Customer Reviews

Breathe

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In Europe, Midge Ure needed the help of a Swatch-commercial to make his song "Breathe" popular and get the well-deserved attention of his fourth solo album, a few years after its original release. With "Breathe", he finally had a hit again that was missing on his former album "Pure" and that brought him back into the charts.

From his solo albums, Breathe is my absolute favorite. Sure, it does not contain any pop hymns like in his Ultravox time, and some might consider it too mellow. However, I think that wonderful lyrics about love and emotion, his clear and brilliant voice, and a beautiful and touching music with a strong Celtic influence, using mandolins, Celtic harp, and accordion, make this album to a highlight in his solo career.

Even though only the song "Breathe" became a hit in Europe, the album has many great songs like Fields of Fire, Fallen Angel, and Trail of Tears. My favorite is the duet "Guns and Arrows" with Sally Dworsky, a song about opening yourself to your partner and tell about your worries.

Everyone who likes Midge's other albums will love this one, and if you have not heard him before you might fall in love with his music after listening to "Breathe". If you enjoyed this album, you will also like "A Glorious Noise", a live album recorded in 2001 during his Breathe concert tour.

In Europe, Midge Ure needed the help of a Swatch-commercial to make his song "Breathe" popular and get the well-deserved attention of his fourth solo album, a few years after its original release. With "Breathe", he finally had a hit again that was missing on his former album "Pure" and that brought him back into the charts.

From his solo albums, Breathe is my absolute favorite. Sure, it does not contain any pop hymns like in his Ultravox time, and some might consider it too mellow. However, I think that wonderful lyrics about love and emotion, his clear and brilliant voice, and a beautiful and touching music with a strong Celtic influence, using mandolins, Celtic harp, and accordion, make this album to a highlight in his solo career.

Even though only the song "Breathe" became a hit in Europe, the album has many great songs like Fields of Fire, Fallen Angel, and Trail of Tears. My favorite is the duet "Guns and Arrows" with Sally Dworsky, a song about opening yourself to your partner and telling about your worries.

Everyone who likes Midge's other albums will love this one, and if you have not heard him before you might fall in love with his music after listening to "Breathe". If you enjoyed this album, you will also like "A Glorious Noise", a live album recorded in 2001 during his Breathe concert tour.

Unfortunately many of the reviewers here are Americans and thus have not grown up and been exposed to the Ultravox/Ure era the way I have in Germany. For me it's impossible to think of the 80's without U-Vox and Ure. Only by accident I stumbled across BREATHE here in the States a year ago and it was a chance encounter. This album is nothing short of brilliant. Yes, Midge is a little on the "heavy" side with his message, but he always was - Thank God! I can't think of any American artist who could reach his level of intelligence, talent and spirit. This man has got it all but in a world of superficial and ignorant beings his efforts are only seen by the ones who see with their souls. In Midge's own words: Breathe some soul to me...

It is rare for me to find an album as good as Breathe that makes me want to listen to it over and over again on the same day I had bought it. I remember having heard the title track from a Swatch commercial a few years back and liking it so I picked it up. Every song on the album is good, there are no clunkers like on a lot of albums I buy nowadays. Fields of Fire and Fallen Angel particularly took my breath away when I first listened to the songs. I can't get enough of this beautiful pop album.

I purchased this CD in 1997, and still play it as much today as I did then. Breathe, the title track is a softly inspirational melody with beautiful keyboards. Fields of fire produces stunning Celtic/European instumentals and passionate tranquility...This CD is not for those looking for flash and prepackaged top 40. It is a beautiful, inspirational and classically composed sonata, that harmonizes stillness, quiet and beauty, with love, passion and hope. The exotic instruments are a welcome respite from the same 3 chords heard in all types of popular music. The thoughtful lyrics leave one feeling like an intelligent being, rather than just another fan, buying the same old sex, drug and rock and roll drivel. This CD will satisy the classical lover, as well as those who still appreciate REAL music, culture and talent! A TIMELESS CLASSIC!

This CD is amazing, I haven't heard his other works, but this one is awesome. What attracted me to this cd is the Swatch commerical on TV, which has "how long is a minute?" breathe was the beautiful song playing in the background, and I instantly feel in love with the song.

The composer has achieved a nice musical chef d'oeuvre. Discreet, soft and full of ambiance.

I first heard Midge Ure on the 1986 Prince's Trust concert album. He delivered one of the best performances of the show, and I looked at the credits for the album and thought, who is this Midge Ure guy?

I then purchased "Answers to Nothing" and an Ultravox best-of compilation, and found them to be competent but a little too poppy for my taste, without a lot of hook. Where was the strong, deep voice I'd heard on the Prince's Trust album?

Well, it's back with "Breathe". Midge Ure left the musicianship to some independent experts and decided to just handle the singing bit, and it shows. Many songs on the album (including the Swatch-commercial anthem "Breathe") are very solid work, with good hooks.

Ure's only real fault is that he seems convinced that every single song must be deep, serious and thoughtful. That gets tiresome after a while.

Rick R.

My alarm radio woke me one morning in the summer of 1996 with the opening mandolin-and-melodica notes of a song called "Sinnerman." Half asleep, I thought, "Wow, they're playing the Hooters on the radio." Then I snapped wide awake with the realization that this was no Hooters tune I'd ever heard before, and the voice that was singing belonged to neither Rob Hyman nor Eric Bazilian -- but there was no WAY that the laughing, skipping mandolin I was hearing was the work of anyone other than Bazilian. Sure enough, the Philadelphia 8-string wizard is on Midge Ure's BREATHE like white on rice. The mando-cordion mix and joyous, up-and-down-scales melody of "Sinnerman" is pure Hooters, albeit without the rock drums; the stormy, ominous "Live Forever" is reminiscent of Bazilian's work on Joan Osborne's "St. Teresa"; and the gentle ballad "Fallen Angel," co-penned by Bazilian, is simple, whispery beauty -- with verses in 5/4 time, no less. Ure's vocals are sometimes overblown, but on BREATHE it works.

The first half of this CD contains some of the most re-playable songs I own. Terrific production, powerful singing, strong song writing all around. The second half crosses the line into proselytizing, which I don't care for, but at least Ure couches it a bit more obliquely than most of the Christian rock I've heard (which tends to be simple minded, aggressive, and offensive). And in any event, the first half of the CD more than makes up for it and completely justifies the purchase.