Harem [Extra tracks, Import]

Sarah Brightman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 9, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: Emd Int'l
• ASIN: B00009B8FE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #640,700 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #40 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > A to B > Brightman, Sarah

Track Listings

1. Harem

2. What A Wonderful World

3. It's A Beautiful Day (after Puccini's Un bel dì)

4. What You Never Know

5. The Journey Home

6. Free

7. Mysterious Days

8. The War Is Over Now

9. Misere Mei (after Alegri)

10. Beautiful

11. Arabian Nights

12. Stranger In Paradise

13. Until The End Of Time

14. You Take My Breath Away [*]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If one's notion of "world music" promises a touch of the exotic and indigenous, often overlooked is the fact that the influence of western pop music has seeped into every corner of the globe, creating a hybrid that's often more than merely the sum of its influences. Theater vet Brightman steps into that pan-cultural hall of mirrors here, wedding her fascination with the music and rhythms of the "forbidden places" (the title's Arabic meaning) of the Middle East to her own oft ethereal vocal charms and rock-solid sense of drama. And if the diva's equally sound crossover sensibilities (and that of longtime producer Frank Peterson) sometimes mire it in familiar world-beat pastiche, Brightman's charmed muse manages some transcendent moments nonetheless. Her musical borrowings (Borodin for the title track; Puccini's *Madame Butterfly* for "It's a Beautiful Day") are as compelling as her choice of collaborators: classical violin star Nigel Kennedy and Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir add compelling touches to the weary timeliness of "The War is Over." The musical influences range from Europe across the Mediterranean and as far East as the Indian roots of "Bollywood" composer A.R. Rahman's "The Journey Home" and Brightman's own "You Take My Breath Away" to evocative recastings of the emblematic standards "Stranger in Paradise" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," while ex-Killing Joke keyboardist Jaz Coleman provides the savory East-meets-West orchestrations that ensure Brightman's star turns the seamless foundations they deserve. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

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

--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I am dreaming a dream or this is Paradise and..., July 12, 2003

By 

Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Harem (CD & DVD) (Audio CD)

the Abode of Peace!" ~ Arabian Nights

I've been a fan of Sarah Brightman since the release of 'Eden' back in 99 and have since then acquired many of her albums and concert DVDs and, imho, this is by far her best work to date (although many will disagree because it's so experimental). She's a true angel of music and 'Harem' (forbidden places) explores the exotic with beautiful, crystalline singing and ethereal, wordly-pop meets middle eastern beats that will keep you entranced until the very end (and then you'll probably start it again because world music can be very addicting if it's done the right way and if you've got the ear/taste for it). This album is hypnotic and enchanting and very different from her successful predecessor 'La Luna' but it definitely rises above anything she's ever done before and it showcases her love of varied styles. Operatic singing is pretty much nonexistent here but she still incorporates her old roots with a well-trained classical voice on "A Stranger In Paradise" and a great adaption of Puccini's "Un Bel Di" (It's a Beautiful Day). Frank Peterson continues to guide Sarah's career in the right direction by producing the sweeping, dance-infused "Harem" (the title being a song in which she wrote herself) while bringing in some new faces to spice the mix up, like keyboardist Jaz Coleman (ex-Killing Joke who also worked on the highly praised New Zealand project, Oceania) to breathe life into the soaring string orchestrations.

'Harem' also features a lot of guest artists, such as the passionate Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir on "The War Is Over" and classical violinist Nigel Kennedy who recently worked with crossover star Josh Groban. The late Ofra Haza appears on "Mysterious Days" while Natacha Atlas lends additional background vocals on "Arabian Nights" (the theme for this record) which, lyrically, is separated into five different parts that fuse together seamlessly.

Since the entire album is absolutely stunning, it's nearly impossible to choose favorites here but "What You Never Know", "The Journey Home", "Free", "The War Is Over", and her breathtaking remake of Mandalay's "Beautiful" seem to standout the best with me. The Asian-influenced, U.S. bonus track "You Take My Breath Away" is another notable mention but it's hardly new to me. It was originally released on her import album "Fly", which would probably be the best of her previous albums to compare this to as it was her first real venture into the pop-rock genre.

Sarah may be singing simpler tunes on 'Harem' but she's never sounded better.

As for the limited edition DVD, that is a very nice inclusion for fans like me who can't get enough of this goddess in motion. She's such a fun person to watch and you can really see that she loves what she's doing. On the making of Harem you get to experience several behind the scene features, such as the recording of the orchestra, the backing vocals, many instrumental sessions and, of course, Sarah at Nemo Studios with boyfriend/producer Frank Peterson. The DVD also consists of a Marrakech photo shoot, a trip around Morocco with Sarah, the original and alternate music video for "Harem", a slow moving photo gallery, a discography of her recent albums (excluding the less popular "Dive" and "Fly", for some reason), and a very interesting biography.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Come into my harem, June 15, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harem (CD & DVD) (Audio CD)

Sarah Brightman has reinvented her musical styles over and over, constantly exploring new territory in albums like "Dive" (the sea, "La Luna" (the moon), and "Fly" (everything else). In "Harem," she takes a step into the Middle-East, reflected both in the music and the writing.

We start off with the Mid-Eastern technopop "Harem" ("Sing for me a song of life's visage/Sing for me a tune of love's mirage") with its shimmering music, heading off to the softer and more uplifting "What a Wonderful World," the beautifully sung but rather simplistic "What You Never Know," the melancholy ballad-turned-pop "Journey Home," the sparkling "Mysterious Days", the deeply poignant "War is Over," the haunting "Arabian Nights," the somewhat lackluster "Stranger in paradise," and the stately "Until The End of Time." (The India-influenced "You Take My Breath Away" from a prior album is also on the end)

Only Brightman could evoke so much with one CD -- desert sand and winds, and cities, medieval churches with the all-too-brief "Misere Mei," oppressive love, mosques and camels and "wounded lights falling." The DVD accompanying many of the CDs is a good insight into the album (although it's impossible to tell them apart just by looking). Music videos, photo galleries, and a behind-the-scenes look at Sarah recording the album tracks and changing the lyrics as she goes along.

The writing is usually a bit secondary to the amazing voice, but the songwriting is brilliant as well. The Middle-Eastern ones are usually the best (" Splendor of a thousand suns shone glory in my path/ No love more pure and rage more fierce"; "If I were God and ruled the world/I'd spin a wheel of dreams"). Some of the less prominent songs are a bit repetitive ("Beautiful"'s chorus, for example).

As in "Dive" and "Fly," most of the songs are in English and have a certain note of dreaminess. But "Harem" is of higher quality than either, and Sarah sounds surer of herself; her voice, as always, can dip into a sort of little-girl voice or soar in operatic solos.

Fans of Sarah Brightman will not be disappointed by "Harem," different but definitely worth buying. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new CD, June 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Harem (CD & DVD) (Audio CD)

After about two years, Sarah Brightman has released an all-new CD! This long awaited album does not fail to please. Basing its theme around the mysteries of the East, Harem is unique and unlike anything Sarah has produced thus far. The title track is absolutely awesome, followed by "What a Wonderful World", "It's a Beautiful Day", "Arabian Nights", "Mysterious Days", and "You Take My Breath Away". The DVD portion offers a documentary on the making of Harem, the Harem music video (2 versions), a photo gallery, discography, and biography. A good choice for collectors and fans of Ms. Brightman.