This Delicate Thing We've Made (2 CDS)

Darren Hayes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: SUMA RECORDS
• ASIN: B000SUKPR0
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,714 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ex-Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes stretches his legs a bit on his third solo release, adding a bit of bombast to the radio-friendly boogie. With song titles like "How to Build a Time Machine" and "Waking the Monster" (about a mad professor building a creature with a "phonographic needle and a stereo heart"), it seems Hayes is reaching for more than a simple pop album, and the double-CD length belies the need to say more than you can squeeze into a three-minute radio single. The result is practically a dance-pop concept album, sprawling without quite being epic, occasionally straying into conversational, train-of-thought lyrics that vaguely recall an R. Kelly "Closet" episode. While the single, "On the Verge of Something Wonderful," delivers a catchy chorus over tightly packed production, This Delicate Thing We've Made lacks the kind of monster jams that elevate an album like Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds out of the dance-pop pack and into the stratosphere. Still, Darren Hayes delivers enough variety and soulfulness to keep the listener hanging on through 25 tracks to see what happens next--in the era of 10-second ringtones and downloadable singles, that's no small feat.--Ben Heege

Product Description

Darren was a member of the Australian mega-pop duo Savage Garden. He is the writer and singer of the kind of evergreen worldwide smash hits that will be played as long as adult oriented radio exists. Between the four albums that he has crafted so far -- two with Savage Garden, two solo -- Darren Hayes has sold more than 25 million records. He broke his own with the single I Knew I Loved You as the most played record on adult contemporary US radio (breaking the records of Darren's own Truly, Madly Deeply). He recently made history at NYC's legendary Joe's Pub for fastest show sales by selling out a gig in less than ten minutes and then a second in fewer than seven. He is the third most popular Australian musical export of all time. Only INXS and Kylie trump the pop Midas touch that few give him proper credit for. Standard Jewel Case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Darren truly comes into his own as a solo artist on TDTWM, August 26, 2007

By 

Sarah - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: This Delicate Thing We've Made (Audio CD)

Darren Hayes, former multiplatinum-selling frontman for Aussie duo Savage Garden (Truly, Madly, Completely- The Best of Savage Garden), has come into his own on This Delicate Thing We've Made. It's been a whirlwind few years for Hayes: on his third solo album after Spin (2002) and The Tension And The Spark (2005), Darren parted ways with Sony, started his own label Powdered Sugar, and married his partner Richard Cullen in a civil ceremony in London.

As one review rightly pointed out, if Hayes was still attached to Sony / Columbia, no megaconglomerate record company would have ever financed anything as ambitious and hard to categorize as This Delicate Thing We've Made. Spanning 25 tracks on 2 CDs, the album is all over the place sonically in a tribute to some of Darren's idols, including Prince, Michael Jackson, and Kate Bush, and the authentic retro vibe is courtesy of a 1983 Fairlight CMI syth. Darren's earlier collaborations with Robert Conley on Spin (Crush (1980 Me) and Tension and the Spark continue on TDTWM, along with Justin Shave as producer (Justin played keyboards on Darren's Big Night In tour).

Even though there is a unifying theme of time travel, Darren's bouncing off the sonic walls, from funk to electro to boy band to uniquely Darren. Unexpected samples (barking dogs, airplanes, horses) crop up in the middle of songs, and two songs (Conversations with God and Neverland) strongly remind me of Tori Amos-influenced Casey Stratton (Standing at the Edge), who shares the same soaring falsetto and sense of lyrical drama.

My main issue is the balance between uptempo flirtations with electronica (club hit Step Into the Light, Casey, Listen All You People, Me, Myself, and I) and slower ballads, which make up most of the second disc. I feel that TDTWM lacks the overall cohesiveness of Tension and the Spark, and I find myself skipping over a few of the tracks (the aforementioned Bombs Up In My Face and the dark, gritty Setting Sun). However, TDTWM grows on me with each successive listen. It's such a nuanced, complex work that multiple listens are required to do Darren's creative vision justice.

This special edition features deluxe packaging (suede clamshell box) with a double-sized booklet containing exclusive photos.

Kudos to Darren for the creative, pass-the-good-karma origami bird marketing that ties in with TDTWM's theme. He encourages fans to print an origami bird, write a wish or note (world peace, happiness, someone loves you, etc.), fold it, and leave it in a public place for others to find. If you find a bird, you can upload its location and a photo to neonbird dot com/something-wonderful

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicate masterpiece... My personal review of the new album, August 20, 2007

By 

J. M. Smekar (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Delicate Thing We've Made (2 CDS) (Audio CD)

I've been anticipating the new music for months, and when I got it, I was not disappointed at all.

As usual, Darren is a lyrical genius who can touch your heart and soul with his words. The musical parts are very different on each song. Its not a typical pop album where each song sounds similar.

Each song is unique in its own way lyrically and musically. Alot of artists have songs that sound similar in terms of music and lyrics, but each of Darren's songs is not that way.

He was not afraid to explore the depths of his heart and soul during the writing process, and some of the songs remind me of his last cd "The Tension and The Spark" which was not an American release but should have been. But at the same time, there are many tracks that very positive and upbeat, and reflecting Darren's new found happiness both personally and professionally.

I recommend the following tracks as my personal favorites so far -
"Step Into The Light" - a track that has proven to be very danceable and there are great remixes for this track that will keep you on your feet

"Casey" - A very deep and personal track - It may be about Darren's sister and others in his life, but we all have someone who has filled the role of 'Casey' in this track in our lives..

"Bombs up in my face" - I compare this to "Affirmation" in a way with the statements in it but deeper and more angry in tone in some areas of the song.

"Me myself and I" - Very Prince-like, and great beat, and an excellent song to dance to, and it should be very remixable for a night in a club or a party too.

"A Conversation With God" - A deep and touching & personal track, and like the title says it is like you are having a conversation with the Higher Power Himself

"Who would Have Thought" and "On The Verge of Something Wonderful" - songs that will get you on your feet and dancing for sure - they did for me.

"The Only One", "Sing To Me", "Lucky Town" and "I Just Want You to Love Me" - Each of these are love and/or ballad type songs describing different kinds of love in life. For most of us, we can relate to at least 1 or more them during our lifetime.

The whole album is worth the purchase and the wait, especially for Darren's American fans who have been waiting over 5 years for music they can go online to get or purchase in a store, and they will still see the genius that is Darren Hayes (without the tagline of Savage Garden tied to his name).

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Darren is one of the best artists around these days, August 24, 2007

By 

Patrick (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: This Delicate Thing We've Made (2 CDS) (Audio CD)

There are some artists out there who churn out new albums every year with one or two catchy songs on them that they can put out to radio and rely on those to sell their product until next year when they do it all over again. The result is usually bland, forgettable music.

I really appreciate the work Darren Hayes has done with his latest album which I'm listening to right now. You can tell the time he took with each song and each came from inspiration. He's creative with his writing instead of basically saying the same thing in every song but in different ways.

I'm glad Darren chose to go independent this time. This allowed him to be as creative as he wanted and the results really paid off. The music here is just amazing. It's not like anything anybody else is doing which is so refreshing.

Darren shows some of his political views and his humor on this album which I just find fantastic! He is a great artist. I still listen to his previous album on a regular basis after all this time. And I can tell I'll be listening to this one just as much.