Customer Reviews

Inspired (Chi)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lea Salonga is a captivating Broadway singer-actress with a wonderful vocal gift for ballads. It's however nice to hear her perform covers of pop songs well beyond her usual theater genre. Few crossover artists have such an ease of transition, of which only a few notable come to mind including Anthony Warlow, Patti Lupone and Sarah Brightman. This album features lush melodies, beautiful score and topnotch arrangement. Salonga may not be as prolific as other artists, but every album that she records is a vocal masterpiece worth keeping and listening to for ages.

Here's my take on "Inspired." I love the fact that Lea is famous for her beautiful renditions of songs that have been rearranged to suit her style. A great example is her "When October Goes" (from her Stage L.A. concert tribute to Mercer) which is a complete departure from the original Barry Manilow version. I guess the audience wasn't expecting such soft melodius and emotional rendition that she received the biggest ovation among other Broadway veteran performers at that concert. Since then, I have been hoping for a new album with that song but arranged by her brother, Gerard Salonga be released. Finally, "Inspired" was released. A perfect parting gift to her fans before she took the reign of the doomed Fantine in Les Miserables on Broadway in 2006. Not the expected Broadway selection but this time, a tribute to popular classic and jazz songs.

Let me start with "Two Words" (did you know this was her actual wedding vow?). The introduction is new as compared to the last official recording and live performances. The sweeping orchestral movement was beautiful. It's mesmerizing and one can only admire the genius of Gerard Salonga who is indeed a master of his craft. This artiste deserves an award for the entire album or the least for this song. Lea's version of Beverley Craven's "Promise Me" is personally, a better arrangement and vocal style. It's also refreshing to hear Sergio Mendez' s classic "Waiting for Love". Reminiscent of smokey jazz bars from the 50's, I thought Lea did a splendid job in "Who Are You?" and "Foolish Heart." "Do You Hear It" is something I would like to listen to when I just want to relax. Now, straight from the 80's, I didn't know that the melody from the tv movie Brian's Song had lyrics. It's a nice retrospective of that era with a nice pop touch to it. "When Winter's Gone" is a refreshing epilogue to a more emotional "When October Goes." This version of October has a jazzier upbeat as compared to her very emotional Mercer song yet Gerard still managed to keep the beautiful signature "Falling Leaves" melody intact. Overall, this is her best non-Broadway album to date. It is a beautiful timeless recording that I can listen to over and over again. I highly recommend it to everyone.

PS. This album was "repackaged" in 2007 with 2 new additional songs "If You're Not Here" and "Of All The Things". Well worth the second purchase just for the 2 new songs.

I'm just writing this off the top of my head, but I had to say something. I've been a fan of Lea Salonga's since her KCET Les Miserables concert... about 12(?) years ago. I had recently seen the play locally and the wonderful music from that play was still bouncing around in my head and I was just flipping channels when I ran across this TV special. Up pops this character with a voice that immediately brought tears to my eyes. So good, sooooo VERY great. Lea brought the house down...blew the doors out as no other performer in the cast did. (Man, this is just like remembering my first date.)

Everything she's ever done since then has had that effect on me. I have to listen to her CDs half a dozen times before I can put away the kleenex box (THIS CD is very much included). Yeah, go ahead and laugh (and you who have never heard her would laugh and those who HAVE will understand and maybe smile a little), but her work, her songs, her interpretations, to me, are just that beautiful.

This woman is the real deal. Maybe the best female ballad and broadway singer in a generation. New records from her have been hard to find for awhile (no wonder: getting married, doing plays in Manila, and staring in her own concert in Carnegie Hall when she was 8 months pregnant, then having a daughter and just being a mother). But she's back and all here in this CD. I don't care if this thing cost me $30.00, I'd pay twice that. Frankly, I can't understand why there are only 3 reviews here--there should be about 800!

For you Lea fans, I don't have to say anything more. For you who have never heard her: fall in love with life again. Get this CD and listen to one of the purest and most beautiful singing voices on the planet. Because you'll fall in love with more than life, you'll fall in love with her tallent and everything she puts into a song. You will, as so many of her fans have done, fall in love with her.

I'm a Lea fan, since she was 14 and have listened to every CD she has ever made. Amazingly, she keeps getting BETTER with age - even after having baby Nicole. The quality of her voice keeps getting more pure and mellow simply AMAZING..!!

I only liked about 8 of the 12 tracks - the rest are just "ok". But the ones I liked are stunning/

This the first CD that she has recorded at Carmel House - a studio near her home that has her brother (and musical director) Gerard as a major partner. Quality of recording is very high and her brother is a true master at making her the best musical scores and working with the orchestra to bring out the very best in Lea's performances.

Lea fans will love this CD - non-Lea fans will quickly become Lea fans.

Lea is truly a gem...
Her voice is a gift sent from heaven.
Beautiful and enchanting as always
A win-win purchase !!!
I am truly "Inspired"

As always!...Lea never failed her audience, listeners and fans. I have collected Lea's album for years and treasured them. I never had a chance to see her performing on stage even when I was in Manila. I lived in London for 6 years and much to my regret, I did see Miss Saigon twice but it wasn't Lea performing the role of Kim. I was in New York when Lea performed in Carnegie Hall, too bad we had to drive to Philadelphia on that day of her concert. Well, I guess my only wish is to see Lea singing & performing live on stage one day.
Now that I live here in Seattle, all I can do is to listen to her albums on a daily basis. I always play this album "Inspired" on my way to work and home, this truly is a gem to own. I'm looking forward for more albums to come and continue to listen to her songs and be...Inspired!

Lea Salonga no doubt has a very captivating singing voice, always perfectly pitched and spell binding in her songs . When I learned about this album, I was very excited to get my own copy especially because it has the song that she sang for her husband in their wedding.

This album is supposedly a compilation of songs that inspired her over the years. Sad to say, Lea's voice was not given justice. The album does not deliver. The music and tone quality of the album seemed to be half-baked and oftentimes unbearable to the ears. For me, only two songs were worth listening to over and over: Two Words & Promise Me. The other songs were either uninspiring or were deliberately compromised by the poor quality of the drums and the wind section.

"Sing" had a slow boss nova touch but it came out very dragging. I dont get the artistical creativity of this arrangement. "Waiting For Love" is a nice tune - but listen closely to the bass - it went out of tune more than once. "Brian's Song" -I love the song, the movie - The strings section was angelic but the trumpets and the drums were awful. The beat of the drums sounded like it came from the garage and the trumpets in the interlude sounded from a marching band. "When Winters Gone" & "When October Goes" - everything started great until you hear the wind section play their parts. To top it all, Lea's voice was overpowered by the instruments.

Im a fan of Lea and Ive always been proud of her success. This was a great project that was badly produced. I agree with misterw"Steve" (Redlands, CA). She needs to get a better music producer, and music arranger. Her voice deserves better music quality.

Lea still has an amazing voice but this CD does not deliver. Only half the songs are good; well actually very good. The other half are terrible. It sounds like she's singing in a bar with a little 3 piece band. The production is terrible, many times the instruments are overpowering her voice, which is pretty difficult to do. The drums on these songs are heavy and just awful. The backing orchestra is of a lower quality than she deserves. I really think Lea needs to part with her brother and find a composser and producer that can really put her talent and voice where it belongs. Lea is one of my 3 favorite singers in the world along with Sarah Brightman and Hayley Westenra. I hope her next CD delivers because this one for the most part does not.

Here I think lea has presented a better recording than her early ones.Her vocals has always are great.My only issue is the pace of the recording itself.A CD needs the same arc as a performance and to me thats what this recording is lacking.But it's lea so it's a must for all fans.

I bought this CD because I love her voice. I heard it first on a Miss Saigon soundtrack, and it gave me chills. I was thrilled to find a CD by her, and bought it without looking any deeper. The songs "feel" like covers of oldies-but-goodies. I know I recognized one from the Carpenters. She does them beautifully, but none of them give me chills. None of them has the poignancy or immediacy of emotion of the tragic passages from the play. They are just songs. In all, I'd buy it again, because she does have a beautiful voice, and it makes soothing background for when I'm working. Plus, a voice like hers deserves to be supported. I want her to keep singing, so someday I can get chills again...