Harem [Enhanced]

Sarah Brightman (Artist), Frank Peterson (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B00008W2QZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (203 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,872 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If one's notion of "world music" promises a touch of the exotic and indigenous, often overlooked is the fact that the influence of western pop music has seeped into every corner of the globe, creating a hybrid that's often more than merely the sum of its influences. Theater vet Brightman steps into that pan-cultural hall of mirrors here, wedding her fascination with the music and rhythms of the "forbidden places" (the title's Arabic meaning) of the Middle East to her own oft ethereal vocal charms and rock-solid sense of drama. And if the diva's equally sound crossover sensibilities (and that of longtime producer Frank Peterson) sometimes mire it in familiar world-beat pastiche, Brightman's charmed muse manages some transcendent moments nonetheless. Her musical borrowings (Borodin for the title track; Puccini's *Madame Butterfly* for "It's a Beautiful Day") are as compelling as her choice of collaborators: classical violin star Nigel Kennedy and Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir add compelling touches to the weary timeliness of "The War is Over." The musical influences range from Europe across the Mediterranean and as far East as the Indian roots of "Bollywood" composer A.R. Rahman's "The Journey Home" and Brightman's own "You Take My Breath Away" to evocative recastings of the emblematic standards "Stranger in Paradise" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," while ex-Killing Joke keyboardist Jaz Coleman provides the savory East-meets-West orchestrations that ensure Brightman's star turns the seamless foundations they deserve. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Sarah Brightman Photos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I am dreaming a dream or this is Paradise and..., June 15, 2003

By	Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

the Abode of Peace!" ~ Arabian Nights

I've been a fan of Sarah Brightman since the release of 'Eden' back in 99 and have since then acquired many of her albums and concert DVDs and, imho, this is by far her best work to date (although many will disagree because it's so experimental). She's a true angel of music and 'Harem' (forbidden places) explores the exotic with beautiful, crystalline singing and ethereal, wordly-pop meets middle eastern beats that will keep you entranced until the very end (and then you'll probably start it again because world music can be very addicting if it's done the right way and if you've got the ear/taste for it). This album is hypnotic and enchanting and very different from her successful predecessor 'La Luna' but it definitely rises above anything she's ever done before and it showcases her love of varied styles. Operatic singing is pretty much nonexistent here but she still incorporates her old roots with a well-trained classical voice on "A Stranger In Paradise" and a great adaption of Puccini's "Un Bel Di" (It's a Beautiful Day). Frank Peterson continues to guide Sarah's career in the right direction by producing the sweeping, dance-infused "Harem" (the title being a song in which she wrote herself) while bringing in some new faces to spice the mix up, like keyboardist Jaz Coleman (ex-Killing Joke who also worked on the highly praised New Zealand project, Oceania) to breathe life into the soaring string orchestrations.

'Harem' also features a lot of guest artists, such as the passionate Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir on "The War Is Over" and classical violinist Nigel Kennedy who recently worked with crossover star Josh Groban. The late Ofra Haza appears on "Mysterious Days" while Natacha Atlas lends additional background vocals on "Arabian Nights" (the theme for this record) which, lyrically, is separated into five different parts that fuse together seamlessly.

Since the entire album is absolutely stunning, it's nearly impossible to choose favorites here but "What You Never Know", "The Journey Home", "Free", "The War Is Over", and her breathtaking remake of Mandalay's "Beautiful" seem to standout the best with me. The Asian-influenced, U.S. bonus track "You Take My Breath Away" is another notable mention but it's hardly new to me. It was originally released on her import album "Fly", which would probably be the best of her previous albums to compare this to as it was her first real venture into the pop-rock genre.

Sarah may be singing simpler tunes on 'Harem' but she's never sounded better. This album is like a trip on a magic carpet ride to foreign lands that breakthrough to the peaceful paradise of your inner dreams - only your still awake - and it's sure to elate and exult your spirit.

58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly enchanting, June 10, 2003

By	Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have been anticipating the release of the new Sarah Brightman cd "Harem" for some time now. I haven't been into her music for too long, maybe like 2 years now. Her last cd was a compilation of new and original material which I thought was fairly good but I preferred her greatest hits (import only). "La Luna" was what got me into Sarah's breathtaking vocals. I wasn't sure if I wanted to wait until I got the new Delerium cd or to get it now. I'm glad I got it today. "Harem" is definitely a departure from "La Luna" and "Eden". Sarah embraces world and dance music with her more familiar classical-pop sounds. I found this new sound quite refreshing and exciting to hear from Sarah. Of course she still has her breathtaking ballads like "What you Never Know" and a cover of Mandalay's "Beautiful". My favorite, favorite song off the cd has to be track #5 "The Journey Home". The song starts off as a ballad and slowly shifts into a dance song. I love the melodies as well as the lyrics. I also loved Sarah's rendition of the classic "What a Wonderful World" which surprisingly works quite well as a dance song. All the songs are stunning masterpieces. I could not find one song on the cd that I didn't enjoy. Sarah sounds better than ever as a vocalist. It is good to hear her experiment with other styles of music and incorporate with her brand of classical-influenced pop music. "Harem" definitely ranks as one of this year's best albums as well as one of Sarah's best albums.

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative., June 10, 2003

By	Mr. Fellini "Fellini" (El Paso, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Sarah Brightman remains one of the great voices in modern classical music, she is also one of the artists who has made a crossover between classical and pop with great success. Her last album, "La Luna," was a great piece of dramatic flare with operatic experimentation (singing along to Beethoven's 7th)and visual richness for the ears. "Harem" is her exploration of Middle Eastern flavors and imaginings, it works to great, emotional effect in many of it's areas. The opening title track is epic and lavish like a Maurice Jarre composition (remember "Lawrence Of Arabia?"), it goes from lush Eastern tribal beats to techno thumping that doesn't harm it, simply updates the sound. It is custom by now for Brightman to perform one or two pop favorites, here we get a new rendition of "A Wonderful World," which seems like a stretch for an album titled "Harem," but it works to nice emotional effect. "A Beautiful Day" returns to the Eastern melodies with nice, fast violins and a large operatic scope, we like Brightman best when she soars with her wonderful voice and here she delivers once again. "What You Never Know" is the weakest song on the album, but it will please fans of simple, good pop. "Free" is a nice piece of typical, heartbroken pop but what makes it noteoworthy is the appearance here of violinist Nigel Kennedy, one of the great violinists of our time. "Mysterious Days" is a soaring piece with great sitar. Other noteworthy songs are "The War Is Over" with Kennedy once again and "You Take My Breath Away," which is evocative and dreamy. Is this Brightman's best album, probably not, it does not feel as complete as did "La Luna," but yet it feels more free than that album and feels like a turning point for Brightman. She gets a lot of writing credit here which is rare, and her leaps towards more mainstream sounds shows she still has what it takes to bust into the charts in the era of Gwen Stefani and Shakira. "Harem" is lush, emotional, dramatic and has some memorable moments, Brightman fans should like it, those who want something a little different from normal mainstream music should also give it a try.