"I think Beyonce sounds great. Dont forget Effie is suppose to sing better than her. People keep saying this, but Holiday sounded better than Ralph also. It is part of the plot."
Exactly. people keep comparing her to everyone else and she has stated several times she was suppose to hold her vocals back because effie is suppose have the voice.
Obviously they heightened the parallels... that doesn't make it a biopic... maybe it's one step closer... but the point of this thread is the Soundtrack
I don't think Beyonce's marvelous riffing harkens to Diana at all... though i do think she pays great HOMAGE to Diana's showmanship in the song Dreamgirls... She was just SCREAMING Diana which doesn't mean the focus of the movie was for Deena to be just like Diana... It just means that Beyonce did a great job channeling a figure LIKE Diana
To me the big surprise of the soundtrack are the tracks featuring vocals by Jamie Foxx. I honestly didn't think of him as a terribly gifted R&B singer but on this set since he stopped trying to mimic Stevie Wonder and actually interpret lyrics for once his singing is a pleasant surprise. My only criticism of Beyonce as a soloist is that same that I have for most of the current crop of "scream queens" out there in Pop/R&b-lite land. That is they don't have full-bodied voices and tend to sound a bit nasal most of the time as she did on the track 'Dreamgirls (disco version)'. That said, she totally killed 'Listen'. That recording is the 2nd best in Beyonce's young recording career IMO after her live version of 'Dangerously In Love' from Wembley Stadium. Somebody PLEASE create a star vehicle for Anika Noni Rose because she can ACT and is quite the singer. Heck, had she the name recognition she could have easily been cast in the role of 'Deena' as far as I'm concerned. Her transition from chest voice to head notes is nearly effortless. I adore the tone of her signing voice. Finally, I've simply run out of superlatives for Miss Jennifer Hudson. This is as tacky as Clay Aiken but I still say that she got ROBBED by the AI mafia, nuff said.
I think Jamie Foxx is kind of hilarious. It seems like he talks like he's in a porno 24/7.
"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter
Hopefully Jamie will come out of the clouds. IMO the verdict is still out as to whether he's more than a one trick pony (on screen). He mimicked his way through 'Ray'; his performance in 'Collateral' with the equally repulsive worse half of TomKat was OK; the entire 'Miami Vice' movie project was a joke; his performance in the hugely underrated flick 'Jarhead' didn't exactly wow me. This soundtrack is a clear example of what he's capable of when he sets aside the whole blinged-out Mac Daddy persona and concentrates on his artistry.
This is not only the year's best soundtrack but it's the best overall recording of the timeless score I've ever heard. It sounds fantastic. Every single performer is sublime on this recording. I disagree regarding Beyonce's vocal performance. I thought she sounded incredibly dynamic and you could actually hear her acting when she was singing instead of just singing the lyrics which could be predicted by someone who just knows her as the popular recording artist she is. "Listen" is absolutely breathtaking. Anika Noni Rose sounds excellent as do Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, et al. Of course, though, the highlight of this spectacular two-disc set is Jennifer Hudson's "And I Am Telling You... (I'm Not Going)." It, as hard and in a way, shocking, as this is for me to say, is possibly just as good as Jennifer Holliday's performance on the OBC. If I had to choose, I'd pick Holliday but not to undermine Hudson's vocal performance. "AIATY" is awesome and Hudson hits notes that seem to come out of nowhere, I mean that in a good way. She is fierce, thrilling, brassy, and dynamic throughout the entire soundtrack. I have seen the film and it's nice to be able to sit down and take in just the music in one sitting because it really struck me a lot harder than when I was sitting through the movie; this has to be one of the best scores ever written for the stage. And this cast brings it to life in ways that it never has been before. It is a must-own for any theater-goer or movie-fanatic or simply anyone who wants to hear one of the year's best CDs; period.
I think the weakest links are Jamie Foxx and Keith Robinson. Keith's C.C. sounds like a little boy. His acting in the movie was good but his singing is just not all that great.
And Terrence Howard should've been cast as Curtis!!!
I agree with Munk that Foxx completely rubs me the wrong way and kind of makes me wanna vomit. It's not surprising, therefore, that the clips I've heard of him sound bland at best and the clips of the movie I've seen look like he's just walking through the movie like he thinks he has something better to be doing.
"My only criticism of Beyonce as a soloist is that same that I have for most of the current crop of "scream queens" out there in Pop/R&b-lite land. That is they don't have full-bodied voices and tend to sound a bit nasal most of the time as she did on the track 'Dreamgirls (disco version)'"
Well have you heard Diana Ross sing dance tracks. It is clear beyonce is singing in her head voice on purpose.
Find the iTunes page for "One Night Only" by Deena Joanes and the Dreams. On the right there is a column that says "Top Songs". Click on the one on the right that says just "One Night Only" (with no Film Version or Highlights Version or whatver next to it), and this will take you to the deluxe album on iTunes. Oddly, you can't seem to find it by searching for Dreamgirls...
"Your lyrics lack subtlety! You can't just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!"
Beyonce' Knowles is singing in a character voice. In this case...the Deena Jones voice.
She has stated numerous times that she is not using her regular Beyonce' voice for her Deena. She learned to emulate that period sound, which is what she is attempting for her Deena's singing style. She studied that period extensively and wanted to emulate that period as accurate as possible.
Even if Beyonce was singing like Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson is still a far superior singer.
People keep using the "Effie is supposed to be better" angle as if Hudson isn't capable of blowing away Knowles in real-life. Well, she blew her away in this film.
Eddie Murphy has also joked that the voice he used for the film is the character's voice. He said his real voice is the one we heard singing "Party All The Time"
"Even if Beyonce was singing like Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson is still a far superior singer."
Why compare though? These young women have two diffrent gifts. They dont even sing the same style of music. Beyonce is not over singing or trying to sound like Jennifer so why bring it up. Odd.
My mom surprised me with the highlights version yesterday, and I just love it. I do agree about Keith sounding like a little boy, though. Other than that(which isn't even necessarily bad), this has to be the year's best soundtrack.
I am anything but a Beyonce fan, I thoroughly dislike her persona; however, I can't believe anyone who heard her magnificent vocals/acting in "It's All Over" would say she is not doing a good job. To me, Keith Robinson is rather painful to hear in the recording.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Hudson is fab on AIATY! Listen is also on of my favorites as well. All of this cattiness between the fans of Hudson and Knowles is going to ruin the production. Both ladies did an amazing job with their roles.
I absolutely love the soudtrack. i think it is very well done and easily the best, but thats easy because the OBC actually wasnt put together as if it were a Broadway cast recording. if it were then it would have included more of the songs from the show on it. no doubt about that.
Beyonce's vocals are so flawless and her placement vocally is just absolutely stunning. She definitely knows what she is doing and she would do very well if she were to do a broadway show.
jennifer hudson is hands down my favorite and her interpretation though still basically exactly like Hollidays except for some higher riffs is still absolutely stuning. I actually didnt listen to whether or not she sing it in the same key that holliday sing it on or in a lower key. i dont recall but i assume its the same. Either way she is still stunning. the only thing that throws me off is the beginning of AIATY. her voice doesnt have the same smooth transition and clearness as holliday. i dont mean to compare but its the only thing that bothers me about hudson. Still, SHE IS STUNNING AND BREATH TAKING! When i first heard the rough cuts was in disbelief a little. THE PIPES ON THAT WOMAN! i imagine holliday will go back to singing the song like she did when the show first came out instead of giving us the trick version. Its good, this will keep her on her toes a little.
Eddie just copys every thing billy porter did. There is no way Jennifer listened to only the holliday version of the song because she does a few of lillias riffs. haha! GOT YOU JEN!
Anika! LOVE HER!
Keith, couldnt they find a better singer?
its been a long time coming and i cant wait to sit in the theatre!
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