Awakening

James Morrison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 11, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Republic
• ASIN: B005ILWOZA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,550 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2011 release, the third album from the award-winning British singer/songwriter. The album features the singles 'I Won't Let You Go' and 'Slave To The Music' as well as 'Up', a collaboration with Jessie J. Island.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE PERSON HE IS NOW.... January 14, 2012

By Thom ;)

Format:Audio CD

Believing that he had "written too many love ballads", Morrison has produced a very interesting follow-up to his 2008 release. "The Awakening" at first will sound a bit strange for those who are familiar with his prevous work (as it did for me). Most of these songs are growers, they don't catch you the moment you hear them. No, in fact, the opener "In My Dreams" sounds almost shallow at first. But Morrison always manages to surprise us. The Michael Jackson inspried, dance-club single "Slave to the Music" and the highly personal, raw-sounding "Person I Should Have Been" are some of his best songs yet. Another highlight on the record is the harmonious duet with Jessie J, "Up", which to me sounds much better than his previous duet with Nelly Furtado. His usual gorgeous horn/guitar/vocal arrangements, on this record, come out slick and smooth and that just works. Sometimes, less is more. And yet, the soulful backing vocals on the guitar ballad "Right By Your Side", the stampede of drums on the title track and the catchy na-na-na's on "Beautiful Life" give his music a new personality, being qualities that have somehow are newfangled to his sound. Little by little, he shows us what he's after and in my opinion he suceeds. This is the real James Morrison.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Waiting for that one great record that his impassioned and soulful voice deserves. October 12, 2011

By contempo.jazz

Format:Audio CD

James Morrison may be considered as one of the U.K.'s premier soul talents, but the Warwickshire singer appears to have a bit of a downer on his career of late, having recently stated that he's "sung too many love ballads", and that he hated making his last album, Songs for You, Truths for Me, after being pressured by his former Polydor label to repeat the formula of his million-selling debut.

With several songs relating to his alcoholic father's death on his third effort, "The Awakening", the husky-voiced guitarist appears to have rectified one of his issues, but despite the presence of Suede's Bernard Butler as producer, it's difficult to hear how he's made any attempt to deal with the other.

Seemingly designed to make Radio 2 listeners hearts flutter, "I Won't Let You Go" follows the same heartfelt, acoustic, tearjerker template as his previous two lead singles; the toe-tapping Motown pastiches "Beautiful Life" and "Forever" show that Morrison's retro leanings are still very much apparent, while there's even a "Broken Strings"-style duet with Jessie J on the orchestral, midtempo "Up".

Pleasantly inoffensive and lushly produced as they are, they don't exactly live up to the radical reinvention that his rather dismissive comments indicated, and it's only on the funky R&B beats and Michael Jackson-esque chorus of "Slave to the Music", and the sparse, gospel-tinged blues of "Right by Your Side", where Morrison begins to show some of the invention that was allegedly so heavily restricted on his previous effort.

However, lyrically, he's never been better, with the heartbreaking themes of loss on "In My Dreams", "6 Weeks", and "Person I Should Have Been", the latter based on a poem inspired by the last conversation he had with his late father, more than fulfilling his ambitions of "wanting to go a bit deeper and find more substance".

But until Morrison manages to infuse some of this raw honesty and emotion into his sound, he's always going to struggle to create that one great record that his impassioned and soulful voice deserves. J. O'Brien

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best most under rated singers in the world! October 12, 2011

By C. Lipscomb

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've always been a huge fan of James Morrison. I have all three of his albums that have been released stateside. In a day when auto tune and manufactured artists are a nickel for a dozen its great to still hear someone that actually has talent. His voice is so soulful and enchanting I don't understand why more people in the U.S. haven't gotten in to him. This album is a treasure and I can't stop listening to it.

This album is a great throw back to great music and great singing without all the electronics behind it.

I Love the whole album but my most favorite songs are "In My Dreams" "I Won't Let You Go" "Slave To The Music" and "The Awakening".

Buy it you'll love it!