out of 5 stars Fabulously Regina. But not as groundbreaking as her earlier stuff
This cd is packed full of Spektors trademark original-ness. Unfortunately she seems to have toned down a bit and looked for a more main stream sound. Read more
Published 15 months ago by molko

5.0 out of 5 stars Best album I own!
This is an excellent collection of music, and, though it is Regina's latest album, it is the best introduction to her style and the easiest way to begin listening to some of her... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Baba ganoush

2.0 out of 5 stars Tiresome
New Yawk arthouse/coffeehouse. Off the wall lyrics. Cold noodly piano and synths, piano and synths, yeah, welcome to singer/songwriter land where words and phrases are frequently... Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. Macdonald

5.0 out of 5 stars If i were stuck on a desert island..
With a 3 item limit; I'd take a generator, a CD player, and a Regina Spektor album. This is the most beautiful, inspiring music you're likely to come across in the dirge we call... Read more
Published 18 months ago by G. Colman

5.0 out of 5 stars Begin to Hope ...
I put off buying this album for a while ... I wish I hadn't because it is sooo good. I missed out for those weeks when I didn't go out and buy it. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Luvlyloz

5.0 out of 5 stars Big fans should buy the US double disc edition
This is an amazing album, she cant go wrong in my eyes but I do prefer her older stuff. The only thing I would say is - Fans - dont buy this one - buy the yellow covered US... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ms. M. Anastasiou

4.0 out of 5 stars keep listening
After hearing Fidelity and On The Radio I just had to do some investigating. Songs like these can be listened to over and over and over again and you will never get bored of... Read more
Published 23 months ago by apostrophes&arcadefire

3.0 out of 5 stars Just not as good as she can be!
It's difficult to find the middle ground between being too hard or too fair when reviewing 'Begin To Hope'. Read more
Published 23 months ago by I. Lehnert

4.0 out of 5 stars Great female star
I haven't heard any of her other material but I would definately recommend this. For me, she should be much bigger in the UK. Poorer artists get a lot more success. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Tre Mendous

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Begin To Hope
79% buy the item featured on this page:
Begin To Hope 4.5 out of 5 stars (34)
£4.98
Soviet Kitsch
7% buy
Soviet Kitsch 4.7 out of 5 stars (19)
£4.48
Far
6% buy
Far 4.8 out of 5 stars (6)
£6.98
Far
6% buy
Far 4.8 out of 5 stars (10)
£12.98
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