Customer Reviews

Dive

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

I was somewhat surprised by Dive! I had read previous reviews that idicated it was more of a pop, soft-rock album versus her operatic past projects. I knew who Brightman was, yet never really paid attention to her music; Nice voice, but I don't care for opera. Also, I was curious and happened to come across this c.d. at a used record/ c.d. store. With the title of Dive and Brightman decked out in her mermaid diva make-up and outfit I assumed it was going to be another empty headed dance club music c.d. from an artist trying to explore other musical territories than her norm ( the likes of Crystal Waters, LaBouche, C.C. Peniston); Thank God it wasn't. It has a bit of an Enigma sound ( thanks to her producer-husband Frank Peterson who also co-worked with Michael Cretu of Enigma in the past).Dive consists of mostly ballads with quite a few mid to up tempo tracks.The track La Mer has a very strong Enigma sound (whispering lyrics done in the fashion of Sandra Cretu from Enigma) and anti-animal mistreatment and cruelty song Johnny Wanna Live ( which was done more in a hip hop fashion by Enigma's Sandra Cretu on her import album Paintings in Yellow). All in all the album is very captivating and flows just as peaceful as the ebb and tide of the ocean. What I like is the album's thematic continuity; The listener is never thrown out of the fantasy seaworld created by Brightman and producer Peterson. I highly recommend this album if you are an Enigma fan or just like good adult pop music; There's nothing sugar coated or "too hip" for anyone's taste on this album if they like to listen to artists experiment a little out of their general genre range...

DIVE is Sarah Brightman's first work with producer Frank Peterson. The album is all water themed and pop oriented, with mostly ballads, and only one or two more up tempo songs. The tracklist is as follows:

1.-Dive: The opening of the album. Starts with some strange sounds that seem alien but is actually a whale chanting!! Sarah's voice can then be heard reading some lines from a poem of "Whale Nation". A great intro, sets the mood for the album. (7/10)

2.-Captain Nemo: The first single of the album. Strange lyrics, strange story, but a really nice down tempo song. Ther voice of Nemo whispering is a nice touch, and the song ends with some gospel chorus..all in all a good track.(8/10)

3.-The Second Element: The second and last single of the album is a wonderful, dark ballad. Beautiful lyrics, Sarah puts a lot of emotion on this one. Definitly a highlight of the album. (9/10)

4.-Ship Of Fools: A light hearted song that serves as some sort of bridge between the previous dark songs and the more lighted ones. Though it is a nice short ballad, it's got nothing special to it. (6/10)

5.-Once In A Lifetime: Another highlight of the album! This is a very sexy song with spanish words whispered at the beggining and in the middle of the song (very beautiful sexy lyrics). All about this song is sexy, the lyrics, the music, the voice, the arrangements, everything! I just can't get tired of listening to this track...I mean, who can resist to this kind of lyrics: "Find a part of me that is a mystery, that will be just once in a lifetime". ufffff hot stuff. (10/10)

6.-Cape Horn: An interlude taken from some movie or tv series. A captain telling a dramatic story of his tripulation frozing in the artic and them having to cut their fingers to get down. (5/10)

7.-A Salty Dog: One of my favourite songs from the album. Sarah hits some really immpressive notes here without using her operatic voice, just her head voice..really amazing, definitly one her best vocal performances. And notice the final words of the song kinda confirm the story of Cape Horm. (9/10)

8.-Siren: A short vocalize. Serves as an intro to Seven Seas, however I think it could as well have been part of the song. Just like in "Dive", a whale chant can be heard here..very beautiful. (6/10)

9.-Seven Seas: Another light hearted love song, which I think is necessary after a song like A Salty Dog. You're gonna love the chorus in the end of the song...always makes me smile =D (7/10)

10.-Johnny Wanna Live: A Beautiful song about animal haunting. Very sensitivie touching lyrics, this song really makes you think if you're actually doing anything to stop it. A song that I think everyone would identify with. (8/10)

11.-By Now: A slow nice ballad that kinda comes out of the theme. Nemo's voice can be heard here doing the backing vocals =D (7/10)

12.-Island: A song full of light and sunshine, Island creates a lot of visual images with the music and lyrics. Another favourite. (8/10)

13.-When It Rains In America: An epic ballad with a low late bad feeling, could also fit in the group of the dark songs of the album. Sarah's vocals here are quite amazing, specially the final notes. (8/10)

14.-La Mer: The only up tempo song of the album. Sarah doesn't actually sing, but whispers durign the whole song (except for the haunting choir, and the sort of techno music really turns this song into a masterpiece. The lyrics are beautiful and haunting, and were actually written by Sarah. (10/10)

15.-The Second Element II: The closing of the album is also the best song. It's actually a reprise of the Second Element, but this time the lyrics are totally different (not dark at all) and it's an acoustic version, with a beautiful guitar playing in the background. Totally different mood from The Second Element, the end of the song fonds with a gospel choir, a guitar and sounds of the beach. An incredible ending for the album! (11/10)

WOW! A water album. Good work. I recommend this cd to anyone who likes music about the ocean & appreciates the beauty of nature. Sarah has captured all her feelings and sings them to us. The entire album is amazing.

"Dive" is the intro to "Captain Nemo" which is a magnificent idea from paper to sung words. Sarah sings it in her Kate Bush voice. The band is great. The lyrics are haunting and unusual, as she is singing about being friends with a whale. "The second element" is another track with unusual lyrics. I don't actually know what she is singing about, but it is beautiful anyway. "Ship of fools" is a sentimental, short track. She expresses that she needs the love of her partner right now. The piano & guitar arrangements are nice. "Ship of fools" goes right into "Once in a lifetime", which is a beautiful track,with unusual lyrics again. It's a very catchy pop tune which should've made it to radio.

"Cape Horn" and "A salty dog" are the most haunting of the lyrics & melodies. "A salty dog" is sung in such emotion, it puts the hair up on my neck. There are amazing minor chords in the keyboards section. Above all, they stand out the most. "Siren" is a vocalise that runs right into "7 seas". The keyboards emphasize Sarah's voice here. Sarah sings about beautiful blue & deep oceans. She makes me want to hear more "Theme" music from her. I like "Johnny wanna live" because Sarah expresses herself about the cruelty to animals. I'm glad she's aware of it.

"By now" is a quieter track, bringing Sarah's voice closer to the mic. The male voice is comforting in the refrain. She makes me think of a mermaid on land in the track. "Island" is one of my fav tracks on the disc. The lyrics are soulful and deep. The last 20 seconds of the track are where all the feeling is. "When it rains in America" is cool. It shows her love for her partner. Every time I hear this track, it makes me feel close to home. "La mer" or "The ocean" is my absolute fav track on the disc. The piano opening solo is amazing. Between the piano & Sarah's voice, I don't know which is better. The lyrics are just magical. This track has to be played at full volume. Powerful! I could listen to it 3 or 4 times over & over. I must mention the keyboards too. In "La mer", the keyboards are like star dust twinkling, as it falls from sky to ground. The last track is called "The second Element II". It's a reprise of the 3rd track, with an acoustic guitar solo & soulful peasant-like choir. Amazing.

The photos are nice & extremely different from her more recent material. They are "water" themed too. She's even dressed as a glamourous mermaid on the back cover. I love the "do" on the front cover. Very original. When it comes to imagination, Sarah leaves nothing out. The disc is definitely 5 stars. Go buy it, as it's usually on sale everywhere now. Enjoy! Hope you enjoyed my critique.

"Dive" was Sarah Brightman's second solo album after she left husband/composer Andrew Lloyd Webber ("As I Came of Age" from 1990 was Sarah's first solo pop album). "Dive" marks her first collaboration with Frank Peterson, her producer and life partner. Peterson previously produced Enigma, Sandra, Marky Mark, Ofra Haza, and Princessa, and really makes this album shine as an experimental homage to the seas. There are many oceanic sound effects such as waves, bubbles, seagulls and whalesong that immerse you into the sea.

The fifteen tracks (three are covers: "Once in a Lifetime" has been recorded by both Sandra and Princessa, Procol Harum's "Salty Dog" and "Johnny Wanna Live," another Sandra song) explore different aspects of the oceans. This is my favourite Sarah album next to "Fly" (which was more of a techno/ electronic sound).

I remember the Pantages Theatre (in Toronto) handing out little "Dive" bookmarks in the programmes (still have mine as a matter of fact) but I didn't buy the album until a year or two ago. I'm sorry I waited that long to discover what a joy this album is! It is also often a "value priced" CD at many stores, so it is a good deal as well. If you're interested in the works of post-Lloyd Webber Brightman but don't know where to start, this is a solid choice.

This is a really incredible CD, and since it was originally released in the early nineties, the price is very low.

This was the first CD where Sarah really took the reins and experimented with what she wanted to do. On this CD you can see better than on any other how she got the style she has today. The tunes are beautiful and haunting, her voice usually has a beautiful clarity, and the theme is well-developed. The only overall complaints I have are that the lyrics in many places are really poorly written, and in some spots Sarah sounds like she has a cold: at this point, of course, she was just experimenting with singing methods, but one would think she'd know to open up her resonators instead of keeping everything forward in her nose...

Track-by-track-review:

-1.Dive - A short intro track that can't stand on its own at all, but works really well to set the mood for the CD. Very haunting. Sarah reads a cool line from a poem about whales. -2.Captain Nemo - This could have been a great song, if whoever wrote the lyrics had any kind of talent. It starts out very ambient, and moves into a great dance track by the end, with a great tune and beat. The line "waiting down there" could quite possibly be the single most beautifully sung line of Sarah's career. -3.The Second Element - Hearing thirty seconds of this song made me buy the CD. WOW. Sarah sings with more emotion on this song than I've ever heard her do, with the possible exception of the Richard Marx duet. The lyrics about a woman who can't get over a separation and deep and moving. Sarah sings perfectly here. -4.Ship of Fools - Very sad. Not really anything special, except for one line where the music just completely cuts off and Sarah sings 'Now I need you' acapella...gives me goosebumps every time. -5.Once in a Lifetime - What a spectacular song! One of the few songs that is both gorgeous and has a great beat to dance to. The only problem with this is that the lyrics are a tad out-of-control...wet black leather? Pools of sin? Please. -6.Cape Horn - Dialogue from 'Mutiny on the Bounty' with maybe two alternating notes in the background. -7.A Salty Dog - This is a seriously odd song...something of an acquired taste, I think. I hated it the first time I listened to it, but it grew on me. Now I just don't like it. -8.Siren - Wow. Pity it's only a minute fifteen seconds...this is the best part of the CD. Ever wondered what a Greek siren sounds like? While this song doesn't exactly make me feel like throwing myself off a boat, the beautiful instrumentals and Sarah's haunting vocals can almost make you see a mist-shrouded ocean... -9.Seven Seas - Boring new age 'pop'. -10.Johnny Wanna Live - Once you learn to ignore the really really awful lyrics that might have an important message if they weren't so hilariously badly written, this is a great song. The tune is good, and Sarah sings really well. -11.By Now - This song is kind of ho-hum. I like it when I listen to it, but I never actually purposely play it. Typical late 80s pop. -12.Island - Much like Seven Seas, only a bit more upbeat. -13.When it Rains in America - All I can say is wow. This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It starts with a rainstorm effect, then goes straight into a keyboard solo and Sarah's vocals. The keyboard bit sounds like rain, and the lyrics are really beautiful. Actually a bit Irish; the flute in here is great. -14.La Mer - Very cool: new age mixed with rock, and she made it work. Most of the song is spoken/whispered; the very few lines that she sings have beautiful clarity. -15.The Second Element II - Great, although very different from The Second Element...the first one is like a Madonna song; this one is like a folk song.

"Dive" is Sarah Brightman's first CD with producer Frank Peterson (although not her first pop CD, "As I Came Of Age" holds that distinction) and the results are nothing short of enchanting. Frank's past as a founding member of Enigma is quite evident here, with sexy beats and dreamy synths guiding Sarah's beautiful voice all the way.

This is pure Europop folks, so fans of Enigma and German crooner Sandra take note...we're treading similar ground, although Sarah's voice blows most singers away.

Standout tracks include "Captain Nemo", "Once In A Lifetime" and "Johnny Wanna Live" (a Sandra track that Frank Peterson wrote back in 90).

Original, edgy and erotic..."Dive" is a concept album with an aquatic theme, not too different from "La Luna"'s tribute to the moon. This is one worth having, so if you don't own it...run out now! You'll play it often.

Sarah Brightman may have gone through more "theme" albums than anybody still recording today. And the theme of "Dive" is the ocean -- drowning, swimming, raining, ships, whales, islands and sirens. Unfortunately, the result of Sarah's mermaid phase goes less than swimmingly.

"Dive" opens with a track of the same name, briefly mentioning how the whales rule the ocean. Then it bursts into the ethereal pop (the puzzling but pretty "Captain Nemo," the gauzy "Siren" and poignant "Second Element"), fluting techno and electronica (the coyly sexy "Once in a Lifetime" and flittery "La Mer"), and solid. The biggest misfires are the animal-rights ode "Johnny Wanna Live," and the grating "By Now."

Somewhere inside the waterlogged "Dive" is a beautiful album. But it's buried under sand and driftwood. Brightman deftly evokes the fluidity of water and the seas in much of the album, with flowing electronic and acoustic music and soft vocals. Then she loads it with an old sailor talking about frozen corpses, heavy percussion, and musical minimalism.

Sarah Brightman's voice is a beautiful thing. It can soar, whisper, and get as high and light as a sunbeam. "Salty Dog" simply has Brightman singing uncertainly with almost no background music. She doesn't sound like she's entirely sure what she's doing. However, in songs like "Island," the exquisite "Second Element," and the underrated "When it Rains In America," Brightman's voice is given the room and rhythm to work its magic.

Were "Dive" stripped of the grittier seafaring stuff, it would be a truly exquisite musical (and nautical) experience. As it is, it's rather soggy, but two thirds of it sparkle like the Caribbean.

Dive is one of Sarah's best works, but then again everything she does is exactly wonderful. I listen to the songs on this CD and am immediately swept away into a magical place where my spirit soars to heights beyond any cloud in the sky. Sarah has a voice range and style that are truly amazing. After hearing the first few minutes you know instinctively that you are going on a journey that will stay with you for the rest of your life; I still find myself humming and singing the lyrics. What a profound feeling; as equally compelling as her Eden CD. Buy it, NOW!