R o D NZ Special Ed and where the tracks are from?

[mihizawi]

Hello everyone,
I have seen that there has been some discussions about the River of Dreams NZ Special Edition in both the Uk & US Ed thread and in the Tracklisting thread, but I thought it would be good to open a new thread for this edition itself, so it is easier to find things regarding this Edition.

I must say it is the first Hayley's album I purchased, some weeks ago, followed by Winter Magic that I ordered yesterday. I was so excited about getting the album being delivered from New Zealand. And, although it is a compilation, I would highly recommend it, specially the Special Edition, which, if I am not wrong, features more new recordings in the bonus CD.

Also, I thought it would be funny and interesting (although hard) to try to guess where each recording came from. Let's see if, all together we can guess it- I shall post the tracklisting shortly, with my first guesses.

[martindn]

Hi Michal,

I think there are four new recordings only on this album, three of which are on the UK version too. These are

Songbird
Ave Maria (Bach Gound)
Now is the Hour

The NZ editional has in addition

Majesty

As far as I am aware, all the rest are old recordings.

Martin

[mihizawi]

Well, here is what I guessed for now, but I may be wrong:

CD ONE - River of Dreams
1 Pokarekare Ana - Pure (recording known as "vocalise", only available in some editions)
2 River Of Dreams - Pure
3 Dell'Amore Non Si Sa - Odyssey
4 Shenandoah - Treasure / Celtic Treasure
5 Who Painted The Moon Black - Pure
6 The Water is Wide - Celtic Treasure
7 Songbird - New Recording
8 Both Sides Now - Odyssey
9 Ave Maria (Caccini) - Odyssey
10 Benedictus - Pure
11 Amazing Grace - Pure
12 Danny Boy - Treasure / Celtic Treasure
13 Summer Rain - Treasure / Celtic Treasure
14 Never Say Goodbye - Pure
15 O Mio Babbino Caro - Odyssey UK Special Edition
16 May It Be - Prayer?
17 Majesty - New Recording
18 Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) - New Recording
19 Now Is The Hour - New Recording

CD TWO - Special Edition
1 Hine E Hine - New???
2 Mary Did You Know - New?
3 Silent Night - New?
4 Away In A Manger - New?
5 Scarborough Fair - Odyssey UK Special Edition / Celtic Treasure
6 Abide With Me - Treasure / Celtic Treasure
7 E Pari Ra - Treasure
8 Santa Lucia - Treasure
9 God Defend New Zealand - New?

I have my doubts about May It Be, since the instrumental music from the Lord of The Rings added at the end is not from any album recording I could find, only in the Prayer album, which, I think, is a compilation itself..

New Recordings featured in the standard edition:
- Songbird: Hayley's sweetness shown in the simplest way possible: only with piano in a slow and calm song.
- Ave Maria: One of those classical songs that everyone has heard so many times. Yet, Hayley surpriises us once again with what is probably the best recording ever done of this beautiful classic With the original piano arrengement composed by Bach, it sounds beyond amazing.
- Now is the Hour: What mora can I say than what was said here about that lovely and emotive song.

Songs added to the maiin CD in the NZ Special Edition:
- Who Painted the Moon Black: Even though it's an old song that doesn't show the best of Hayley's voice, it's quite catchy and, somehow I love to listen to it.
- Majesty: The main reason to get the Special Edition, and a quite good one!. In Hayley's voice definately suits its title, and becomes incredibly elevated. It's a recording that shows Hayley's highest qualities. Definately, a song to fall in love with!

Songs featured in the bonus CD that, in my opinion, may be new :
- Hine e Hine: A quite interesting version of the song, with a man talking in Maori in some parts. Was it featured in any of the Pure editions?
- Mary did you know, Silent Night and Away in a manger. I am sure these recordings aren't in any previous albums... The arrengements and Hayley's voice sound really similar to the video of Hayley's 2006 Christmas Concerrt in Cardiff, but quite sure they aren't taken from there. Yet, lovely performance of those carols.
- God Defend New Zealand: A really different recording than the one from "Hayley Westenra" album, with a military arrengement and a more powerful voice, reminds a little bit the performance on the 2006 NZ War Memorial.

Well, that's all, if anyone has any suggestions about where or when the recordings came from, please, feel free to speculate. And it ended up a kind of review, hope it may help on the decision of buying it or not.

Michal

[martindn]

Hi Michal,

The original UK version of Pure had two versions of Hine e Hine, the second of which included the man talking. I guess that is what it is.

Mary Did You Know appears on both My Gift to You and the Bonus Edition od Pure. I would expect the version on ROD would be one of those (but I might be wrong, as I said I don't have the NZ Edition of ROD.

Away in a Manger and Silent Night were also on the Bonus Edition of Pure. The Japanese mini album "Wuthering Heights" also includes Away in Manger, which I think is a different recording to the Pure one.

If God Defend New Zealand is not the one on Hayley Westenra (and I'll take your word fo it) I have no idea where it is from.


Perhaps the guy to help you is Grant. He has a collection of over 100 Hayley CDs, and if it came from anywhere else I am sure he will know. But you will have to wait until he gets back from Dublin!

Martin

[mihizawi]

Hi, Martin, thanks for your reply.
Well, then, we'll see what the exprts say, XD, for now I can say that Mary Did You Know and Silent Night aren't from My Gift To You... They could be from the Bonus CD of Pure, I couldn't find a way to listen to it. But, speculating about the voice, she sounds older than in Pure... though it's only speculating.

Michal

[martindn]

Hi Michal,

I think the Pure bonus tracks were recorded months after the rest of the album, I think about a year later. They might be nearer in time to Odyssey than the original Pure.

I remember my first Hayley concert at the Dergate Northamton in March 2004 was some months offeter Pure was released, which itself was several months after it was recorded. At my second Hayley concert at the same venue in November 2004, she had just released the Bonus Edition and was promoting it, so the bonus tracks were presumably recorded late summer/early autumn 2004.

This is at over a year later than the original Pure recordings and her voice was changing at the time. I remember her sounding different at the November concert to the March one for example.

Martin

[grant]

Hi Michal and everyone

I've had the NZ Special Edition since its release and, although details are give for one CD, no specific recording details are published for the bonus CD

Upon examination though, tracks 1,3,4 are George Martin arrangements, so I think it is safe to assume that they date from "Pure". Tracks 2 & 5 'may' be from the German Odyssey release, whilst tracks 7 and 8 are from 'Treasure'. Track 9, "God Defend New Zealand" is a new recording.

Best wishes
Grant

[mihizawi]

Hi Grrant and welcome from Dublin, as you can see,, you've been expected, XD.
Hmm... then, unless someone has something to argue, the tracklist and its origins are complete... well, almost... what do you think about May it Be? And, lol... really, you've got a 100 CDs by Hayley?! Are there even so many? XD, quite impressive.

For now, goodnight, and, Grant, realy looking forward to your impressions from the Irish concerts ^^

[martindn]

Hi Grant,

Thanks for clearing that up!

Martin

[comet]

Another good way to compare tracks is to play two discs simultaneously in two different CD players.

If the tracks are identical recordings they should stay synchronised,
This can be quite amusing , if you have two remote controls and there is a good distance between the sound sources, it can begin to sound like echoes in the Grand Canyon or a massive empty football stadium or other large space.

I do wish they would give the recording date of tracks so we could identify the recordings more accurately. ( because time passes and with the best will in the world none of us have that good a memory)
But thankfully many of us here are doing our best to keep records of events and performances for those who may come after us.

I wish someone had done it for Edith Piaf, trying to locate recordings and their origins is no easy task eighty years later. and just as you think you have found a new or previously un-released recording , it turns out to be one that was also on some other album or release. The incredible thing about some of Edith's recordings is the quality, that some of them were done on WIRE recorders, where a spool of metal wire was used instead of the magnetic tape which most of us are familiar with. another format was the wax cylinder which looked like a bean tin with both ends gone out of it..

Oops ! I am slipping off topic...............

[Sing]

I have the NZ ROD edition which has God Defend New Zealand, and I also have the NZ special edition of Treasure which also has God Defend New Zealand on it, and both sound the same to me but it may be a new recording on ROD.
btw my favourite track on this album is Majesty, I wish Hayley would sing it in her concerts, and that she'd put it on an album in the UK and other countries so more people could hear it
best wishes
Sing

[martindn]

Hi Sing,

Regrettably, I think the problem with Majesty is firstly that it is an very explictly Christian song that might offend some non-Christian members of the audience, and secondly, it has never been released in the UK (again regrettably), so she won't perform it here.

[mihizawi]

True that it is a Christian song, and the lyrics are very exalted, more than average religious songs...
But, actually, Hayley performs a quite big amount of Christian songs, including carols and the Ave Marias.
A wise listener will be able to discern the beauty of the song and the performance from the religious inspiration and meaning of the lyrics, and will be able to judge those things separately. If you are Christian and you feel the religious sense of the song, great, but if not, you can still enjoy the beauty of the music and Hayley's unique voice.

Of course, not everyone can do that, there are people for who religious issues are too important to ignore that a song doesn't fit their believes. And there's nothing that bad in that, we gotta respect eachother, but I would say people who wouldn't feel offended by a carol but yes by this song are not too much. If it is enough to discourage from performing it, I don't know, just wanted to point it out.

[martindn]

Hi Michal,

Yes, the problem is not most people (and I am a Christian) but the current politically correct agenda that seems to prevail in this country. We have had cases where some Christian things have been banned in case it might offend Muslims for example, even thoug some muslims have entered the discussion to point out that they are not offended. Perhaps it is the people who are complaining that feel offended.
I'm sure Hayley would not want to offend anyone, which is why I don't think she would perform that song in the UK. She can get away with Christmas carols, even O Holy Night which is a very powerful \christian song, especially when Hayley performs it, becuse they are seen as seasonal. Majesty migh be seen differently though. A pity, I wols love to see her perform it.

Martin

[mihizawi]

Yes, Martin, here in Spain also are happening similar things . But, oh, well, it's starting to be a little offtopic, and, although I like to respectfuly discuss about anything, it is surely not the place, so I won't go further.

But, I think everyone will agree, it's a lovely song in Hayley's voice!