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Product Description
Review
Once upon a time there were four boys who loved to sing. Clean-cut, malleable and studying at a top music school, they were plucked from obscurity to form a classical boy band and take part in a TV talent show. With a repertoire of poppified classics and classic-ified pop tunes, the band topped the charts, filled the Royal Albert Hall, and set the pulses of girls - and their mothers - throbbing. But then they got to squabbling, decided they'd had enough, and went their separate ways.
So runs the history of popera band G4. Only one of the ex-members has decided to pursue a solo career to date: Jonathan Ansell, he of the blond hair and pretty looks. His first solo recording - based on a reputed £1 million deal with Universal - assembles a selection of film themes, some with original lyrics, others with vocals written for this disc. The record company has high hopes, puffing Ansell as 'a modern-day Pavarotti', a role he will actually be playing in a Las Vegas musical about the superstar tenor later this year. But the results are decidedly mixed.
One problem is that many of these tracks are simply much better as instrumentals. In the case of Vangelis's Chariots of Fire theme, vocals just get in the way of this quintessential keyboard piece. Ansell's rendition plods along like a Monday-morning school assembly hymn. With Here's To The Heroes' - John Barry's theme from Dances With Wolves - the problem is that the vocals are hopelessly banal: "Here's to the heroes who aim so high / Here's to the heroes who do or die". And it's hard to listen to a serious rendition of Si Un Jour from Manon Des Sources when the tune is now inseparable from those ironic Stella Artois commercials.
Another downside is the souped-up musical arrangements. The disc is embellished with grandiose orchestral swirls and flourishes, ramping up the emotion to histrionic levels. Take Parla Piu Piano - aka the love theme from The Godfather - which is rendered as lavishly as Puccini. But while Ansell has a pleasant enough voice, he's hardly high opera, and it all sounds ridiculously grandiose.
The tracks which do work are the simpler pieces. Vois Sur Ton Chemin, the theme from French boarding school film Les Choristes, places Ansell's simple melody against a chirpy boys' choir. It's quirky, uncluttered, charming. The gospel Down In The River to Pray from O Brother Where Art Thou also works because of its simplicity. There should be more of these.
There are cohorts of Ansell fans who will doubtless lap this up and make this album a commercial triumph - but musically it's sadly mediocre. --Morag Reavley
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Product Description
Tenor At The Movies (CD Album) by Jonathan Ansell - 12 Tracks: 1. Here's To The Heroes (Dances With Wolves) 2. Now We Are Free (Gladiator) 3. Parla Piu Piano (The Godfather) 4. Race To The End (Chariots Of Fire) 5. Un Giorno Per Noi (Romeo And Juliet) 6. Vois Sur Ton Chemin (Les Choristes) 7. My Own True Love (Gone With The Wind) 8. Down In The River To Pray (O Brother Where Art Thou) 9. Se (Cinema Paradiso) 10. Prayer In The Night (Barry Lyndon) 11. Si Un Jour (Manon Des Sources) 12. Che Gelida Manina (Moonstruck) - Format: CD, Album, Digital Stereo, BIEM/SABAM - Label: UCJ Music - Vertrieb/Company: Universal Music - Bestell-Nr./Catalog#: 175 602-0 - VÖ/Released: 18/02/2008 - Land/Country: EU - Interpret/Artist: Jonathan Ansell - Titel/Title: Tenor At The Movies - Genre: Easy Listening - EAN/UPC: 602517560208
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute delight,
By Diana (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tenor At The Movies (Audio CD)
I am not sure what I expected from this album when it landed on my mat this morning. I know Jonathan Ansell has a great voice but it has not been maximised on disk up until now and the production on the previous G4 albums was, shall we say, not as good as it could have been.
Well this album is an absolute triumph, not only Jonathan but the guys from G2 Music and Nick Ingman all deserve the roses for this one. Vocal range and dexterity truly amazing, orchestration fantastic and the production values really high. And obviously I am not alone in thinking this as yesterday Sunday 24th February Jonathan became the youngest tenor to top the classical charts with this album. The track selection is appealing at first glance but when you hear some of the most evocative soundtracks ever written - plus a few hijacked from Handel, Verdi and Puccini - combined with this stunning tenor it certainly hits the spots others cannot even dream of reaching. There are also some interesting collaborations, the duet with Hayley Westenra is quite lovely, their voices entwine beautifully round the love theme from Romeo and Juliet and Vois Sur Ton Chemin with All Angels as the choir gives a wonderful twist to the Les Choristes theme. But my own favourites are when David Garrett's haunting violin complements Jonathan on The Godfather theme and Se from Cinema Paradiso. However the track to knock your socks off is the first one, Here's to the Heroes from Dancing with Wolves - have been lucky enough to see this performed live but it is equally stunning on disk. With this album Jonathan is redefining the crossover genre as there are no poppy songs operatised just beautiful popular music from many different eras complementing that spectacular voice.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant album,
This review is from: Tenor At The Movies (Audio CD)
Just a stunning album the Hayley Westenra collaboration Un giorno per noi is my fave track at the moment -just a stunning -sends shivers right through you beautiful duet.To be honest though I just adore every track.Jonathan can be so proud of this album ...his beautiful voice has matured so much as every track shows.. the orchestration and production brilliant.Superb album.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Album that I have heard to date......,
By Michelle "Michelle" (Portsmouth UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tenor At The Movies (Audio CD)
OH my goodness.... Didn't know what to expect - wasn't too sure if there would be some popera on there.... HOW WRONG I WAS!!!! This album just blew me away! The vocals, The arrangements.... well in fact the whole package!!!! The songs chosen were carefully thought out. I, in paticular, love Here's To the Heros from Dances With Wolves, Now We Are Free from Gladiator and My most Favourite at the Moment has to be Un Giorno Per Nol from Romeo and Juliet featuring Hayley Westenra - STUNNING!!!! If you get a chance you HAVE to listen to this album!!! And if YOU don't want to your Mum might so would make a PERFECT Mother's day present... My Mum is no longer with us so have been out today and bought this for my 2 sisters.....You know what? - THEY WILL LOVE IT!!! If I could rate this 11 out of 10 I would... I couldn't so 5 out of 5 had to do!! Congratulations Jonathan Ansell - YOUNGEST Tenor EVER to reach the Classical Charts No. 1 spot.......... Well Deserved!!!!
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