Customer Reviews

The Wheel Of Time

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

On Sandra's 7th studio album in about seven years the passing of time has shown that Mrs. Cretu (a.k.a Sandra from Enigma) has a more mature and introspective sound. However, there are slightly striking similarities to her 1992 underrated and unrecognized 1992 import c.d. effort entitled Close To Seven in both lyrical and musical content.Both also share that moody yet richly atmospheric sound. Make no mistake though, Wheel of Time's sound is very much in tune with the new millennium. Long gone are the pop dance tunes of the 80's which catapulted her to female pop icon status in Europe and other foreign countries abroad (but not in the U.S. as a solo artist)...

The Wheel of Time begins with a solid frenetic techno-like track titled Forgive Me. The lyrics may be double edged in that she pleads for forgiveness from either a lover or her public whom she left about seven years ago to raise a family. There are several cover tunes also re-made in the Sandra/Engima trademark sound with new life breathed into them (not that the originals were bad, just outdated ). Mike and the Mechanics' track Silent Running sounds as though the song was specifically written for Sandra along with Depeche Mode's redesigned track Free Love from their 2001 c.d. Exciter. The ballad Forever does not have anything really striking or revealing to it;it's just a catchy pop ballad with a memorable melody. Motivation, the third track, is rich with ethereal synthesized hooks and an acoustic guitar for a lush feel to a mid-tempo rhythm ! For a surprise,Sandra's usually thin yet sensual vocals are given a thoroughly flexing workout on the ballad I Close My Eyes. Yet, the track is minimal in instrumentation and forgettable. The title track is set to a haunting slow melody or rhythm with Sandra again excusing herself from either a lover or her fans with lyrics about personal changes in her life.The title track fades and closes the album with Sandra repeating lyrics over and over set to a vocoder synthesized style for good effect! All the tracks are cohesive or coherent (take your pick) without a single throw-away tune. Sandra's hubby/producer Michael Cretu also deserves high praise with co-producer Jens Gad for creating a very memorable Sandra album. Oh, and let's not forget Sandra ...

This is one of her best albums to date after the demise and flop of her 1995 Fading Shades project ! The Wheel of Time was definitely worth the long wait for both old fans and possibly new prospective ones (yes, especially in the U.S.) !

Sandra Cretu is probably mostly known in the United States as 'the voice of Enigma' or Mrs. Cretu, the wife of the brilliant Romanian-German producer Michael Cretu (the inventor of Enigma, known for "Sadeness", "Mea Culpa", "Return to Innocence", "T.N.T. for the Brain", etc.) However, before lending her seductive voice to her husband's enigmatic project, Mrs. Cretu thrived on the success of her solo career, which includes some of the best of 1980's retro-dance hits; "Maria Magdalena", "In the Heat of the Night", "Secret Land" and "Everlasting Love" were all great hits that catapulted Sandra into the Madonna-esque universe of German dance music. Nevertheless, her '80's music, though excellent in its own right, leaves no significant imprint on this blockbuster of an album. "The Wheel of Time" (2002) is a production love child of husband Michael Cretu and fellow Enigma pal, Jens Gad. Although reminiscent of some of Enigma's sounds, the album is mostly an experimentation in contemporary European dance culture. By any means NOT a euro-pop album, or a trance/techno venture, "The Wheel of Time" is a darker breed of dance that stands virtually independent of any dance-type category you might be tempted to put it in. Simply speaking, it is its own category. And with the assistance of her genius spouse, this is - by no doubt - a real Cretu gem....
1) forgive me (9/10) great opener; sets a great tone for the rest of the album.
2) footprints (9/10) sounds a lot like Enigma, very strong production.
3) motivation (10/10) this one will warm up your soul; very inspirational, uplifting lyrics (and sound)
4) i close my eyes (10/10) great ballad; it almost seems to take you take you somewhere....and it is a very pleasant place...
5) perfect touch (10/10) one of my favorites, i love her voice, the production and the tribal chants in the background; this should have been a single.
6) silent running (9/10) a very nice rendition of a well known cover.
7) such a shame (10/10) another favorite; this one will make you want to dance.
8) now! (9/10) another uplifting song, this one is a duet with her hubby.
9) free love (10/10) a cover of the Depeche Mode (2001) song of the same name; dare I say better than the original?? : )
10) forever (7/10) the weakest track, yet still a gem, (another ballad)
11) the wheel of time (10/10) I love this one, kind of dark, but a very strong closing for the album.....you will love it (also reminiscent of Enigma)

As a 15 year old, I loved Sandra's big hits such as Maria Magdalena, but I would never have thought Sandra would stand the test of time so well: after almost 20 years now, listening to her excellent new album gives me even more pleasure than all of her previous albums. In Belgium, the Cd can hardly be found and I really don't understand why Sandra gives it so little promotion. My favourites are "Forgive Me Now" and "Motivation", but this is one of those rare albums of which I never have to skip a song. I hope another Sandra Cd will follow.......

If ENIGMA is your kind of music, then stop wondering around & hesitating. Just pick this album up !! I've always been a fan of SANDRA. I have all of her album as well as her husband's (Michael Cretu) related projects (like: ENIGMA). "The Wheel of Time" hasn't been released in the U.S when I write this review. however, it's worth the IMPORT price. Plenty of potential BIG HITS such as: "Forgive Me', "Footprints", "Motivation", "Such A Shame", "Forever"; In addition there're 2 great cover versions here. One of them is Mike & The Mechanics' "Silent Running" and the other one is DEPECHE MODE's "FREELOVE." So, what ore can you ask? A MUST-HAVE for synthpop fans outhere. Pick it up now if you haven't done so. Peace !!

The Wheel of Time has been long over due ! After Sandra's 1995 Euro-import album Fading Shades flopped miserably (with the only exceptions of two tunes Nights in White Satin and First Lullabye) this latest project is her redemption (and all is forgiven)...Yes, it does have the ever present Enigma-like quality (thanks to producer hubby Michael Cretu of Enigma fame). The music is every bit as atmospheric and positively moody in an ingeniously updated and artisitic way as her 1992 release Close To Seven! c.d which was released exactly ten years ago. In fact, The Wheel Of Time could be considered a continuation of Close To Seven ! but with a newer state of the art studio sound....Sandra does a few 80's cover pop tunes from such artists as Mike and the Mechanics and Talk Talk along with a Depeche Mode track. The new versions actually work and sound as though they were written specifically for Sandra. Silent Running (originally performed my Mike and the Mechanics) sounds refreshed or revitalized for 2002 without being hacked to pieces or coming across as an 80's novelty re-make. Ditto for Talk Talk's Such A Shame; it's given a late 90's techno-dance feel. Ballads such as I Close My Eyes and Forever are indeed memorable and will stay with the listener for time to come (they each contain strong likeable and enjoyable musical hooks and romantic lyrics).Sandra's soft and sensual vocal quality actually gets a flexing workout on the ballad I Close My Eyes; the end result is quite entrancing. Her vocal abilities are somewhat put through a synthesized process on some of the tracks without destroying or eclipsing them !This is a mature pop, dance, with slight r&b inflected project from one of Europe's most sensual and beautiful singers in the pop world !This is definitely a gift to her fans and those yet to discover her. There is not a single toss out track on the Wheel Of Time. This time Sandra has got it right...All RIGHT !

This is by far Sandra's best album since 1988's "Into a Secret Land". It includes her comeback single "Such a shame", a cover of the mid-80s hit by British band Talk Talk and their biggest hit in Sandra's native Germany which probably explains the choice to cover it. The album has done well in the German charts but the single stalled and failed to reach the Top 40 there, nevertheless, it will probably rank as one of her best singles ever despite only achieving chart success in some Eastern European countries. The whole album is an amalgamation of husband Michael Cretu's Engima sound, the Sandra of old at her peak and a brand new updated sound for the new Millennium. If you're a fan, this is the one you've been waiting for-- certainly after the last two mediocre studio album efforts; if you're not a fan this is the best introduction you could have after a Best of retrospective. Top notch production, catchy songs, haunting vocals and impressive artwork to boot! Other highlights are the 2nd single "I Close My Eyes" which was apparently recorded live in one take and "Forgive me" which was due to be a single before being pulled by German Virgin. No UK or US release date for this album as yet but well worth the import price.

i've had this cd for several years now. and its as enjoyable now as it was at first. of course in the states sandra is really only heard as the female voice of enigma. but those of us lucky enough to know her as just sandra have enjoyed years of great pop songs that defined the 80's. her old songs remind me of my summers in greece (where she was huge), growing up.

this "comeback" cd is a masterpeice. it contains some of her best songs. such as "forgive me", "forever", "footprints", and the depeche mode cover, "freelove". (they're all f songs?!?!). as well as talk tal's classic, "such a shame".

this album is her most "enigma" sounding. so if your a fan of enigma, but new to sandra, then this is a good place to start.

Love this album. If you love ENIGMA, youll love this music.Taces of cretu are heard all throughout. Love sandras sexy and beautiful voice. This is sinthpop at its best.Buy it.NOW

I took my time getting this CD, two years after it came out. Found it in a bargain bin in a shop in Cape Town (there were stacks of them, sadly).

This CD is a welcome return to the high standards set by her 1992 album, Close To Seven. There's a nice mix of upbeat songs and the sort of wistful, tender, regretful ballads Sandra can do so well (listen to Close to Seven's Seal It Forever, and Steady Me, or Paintings In Yellow's One More Night, for a few examples). "I Close My Eyes" is one of her - and anyone's, really - best ballads ever. The other heartrending ballad is "Forever"

The cover of Mike & The Mechanic's epic "Silent Running" is revelatory and brought up to date. As is the cover of Talk Talk's "Such A Shame". The latter has been given a thumping, sexy, chunky beat that does it great justice, underpinning Sandra's vocals which float over it.

Barring one or two bland upbeat songs, this is an album worth getting, for those disappointed by the direction Michael Cretu has veered off into, with the Enigma 5 album, "Voyageur". Say what you will about Sandra's voice, but it is surely one of the most recognizable ones in the world.

I have a friend in Germany who recommened the song "Such a Shame" to me in mid-2002. I downloaded it (shhh...) and loved it. I went on a trip to Russia in early 2003 and found the CD at a hotel I was staying at. This is one of the best purchases I made as I am in love with the sound on this CD and it keeps regular rotation in my CD player. I have never been into Engima and really know nothing about them so I come from a more unique perspective. My favorite song is Sandra's re-make of "Perfect Touch." It is a haunting, beautiful song. "Forgive Me Now" is a brilliant start to the album. All of the songs are listenable and I tend not to skip over any. Another cover, "Silent Running" is excellent and Sandra puts a new spin on it and makes it her own. The title track ends the album on a great note and is another haunting song. I could go on and on. Import this CD and you will not be disappointed! Thank goodness for European friends!