Customer Reviews

A Touch of Music in the Night

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

 

 

This CD is worth buying for 'Papa, Can You Hear Me?' alone! This song simply cannot be sung better! In addition to Mr Crawford's glorious voice, there's the brilliant actor he is that shines through in this rendition. The more you listen to Mr Crawford sing, the more you feel that this man puts his entire self into every song he does - a rare thing, and a thing in which lies what I call true beauty! Listen also to his 'Songs From The Stage And Screen', and you can see what I mean.

Crawford has done it again! This album is perfect for the easy listener fan. I always play 'Stormy Weather' whenever I'm feeling depressed, or, of course, when the weather is awful. Crawford's talent is unsurpassed. I love how he can hit those high notes, not to mention hold them for so long. He is truly talented, and this album should be on EVERYONE'S list.

Perhaps the finest tenor of our century, Michael Crawford shows how adaptable both a favulous voice and a good piece of music. (Did anyone who ever cranked up the original of "Power of Love" on the car stereo ever imagine it quite like this?)

This version of Music of the Night is also my favorite -- listen for minute changes of lyrics compared to the stage version which makes this somewhat a different song, while retaining all the incredible musical beauty of Andrew Lloyd Weber's composition which was the true driving force behind the popularity of the musical. (My favorite change, which is the key to the change in the song's emotional effect, is "DARE YOU TRUST the music of the night?" in place of a seductive statement.)

Michael Crawford shines in this album! It's definitely one of his best - if not the best he's done. If you have only one other album by Michael other than the Original Phantom of the Opera recording, it would have to be this one.

The album starts off strong with Michael's rendition of The Power of Love. Truly breathtaking and heart pounding. Worthy to be played in weddings. This would be the signature song for the whole album, in my opinion.

All the songs are stellar in their own rights. Michael's duet with Patti LaBelle (who would of thunk it?) is just delightful and sweet. Another great song for a wedding.

Stormy Weather? Love it. Speak Low? Love it. Serenade in Blue? Ah! Love it! It Goes Like It Goes? Whimsical - love it! Music of the Night duet with Barbara Streisand? A little odd, but still very well done. Papa, Can You Hear Me?/Piece of Sky - a tremendous finale.

The songs "She used to be mine," "Since you have stayed here," and "One of my best friends" are songs that are on the sad side and are, for me, the low points of the album. Even though they are well sung by Michael (probably sung from his heart as it eminates like he's trying to convey a truth from his life) they are topically sad songs and a bit depressing, so I don't heavily favor those.

A Touch of Music in the Night starts off powerfully, carries through strongly with only a few low points (the sad songs), and ends spectacularly. Michael Crawford is tremendous in this album. I want more like these in the future!

This is, without a doubt, my favorite Michael Crawford CD. It wasn't an easy conteset either; I absolutley adore Michael Crawford and I have nearly all of his CD's. I even have that "Best Of..." CD released for Mother's Day! His rendition of "The Power of Love" is twice as good as Celine Dion's. "She Used to Be Mine" is gorgeous, and I use "It Goes Like it Goes" as an audition piece a lot. The last track, a medley of "A Piece of Sky" and "Papa Can You Hear Me?" made me cry; I thought it was a hymn the first time I heard it. Michael has a power to emote through the music, and it comes through loud and clear on this album, people. It has gorgeous standards and some wonderful renditions of contempory hits, in addition to the song that catapulted Michael to stardom. "Music of the Night" is the only part of the CD that I wasn't spellbound by. It is my favorite song from my favorite musical, but I don't think it's nearly as powerful as a duet, since it is about the seduction of...well, you all know what I mean. This version also has the alternate lyrics, which I hate, and too ornamented descant from Barbara Streisand, which detracts from the whole thing. But other than that, A Touch of Music in the Night deserves to be a part of your CD collection.

His voice, as you all know, is memorable as the Phantom in the musical version of Phantom of the Opera. He has the talent, the seduction, and the rapture that would capture every women's heart and mind. He has proven to make the Phantom more lifelike in color had he existed from the book to which he was brought out with Mr. Crawford's incredible magic. Michael's tragic past life which was understanding, with the death of his mother and the influence of his art that has upon him. Michael will always be remembered, not for his role in the musicals, but he will be remembered for his pure artistry to which grew from him and radiates itself from the superhuman energy that emits within him. His other musical numbers and his other roles to which he had performed with great proefficiency and experience resulting from his inner humor and grace which is quite unusual compared with other singers, and with such sensitivity, not show by other talented singers or musical artists. Crawford is as genuine as the part he was chosen for. He will continue to amaze us and suprise us with his incredible, breathtaking performances, and not just in the Phantom of the Opera.

Michael Crawford has the most astonishing voice. This album is packed with great songs, from Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love", to the final track "Papa can you hear me?/A Piece of Sky". If you are only accustomed to hearing Michael sing songs from 'Phantom' and other Lloyd Webber songs, then give this album a listen. It is wonderful.

Oh, and for all you fellow Brits...yes, this was the fellow who played bumbling Frank Spencer in "Some mothers do 'ave 'em". Amazing eh?

So begins the breathy rendition of the first song of Michael Crawford's 1993 release--a remake of the mid-1980s original version of "The Power of Love" by the late Laura Branigan. Crawford's sensuous delivery and the accompaniment of bagpipes paint a vivid picture. His vibrato goes right through a listener, and I am often in any position but a standing one when I play this number.
"With Your Hand Upon My Heart" was the single he released with Patti LaBelle. It is the stirring saga of a long-married couple.
Following this duet is "If You Could See Me Now". I felt he droned on a bit on this one, but it was appropriately mournful and well-expressed.
Next, he tries his hand at the Lena Horne classic, "Stormy Weather" with lighter orchestration, and a deletion of a stanza that results in it being more casual and less dramatic and emotional than Horne's.
"It Goes Like It Goes", from the film, "Norma Rae" finds the well-spoken Englishman trying to sound like someone from Rural America. It is light and amusing.
"She Used to be Mine" is a tribute to Crawford's ex-wife, Gabrielle Lewis. Sometimes it strikes me as a bit too revealing.
Then there is the intended centerpiece of this album, a duet of his signature tune, "Music of the Night" with his "Hello, Dolly!" co-star, Barbra Striesand. Admittedly, I alternate between feeling that they blend well together , and that the choir practice each had in their formative years rendered them well-prepared for this moment, and feeling that Barbra sometimes rides and dominates Michael like a bossy kid sister.
"Serenade in Blue" is the Glenn Miller hit from the year Michael was born . The overdoubling technique on this one is superb, and as is the case with "Stormy Weather", his delivery is light and sunny, compared in this case to Ray Eberle's plaintive vocal of 1942.
"Speak Low", originally from "One Touch of Venus" is a skillfully done Big Band Era number to which one could easliy tango. I've often wondered if Dick Haymes' version in the film inspired this version.
"Since You Stayed Here", is another wistful one in which Crawford aptly expresses genuine sadness behind a cheerful facade, and he loans particularly sharp articulation to the next sad number, "One of my Best Friends".
"Papa, Can You Hear Me?/A Piece of Sky" from Striesand's 1983 film, "Yentl" is the finale for which Crawford saves all his divine fire. It is a journey from darkness to light, perhaps intermingled with Crawford's own personal history as a lad whose biological father was unknown to him. But it ends on a triumphant note, and I can almost hear the thunderous applause from those in the studio as he wound this one up.
As always, a commendable effort from one of Britain's most beloved entertainers!

I love this album - esp. Power of Love. The "sound of my heart beating...feeling I cant go on" bit gives me chills.

I've been a fan of Mr. Crawfords for many years. I could listen to him sing all day. He truly has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard! His voice really makes your spirit soar. You'll never regret purchasing this album. The songs are sung so tenderly and gently, and expressed with such love! He truly has the voice of an angel.