- Audio CD (14 July 2008)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Sanctuary
- ASIN: B0002MH5X6
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 71,979 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Windmills of Your Mind |
| 2. The Man I Love |
| 3. Almost Blue |
| 4. Je Crois Entendre Encore |
| 5. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life? |
| 6. God Give Me Strength |
| 7. The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies-o! |
| 8. Dido's Lament: When I Am Laid In Earth |
| 9. La Chanson des Vieux Amants |
| 10. Cry Me A River |
| 11. Bye Bye Blackbird |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
There is, undeniably, a ripe contemporary market flush with youngsters peddling variations on easy listening, swing and even opera. However, Voice--Alison Moyet's new covers album of jazz, lounge and romantic opera spanning Bacharach to LeGrand, Jacques Brel to Henry Purcell--stands apart from all that with a detached air of solemn academic nous. Working with a small classical orchestra (arrangements courtesy of film score Oscar winner and former Art Of Noise honcho Anne Dudley) Moyet performs some time-honoured standards ( a sleepy Gershwin's 'The Man I Love', a distinctly unjolly 'Bye Bye Blackbird') with distinction but, rather sensibly, eschews animative Rat Pack brio in favour of crestfallen introspection. Any album, therefore, where the happiest song is 'Cry Me A River' and where the liveliest song is a traditional folk ballad addressing ethnic cleansing in 17th Century Scotland can hardly be expected to put smiles on the faces of young children. Voice is probably easier to admire than to love. However, for Moyet, this has been a callisthenic exercise in self-improvement and there's no denying that her version of 'Almost Blue' betters the recent efforts of Mrs Costello or that her solid performances of Bizet and Purcell warrant favourable comparisons to Bowie's dalliances with the works of Brecht and Weill. --Kevin Maidment
Album Description
Following on from the success of her Brit nominated album Hometime (2002), Alison Moyet releases Voice. Produced and arranged by Academy Award winner Anne Dudley, this album is certain to become an all-time classic. It is a collection of songs by other composers – a radical diversion for Moyet who has chosen in this instance to concentrate on her instrument alone. The album includes standards such as "The Man I Love", "Cry Me a River" and Michel Legrand's "Windmills of Your Mind". Voice further showcases Moyet's tone and phrasing, her eclectic tastes, and above all--her voice at its best.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Covers albums can be awkward things but, in the capable hands of Alison Moyet, such a project is born with ease. Never one to rest on her laurels, Moyet (in the company of Anne Dudley) elegantly commandeers a stunning breadth of standards and classics without stooping to lowest common denominator.
Freed from the constraints of songwriting, Alison Moyet uses her instrument, that incredible voice, to delve into the character and spirit of each song. Imbuing each one with her unique character and charm, she manages to make "The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies-O" and "Bye Bye Blackbird" sit comfortably alongside Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue".
Other highlights - and, boy, there are many! - include the assured jazzy delivery of "The Man I Love" and "Cry Me A River"; the heartbreak of Bacharach/Costello's modern gem, "God Give Me Strength"; the heart-stopping darkness of "Dido's Lament" and Brel's "La Chanson Des Vieux Amants".
Make no mistake, these songs are no longer in the common domain: they are now utterly Alison Moyet's.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Though initially a little bemused by the the choices for this covers album and not gleaming a common thread,it soon becomes clear that its the pace, orchestration and beutiful moody tone that makes 'Voice' an album rather than merely a collection of songs. Its undeniably true that vocally Moyet has actually improved with age. She can still soar solulfully but there is also a broader range and more refrain and control when its needed. 'God Give me Strength' being a great example. Not every note is soul shouting as it might have been in her Alf days. She alsmost whispers the lament of a lost lover but then soars into a plead for help in the words of the chorus. Windmills of Your Mind is beautifully haunting and Almost Blue is even more accomplished than the Costello original (which was pretty good anyway)! Even the more obscure choises such as the folk song Wraggle Taggle Gypsies Oh, grows on you after a few plays. It picks up the pace a little in what is essentially a late night - or soaking in the bath with a glass of wine - collection of songs. If you lost Alison Moyet after her 80's Album 'Alf' then get this and her previous album - 'Hometime' (easily her best self penned release). You will be in for a treat.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There's no doubt that Alison Moyet owns one of the best white female voices around. Over a career spanning over twenty years she has produced enough classic songs solo and with Yazoo to fill at least three best of albums. Sadly there aren't many songs (if any) from this covers collection that can add to that repertoire.
The main problem with a covers album is that the listener compares the modern version with the (often superior) original and this is sadly the case here with the majority of the material. The album kicks off well with 'Windmills of Your Mind' and 'The Man I Love' and a quite superb interpretation of Elvis Costello's 'Almost Blue'. Included with the sleeve notes is Moyet's explanation for the choice of music song-by-song. Rather than interpret the music in a new and different way she has chosen music that is meaningful to her and as such hasn't tinkered a great deal with the arrangements. She's clearly (and rightly so) a Costello devotee but 2 songs later manages to almost murder Bacharach and Costello's 'God Give Me Strength'. Anyone who has heard the original and the album it is from will realise that Costello sings at the top of his range throughout much of the song and as so imbues a real sense of the emotion of the lyrics. The song is poorly paced and appallingly arranged and doesn't showcase Moyet's considerable talent.
Brel's 'La Chanson des Vieux Amants' is quite superb and almost made this a 4 star album for me. Had Moyet, like Scott Walker, produced an album of Brel covers then that may have produced an absolute classic. As this stands it's unhappily a very hit-and-miss affair. Rather than ending the album with an updated version of 'Cry Me A River' (which surely is as much Moyet's now as it was Julie London's standard) is a quite appalling dirge-like version of 'Bye Bye Blackbird'. This album is produced and arranged by Anne Dudley and possibly suffers because of this.
I doubt though that Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse will still be with us in twenty-plus years. Come on Alf, release that Brel album please!
The main problem with a covers album is that the listener compares the modern version with the (often superior) original and this is sadly the case here with the majority of the material. The album kicks off well with 'Windmills of Your Mind' and 'The Man I Love' and a quite superb interpretation of Elvis Costello's 'Almost Blue'. Included with the sleeve notes is Moyet's explanation for the choice of music song-by-song. Rather than interpret the music in a new and different way she has chosen music that is meaningful to her and as such hasn't tinkered a great deal with the arrangements. She's clearly (and rightly so) a Costello devotee but 2 songs later manages to almost murder Bacharach and Costello's 'God Give Me Strength'. Anyone who has heard the original and the album it is from will realise that Costello sings at the top of his range throughout much of the song and as so imbues a real sense of the emotion of the lyrics. The song is poorly paced and appallingly arranged and doesn't showcase Moyet's considerable talent.
Brel's 'La Chanson des Vieux Amants' is quite superb and almost made this a 4 star album for me. Had Moyet, like Scott Walker, produced an album of Brel covers then that may have produced an absolute classic. As this stands it's unhappily a very hit-and-miss affair. Rather than ending the album with an updated version of 'Cry Me A River' (which surely is as much Moyet's now as it was Julie London's standard) is a quite appalling dirge-like version of 'Bye Bye Blackbird'. This album is produced and arranged by Anne Dudley and possibly suffers because of this.
I doubt though that Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse will still be with us in twenty-plus years. Come on Alf, release that Brel album please!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The voice!
As you can see by the reference in my review title this is a belated review for this album!i bought this years ago when it first came out being a fan of alisons and listened to it... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Jake
voice
bought this for didos lament - lovely, can actually hear the words unlike in standard 'operatic' versions. Not a party CD though!
Published 7 months ago by Frances
What can one say....
After so many eloquent and articulate reviews of this album I am somewhat at a loss for what to say, so here goes:
Stonking, brill, cracking.... You get the picture. Read more
Stonking, brill, cracking.... You get the picture. Read more
Published 11 months ago by monterey
ok
I had high hopes for this but it isn't as moving or as soulful as I thought it was going to be. I bought this album on the strength of the choice of songs , all of which I love,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by sapitt
voice bonus track ???
good album but doing windmills of your mind was not a good idea ,it does't go with the rest of the album and in my opinion not the right song for Alison's voice ,sorry . Read more
Published 23 months ago by morris mg
What a voice!
This CD demonstrates Alison's wide vocal capabilities. Ranging from the old folk tune 'wraggle taggle gypsies' to the hauntingly sad 'Dido's lament' Alison sings them all with... Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by M. J. Snell
Must be heard to believe
Although in the past I have mostly enjoyed Alison Moyet's output I could always take her or leave her. There were some nice songs but a lot of fillers as well. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2009 by DARREN "Big Nose" WALKER
Wake me up when it's over
I am a big fan of Alison Moyet. I am a big fan of Anne Dudley. I like singers who put together this type of album, with lush strings and orchestra. I like all these songs. Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2007 by Big G
A 'classy' album from Ms. Moyet!
Alison Moyet is one of Britain's greatest vocal talents. After almost thirty years, she's still around and going strong. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2007 by FAMOUS NAME
Wasn't going to buy it...but thankfully I did.
I'm a big fan of Alison Moyet, but I am sick of artists flogging out albums of cover versions cos they want to make a quick buck and can't be bothered to write a decent album. Read more
Published on 26 April 2006 by JR
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