Eternal The Best of Libera

Libera (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 7, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B001IZID46
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,907 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

CD1
1 You were there
2 Sanctus
3 John Tavener: Mother of God
4 Salva me
5 Love and mercy
6 Sancte
7 Secret
8 Do not stand at my grave and weep
9 Always with you
10 Libera
11 Ave Maria
12 Gaudete
13 Air on G string
14 I am the day
15 We are the lost
16 Sempiterna (remix)

CD 2
17 Orinoco flow
18 Far away
19 Gloria
20 Voca me
21 Sing for ever
22 Rest in peace
23 Adoramus
24 May the road rise up
25 Ave Maria
26 Prayer
27 How can I keep from singing?
28 Be still my soul
29 Stay with me
30 Recordare
31 Going home
32 Heaven --Track listing

Product Description

2008 double CD anthology from the British boy choir vocal group. Eternal contains 26 Libera favorites drawn from earlier releases, as well as four brand new tracks: 'Mother of God', 'Gaudete', 'You Were There' and 'How Can I Keep From Singing?'. This collection also features two remixed songs previously only available as digital downloads and released here for the first time on CD. Libera enjoyed a busy 2007-2008 season: they made highly successful tours to Japan, Korea and the U.S. and took part in high profile events including the Kennedy Center Honors before a star-studded audience of politicians and celebrities. EMI.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good collection covering recent Libera recordings, February 1, 2009

By 

Larry Trammell "the RidgeRat" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eternal The Best of Libera (Audio CD)

You can read the reviews of the original releases to learn why Libera has such a dedicated international following. The question is: is this collection right for you?

Material from the first two albums on the Warner label -- some of their best -- are sorely missing. But you can, and should, get these separately. The important tracks "Far Away" and "Going Home" from the "Angel Voices" CD are included, but most of the rest is cover material, not included. You get almost everything from the very recent landmark "New Dawn" album -- except for the inexplicable inclusion of the wobbly surfer tune "Love and Mercy" instead of the delightful "The Lamb." For the "Free" album, the six tracks hit the high points, but leave much missing - "Free" remains worth buying separately despite the heavy overlap. For the "Visions" album that took Asia by storm, the nicely done "New Day," and variant "Wings of a Dove" are missing; Sempiterna is remixed. Otherwise, coverage is remarkably complete.

Incurable Libera fans who have all of the other CD's probably will want "Eternal" for the new tracks, even though there is not much added value. Perhaps the best is an upgraded "Gaudete," revived from the "Luminosa" CD for an Aled Jones TV special. Of the remixes, "Sempiterna" from Visions takes a beating, with the polyrythms competing with the vocals. But "Heaven" (a cover of "A New Heaven" from the Free album) gets the remix concept right... so completely over the edge that it has nothing to do but spread its wings and fly. I'd like to see this concept taken to a full album... soar or crash. If the classical fuddys don't like it, they've already got "Angel Voices" so what's their problem?

Despite the misleading subtitle, "Eternal" is primarily a selective reissue of the last two major CD releases. General recommendation: if seriously collecting Libera recordings, concentrate on the five major albums and the concert album first. But if you are looking for a gift set, or decent coverage of recent material at a bargain price, this could be exactly what you want.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, April 26, 2009

By 

Luke Ray (Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eternal The Best of Libera (Audio CD)

After reading reviews and listening to the (somewhat disappointing) previews Amazon provides, I decided to purchase this CD. Since I have issues with delayed gratification, I downloaded it from Amazon's MP3 store. I began listening right away and I can say that I was not disappointed in the slightest. The music, the harmonies, and the voices of these boys are absolutely stunning. I certainly do not have a favorite track, but would put "Do Not Stand" right up there. My grandpa, with whom I was very close, passed away over two years ago and I still find myself struggling with that loss. "Do Not Stand" seems like a personal message from him to me and I cherish that.

There are so many beautiful songs on this album. I have shared them with friends and family and they are jumping on the Libera bandwagon. I have a neighbor who heard me listening to them the other night. He texted me and asked who I was listening to because he said it sounded very 'soothing.' He's a more 'hip' type of person, muscley, drives a Lexus, has a HOT girlfriend and I was nervous to tell him who it was for fear of his response. He has since told me that he absolutely loves Libera and has added them to his Pandora page.

Libera is Latin for free. When I listen to them, that's exactly how I feel: Free. They are best listened to in quiet solitude with an excellent sound system and the volume up high. This truly helps to highten the experience.

Thank you Libera, for what you have done.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great CD Set, the Best Value!, April 10, 2009

By 

smyoshi "Sandy" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eternal The Best of Libera (Audio CD)

Eternal is a wonderful collection of Libera's more recent songs. If you are new to Libera, don't hesitate to buy this CD set -- it's a great value. I truly enjoy listening to the Eternal CDs even though I now have four prior releases by Libera: Vision, Free, Luminosa and Libera. All the Libera boys seem to have the same love and passion for the unique sound of Libera that Robert Prizeman does. Their sound seems to have a capacity to just totally surround you with peace, even in LA traffic. I am very grateful to be born in an age where we have the technology to preserve these beautiful voices.

I've also been having fun discovering other gifted treble voices of boys from the past who are now grown up. I've since bought some of their CDs and have been appropriately impressed, but I find that over 95% of the time, I reach for one of the Libera albums for listening pleasure. Even if you have most of other Libera CDs, if you're like me, you'll find yourself listening to Eternal the most, because it'll have many of your favorites in one package. I also like the new songs in Eternal, "You Were There", "Sempiterna (Remix)" and "How Can I Keep from Singing", which is the best solo by Josh Madine yet, in my opinion.