Eden (US Release - 16 tracks) [ENHANCED]

Sarah Brightman

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 17, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B00000IL1K
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (360 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,539 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Music > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > A to B > Brightman, Sarah
  #53 in	Music > Pop > Oldies > Traditional Pop
  #54 in	Music > Pop > Easy Listening

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
In this follow-up to the smashing success of her 1997 CD Time to Say Goodbye, Sarah Brightman continues down the primrose crossover path, blithely gliding from covers of Hooverphonic (the title track) and Kansas ("Dust in the Wind") to Puccini and film scores (Titanic and The English Patient). Sometimes, as in "Anytime, Anywhere," the crossover happens within the same song--in this case welding a rhythm track to the somber harmonies of Albinoni's "Adagio." But there's nary a stylistic speed bump to jolt her listeners, as Brightman focuses her tiny, seraphic voice like a beam of light on each melody. The result, bless her heart, may be the invention of a whole new form of kitsch. Like plastic surgery, Brightman's years of specialized vocal training have helped refine her ability to float confidently well-rounded, sparkling tones in her upper range. These have a Dresden china-like, touching fragility in such songs as "So Many Things" and are well-suited to the gauzily romantic (and overproduced) gloss of the string-heavy arrangements that predominate. Eden also introduces Brightman as songwriter ("In Paradisum," with its mix of sitar and modal chant) and features a bonus track unavailable on the album's European-released version ("The Last Words You Said"). --Thomas May

Product Description

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye	Classics	Diva: The Singles Collection
Diva: The Video Collection	Live from Las Vegas, Chloe	La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Brightman, August 28, 2000

By	Jennifer French (Garland, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I, like many, discovered Sarah through Phantom. After she left the show, I followed her solo efforts. From "Dive" on, she has made some very interesting choices during her solo career. Every one knows of her breakthrough smash, "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli. The album with the same name was also very special for Sarah fans. We finally heard her go back to the heights of her voice that so wooed us in Phantom. As good as "Time" is however, "Eden" is better. If you are looking for an album that truly showcases Sarah and her magnificant instrument, that clear soprano, buy "Eden".

"Eden" is a journey into a wonderous world of beautiful music. Frank Patterson, her producer, understand how to blend Sarah unique styles into a collage of beauty. From the very beginning of the cd, Sarah begins to draw you into her world. Her "Eden". From the covers of some popular artist, Hooverphonic and Kansas, to the use of opera in Puccini, Sarah shows you why she is one of the finest sopranos in music today. My personal favorites on the cd are "Lascia Ch'lo Pianga" and "Deliver Me." Also, she gives great "girl power" to "Nessun Dorma" a song made for tenors. The only curious selection on the cd is her rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" in italian. However, that is the only weak point on the entire album. The duet with Richard Marx is another very fine high point, added only to the US version of the cd.

If you are just starting out with Brightman, buy this cd first. It is a better feel of her. She shows you more of her "pop" side, but that side of her in no way takes away from her operatic appeal. "Time to Say Goodbye" should be included in your purchase of Sarah, but if you are going one at a time, get this one first.

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRAVO! SARAH BRIGHTMAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!, November 24, 1999

By	"beethoven_nikita_christ" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

BRAVO! Sarah Brightman has done it again! "Eden" is a terrific CD with songs of different genres like classical, pop and so on. The first track "In Paradisum" sounds like a Gregorain Chant and with the background music (sitar and orchestra) Sarah Brightman sounds refreshing and beautiful. The song "Eden" is somehow pop-like and it has some kind of chanting in its background... This clearly shows Sarah's ability to sing pop music. Beside singing original songs written for her, she also sing cover version of "Dust In The Wind" (Kansas) and "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion). Another of my favourite is Track 15. And that's "Nessun Dorma" by famous italian composer Puccini. "The Last Word You Said" is also another wonderful song. It starts off with the beautiful sound of an oboe and it continues with the clear and touching voice of Sarah Brightman and I suppose this song is the most romantic song of all the songs in this CD. All in all this is a great CD and it will be a great loss if you don't buy it. To end my review I would like to say SARAH IS THE BEST! :-)

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A walk in the famous garden with Sarah..., January 8, 2002

By	Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The variety of songs here is probably the most attractive feature of the CD for those who appreciate Sarah Brightman's ethereal, angelic voice. And it's probably the least attractive feature for those whose musical enjoyment is sharply concentrated on one type of music. In describing her voice on this record as ethereal and angelic, I want to comment on one reviewer's comparing her with Enya. Indeed, this is a valid comparison. And yet the two are each very distinctive. You do hear the similarity on this album and on "La Luna".

I feel that Ms. Brightman expresses a quality of love for each of the songs she sings. This is evident even in this case where there is such diversity of material. Each of us has favorite cuts. Mine are: Puccini's "Nessum Dorma", Kansas' "Dust In The Wind", "So Many Things", "Eden" Morricone's "Nella Fantasia", "Only an Ocean Away" and the fittingly placed "The Last Words You Said." Also quite notable are "Deliver Me", the song that first attracted me to Sarah Brightman when I heard it on a "Pure Moods" album, and also the Titanic theme with Italian lyrics. Some object to her singing songs with non-English lyrics, although for me this is part of the charm of her CD's. One becomes more involved with the beauty of the song when not distracted by the lyrics. Well, this one does anyway.

I gave the few one and two star reviews a close look for a clue to exactly who might not like this album as I do. There are purists who believe they know better than the singer as to how the song should be sung, and those would not enjoy this album. Those with less eclectic tastes and those annoyed by songs where you might not understand the foreign words would undoubtedly be annoyed by this CD. I did note that one negative review wasn't about this CD at all, but of a concert...Others listened only once to this CD and decided they didn't like it, a common mistake. I'd be missing many of my now favorite CD's had I never listened to them several times. I do hope that the one reviewer who said he was throwing his copy into the trash was joking. There are too many people who would gain much pleasure from this CD for some thoughtless person to throw it out. But to each his own.