Favorite Sarah Brightman Album?

[Pgenre]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 4:29pm

With all the love in the Sarah Brightman concert tour thread, I thought I'd ask you all which of her albums is your favorite, why and which song(s) do you particularly prefer (and why).

I must say that FLY and DIVE are masterful achievments and "Captain Nemo" is probably my fav Brightman track of all time. HAREM and SYMPHONY, as well as WINTER SYMPHONY (love the new ABBA-Xmas tune!) have their good parts, but when I want my Sarah fix it's almost always FLY, DIVE or TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. That being said...

As a whole album, though, the one that I return to time and time and time again is EDEN. The cover art alone gives me chills. And the title song is positively spine-tingling and evocative. When I introduce Sarah to friends I always choose this album as the way "in"...

A thread like this wouldn't be complete without mention of THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY, not a favorite album because I much prefer her more mature voice, but notable if only for the first recordings of "Lud's Wedding" from Bernstein's 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE and "Dreamers" from Hamlisch's JEAN SEBERG.

P

P.S. Cruel and/or chipmunk comments would be better used in another thread.

P.P.S. Does it irritate anyone else that "Time To Say Goodbye" is considered by most to be Andrea Bocelli's song when Sarah was the FIRST to sing it and it was essentially WRITTEN FOR HER. "New York, New York" with Liza and Frank all over again! SHE chose to duet with him and their DUET is what is partially responsible for him being as known as he is though on THE SOPRANOS, etc. they always use the solo Bocelli version. At least she still has "Music of the Night".
Updated On: 8/3/09 at 04:29 PM

[Scripps2]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 4:35pm

I haven't listened to much of her non-musical theatre career but I love The Songs That Got Away. Lud's Wedding is wonderful, Dreamers is an OK song from a forgettable musical but my own personal favourite is her rendition of If Love Were All.

[bobby_luvs_bway]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 5:58pm

One of my fav albums ever is Dive. Don't know why, but I love every song on that cd. It's now on my ipod and has been on every ipod i've had since my original mini!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 6:13pm

I think all her albums are fantastic, but if I had to pick one...Harem.

Fly is my # 2.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 6:32pm

if i can only pick one, Eden...I think it's the most beautiful and has a good flow to it, even though its so diverse. La Luna, Harem and Symphony are great too!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 2:13am

Yeah, it's true "Time To Say Goodbye" was written for her...
It's funny that you mentioned my 2 favorite singers! Sarah and Liza.

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 02:13 AM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 2:52am

Exquisite taste!

They are two of the best!

Don't get the respect they deserve, either!

P

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:43am

I haven't listened to it in a very long time, but "Dive" is my favorite. I was very into "Eden" when it was released and even saw the touring show for the CD. But I kind of got tired of it.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 5:05am

It's a tough call, but I too have to say Eden.

La Luna is a great album too though. As is Dive. (Captain Nemo is one of her best songs!)

Her newest, Symphony is pretty incredible as well.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 7:52am

Well you only have to look at my screenname to guess which one is my favorite, but I've always had a soft spot for "As I Came Of Age" (just a fun album!) and "Timeless/Time To Say Goodbye."

Although it's pretty tough to pick just one. I like everything she does!

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 07:52 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 9:54am

This is a difficult proposition, because each album is its own unique creation. I think my Top 3 are Harem, Eden, and Dive. Fly is amazing too, but I dont listen to that one straight through as much as the others. Harem, Eden, and Dive are the most thematic in my opinion and each songs blends into the next. Absolutely lush and gorgeous. I love all of her CDs, but definitely, I have moved away from the ALW stuff and love her stunning orchestrations. It took me a while, but Symphony is one of my faves now too. :)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 12:18pm

sbflyfan, I gotta tell you "As I Came Of Age" is just ok, I enjoy some of the songs, especially "The River Cried" but the CD is not one of her best...

I own: Dive, Diva, As I Came Of Age, The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Songs That Got Away, Symphony, Winter Symphony, The Trees They Grow So High, Encore, Love Changes Everything, Nightingale, La Luna, Harem, Eden, Song & Dance, Time To Say Goodbye, etc.
and all her CD's are terrific, I never get tired of them. I prefer when she releases her own material and not showtunes though. But her version of "There Is More To Love" from "Aspects Of Love" puts Ann Crumb to shame! I wish I had seen her in that show!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 12:21pm

Pgenre, you should facebook me! I've some Sarah B fans on my page, such as a sbflyfan!

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 8:14pm

as far as compilations/"best of..." cd's go, "Surrender" is her best, imo. Most all of the songs aren't available on any other recording, and she just sounds fantastic. I also love the cover (but then, all of her album art is pretty great).

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 10:52pm

Eden is my favorite overall album of hers. I can still listen to that one straight through. I love the others as well, but I usually shuffle through them.

I am hoping she ends up doing a second leg of her Symphony tour in the U.S. One of the best concerts I have ever seen.

[Queen of the Night]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 10:59pm

I personally love the "songs that got away album". Dreamers is gorgeous, and and her rendition of Meadlowlark is lovely (more operatic in style, very different from Patti LuPone's version). I also really like the "away from you" number from Rex. I thought it was nice to hear some lovely pieces that never get done.

Of course her Lloyd Webber album is interesting if for nothing else than the fact that she was married to him and he wrote music for her voice and she knew his music intimately.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 2:47pm

I just listened to SURRENDER (WHAT a striking cover!) and I must say that is is easily one of the best ALW compilation cds (*or BEST OF*), for whatever that's worth...

"Piano" is my favorite version of "Memory"...

... and no one has topped her "Anything But Lonely".

P
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 02:47 PM

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 3:08pm

Contrary to popular belief, "Surrender" isn't a compilation, though. It was an actual album Sarah and ALW put together. Just a few of the songs were from past recordings, but most of them were newly recorded versions, or songs she was recording for the first time. The version of "Tell Me On A Sunday" that appears on "Surrender" is the definitive recording of that song, by any artist, in my opinion. I love the way the orchestra swells and the emotion Sarah puts into the line "Don't run off in the pouring rain..."

The album sleeve also contains photos from the studio as well as ALW's notes on the songs and why they were chosen.

Also, for the "Encore" compilation, a few of the "unreleased tracks" are noted as being from the recording sessions for the "Surrender" album.

Updated On: 8/5/09 at 03:08 PM

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 3:47pm

i forgot that sbfan...glad to hear other people who love "surrender" too, and just positive stuff about Sarah. She's really what got me to start listening to mainstream music, and not just showtunes.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 7:42pm

I love her cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever"!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:02pm

I love the cover of "Encore", so DIVAish.