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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The UK's No.1 Female Singer - Criminally Ignored In The US, January 2, 2001
This review is from: Rise (Audio CD)
Just to clarify, the eyepatch of 1993-1994 was not a gimmick - she had a weak eye which has been rectified with surgery... ANYWAY... containing 4 top 15 smash hits including 1 No.1 single, 'Rise' has been the most successful of Gabrielle's three UK albums. It is the second biggest selling album of 2000 in the UK by a solo female artist (after Whitney's 'Greatest Hits') and it is worthy of every sale. Starting with the gorgeously uplifting song 'Sunshine' written for Gabrielle's 5 year old son, Jordan, the album keeps steadily strong from beginning to end. We then enter the dark world of Gabrielle's second single from the album, 'Rise'. It was written following the conviction of her ex-fiancee Tony of first-degree murder. Gabrielle overcame the devastation of that event and wrote 'Rise', as uplifting as 'Sunshine', haunting and using the familiar sample from Bob Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door. We then move onto the uptempo Supremes-style, 'When A Woman'. Optimism and happiness evoked wonderfully. 'Tell Me What You Dream' is a lovely storytelling simple song - followed by the neat groove of 'Fivwe O'Clock'. But the best is yet to come. 'Should I Stay' is a stunner. Haunting, melodic, deep, pained it centralises the album and creates a stunning middle section of the LP. This is a description of just the first 6 tracks - but it continues in a similar vein. Gabrielle has a brilliant voice, edgy, different... Great songwriting talents... lush production... what else could you want?
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Feel-Good Album!, August 28, 2000
This review is from: Rise (Audio CD)
Even though this British pop/soul singer has sold millions and millions of albums worldwide, she remains a relatively unknown artist in the U.S. Hopefully with her third album "Rise", all of that will change! It will be tough, though, for Gabrielle to break ground in the trendy U.S., where popularity is not always based on talent and good songs. Also, the diversity of Gabrielle's songs makes it difficult for her to be categorized, which makes it more difficult to market her in the U.S. If you give this album a chance, you will find catchy song after song that ranges from pop to r&b to country to new age. There is definitely something for everyone here. The best thing about Gabrielle is her ability to hypnotize you with her raspy, breathy voice. Her voice is not as rough as Macy Gray's, but it has that same kind of edge, which makes it more interesting at times than other female voices on the scene. "Sunshine" and "Rise" are definitely contenders for hits, if given the chance. If you remember Gabrielle's early 90s hit "Dreams", these two songs could have the same level of success. They already did in Europe,where this album has been at the top of the charts for 6 months! Also check out "When A Woman" and "Falling" which sound like the old Motown sound of the Supremes, and "5 o'Clock" which almost has a hiphop feel to it. A great well-rounded album that no one should pass up!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Her Best Album, March 19, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Rise (Audio CD)
This is Gabrielle's best album. I've heard all her albums and this is the best one yet. My only complaint is THE SONGS ARE TOO SHORT AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TRACKS! I wish the songs could have been longer! Because just when I'm getting into the song, IT COMES TO AN END! Best songs found on here are "Sunshine," "Rise Again," "If You Love Me," "When A Woman" and "Fallin' (Can't Stop)." "If You Love Me" is probably one of the saddest songs on this album. "Fallin' (Can't Stop)" is probably the most happiest songs on here along with "When A Woman." Every track is a winner on here! I like that she includes the lyrics to her songs which are interesting to read. Her songs actually have real meaning. She isn't singing silly-nonsense stuff, she's singing about REAL THINGS that happen in REAL EVERYDAY LIFE! This is a great CD and would make a great addition to anyone's music/CD collection!
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