Customer Reviews

The Other Side of Time

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This CD sent me spiraling back to the days of October in Burlington, Vermont, when the Champlain Ferry motored to the middle of the lake and shut down it's engines so that October Project could sing an hour long concert. The ferry seemed to hover in space as the calm water reflected the night-sky and "Bury My Lovely" echoed out onto the water.

Mary's new album is amazing, and has separated her from the October Project clan as a truly awe-inspriring singer-songwriter. Her voice is even more clear and thunderous. Mary also shows her vocal capabilities on tracks such as "Ben Aindi Habibi", a mesmerizing swirl of Moorish/Hindu music inspired from an old album she found in Spain, to a cover of "Una furtiva Lagrima" an aria which rivals the covers that Josh Groban performs.

Her current road show includes many of her new songs (where she can be seen accompanying herself on guitar), and she also performs 2-3 October Project songs.

The Other Side Of Time brings us the feelings we felt with October Project but catapults the listener into another realm not visited by her previous works.

I was able to talk with Mary after the concert and relay my feelings to her. She is gracious as always and very thankful to have her loyal fans back.

The album and the concert brought me back and brought me to tears as I realized I felt like I was home again for the first time in many years. I plan on bringing the album on an upcoming trip to Vermont to try to regain those past feelings of sublimeness I felt when I was younger and had more freedom.

Nothing touches the soul more than Mary's haunting voice and choice lyrics. I hope you'll purchase the album and try to see her in concert. Visit her web site at Maryfahl.com

Mary Fahl is finally back. After a few random performances over the past couple years Mary returns with an album of songs which truely showcases the splendor of her voice. Raging Child has the same energy and soaring vocals that made songs like deep as you go while Kindness can be cruel mimics the build style of falling farther in. It's wonderful to hear Mary again both on this record and as part of her ongoing tour.

This record has much of the feel on previous OP albums. Two words of caution though. The disc lacks the consistancy of October Project discs. Rather than feeling like a single work, it's more a collection of songs written over the past 5 years. As a second note if you are looking for the magical lyrics of October Project you would be better off with an album by Ellis Paul. Mary's lyrics aren't bad, but they lack the ability to stand on their own as the lyrics of October Project did.

Even with these shortcommings, this album is a must own. Mary has all the passion and splendor that we've come to associate with october project and takes us on a journey through a variety of musical genres. Buy this cd.

To be honest, I approached this album with apprehension. Unquestionably, Fahl has an incredible rich NATURAL voice (confirmed in live appearances). However, with her previous band, the October Project, Kohl was only the honeyed vocalist on top of their lush folk-cum-celtic-cum-pop-rock songs. In that band, the songs and arrangements were written by other members of the band. In fact, the band's disinclination to allow Fahl to contribute to the writing is one of the reasons Fahl cites for leaving the October Project. Nonetheless, the range, presence and tonal quality of Fahl's vocals with October Project were so great to give creedence to the old adage "she could sing the phone book and make it sound good."

Flash forward a half decade and Fahl has finally re-emerged (somewhat ironically on a subsidiary of the same label--Sony/Columbia--that dropped the October Project). Happily...no, SURPRISINGLY, the songs on this album, all but three co-written by Fahl, are very good. The tone is considerably less traditional pop-rock than the October Project; here you'll find elements of Broadway pop, folk, world music (Ben Aindi Habibi), opera (Una furtiva lagrima) and even a slight touch of jazz (Dream of You), along with the celtic tone sometimes used in her previous band (The Dawing of the Day). And when Fahl meets a diva-worthy showstopper like Redemption, she's so good you sit mouth agape, hold your breath and hope this is just the beginning of a long career. Fahl could teach all the pop tarts that seemingly qualify for Diva today what a REAL Diva sounds like.

This is a wonderful singer's album. A showcase album. The kind of album they don't make anymore. Well, mostly, anyway. On a pure musical level, this album betters the October Project's oevre. Heck, go ahead and place this album on the shelf beside the first few early Streisand albums. Yeah, it's that good. Yeah, SHE'S that good.

David

One of the saddest events in music for me was the dissolution of October Project. Other favorite bands have gone their separate ways, but only after having lived a long and full life together. October Project had recorded two great albums and were on the verge of gaining a wider audience when they were cruelly and inexplicably dumped by their record label. Some of the members reformed briefly as November Project, and while they made some good music, it just wasn't the same.

The reason is Mary Fahl - her deep yet unmistakably feminine voice was as much a part of the magic as the songwriting, and she really can't be replaced. Mary's writing her own songs now (save for a couple non-English traditional ballads), so it still isn't October Project, but the lush autumn sound is still present. We still get a fine helping of strings, piano, old world instruments and sweeping keyboards to hold it all together.

Two songs Mary wrote and recorded for the films 'The Guys' and 'Gods and Generals' are also included.

I continue to harbor hopes of Mary getting back together with her old band mates, but until that fantasy comes true, this record will fill the void nicely.

This album will have to bear comparisons to her previous work with October Project (OP).

To those who wish that this was a third "full" OP album, it isn't. For that matter, what's being passed off as OP's third album isn't a third OP album either. ...

The Good:

Mary's voice is as incredible as ever; rich tonality, a range that's awe inspiring. You really get to hear her hit her upper register on this one.

A wider assortment of musical styles, from "bar sings" (Annie, Roll Down Your Window." to Irish lays (The Dawning of the Day), to jazz (Dream of You, Kindness Can Be Cruel) to musical theater (The Station) to opera (Una Furtiva Lagrima) and Moorish Folk (Bein Aindi Habibi).

In many ways, there's more enthusiasm in these cuts from Mary than there was in OP's albums; Mary is clearly happier working on her own, even through a gruelling recording schedule.

The song's lyrics aren't as overly pretentious as some of October Project's were.

The Bad:

Many of the songs seem mere showcases for Mary's vocal gymnastics than songs that stand on their own merits. While Mary comes closer to being able to sing the phone book than many others, no singer truly can.

It's very uneven; when Mary's got a straightforward song to get behind, it's stunning. When she doesn't, you sort of wonder what all the vocal heroics are about, and why you should care. It's akin to hearing a stranger crying her eyes out in the next apartment over.

The musical arrangements are nowhere near as lush as October Project's. While this lets Mary belt 'em out, unfettered and free, it also means that the driving pop hooks that made OP so compelling aren't there either. The rhythm arrangements, in particular, are poor. As a previous reviewer wrote, Urbano Sanches and Emil Adler (from October Project's first incarnation) are sorely missed.

Overall:

Get the album. Even if, like me, you find disappointing tracks on it. See Mary in concert. Help keep Mary in the recording industry, so that she can have a career long enough to address some of the faults of this album.

In comparison to October Project's first incarnation, it's a fascinating exercise to see what aspects of that band's talents came from whom.

November Project attempted to recreate the October Project sound by slotting in another lead vocalist (Maryanne Marino) with a big voice, using Julie Flanders as the backup vocalist. It worked, sort of. It had Emil's musical arrangements, so kept a more compelling hook that Mary Fahl's solo work does.

On the other hand, they were able to prove with that album that they needed Mary -- not a Mary sound-alike, but Mary herself. Maryanne Marino has an incredible voice and singing style of her own, and it wasn't quite the mesh that Mary's was to the sound of the band.

October Project's EP (Different Eyes) has Marina Belica singing leads while Julie Flanders sings backup, and is once again, a good showcase for Emil's talents -- Marina's leads work better with the musical arrangements than Maryanne Morino's did. But again, it's not Mary Fahl.

In the meantime with Mary's solo stuff, it shows that, as stunning as her voice is, a good set of arrangements is just as important.

If I were going to attempt to form a nucleus of a band from the remnants of OP, I'd start with Mary, Emil and Urbano, and let Mary write more of the lyrics while letting Emil do what he does superbly. The Latinesque backbeats from Urbano added the right amount of funk to keep the whole thing moving.

Without a doubt, this is the best CD I purchased in 2003, although Mary's voice took me a while to get used to (think of Judy Collins, but with a much deeper, darker timbre). For awhile, I wasn't really sure if I liked "The Other Side of Time" or not. All I knew was, I kept wanting to listen to it over and over again. Almost a year later, I am totally in love with it and still have not come close to being tired of hearing it.

Each song is unlike every other on the CD: there is pop, folk, classical, Celtic, and some that are just plain indescribable. However, all of the songs have a poetic, dramatic, usually abstract core. Every listener will hear and react to the songs in their own personal, totally unique context. Fahl doesn't stand outside the material either: she inhabits the music, performing it from the inside-out, and her repertoire of nuances and emotions prove that she has the gifts to become a truly great actress. Her chilling, restrained interpretation of "Kindness can be cruel..." will give you goosebumps.

The production is also an unqualified winner: the musical arrangements reflect the individual style of each piece, and the engineering and mastering are super-pristine.

It will be very hard to top this collection, but God, Mary, give it a shot! I'm waiting with baited breath.

The new cd by Mary Fahl is by far one of the most beautiful records ever made. Let's start with that voice. Deep, rich, sensitive, wildly skilled. This is not a girl's voice but a woman's. These are songs sung with the soul, heart and breadth of someone who has the confidence and the pipes to let her passion and heart guide her. This is the real thing, and it's called talent and artistry. Mary Fahl should enter the ranks of other vocal icons that change us - they wow us, move us on an emotional level and leave us wanting more. Think Ella, Barbra, Judy, Joni.

The songs are indeed an eclectic mix, but somehow the grandeur and richness of her orchestrations and the skill of her musicians provide a consistency that makes it all work. Never a dull moment on this cd. While some of the tunes are soft and dreamy, other set you on fire. Her rendition of the aria Una Furtiva Lagrima will give you the chills; it is simply splendid. But this gal can also sing pop, jazz and even a cheery Irish ballad. All with the lushness we expect from Mary Fahl. Her last song is the one you might remember the most. A dignified and deeply moving story about the tragedy of September 11. It moved me to tears. No wonder it was in the final scenes of the 9/11 movie "The Guys". Thank you, Ms. Fahl for helping us to feel our hearts while giving us such a delicious feast for the ears.

Ecstasy is defined as a state of emotion so intense that it carries one beyond rational thought. There are very few musicians / composers that produce tonal paintings which ignite the soul and carry you to such a level. To me, Mary Fahl is one of those artists.
My personal favorites on her newest CD are "Una furtiva lagrima" - a lovely work that embodies the intensity of romantic yearning, and "Dream of You" - if ever there was a Siren's song, this would be it. Absolutely hauntingly beautiful. Breathtaking...

I am not really familiar with Mary Fahl's previous band October Project except for the stunning "Bury My Lovely". I thought "Bury My Lovely" was the most incredible piece of pop music I had ever heard the first time I heard it several years ago, and that Mary had an enchanting voice. I still think so to this day. On a recent excursion to my favorite record store, I came across "The Other Side of Time". I decided to pick it up. I liked what I heard. Mary definitely has a unique voice in the music business. Too bad most singers today can't sing or hold any notes like Mary can. The music is a good mixture of celtic, pop, folk, and classical music. While I did enjoy the cd a lot, it took me a couple of listens for the music to really sink into my head. I wasn't really too wild about "In the Great Unknown" on the initial listen but now the song has slowly grown on me. But after the first song, the music did get better on the initial listen. I look forward to hearing more from Mary Fahl in the near future.

Mary Fahl's new cd is a must have for anyone who loves amazing voices. I thought she couldn't get any better than her performances on the October Project records. Alas, Mary has blown me away yet again. From her terrific pop tune "In the Great Unknown" to the exotic "Ben Aindi Habibi" to her sultry jazz tune "Kindness Can be Cruel" Mary shows a range of emotion that is both sexy and mesmerizing. Her vocal acrobatics on the classic opera aria "Una Furtiva Lagrima" will have fans of Andrea Bocceli drooling, and her final cut, "The Dawning of the Day" is the most touching and poignant tribute to the heros of 9/11 I have ever experienced. Mary is a rare mix of a stunning voice, emotional expansiveness and maturity, and eclectic taste. Her song choices make for a bit of a variety pack, but don't we love that, anyway? It sure didn't hurt Moby, who was one of the first artists who dared to put many musical genres on his records, with great success. Congratulations, Ms. Fahl. This is a dazzling record.