This review is from: Verdi - Luisa Miller [VHS] (VHS Tape)
There are three areas which we must consider: the performance, the production, the tape. The last is far too amateurish. The camera is glued to one spot and gives closeups or pans instead of interesting angles; while the color is smeary and the image blurry. (I was able to adjust my color levels and sharpness enough to make it tolerable.) The production is four-square small opera house variety with chorus taking on-the-chalkmark positions and only some of them looking concerned with the proceedings. The sets are minimal and there are wrinkles in the snowy mountains behind the apparently wall-less Miller house. It is the quality of the singing (the acting is on a level with the scenery)that makes this tape worth hearing (as opposed to seeing and hearng). The vocalizing might not be subtle but it is strong, well projected, and in character (which in this opera is not much). The long ovation Bergonzi gets after his big aria leaves him no choice but to drop his role to accept... Read more
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The critically acclaimed hit 2002 debut album for the Italian super model previously linked to Mick Jagger & Eric Clapton. 12 tracks, written by Carla, with arrangements by Louis Bertignac of French new wave act Telephone. Naive.
I encountered Carla Bruni pretty much by chance, because somebody happened to mention listening to the song "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" on the radio and he asked me to translate it since I speak French. I am so glad he asked this favor of me, because the song is now one of my favorites. It is incredibly beautiful in a mellow, hopeful, and loving way. Definitely a song I never mind having stuck in my head. After hearing that, I decided I wanted to hear more of Carla Bruni's work. While "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" is still probably my favorite song on the CD, I love the entire thing. There is some great variety. Some of the music is more upbeat. You can definitely enjoy the CD if you don't speak French (several of my friends are now addicted to her music even though they don't know what she's singing), but if you do speak French, it's an even better treat. I adore her lyrics. They are very catchy, meaningful, and clever. I highly recommend this CD!
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There is great clarity in this singer. Bruni knows exactly what she wants. And, as we know, she usually gets it.
On the minus side, i could discern little progress in her musical or poetic evolution - the same throaty, self-consciously husky voice, the same cords, musical progressions & song structure, the same half-singing/speaking as in other French and English pieces from previous CDs suggest lack of artistic ambition. I imagine that Bruni unabashedly chooses the hedonic, the sensual and the lyrical/poetic over music itself. That her self-understanding is frozen in some kind of a stasis box. Unlike - say - Sinead O'Connor or Sheryl Crow - she never commits the totality of her inner resources to the song; there is always a distance, a veil between the singer and the song and therefore, between the song and the listener.
Nonetheless.
There are some catchy tunes on this CD, my personal favorite is Rapha�l. And L'excessive. And, of course, "La plus... Read more
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I am grad I purchsed this album from Amazon weeks ago. Carla has s very sweet voice and those songs are lovely. It's too bad Amazon doesn't have much information about this set, it's a Korean limited edition, it has a EXTRA booklet translated in Korean, and a 10' by 13' beautiful POSTER! (not the same picture on the cover). Although I don't understand Korean, but the poster is worth it.
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I'm a huge Carl Thomas fan! I loved 'Emotional', enjoyed 'Let's Talk About It' - but thought Carl lost it a bit on his 3rd project (So Much Better). Since then he's been all but absent from the scene. Until now - The Real Carl Thomas delivers on this album it has all the soulful sounds of Emotional, but real maturity. It's the kind of album that takes you back to the sound of 80's with the modern beats of the 21st century all wrapped around timeless love ballads. A real jem for those who appreciate love ballads!
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Not counting the #11 track, which is the remix of DON'T KISS ME, there was only 5 songs that sounded like it was tailor-made for Carl Thomas. The other 5 sounded as if they were to be made for other male artists. They didn't have that special made flava that was placed in his past recordings, of which I own all of them. I didn't get it. Tracks 5,6,8,9 & 10 were the best for me and I even dug the remix (track 11). Snoop wasn't really needed, but his imput didn't hurt it either. The musical blood of this cd was good enough to listen to, but on a whole, only a real fan would really appreciate it, of which I thought I was. I believe I am....just not of his latest release.
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I gotta say this is a good cd. It may take you 3 times to listen to it. but it grows on you. Carl Thomas Vocals are soothing and just amazing. I definately miss music like this. If you want to here real meaniful music listen to this cd. Carl Thomas but his heart this one and you can definately tell. it aint fair is one of my favorites along with most of the songs on the cd. Definately buy this cd it won't dissapoint.
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It sounds better than it looks, 
