Customer Reviews

Girl in the Other Room (Hybr)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I always thought that Diana Krall was nice to listen to, but with nothing extra that made me buy any records of her. That was until I saw and heard her Live in Paris DVD, where the Canadian singer stepped out from the former slick and almost icy approach and delivered that extra. Suddenly you could feel the warmth in her voice, her ultra sensual charisma came through with full force - I was hooked. Still feel though that her albums are too polished for my taste, I stick with the fantastic live DVD.

Now Mrs Krall has made a studio album that connects to the feeling on the Live DVD. The musical setting is much more intimate than on her previous albums. Basically you have one tight band, where the two most impressive musicians to my ears are Anthony Wilson on guitar and Christian McBride on bass. Diana Krall herself sings like a goddess and plays a very good piano. The songs are a mix of jazz, blues and pop, with a more rootsy feeling than her usual repertoire. There are also a mixture of covers and original songs. The originals are all written by Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, though Costello has only contributed to the music on the majestic title track, otherwise he has stuck to the words. There is a natural flow to the song sequence on the album and the originals stand up very good to the covers.

There are in my opinion no weak songs on the album, and my favourites (today) are the title track (Krall/Costello) and Temptation (Tom Waits).

Audiowise the album is very good recorded and produced. The SACD layer adds that extra HiFi dimension with crispy treble and a deep and tight bass. But the real winner here is clearly the multichannel mix. Diana's vocal is placed in the front channels and center and all instruments are spread in all channels in a rather aggressive but still very tasteful way. In my opinion a perfect 5.1 mix, compared to i.e. Norah Jones Come away with Me which has a very wimpy 5.1 mix. The only negative to say about the sound quality is that from time to time you can hear some harschness to the s-sounds.

Highly recommendable!!

First of all, although I was a bit hedgy about it at first, "The Girl in the Other Room" is a totally GREAT CD (see my review of the simpler enhanced version). The more I listen to it, the more I've become addicted to it. Aside from the late, great Peggy Lee, no other singer comes to mind who combines coolness with warmth, mystery with frankness, glamour with earthiness, and subtlety with thoroughness. Diana, you give me heart palpitations, and that's a compliment!

Since I was totally impressed by the mixing and mastering on the regular edition, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Super Audio version. Truthfully, the awesome sound detail on the Super Audio CD is SO impressive, it is almost difficult for my human ears to drink it all in. There's a LOT going on from five different speakers and a woofer, all blended beautifully. The most striking feature about the SACD is a longer, slightly different version of the opening song "Stop This World", so if you're a Diana fan, believe me, this is an absolute must-have! And if you don't have a 5.1 system, what the heck are you waiting for? For audiophiles, it is worth EVERY penny. I highly recommend Sony's 5.1 CD/DVD audio.

Don't be misguided by my rating of this album. I encourage you to purchase EVERY album that Diana has ever made. I am a big fan of Diana Krall. Case in point- I traveled from the Cayman Islands via Australia, to see her perform in Toronto, Canada. (Check that out on your maps!) BUT... in my NOT so humble opinion, I feel that Diana would do better to make music with Joni Mitchell or the sort. Joni Mitchell good for Diana...Elvis Costello, well, we'll wait and see. I can only hope that this album is not a sign of what is in store for Diana and her music. I submit the following evidence- Listen to "A Case of You" from her album entitled "Live In Paris" Now listen to any of the 7 songs on this album that Elvis has credit to.- No Elvis, I DON"T THINK SO! Mind you, this is not to be mistaken as a bad review on Elvis' music. I'll eat Ice-cream or Caviar.-Just not together.

The breezy and haunting sounds of The Girl in the Other Room has moved through the air of my home, gently filling the space with the resonating notes of a steady bass, the soft tapings of a high hat and cymbal and a voice that feels to whisper the lingering lyrics of songs written from the soul. Diana's fingers seem to barely touch the keys of her instrument, her heart expressing the existence of languid spirits, lost loves and memories of abandonment, past affairs and the fading scent of summertime.

The music of Diana Krull redefines the meaning of the word "cool" or more so, brings its meaning back to its original roots, where cool can really only be expressed through the sounds of jazz and blues.

Most of these tunes are a creative collaboration between Diana Krull and the genius of Elvis Costello. It is entirely evident that these two artists' have that mysterious ability to bring their minds and souls together, creating some extraordinary music.

Hearing track twelve for the first time, Departure Bay, Diana's voice, like the magical chanting of an ancient magi, entered my being and opened my spirit to the endless possibilities of music, seemingly transporting the soul to other realities, beautiful worlds and landscapes, places the soul always yearns for in secret, waiting for the chance to finally go there...and stay.

Diana and Elvis Costello have truly exceeded themselves with these songs.

This CD is magical, strangely enchanting and truly mesmerizing.

Music: 4 stars

Sonic: 5 stars

I like the sonic quality of this disc a lot, transparent and very well balanced. However, Diana Krall's singing is not convincing, lack of indepth emotional involvement.

This is a beautiful earlier version of Diana's music (including John Clayton); has left a lasting impression! As I prefer vinyl versions to the digital releases (as this one, SACD), I sought this collectors vinyl version in auction, and paid a "Kings ransom" to get it! What a beautiful performer; Elvis is a lucky "SOB" and we all hope to have her with us for many more memorable performances. I'm a huge fan!

One of the best sounding 5.1 or stereo recordings out there. It gets a lot of play at my house. Feels like I am in the club where she is playing. I will be purchasing more discs from her.

A must, for any high end sound system.

Great selections well put together album.

Diana, the best always.

Again, Krall has put together a compilation of songs about love and life, but again does not include the most important factor in music: emotion. Her voice is much the same as someone speaking the poems with an orchestra in the background. I know she must have the ability to express emotion with her voice (and it would sound great if she did), but I've yet to hear it. I have listened to this CD along with "The Look of Love" and it all is basically coffee shop background music- nothing more. I'm not impressed by this artist in the slightest and am starting to wish that Limewire was legal so I can avoid wasting my money in the future.

Another winner from DK. Sounds amazing through my 7.1 surround system....!

Great service from Amazon . Well done