Customer Reviews

Waking Hour

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first heard of Vienna Teng while watching David Letterman one evening. She sang the song Gravity and just totally captivated my attention. Immediately I purchased the album.

Waking Hour is a great CD and almost exactly as David Letterman described it, "not a dud on this album." In fact, I wouldn't say that any of the songs could be classified as "duds" at all, though there are a couple that are less than favorites for me, but still beautiful and this album grows on you too. I always like that about a CD. Songs that were not favorites before may become favorites later. This CD deffinitely has that potential for me.

Vienna's lyrics are intelligent, creative and sometimes introspective and the music is unique, warm and emotional. Some of her music (especially the song Gravity) reminds me (a little) of Paula Cole. Here voice bears some similarity to Cole as well but also artists like Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan, though Teng's is quieter and the lyrics more thoughtful. Brilliant melodies, wonderfully arranged! The styles on this CD range from pop, folk and a little rock to new age and world beat. The styles flow seamlessly together and each song is just beautifully crafted and performed. One of the most identifiable aspects of Vienna's music is her beautiful piano playing, with which her voice compliments flawlessly. Can you tell, I just thoroughly enjoyed this album.

An article from Paste Music put it so well: "The album takes listeners on an emotional ride through the haunting, the ethereal, and the comforting. Most of all, her songs reveal a keen understanding of the magic that lies beneath the surface of the everyday world and how to share that hidden beauty with others through music."

Brilliantly stated!

My favorite songs on this album are Gravity, Momentum, Enough To Go By, and Drought. I give it a strong, VERY STRONG, four stars. Good stuff!

This album has the most heart and craft of any I've listened to in years, and if music is the universal language, Vienna Teng is one of its most eloquent speakers.

Thoughtful without being pedantic, and classy without being pretentious, Waking Hour offers itself without needless fanfare; it's so captivating that, immediately after I bought the album, I couldn't bring myself to walk back to the car and drive home until I'd read the liner notes first... and this after two hours of listening to the music. My heart and my head were fighting loudly over which loved it more.

Gravity and The Tower, for instance, are near-instant favorites, both for their music and their lyrics. Some songs will tell stories; these two might bond with you as though you've known them all your life. They're so completely human that they probably describe someone you know. They might even describe you. Between and Drought are haunting, approachable waltzes that you'll love whether you're a ballroom dancer, a trained musician, or a thickheaded yokel who couldn't tell Rock from Reggae. Other tracks can show you how cool it is to have a sense of humor about yourself, how to talk about love without using the word `love', and how you're never, ever, too old for a lullabye.

If you're like many I know, your only regret might be that there's only one album so far. Her website has a preview, as well as a few other extras offered in all their self-conscious honesty.

Like millions of others, I saw Vienna Teng for the first time on David Letterman on Monday January 20 and was instantly sold. The next day I ordered it at Amazon.

Vienna Teng's Waking Hour is the best new music I've heard in years. It is refreshing to see someone who is simply talented and insightful. I'm very tired of the "open sexuality" that dominates today's popular music. There are the obvious comparisons to Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. I don't that it is out of line to compare Vienna Teng to the great seasoned singer/songwriters of the last 35 years. As I listen to "Waking Hour)" Carole King's "Tapestry" (one of the greatest albums ever made) comes to mind.

"Waking Hour" is so many different things. It is romantic, introspective, lively, existential, spiritual and ambient. The CD begins with a nice rhythm to begin the journey into the mind of a gifted songwriter. Every song creates its own atmosphere. The wide range of her voice is heard very clearly and perfectly pitched. My personal favorite songs are "Soon Love Soon" and "Lullaby For A Stormy Night" for their delicate optimism. "Unwritten Letter #1" is a pleasant surprise with its' Latin flavor. Let us not forget her inspired piano work.

Thank you Mr. Letterman!

I guess it's kind of fun to be in the small group of people who can say "we knew her when." I was going through a rough time this winter and Vienna's "Waking Hour" CD put me in the best mood! It's so awesome, like every single track is outstanding. I'm a musician and she's the kind of performer I go see and they make me think, boy do I need to get it together. You know how some CDs you buy and you only like a song or two so you never get around to listening to it? Well this is NOT one of those CDs! All you have to do is listen to about 30 seconds of any given song and you'll be hooked like the rest of us in this review section!

My Rating: 5.2/5 (For two amazing songs - Eric's song and Stormy Night)
Vienna flexes her muscles in her debut album proving she can make music just as good as some of the better known artists. Overall the album features clever lyrics in stylistically diverse songs. Vienna tries her hand at jazzy sounds, world music, old time rock and roll, and mesmorizing piano solos (for which she will become known), all with her nice alto voice.

Highlights:
Soon Love Soon - A song to fill your ears. It has a quasi- African tribal beat, with an Enya-"Sail away" like background and almost gospel like melody.
Eric's Song - A beautiful and powerful solo featuring poetic lyrics dealing with regret and hope.
Lullabye for a Stormy Night - This is a song I envision singing to my own daughter. It is warm and comforting, yet powerful in it's beauty.

Negatives -
Unwritten Letter #1 - Vienna successfully writes a song with a jazzy beat, but the song, unfortunately, doesn't measure up to the albums standards.

Decade and One - Starts out promising but becomes burdensome as it drags on. I found it difficult to find the climax.

She's been compared to Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan, and yes, her music is vaguely reminiscent of theirs, but hers is quieter, more thoughtful, and leans toward graceful harmony. Her lyrics don't lack substance, though, so you can lose yourself in the music without fearing the empty, bright songs of so many other artists.

Her piano playing is flawless. Her voice, on the other hand, is very *real* and warm, not bothering to hide behind flashy effects and offering straightforward, beautiful melody. And yet it seems no stretch at all for her to sing in a variety of styles, and yet all of them uniquely her own.

"Gravity" is breathtaking, easing into a gentle ripple of piano and then soaring into a waterfall. "Enough To Go By" is warm and possesses a light, buoyant tune--probably the most cheerful of her songs. "Between" sweeps you up in a sad and powerful rhythm, and "Drought," deeply melancholy, seems poised between summer and autumn. The wistful "Say Uncle" speaks of the memories that follow death, while "Lullaby For A Stormy Night" offers comfort to a child frightened by the rain. "Eric's Song" is a simple, quiet love song.

There is not a single song not worth listening to.

If Ms Teng chooses to persevere with her incomparable talent, she will enjoy huge success and gather around her a large, devoted and very satisfied following. The question of her international acclaim is not If but When.
I give her equal time in my pantheon of favorites of Sarah McLachlan (about whom VT won't like to hear this, but masterpieces like 'Gravity' remind me strongly of that major talent); Iris DeMent; and Norah Jones. In fact, Teng's voice is probably the most versatile of the 4 and I certainly find her piano the most muscular and beguiling.
This is a lady who's going to be very big indeed, and we who toast her so early in her career are in for a treasure hunt of a ride.

I first heard of Vienna through a friend who heard her on NPR back in October of 2002. He was driving when her song came on and pulled over on the side of the road just to listen. This guy knows his jazz, listens to classical, and loves good blues, so I know to listen when he suggests a CD.

I heard her live in California at a coffee shop. Every lyric was poetry and could stand alone without the music. You can hear her musical talent in every song, but it's not a showcase of piano technique. There is a real-life experience behind every song, and Vienna is expressive and genuine because these are her words and her musical thoughts. The anecdotes before each song highlight Vienna's strength as a writer. A good writer's perspective can make any moment becomes more vivid for us, and you can put yourself in the moments captured on this CD.

Every song is great, and every song has a story. I am more than happy to recommend this singer/songwriter. I haven't heard a CD this good in a long time.

Vienna Teng's debut album, though it does not present the absolute mastery of technique that "Warm Strangers" does, is wonderful in itself. Although lacking in the vocal warmth and crystal-clear production of "Warm Strangers," "Waking Hour" is nonetheless a superb collection of songs.

"Waking Hour" begins with the masterpiece "The Tower." With its powerful lyrics and Teng's lilting vocals, this song exhibits soaring emotions. This is followed by the no less impressive "Momentum," which overflows the listener in the passionate refrain, "Overcome me, baby."

In "Gravity," Teng presents an introspective, sophisticated image. Starting out hushed, as though a reflection, "Gravity" soon bursts out of an invisible cage with the lyrics, "But don't you believe them-don't you drink their poison, too." Fourth comes the softer but equally emotional "Daughter," a superb, angelic landscape of enchanting poetry.

"Between," the engaging, haunting portrait of something more than just lost love, follows. This is followed up by the slow, sparse "Say Uncle," which captures the listener by the refrain, "These days everyone cries, `Say uncle.'" Then, in a swell of spine-tingling, lush harshness, comes "Drought."

"Enough to Go By," a seemingly light-hearted piece, follows up with its superb lyrics, instrumentals, and vocals. The percussion gets the body moving. Ninth comes the richly seductive "Unwritten Letter No. 1," which moves the heart and certainly the body, inspiring the feel of a definite need to dance with a partner. The somehow-lacking but nonetheless beautiful "Eric's Song" follows.

Following is "Soon Love Soon," a rhythmic, tribal-feeling beauty. With the layered background vocals, "Soon love, soon," Teng lets her voice go beautiful places as the percussion moves the soul. "Lullaby for a Stormy Night," a rambling piece of crystalline melody. And, to complete this introspective collection comes the piano-dominated, emotional "Decade and One," a pure, heart-lifting, thoughtful piece.

Teng dominates the heart and mind with her debut album, a truly poetic, lilting collection of beauty.

i learned about vienna thru the mercury news, a local bay area paper; i learned that vienna is an engineer by profession and a musician by passion, a rather strange combination for how many artists you know are engineers :-)...i went to her website to try out the MP3s and i was immediately captivated by her voice and her melodies. That afternoon i drove to palo alto to see her play in person at Borders bookstore. She's a soft spoken artist with long fingers which resemble young bamboo shoots, fingers that are polished by years of pounding on the ebony and ivory keyboard. I had a wonderful afternoon. The live performance was even better than the MP3s from the web site even though she played solo, just her and the piano. Her keyboard skills were obvious, her fingers just flowed from 1 note to another as if automatically programmed by the brain and the heart. The music was soothing, the lyrics rather melancholic but poignant. While her voice wasn't as deep and clear as celine dion, it was warm and attractive, reminiscent of the Janis Ian of 'Seventeen'. Needless to say I bought the Waking Hour CD and shared the music with my teenaged daughters. To my surprise, they both like it. There's something in Vienna's music that attract both young and old generations, I can't say that for other musicians for I know my kids wouldn't care much about my 70s music. Vienna happened to also play some excellent new songs of hers which have not been released yet. I'm looking forward to the next album already. To those of you looking for good/soft/melodic/soothing music look no further than 'Waking Hour'. In this age of materialistic excesses, especially in Silicon Valley, finding someone as talented and as original as Vienna is a gem!