Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dive Into "Dive" -- It's absolutely mesmerizing..., September 18, 1999
I bought this CD on a whim, having been a fan of Brightman and her clear coloratura soprano since her "Phantom" days. I loved her show tunes and arias but found it difficult to listen to them for hours -- NOT so with "Dive." Within an hour of receiving this CD, I was absolutely hooked. "Dive" is by far Brightman's best -- and most personal -- work. The entire CD paints a hypnotic portrait in colors grey, blue and green, a world seen through water -- sweet, bright, sensual, deftly layered music. Brightman gets the chance to play mermaid while showing off her pop roots (and after this I wish she'd return more often), and her sweet, clear voice and emotional delivery combine with the song-to-song flow of the album to make it a must-repeat experience. I've been playing it for a week straight and can't get enough. Every single track is a jewel, from the haunting title track, to the beautiful intricacy of "Second Element" or the sexy sensuality of "Once in a lifetime." A must for listeners to such diverse artists as Enya, Kate Bush, Enigma, or even Mike Oldfield.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dive Into Sarah, November 10, 2001
This, much like La Luna, is a concept album. But instead of the moon it's the sea. She talks about being friends with a whale and even touches on animal cruelty. But worry not if this sounds absurd. Sarah can do and sing just about anything and still make it beautiful and chilling...There's sadly no operatic pieces here, as it's a departure into pop, just as Fly was to rock, but instead of today's bubblegum pop it leans moreso towards light dance, ethereal, and even some new age. It opens up with whale sounds in the background as Sarah reads from the book "Whale Nation" by Heathcote Williams on the intro to "Dive" which glides into one of my favorite tracks here, "Captain Nemo" with her voice in the ending chorus erupting powerfully thanks inpart to the help of The London Community Gospel Choir. Then comes The Second Element. There's actually two versions of this song with different lyrics, but The Second Element II has more of an acoustic sound. They're both wonderful, though... I really don't understand why everyone seems to think that "A Salty Dog" is tiresomely simple and corny. It's probably one of the deepest and most emotional songs on here; the feeling just building as it progresses... Other favorites include her Kate Bush impression on Johnny Wanna Live, the sexy dance tune "Once In A Lifetime", the new agey "Island", the stormy dance track, "When It Rains In America", "By Now" (which my absolute favorite!), and "La Mer" with the panting backdrop of Enigma's Sadness and her spoken somewhat breathy words on the verses, such as: ancient unknown mammals, on a stormy sea, like Buddha in the water, a velvet energy... I recommend this album full-heartidly. Next to La Luna this is my favorite CD by her. But be warned. It takes several listen to really appreciate, just because it's so different. P.S. - I've seen some wild pictures by Sarah Brightman before but nothing prepared me for this. It's an innocent yet scandulous picture of her wearing (or not wearing) a near-translucent dress and golden cross! Only Sarah could get away with something like that.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SB comes of age, May 3, 1999
Having read the other reviews for this CD, I can't help but be slightly annoyed by the snobbishness and/or narrow-mindedness of some people. Sarah first tried to break away from the ALW machine with the album 'As I Came of Age', which was an uneasy, tentative work. 'Dive', her first album with current producer (and, apparantly, boyfriend!) Frank Peterson, is much more accomplished, reflecting both Sarah's electrifying voice and Peterson's lush, excellently supportive arrangements - he was involved with early Enigma, and it shows. Those who complain about the 'intrusiveness' of Peterson's music should bear in mind that Sarah co-produced the album and co-wrote many of the songs, making this probably the first work of hers that truly reflects her musical philosophy. And those who criticise 'Dive' should listen to the follow-up, 'Fly', on which Sarah and Frank evolve further to include rock, dance, and Alanis Morrisette - style angst! Both are truly great albums, too often underrated by those who would pigeonhole Sarah - she is my favourite female singer, not least because she refuses to be pigeonholed!
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by Sarah Brightman 
