Was Odyssey disappointing?

[jons]

The first time I clicked on the Ecard for Odyssey, I heard the words 'What you never know' sung beautifully by Hayley; I knew straight away that the album was going to be special.

A number of clips where available: 'Both Sides Now' sounded new even though it was a cover song; 'Never Saw Blue' was also a cover, but it was the first time I'd heard that song. Just from these clips it was obvious that Hayley was trying something more mainstream.

I was in the shower when I heard a light thud from the letterbox. I'm glad I didn't have to sign for it because that would of meant rushing to get dressed and running down the stairs. The jewel case had come open slightly, but apart from that it was in perfect condition; I've sent off for many CD's in the past but this was an import which took weeks to arrive, so I had my fingers crossed it wasn't damaged. It was worth the wait however.

Now that the storm of excitement over its release has had plenty of time to blow over, some people are expressing a slight disappointment of it.
Pure was a perfect album, no doubt, however Odyssey took a slightly different direction. The UK version did feature more classical and Celtic songs but I didn't take a shine to them, only the extra tracks that where released on the UK special edition.

So for me, Hayley's voice never disappoints, but its true that I skip a couple of songs on Odyssey.
And its true that I listen to Pure more often, but Odyssey is in no way disappointing.

[Joe]

Hi Jon,

I also prefer Pure to Odyssey. Pure to me was wonderful and right up my street. I really loved the new age sound with a little touch of classical.

With Odyssey I might skip a song or two. Especially if it's playing outside or in the car. For me the CD is more classical but overall I really enjoy the CD a lot. Now the Odyssey UK Special Edition incorporates a few Celtic sounds. I listen to this version a lot more.

Joe

[Richard]

Hello Jon and Joe!

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I have three different versions of 'Odyssey', and each one includes songs that aren't on the other two. Ideally it would be great if all the songs were on a single CD, but I certainly wouldn't call any of my versions a disappointment. The UK special edition is my favourite of the three, but it's a fairly close call.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[grant]

I think I have 6 versions of Odyssey (including Taiwan, Singapore and New Zealand special edition).!!!

At first I didn't like it at all but I think I was expecting another "Pure" - It soon grew on me and I play it constantly (along with Pure of course!)

My favourite version of Odyssey is the original Australian version which I bought on line from HMV in Sydney! Perhaps because it was the first one I got, but also because Finbar plays pipes (not penny whistle) on 'She Moves Through The Fair.

Grant

[mariannek]

Hi All,
Pure & Odyssey we bought in Christchurch in January this year having heard & seen Hayley for the first time on a special TV screening of her Auckland concert. We bought the DVD in September 2005.
Now I live & breathe Hayley. She is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.!
The special Odyssey edition is now my favourite - Laudate Dominum my latest craze.
Mariannek

[nicola]

I voted 'Yes'. I would have chose the other option 'Not what it should have been' but I found that option a bit vague lol!

I only have the UK edition of Odyssey. Maybe that's the problem? But I have, every now and again, tried to play it again but find myself skipping every song apart from the first one. I love 'What You Never Know', but of course I'm a huge Sarah Brightman fan and heard her version first, and thus like it better (it's an occurence very frequent for one to enjoy whatever version they heard first rather than later ones). I have all of Hayley's albums and only like 'Pure'. Her voice is sweet in every single album she does, but that's not enough for me. 'Pure' is good because it was mostly material I hadn't heard before. Her first NZ release 'Hayley Westenra' was full of musical numbers which I have heard so many times before.

A good album to me, is an original one. I do like the odd interpretation of a song I already know, but when an album is full of them, I just won't listen to it. Having said that, I don't mind choirs doing it. I love 'Gregorian: Masters of Chant' and 'Cantamus'.

I love Hayley to bits, her voice and as a person. I constantly wait to see what she does next. Despite not liking most of her CDs (which is kind of funny when you think about it) I still follow her career and go to her concerts. It must be her charm. I have seen Hayley live more than any other artist. Ever. That probably wouldn't be the case if Sarah Brightman or Emma Shapplin came to Britain more than once every four years, but there you go.

I bought my Aunt three of her CDs and she now loves her more than KATHERINE JENKINS (DUN DUN DUUUUUN!) My Aunt did not believe that possible. I just thought I'd mention that. I don't know why.

[Dave]

Hello everyone, and thanks Jon, for starting this thread... which for some reason I've only just noticed Well actually, there is a reason why I noticed it today - last night i saw on TV the hard-to-find Purcell opera "Dido and Aeneas" and it made me look for any threads about "Dido's Lament" - but more about that later... perhaps in a new thread.

My favourite Hayley album and version (out of 7 or 8 that I have) is... the apparently unfashionable UK original edition of Odyssey - which is, incidentally, becoming quite hard to get hold of now, especially if you are from outside the UK. I can categorically say that for me, this album is no disappointment...

What a pity it was ditched, deleted, call it what you will - and is unlikely to be available ever again to purchasers of future Hayley albums. It was perhaps too "niche" for the mass market, compared to the much broader appeal of the excellent "Pure".

Highlights for me are are many: Prayer, Never Saw Blue, Quanta Qualia May It Be and the very daring Bachianas. Not many Crossover singers dare to do THAT one! Then, there's the final sequence of six songs starting with Mists of Islay - it leaves me with shivers down my spine by the end and is for me an excellent example of mood music. By the time "Dido's Lament" has faded gently into silence, my mood is often tearful...

I accept that Hayley seems to strain a little, from time to time, at the top end of her register - and some may view the few songs affected (O Mio Babbino Caro for example) as over-ambitious but I view it as adventurous... being willing to push at the boundaries instead of playing safe (like some singers I could name) is for me an admirable trait, so well done Hayley for doing it! The overall impact of these "daring" songs in the context of the album makes me jolly glad that Hayley included them.

Oh, the poll? I voted "No". i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Cheers, Dave

[Martin]

Being a relatively recent convert to "Hayleymania" (I remember the days of "Beatlemania"! ) I purchased Odyssey well before my first encounter with Pure.
As a result I haven't compared Pure to Odyssey in the same way as most other members. Admittedly, Pure has the freshness and impact of a first album but Hayley's voice and phrasing are clearly less mature than presented on Odyssey.
So in this context neither album is better or worse than the other. Both are brilliant reflecting Hayley as she was at the ages of 15 and 18 respectively. I hope Hayley continues to expand her repertoire and take risks; after all that's exactly what the Beatles did 40+ years ago and it didn't do them any harm! ;

Best wishes and a Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Martin

[thomas]

Hi!

I just voted for "NO"! I can't say which album I prefer, I like both of them. It's good that Odyssey sounds different than Pure. Pure is a great album but I can't imagine that anybody liked to have another album which sounds exatly like the previous one.

I have the original UK edition at home. For the German one I had to wait another half a year until it was released (April 2006) and to wait that long was definitely no option.

So it would be great if her new upcoming album sounded different again. But I'm sure it will. Maybe the record company has already agreed on the album title. Would have been a nice present to Hayley prior to her Christmas holiday. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Thomas

[gerrit]

Despite the vagueness of the description, I voted for the option that it wasn't what it could have been. I chose that option because I have always thought that the song selection on Odyssey was somewhat monotonous (at least in my experience) and lacked a bit of innovation.

Another thing that disturbs me is hat yet again there are many different versions of Odyssey, a thing I didn't like about Pure either. If one were to make a full list of all the songs that have appeared on the various versions of Pure and Oddyssey, there would be enough material to release three separate, unique CD's. Which would have made for a much healthier CD release policy - the interval between Pure and Odyssey was simply to long.

For me, the choice between Pure and Odyssey is quite simple - I prefer Pure by quite a margin. I have 3 versions of Pure, and I think that between them, I have just about every song that was released on a version of "Pure". I have just one version of Odyssey - and I don't know which version that is. But I won't be buying any other version, just for the sake of having a complete collection.

Don't get me wrong - I like listening to Odyssey but for me it is more a CD to play as quiet background music, whereas when I play Pure, I often take the time to soak up the songs.

Ohh - and to complete the picture, alough I am also a fan of singers like Katherine and Yulia, I don't rush out to buy their new CDs when they become available. Because of that, I have for instance just one copy of Into The West (Yulia), the re-issue that came with a bonus Christmas CD - and I also only have one version of Yulia's second CD Montage - the re-issue that came with a mini DVD. I have only one version of Katherine's Living a Dream (the special one with two "bonus" tracks), and never worried about geting La Diva, the US version of her album Second Nature.

In my view, buying a new version of an existing CD for the sake of a pair of new tracks is not value for money, no matter which artist it concerns.

Cheers,

Gerrit

[nicola]

In my view, buying a new version of an existing CD for the sake of a pair of new tracks is not value for money, no matter which artist it concerns.

I agree with this and is probably the only time when I download songs. I don't like buying multiple versions of one CD just for the sake of one or two songs that I probably won't like. I have only ever done this with Sarah Brightman CDs but it's mostly because these versions have DVDs with them, or some other bonus features which are quite worthwhile.

I have, since I wrote the last post, bought the re-issue of Odyssey, but not for the extra songs. I bought it because I heard she had dedicated it to Keith, so I wanted it in my collection (and sure enough, it was).

I agree with a lot of what Gerrit said about Odyssey. Though, by now, I have come to like more songs on Odyssey, including 'What You Never Know' which I now prefer to the original. Hayleys delivery is still soulless that gives the CD a montonous sound, although, that would be bringing up the emotion vs technicality debate again which has already been covered in another topic (I forget which one).

'Never Saw Blue' is particularly special. I remember disliking it the first time I heard it, as I had high expectations of it (I first heard her sing it live, which was brilliant) but the recorded version wasn't as good. But I love it now.

[jons]

nicola said:

Hayleys delivery is still soulless that gives the CD a montonous sound

Eh?

[nicola]

Sorry Jon, I meant to have said:

Hayley's delivery is still soulless on Odyssey, it gives the CD a monotonous sound.

If you don't understand the concept of what I'm saying I think her singing lacks emotion, so her voice doesn't show much diversity as a result.

[jons]

I think I understand Nicola.

I do think though that in my opinion nothing that Hayley does is soulless. Her soul is in every song she sings.

[Dave]

nicola said:

Hayley's delivery is still soulless...

Hi Nicola,

I think you should definitely listen to Hayley's performance of "The Prayer" recorded at Christmas Presence in Cardiff this month... it starts at 14 minutes in to the video (but watch it all ), details are here

Merry Christmas!

Dave