Customer Reviews

Prelude: Best of Charlotte Church

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(50)

 

 

In reviewing the selections on this CD, I noticed only one original work and that was the song, "Just Wave Hello". I am totally amazed that this song would be included herein as it was billed as "The Ford Global Anthem". When people heard it, it simply engendered feelings of the "Rollerball Syndrome" where corporations had control of an Orwellean world, and their anthem was played before the beginning of sporting events. The song was quickly pulled when Ford sales tanked. In any case, to put in a song which was produced to be part of a commercial is, IMHO, to short-change the public.

The remainder of the songs we hear are simply renditions which almost any girl Charlotte's age could have sung. There is nothing special here and certainly nothing which any music lover would consider a hit. If this is the "Best of", then it is best left in the vaults of Sony. When this girl's career is finished, then is the time to see if there is a "Best of" worth offering to the music-listening public.

As others have noted, this CD brings nothing new to the table. The "new" songs have the same problem that Enchantment had and that is that she had lost most of her voice when they were recorded. I am very disappointed that something better than this could not have been released after such a disappointment as Enchantment. But maybe this is as good as she will ever be. If so, she needs to look for new musical genres. The ones included herein are not compatible with her voice any longer.

In my opinion, Charlotte's label chose a very poor time to release a compilation of her songs from her first 4 albums. There are many faults with the way she sings; not the least of which is the fact she no long can sing with any sort of volume to her voice. While many of her faults can be attributed to age, we do not need to be reminded of this with a re-hash of many of those songs which showcase these faults. Hopefully this CD will be pulled from circulation until she can legitimately present a compilation of professionally-correct sung songs. A "best" compilation fo a 16-year-old is as silly as the book she wrote about her life at the age of 15.

I believe that the title of this CD is gramatically incorrect. It should read "A Prelude To The Best Of Charlotte Church. I say that because what is included in this CD cannot possibly be her best within her entire lifetime. All of the songs are juvenile and child-like renditions. As one reviewer commented, she needs another 10 or so albums before she is ready for a "Best of" or "Greatest Hits" album. For her age, she sings fine. However, I would not attempt to advertise these works as anything special, because they are not.

Having listened to all of Charlotte's albums and having read all of her reviews, I'm surprised that this mix of songs was compiled for release. Charlotte has many faults and few virtues now. And in this CD, we see too many of the faulted songs or genre's of music. She no longer has the power or volume to sing opera. She does not have the vocal control to sing classical properly and she does not have the range to sing pop. You need to be more of a mezzo to do that and she had demonstrated via Habanera that she cannot perform at those octaves. What this leaves is her ability to sing traditional folk songs; specifically Irish Folk, which may be attributed to the Irish in her. She did a great job with Danny Boy (where I first saw her sing on TV)and Carrickfergus was also well done. My Lagan Love is another example of how well she comes across in this area. However, both Carrickfergus and Danny Boy are left out of this album. Charlotte, her label, and the listening public would have been much better served by an album of Irish/Celtic Folk songs. To have us all look at again, songs which she is at best, marginally qualified to sing, are not in anyones best interest.

I was hoping that Charlotte Church would bring us something fresh and new after her disappointing Enchantment Album. However, all we are receiving with Prelude are some of the same things which made Enchantment so disappointing. Charlotte is far too young and her songs far too immaturely performed for them to be compiled for a "Best Of" CD. She needs to wait about 20 years and then include some original material songs in a "Greatest Hits" or "Best Of" CD. At that time, she will look back and conclude that most of the songs included on "Prelude" are the "Worst Of" not the "Best Of" Charlotte Church.

I believe that the reason so many people do not like this album is because whomever selected the songs did a very poor job. In my opinion, where charlotte shines would be in the Rest of Charlotte Church not the Best of Charlotte Church. Check previous albums for better songs.

The title of this album struck me as a contradiction so I thought I would check it out. A more appropriate name would be "Postcript" As an artist on the way down and out, I can't imagine what would be next other than a long lay-off to get her voice together. Another problem here is that Charlotte gives us too many songs which are from the most recent period when her voice was just a whisper of what it was as a pre-teen. We needed to hear more from her first two albums when she was something of a wunderkid, belting out big-time vocals with a little body.

I see this CD as being coveted by only the most die-hard of Charlotte's fans. It really brings us nothing new and reminds us of what happened to her voice through abuse and overuse.

The most positive aspect of this album by Charlotte is that there are an abundance of songs. The most glaring negative aspect is that the song selection brings out the Worst of Charlotte Church. To include Habanera, a song which was written for a Mezzo, and on which Charlotte floundered badly, both on this CD and live, is insanity. Its the last song I thought I would ever see her associated with again. Secondly, to include "The Prayer", a beautiful song, with the brilliant Josh Groban joining for a duet, only serves to exacerbate the fact that Charlotte no longer has the power of voice she once had. The result sounds as if a middle-school vocal student is in a duet with her teacher.

I am also miffed by why Carrickfergus, the one bright spot on an otherwise dull 4th album was omitted from this collection. The inclusion of My Lagan Love serves as somewhat of an offset and the inclusion of the bouncy La Pastorella reminds us of just how far Charlotte dared to proceed down the road of Opera.

While Pie Jesu remains her theme song, I believe that she would be better off leaving it alone seeing that her voice is no longer able to generate that level of high-octave volume.

All things be considered,including her age at the time, in my opinion, she would have been better off, re-issuing Voice of an Angel with a few added tracks, as for all practical purposes, that was The Best Of Charlotte Church.

As a singer of light classical and pop, I was disappointed to hear Charlotte's progression (digression) from a child prodigy to what amounts to being a pedestrian vocalist. I concur with another reviewer who suggested they should have re-issued her first CD "Voice of an Angel". However even that work could not even hold a candle to 12-year-old Aselin Debison. Charlotte needs to go to a conservatory of music and attempt to recapture whatever she had early on. Prelude can only be interpreted as a prelude to retirement.