Rise

Gabrielle

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Umvd Labels
• ASIN: B00004WF5V
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #133,774 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
There has always been a disconnection between the musical tastes of the U.S. and the U.K. A case in point is the career of R&B/pop singer Gabrielle, whose third CD, Rise, came out in the fall of 1999 in her native England and is finally available stateside. Cognoscenti of the U.K. brand of R&B (which on the whole tends to be less formulaic than its American counterpart) might remember that Gabrielle scored in the mid-'90s with the infectious club track "Dreams." Yet, despite that international chart topper and her smoky voice, her lovely 1996 self-titled album failed to make any noise in the U.S. Although it's not as satisfying as Gabrielle, Rise is a solid soulful effort. Once again, Gabrielle's semi-self help lyrics are married to state-of-the-art (but not obvious) beats: the title track uses the melody line from Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," while the pulsating "5 O'clock" employs a bouncy Latin-tinged rhythm that conjures up Big Pun's "Still Not A Player." There's an airy, buoyant quality to the tracks and an almost wistful vibe that's totally modern yet has a strong loyalty to the legacy of soul when songs and singers mattered. Groundbreaking? Certainly not, but Rise is a refreshing antidote to R&B by the numbers--and proof that America doesn't have the patent on soul. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By	Cwej (UK) - See all my reviews

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?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Feel-Good Album!, August 28, 2000

By	Andy McRill (USA) - See all my reviews

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!!

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 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!