Customer Reviews

Portrait

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

 

 

Rick and his producer have created a wonderful album, with an amazing mix
of classic tunes from various eras. Mostly simple instrumentation, but very
original and interesting. Rick sings beautifully and with loads of soul.
Where Do I Begin (Love Story), These Foolish Things, and Vincent are standouts.

Also check out his fantastic "comeback" album from 2001, "Keep It Turned On",
which unfortunately is out of print and very hard to find.

I bought this album yesterday and was so looking forward to put it into my CD player with great anticipation and excitement with all the great song choice seen on the back cover. I grew up in the 80's and have lots of fond memories in high-school and Rick Astley songs. I was disappointed however with this album.

Firstly, the "counry-pop" and "soft-rock" arrangement of great classics such as 'Vincent', 'And I Loved You So' and 'Close To You' are very insulting to listen too. I couldn't stop saying, in shock "Oh my god! oh my god!" and skipped to the next track; hoping very hard that it will go uphill from next track onwards.

Unfortunately not. The "hip-hop" treatment to 'Where Do I Begin' and 'What the World Needs Now' is also very hard to swallow.

The "street guitar strumming busking" style of Ms Streisand's "Somewhere" reminded me of the busking entertainment at Sydney Central train station (especially the first 4 bars intro using same chord); not '... peace and quiet and open air...'.

I liked the Bossanova version of "These Foolish Things" and "Nature Boy".

I asked myself, why Jamie Cullum's re-arrangement of "I could have danced all night" and "Singing in the Rain" worked perfectly, but not Rick Astley's attempt? The arranger of all these tracks have a lot to answer.

The acid test, perhaps is to send this album to the idol judge Simon Cowell for an overall verdict to see what would come out from his mouth; to Ms Barbara Streisand to listen to track "Somewhere", and to Ms Dionne Warwick to review "What the World Needs Now'.

That would be an interesting exercise.

This cd should come with a warning "DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE LISTENING". This collection has about as
much sizzle as a seven day old open can of pop. At first listen i could hardly tell where "vincent" ended and "Love you so" began!, mainly due to the sparse acoustic production style which
falls way flat. I found my ears straining for other instruments to join in. And If you expect to hear his bold and firey baritone vocals here...forget it. Rick is singing in his sleep
on this one. This is such a dissapointment while knowing what great things he can do with that voice when paired with the right production. Recall "Body and Soul","Waiting for the bell to Ring", "Hoplessly","Cry for Help". These beautifully astounding songs proved Astley had branched successfully beyond his earlier dance artist fame. This collection however takes him and many of his fans nowhere fast.

I've been planning to write rick astley to come up with an album like this, reviving some classic hits but done in his own style. I got a copy of this CD as a gift from my sister in Canada, who ordered it in Singapore because the CD is not commercially available in Manila.I hope this CD and his Keep It Turned On CD will also be available in Manila soon, since there are still thousand of Rick Astley fans in this part of our world.
I love Rick's rendition of Close To You, Make It Easy On Yourself, Somewhere, I Can't Help Falling In Love and What The World Needs Now. I think these songs will be most requested when released here soon.

OK, It's Rick again, but slightly different.
Same voice, good election of the songs. Thumbs up about Vincent and Where do I begin. Simply a good Cd for the people who like the good music and knows the trajectory of this artist.

what a missed oportunity,having seen him sing a couple of standards concerts with a swingin jazz sextett this album came a bit as a dissapointment to me,beeing a fan of his great voice i still play some songs and think there are a few worth bying it i can't help but feel it like a GIANT missed opportunity.
first of all the good ones here are
NATURE BOY-an interesting version with a magnificent vocal on,giving nature boy some soulfullness and singing it like johnny hartmann came back!
THESE FOOLISH THINGS-the only jazzy arrangement,in a bossa nova groove with some good jazzy piano fills makes it the perfect backing for this croonerish voice,makes you think what music he would have recorded beeing born 30years earlyer?
WHERE DO I BEGIN-another good recording making him sing tones he hasn't sung before and doing a great job at it!the production is somewhat groovy and original,but it does it's job,still like that one very much.
other good recordings are,what the world needs now-done with a great fender rhodes backing and in a more soulfull and uptempo approach allmost like a protest song.somewhere is interesting as it makes his voice sound brilliant,but makes you think how great this album could have sounded done in a more traditional standards way?when i hear this voice i emediatly think what he would sound like when someone like DAVID FOSTER would produce an album of his,he would be groundbreaking!!!again,having seen him do jazz with a small group i can only say it's unbelevable the people at sony didn't release this like his live concerts in 2004.he sang some tippical standards but sang them with such verve,such sense of timing,such great vocal power it still to this day a mistery whay they didn't capture THAT sound.
in 2004 he played live at places like ronnie scott's jazz club surrounded by people like SIMON BATES,RICHARD HARRIS,JEZ FRANKS,PAUL CHRISTAMSS,MIKE BRADLEY and they got something out of him i never would have dreamed to hear.he did things like "cheeck to cheeck,luck be a lady,fly me to the moon,you're nobody till somebody loves you" so great and in such personal style it still is the greatest mistery who at sony BMG decidet not to use that set-up,so shame on you whoever decidet that!
so that's why i consider this as a decent album and at the same time the biggest missed opportunity ever as it could have been a groundbreaking album in the world of standards reintroduced again.

I loved this cd from the get go!! I am a die hard fan of Ricks 80's material but
his voice has matured, deeped and has changed. We shouldn't compare
this album to his past work as this one is a totaly different musical style! I personally enjoy his new voice and music style. I can't say any thing about arrangements and whats right or whats wrong with this album but what I do know is this album makes me feel both up beat and relaxed!! Ricks new musical style reminds me of some of the greatest singers of the 40's like Frank Sanatra, Perry Como ect. His new voice is perfect for this style of music!! Rick enjoys doing
these classics in an up beat style and many people have already enjoyed his
new style of music in concert, he sells out where ever he performs, I say
Rick do more!!

Living in the USA alot of Ricks music is inported here and expensive to buy, as a true Rick Astley fan I am happy to listen to any thing he puts out and hope he
continues to record.

Rick once stated he wasn't happy with this album but released it any way and
I say THANKS Rick I think its wonderful and I will enjoy it for along time
to come!! Give it a listen with an open mind and enjoy again his wonderful
voice!!

So it's a different style than his 80s stuff. He hardly survived the era, so if he ventured a comeback it would have certainly been in a different style. I find the interpretations informed by experience and his voice in terrific shape. Nice rep choices, and a really enjoyable venture. Sorry it never went anywhere. He was always a special artist.

As a person who loves all these standards but also someone who's heard them all done the same way for ever this was an interesting idea. Perfectly executed? God, no. About 5 years too late? Yes. But it is so much more than just another dreadful cover album (see Tina Arena for that one). And unlike the shocker photo on the album - it's not over cooked.

I own almost every cover of Mclean's "And I Love You So" and it is so refreshing to hear someone brave enough to not do a re-hash. It's almost upbeat!

Unfortunately it just misses the mark for any commercial success whatsoever. It's not going to please the traditionalists and it's just not cool enough for the kids to enjoy it. But as a 30 something I haven't been this interested in a stock cover album stocking filler in eons.

Give it a try!

allright people will say yet another covers album but this album is a strong vocal performance but the recording style is somewhat different to avaredge covers albums.some will love it some will hate it.i think the best versions here are"portrait of my love","nature boy","these foolish things","make it easy on yourself",the unusually unplugged version of"somewhere" also the groovy and a little jazzy "where do i begin"!i think this album shows some vocal abilytis people did't thought rick had.lets hope rick will release a real big band album someday!!