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Product Description
Review
Fresh from the commercial success of Melody, her debut solo offering in 2008, Sharleen Spiteri steps away from 60s pastiche to root herself solidly in the middle of the road with a baker’s dozen-worth of never more than passable covers aimed squarely at Radio 2.
The Movie Songbook is hardly a cutting-edge idea, more a blunt re-hashing of a disparate collection of songs strung together by the mere coincidence of having featured on a film soundtrack. Agreeably enough, Spiteri doesn’t always opt for the obvious choice, but she never seems completely certain of how to make the material her own. The production – shared by the singer with Phil Ramone and Texas bandmate Johnny McElhone – echoes the uncertainty, pulling in every direction it can and on too many occasions all at once.
When Spiteri stays closest to the original – as with Jeff Lynne’s bright, buoyant Xanadu and the Bee Gees’ anthemic jeremiad If I Can’t Have You – the results are enjoyable enough. But that’s before you encounter the spectacularly misconceived cover of Billie Holiday’s God Bless the Child (Spiteri bizarrely pitching it as a seductive torch song), the unconvincing, rockabilly-laced Cat People (Putting Out Fire), and a strung-out and strangulated This One’s From the Heart that Tom Waits himself would struggle to recognise as his own.
Ramone’s fingerprints are all over a brooding Sound of Silence and a brassy What’s New Pussycat?, both of which benefit from vocal performances unhindered by Spiteri’s well-intentioned but otherwise woefully executed urge to ‘characterise’ songs. Straining for effect in Jimmy Cliff’s Many Rivers to Cross, she rapidly descends into an unintelligible whole as the airbrushed production goes doodling off on its own.
Perhaps it just seems worse than it is because it’s not as good as it could have been. Or perhaps it’s because this is material that makes too many demands of a voice with a narrow range and a tendency to clot and congeal. --Michael Quinn
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CD Description
The Movie Songbook is the follow up to Sharleen Spiteri's top three debut solo album Melody, and the ninth studio album from a 21 year recording career. A collection of Sharleen’s favourite soundtracks, the album is a musical journey from pop to country via disco, bossa-nova, folk, rockabilly and jazz. Phil Ramone (who has produced various Hollywood legends from Marilyn Monroe to Frank Sinatra via Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand) is on production duties for the album , which includes "God Bless The Child", "Xanadu", "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" and "The Sound Of Silence".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have all the Texas CD's and looked forward to this new release. I was disappointed both from the selection and quality of the tunes and lack of depth in the vocals.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I honestly don't know why people are cutting into this album. I feel that most of the tracks on this album are very good, some of the tracks even better than the originals!
I think that there are about two tracks on here where I am not a huge fan of the originals, but even though, I have to say, this makes for a pretty good album. I was particuarly impressed by the slow, smokey bar numbers, God Bless the Child,
Windmills of your Mind and This ones from the Heart.
I urge you guys to try listening to this album and giving it another try. ;-)
I think that there are about two tracks on here where I am not a huge fan of the originals, but even though, I have to say, this makes for a pretty good album. I was particuarly impressed by the slow, smokey bar numbers, God Bless the Child,
Windmills of your Mind and This ones from the Heart.
I urge you guys to try listening to this album and giving it another try. ;-)
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Just brilliant, what a fantastic voice this Lady has, looking forward to the next album!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Straight to the charity shop with this one
I bought this yesterday, thinking it would be a fun, bright and breezy summer listening CD. Was looking forward to hearing some much loved songs from Sharleen's great vocals. Read more
Published 13 months ago by MadamJMo
The Movie Song Book
Well worth the money and one of the best cds I have heard in quite some time
Published 21 months ago by Bernie
I should have listen to other reviewers...
Very disappointing. I've read all the other reviews, but despite of them I've decided to bought record... Except two or three songs you could listen the rest sound really annoying. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ganzz Gut
Not her best album
Not at her best on this album if you like texas you may not like this, as it is different from her usual stuff .I must say I do like it .
Published 22 months ago by J. McDonald
Not suitable for adult learners
I purchased this book to use with adult learners as other reviews stated that it could be used for this age group. Read more
Published on 19 April 2010 by Super Sam
Wish I was in texas
It is my own fault, I guess I should have not assumed that these would songs would have an individual twist to them. Read more
Published on 12 April 2010 by Zippy
Poor quality
This item would not play on any of my CD players but had a full and prompt refund.
Published on 10 April 2010 by Robert Phimister
Karoke gone bad
I normally love all Sharleen Spiteri's work but this album is trully awful. I'm not sure whether Sharleen has been forced into making this album by her record company but this is a... Read more
Published on 4 April 2010 by J. Crichton
Karoke disaster
Oh dear, I've been listening & purchasing Sharleen Spiteri since I Don't Want A Lover with Texas all those years ago. Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Mr. Scott P. Wheeler
Portastudio quality
sound quality as well as the complete project, dissapointing. Its the last time i buy before i hear anything from Sharleen again.
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by R. Hanson
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