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Editorial Reviews
She catapulted to international stardom overnight with 500 million YouTube hits, smashed music records around the world with her triumphant debut album and now Susan Boyle returns with her eagerly awaited second album, The Gift.
The Gift, sees Susan Boyle and world acclaimed producer Steve Mac reunited to present a breathtaking seasonal album. Featuring yule time favourites ‘The First Noel’ and ‘O Holy Night’, Susan also fearlessly takes on iconic pop songs including ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ and ‘Perfect Day’ giving them a new identity.
Also making her musical debut on The Gift is American medic and winner of the International Susan Search, Amber Stassi. Amber & Susan perform a stunning and inimitable rendition of ‘Do you Hear What I Hear’.
Now with a beautiful seasonal album she will, once again, defy critics and preconceptions.
Susan explained; "When making this album, I really wanted the songs to touch hearts. Music has always been a companion to me, particularly on special occasions. I wanted there to be a mix of songs that would flow with all our moods this holiday season. As much as the season is a time for reflection, it is also a time for fun and enjoyment with those closest to us."
The Gift, sees Susan Boyle and world acclaimed producer Steve Mac reunited to present a breathtaking seasonal album. Featuring yule time favourites ‘The First Noel’ and ‘O Holy Night’, Susan also fearlessly takes on iconic pop songs including ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ and ‘Perfect Day’ giving them a new identity.
Also making her musical debut on The Gift is American medic and winner of the International Susan Search, Amber Stassi. Amber & Susan perform a stunning and inimitable rendition of ‘Do you Hear What I Hear’.
Now with a beautiful seasonal album she will, once again, defy critics and preconceptions.
Susan explained; "When making this album, I really wanted the songs to touch hearts. Music has always been a companion to me, particularly on special occasions. I wanted there to be a mix of songs that would flow with all our moods this holiday season. As much as the season is a time for reflection, it is also a time for fun and enjoyment with those closest to us."
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
197 of 222 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Gift, Susan Boyle's sophomore album, presents the listener with another set of masterful performances by an artist who shows herself to be in complete command of her instrument. Every song is superbly crafted to showcase Boyle's satiny soprano to absolute perfection.
Once again, as with her blockbuster debut I Dreamed A Dream, a somewhat eclectic mix of songs has been assembled, offering Boyle the chance to transform unexpected selections with her unique interpretations. Each song is delivered with delicacy and emotion. Boyle always manages to find the emotional core of her material, whether it be a pop classic like Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah or an oft-recorded Christmas standard. She is a master at eliciting an emotional response from her listeners that mirrors the feelings she expresses in song. Steve Mac, who produced both albums, understands that her voice should be the focal point of every song, and as with her debut he gives her the ideal setting to showcase her skills. The result is an album replete with songs polished to gem-like perfection.
Boyle's version of Lou Reed's Perfect Day is another stunning reinterpretation along the lines of Wild Horses from her first album. Her sensitive and nuanced vocals elicit both the joy of remembered happiness and the melancholy longing for lost love. To the three pop songs offered - Perfect Day, Hallelujah and Don't Dream It's Over - she brings depth, subtle power and unexpected passion. The rich instrumental and choral accompaniment provide the base above which Boyle's sweet soprano soars. She builds to the climax of every song through intense yet controlled emotion. Boyle understands, as many do not, that the power of a performance can come as readily from a singer's expression of the complex emotions a song evokes as it can from the raw power of her voice.
Even on what must be the millionth cover of Cohen's Hallelujah, Boyle manages to bring a surprising freshness. It is another song of love and loss, and her vocals are suffused with a regret that is tinged with anger. The result is an achingly beautiful rendition, the equal of any who has gone before her. Don't Dream It's Over is a more hopeful song, delivered with sensitivity. It is worth remarking that at the end the line, "We know they won't win," is repeated several times, as if to emphasize the singer's own determination to triumph in spite of the bullies and the critics who at times have tormented her. Just as with her version of Madonna's You'll See, Don't Dream It's Over is an affirmation that she has proven her detractors wrong, but in place of the former's angry intensity there is quiet assurance.
The other songs in the collection are for the most part Christmas classics. All of them are sung with a lovely reverence. O Holy Night and Away In A Manger are a standouts. Boyle's crystalline voice soars to worshipful heights, sweet and pure without being cloying. A traditional Scottish version of Auld Lang Syne offers a beautiful new interpretation that reinvigorates the Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) standard. The album ends on a grace note with an utterly beautiful rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful. To sum up, in The Gift Susan Boyle offers us a captivating album that provides a feast for both the senses and the soul.
Once again, as with her blockbuster debut I Dreamed A Dream, a somewhat eclectic mix of songs has been assembled, offering Boyle the chance to transform unexpected selections with her unique interpretations. Each song is delivered with delicacy and emotion. Boyle always manages to find the emotional core of her material, whether it be a pop classic like Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah or an oft-recorded Christmas standard. She is a master at eliciting an emotional response from her listeners that mirrors the feelings she expresses in song. Steve Mac, who produced both albums, understands that her voice should be the focal point of every song, and as with her debut he gives her the ideal setting to showcase her skills. The result is an album replete with songs polished to gem-like perfection.
Boyle's version of Lou Reed's Perfect Day is another stunning reinterpretation along the lines of Wild Horses from her first album. Her sensitive and nuanced vocals elicit both the joy of remembered happiness and the melancholy longing for lost love. To the three pop songs offered - Perfect Day, Hallelujah and Don't Dream It's Over - she brings depth, subtle power and unexpected passion. The rich instrumental and choral accompaniment provide the base above which Boyle's sweet soprano soars. She builds to the climax of every song through intense yet controlled emotion. Boyle understands, as many do not, that the power of a performance can come as readily from a singer's expression of the complex emotions a song evokes as it can from the raw power of her voice.
Even on what must be the millionth cover of Cohen's Hallelujah, Boyle manages to bring a surprising freshness. It is another song of love and loss, and her vocals are suffused with a regret that is tinged with anger. The result is an achingly beautiful rendition, the equal of any who has gone before her. Don't Dream It's Over is a more hopeful song, delivered with sensitivity. It is worth remarking that at the end the line, "We know they won't win," is repeated several times, as if to emphasize the singer's own determination to triumph in spite of the bullies and the critics who at times have tormented her. Just as with her version of Madonna's You'll See, Don't Dream It's Over is an affirmation that she has proven her detractors wrong, but in place of the former's angry intensity there is quiet assurance.
The other songs in the collection are for the most part Christmas classics. All of them are sung with a lovely reverence. O Holy Night and Away In A Manger are a standouts. Boyle's crystalline voice soars to worshipful heights, sweet and pure without being cloying. A traditional Scottish version of Auld Lang Syne offers a beautiful new interpretation that reinvigorates the Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) standard. The album ends on a grace note with an utterly beautiful rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful. To sum up, in The Gift Susan Boyle offers us a captivating album that provides a feast for both the senses and the soul.
163 of 185 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This newest album presents a triumph of managers and controllers. Susan is allowed to sing only slow, mournful songs in a strength barely above a whisper. Where she is allowed to expand a bit, the electronically-enhanced choir and the electronic accompaniment are elevated in volume to a level which all but eclipses Susan. This isn't fair to her. One has the impression that the handlers and managers are afraid of her breaking loose. I re-looked at her first performance on that stage in the talent show. She showed personal strength and character, and she put herself into that song. But even the same song professionally-reproduced in her first album simply has lost -- well -- Susan's own personality. She has power and personality. These should burst forth and bring goosebumps to us on such songs as "Hallalujah!" and "O Come All Ye Faithful". Instead, the latter song -- which should be the glorious wrapup to the album -- instead is a mournful dirge which ends, as one might say, not with a bang but a whimper. I don't think the producers have been fair to Susan, and I think their slick marketing of this album shows they're more interested in their suffocating production than in their showcasing of a fine performer. Just leave Susan to her own enormous talent on the next one. Remember, she stood alone on the stage when she gave the best performance of all.
73 of 84 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Susan Boyle's honeyed, fairy godmother-like vocal presence pours over the 35 minutes of "The Gift" with grace, restraint and high levels of listenability. It has all the effortless warmth of a loving embrace - an apt trait for a Christmas recording.
She has a talent only a select few vocalists have had - the seemingly effortless ability to sing with profound sincerity, depth and knowledge - not intellectual knowledge, but emotional knowledge - the kind Karen Carpenter had, for instance. There is not a trace of smugness or self-interest in the way she sings, which makes her stand out from the majority of recent young performers whose performances make them appear to be their own biggest fans.
While they sing for their own self-adulation and gain, Boyle is one of the rare ones who sing for the listener with earnestness. From phrase to phrase she gives of herself. It is not just for her sake.
The song selections are enough to set "The Gift" apart from other holiday albums. Boyle's reinterpretation of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" favors an optimistic reading of its ambiguous lyrics, bringing devotion - either of a religious or familial kind - to the forefront, with a gorgeous, powerful choir and superb musicians. She also injects Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with subtle, delicate grace. The lyrics and their meanings ring clear. She sings like a painter paints, with care and attention to detail. Her love for the material shows.
This also shows in her unexpected, profoundly stirring take on Crowded House's career-hit "Don't Dream It's Over." The original was contemplative, moody and chilly, with Neil Finn's desperate, anguished delivery. He sounded like he was trying to stop someone on the brink of making a fatal mistake. Boyle, on the other hand, reimagines the song as one of strength, protection and affirmation - of renewed possibilities on a sunny horizon.
"Auld Lang Syne" benefits from its simple, unaffected arrangement that lets Boyle's voice take center stage. This stands in contrast to the pillowy, over-eager production values that both obscure her voice and reveal its limitations where they need not. However, this occurs on a limited basis, and her talent overcomes it.
"O Holy Night" suits Boyle's voice ideally, and she sings the song - which tempts many singers into hammy bombast - with class and generosity. "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace," which is more customary as a church hymn, is similarly soothing and restful. Boyle finds great strength from choosing simple truth over trite embellishment, making the title of the song especially apt.
Boyle has put her talent to fine use on "The Gift." The richness of her voice and her uncensored, heart-on-sleeve quality lend themselves to Christmas as naturally as cookies and milk, creating a comforting, elegant (albeit brief) album to enjoy for many holidays to come.
She has a talent only a select few vocalists have had - the seemingly effortless ability to sing with profound sincerity, depth and knowledge - not intellectual knowledge, but emotional knowledge - the kind Karen Carpenter had, for instance. There is not a trace of smugness or self-interest in the way she sings, which makes her stand out from the majority of recent young performers whose performances make them appear to be their own biggest fans.
While they sing for their own self-adulation and gain, Boyle is one of the rare ones who sing for the listener with earnestness. From phrase to phrase she gives of herself. It is not just for her sake.
The song selections are enough to set "The Gift" apart from other holiday albums. Boyle's reinterpretation of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" favors an optimistic reading of its ambiguous lyrics, bringing devotion - either of a religious or familial kind - to the forefront, with a gorgeous, powerful choir and superb musicians. She also injects Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with subtle, delicate grace. The lyrics and their meanings ring clear. She sings like a painter paints, with care and attention to detail. Her love for the material shows.
This also shows in her unexpected, profoundly stirring take on Crowded House's career-hit "Don't Dream It's Over." The original was contemplative, moody and chilly, with Neil Finn's desperate, anguished delivery. He sounded like he was trying to stop someone on the brink of making a fatal mistake. Boyle, on the other hand, reimagines the song as one of strength, protection and affirmation - of renewed possibilities on a sunny horizon.
"Auld Lang Syne" benefits from its simple, unaffected arrangement that lets Boyle's voice take center stage. This stands in contrast to the pillowy, over-eager production values that both obscure her voice and reveal its limitations where they need not. However, this occurs on a limited basis, and her talent overcomes it.
"O Holy Night" suits Boyle's voice ideally, and she sings the song - which tempts many singers into hammy bombast - with class and generosity. "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace," which is more customary as a church hymn, is similarly soothing and restful. Boyle finds great strength from choosing simple truth over trite embellishment, making the title of the song especially apt.
Boyle has put her talent to fine use on "The Gift." The richness of her voice and her uncensored, heart-on-sleeve quality lend themselves to Christmas as naturally as cookies and milk, creating a comforting, elegant (albeit brief) album to enjoy for many holidays to come.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
I applaud Susan Boyle once again! Excellent!
Susan is one of those "miracles" who come around rarely. She deserves accolades over and over for her courage to endure all that occurs when you go public with your skills. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Virginia
I love Susan
Since we first saw Susan Boyle on the "Britans Got Talent Show", we have followed her activities. We have all of her CD's and DVD's, plus her book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Cut Up in Wood
The Gift -- another fantastic Susan Boyle album
Susan Boyle's voice is so wonderful that anything she sings will please. But I love how her amazing voice makes the different arrangements of common songs in her albums her own. Read more
Published 3 months ago by NormaLee
I agree, sabotaged by the mix.
I'm rating this three stars for her gorgeous voice. Susan Boyd is Grammy-nominated this year but I do not believe she will win, as this is the *Recording Academy* and the award... Read more
Published 4 months ago by El
Amazing album!
This is the most beautiful album I own! Susan's voice is ethereal; it's so astounding I am often moved to tears by it.
Published 4 months ago by Annie23
Excellent Listening
The hidden talents of this remarkable woman have taken my heart away. She is a shining example of what happens to good people with time. I adore and love her voice. Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. S. Newton
Susan Boyle is amazing
My almost 3 yr olds told me she was an angel the first time they heard her sing. <3 They love this CD, I love it, my 18 yr old loves it...
Published 5 months ago by Kasi
The Gift
Susan Boyle once again shows us that her performance on reality TV was a gift revealed. Her sound is so pure and natural. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Johnez1010
Susan Boyle has an amazing voice
I purchased this item for the holiday season after I was made aware that Susan Boyle had a Christmas CD out. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ellen
Great voice, great story- but not a great disc here.
There really isn't much new here, other than maybe trying to pass off covers of Crowded House's 'Don't Dream it's Over' or Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' as Holiday music. Read more
Published 5 months ago by P. Shelling
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