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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
Winning Fame Academy is no guarantee of long-term musical success, so champion Alex Parks wisely lays down the basis for a proper career on Introduction. By cowriting over half of the 13 songs here, she aims to be a bona fide singer-songwriter and not just some karaoke copyist. Of course, there are cover versions--market forces demand it--but they're not just grinning caricatures of the originals. REM's "Everybody Hurts" becomes a rousing torch-ballad, while a sparse, piano-led take on Tears for Fears' "Mad World" draws out all the song's melancholy misanthropy. Less successful are uninspired attempts at John Lennon's "Imagine" and Coldplay's "Yellow", and an inappropriately jaunty shot at Eurythmics' "Here Comes the Rain Again". Really, it's Parks' own tracks that work best. "Dirty Pretty Words" (copenned, like "Cry" and "Wandering Soul", with Boo Hewerdine) with its crunching, filthy guitar is fem-rock from Alanis Morissette's top drawer. "Stone and Feathers" is a storming vocal performance bound for gay-club glory, while the opening "Maybe That's What It Takes" is an orchestral feast of emotion. Parks has far higher ambitions than the likes of Will Young and Gareth Gates--she is aiming both for hits and credibility. She'll get the former, for sure. The latter will come only with time and struggle. --Dominic Wills
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
Alex Parks is not the typical winner or even participant of a pop talent show. (I think the two runner-up contestants were very much the stereotypical talent show hopefuls - nice singing, cute, and eminently forgettable.) I didn't follow Fame Academy from the start since I find such shows usually rather annoying, but I happened to catch her performing on one of the last shows, and was mesmerized immediately. She has such a touching and unique quality, that you almost wonder if she is too good to be true.
I sort of wish they had not rushed her debut CD, and given her (or the people surrounding her) enough time to come up with a CD of all original material. Still, this girl seems to have an uncanny ability to make a song sound like her own. When I first heard her singing Here Comes The Rain Again, I honestly had to think a bit before being able to remember that it had been originally sung by the Eurythmics. I know that sounds daft, but Alex Parks had taken over the song that much. The first single is an original song and it's a real winner.
Believe me I am not a typical teenaged Fame Academy fan, and I'm looking forward very much to how this young woman's career progresses.
98 of 104 people found the following review helpful
By Scentnoodle
Format:Audio CD
This is an amazing debut album from Alex Parks. It is only six weeks since she was announced as the (somewhat reluctant) winner of Fame Academy 2003 and yet the self-penned tracks on "introduction" sound like they have been months in the making. From the completely addictive "Maybe that's what it takes" to the rocky "Dirty, pretty words" via the trip hoppy loveliness of "Over conscious", this is superb listening. Plus for the die hard Fame Academy fans, there are some wonderful covers including the brilliant version of "Mad World" and the show-closing reworking of "Imagine".
I assure you, if you buy "Introduction", you will not be disappointed: you will be left wanting to hear more
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Graeme Hurry
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
With this album Alex proves that she is a song writer as well as a beautiful singer. Worries that her extraordinary single, "Maybe That's What It Takes", was a one-off are dashed with this cd. Every original track is superb in its different way.
With the different co-writers Alex has created a collection of ballads, rock songs and impressively original music. "Stones & Feathers" stands out as a song which refuses to be pigeon-holed. Building from a slow start it develops into an undulating classic flowing over the listener like waves. "Dirty Pretty Words" is a rock song with a gritty feel, contrasting with "Cry" which is hauntingly beautiful, but again having its powerful moments. "Over Conscious" is on the single and is another slow enigmatic song. Finally "Wandering Soul" is a rousing rock/folk hybrid starting slowly but with a full-on rock chorus.
All the cover's are good, but two stand out for me, "Mad World" sung in the style used in Donnie Darko is spine-tingling, and "Everybody Hurts", which is played slower than in Fame Academy, becomes an even more dark and mournful piece.
Although Alex's next album will be the first with all her own songs, this is an outstanding debut. It stands up against the competition in its own right, even for people who didn't watch Fame Academy. Buy it and it'll rarely be out of your cd player.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic voice.
I do not watch reality TV shows and so when I first saw Alex Parks perform 'Cry' in her fantastic video, I was totally unbiased and unfamiliar, but this song and video had... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2007 by FAMOUS NAME
5.0 out of 5 stars
18 months and still playing this wonderfull girl's 1st album
My title says it all. I have been listening to Alex's first 'Introduction' album since it came out and it is the first of 6 CDs in my car that I listen to when I am driving... Read more
Published on 31 July 2005 by Andrew Letchford
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
I bought this album with high hopes - foolish I know to base my expectations on a reality TV series, but there we go. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2004 by N BATTERSBY
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing new voice
when i saw alex on bbc prime i sudennly fall in love with her VOICE!strong and also delicate!amazing! Read more
Published on 14 May 2004 by mike mex
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alex's album is Fantastic and she is going to be a Superstar
I give this album 5 stars. The 1st song of her album, Maybe That's What It Takes, was a great single to kick off her career. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2004 by Thomas
3.0 out of 5 stars
Alex Parks - a great talent discovered!
I only give this album a 3 star rating because I feel that Alex Parks is reall talented with great vocal and songwriting ability but the thing I dont like about the album is there... Read more
Published on 29 Feb 2004 by Deano's
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD
Fantastic Cd. Alex's own tracks are just beautiful and the lyrics are so well written. The versions of Yellow, Beautiful and Everybody Hurts are just amazing..
Published on 25 Feb 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic album from an amazing new vocal talent
Alex Parks is an amazing new vocal talent possessing a distinctive rich husky voice and a an almost matchless ability to convey emotion in her performance. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2004 by Joe Briggs
1.0 out of 5 stars
Awful!
As a previous reviewer has said this is pretentious. The latest song especially has nothing going for it.....cry? Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!
When I just heard of Alex Parks I thought she had a masive voice, Introduction proves that she can't only sing, but the songs she have writen herself is as brilliant as her voice!! Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2004 by Buzg
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