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Post by Bamafan on Jul 21, 2014 22:25:21 GMT
Eh, it looks ok. "Ode to Joy" and "How Great Thou Art" sound promising (I love a good hymn). Hayley did the best version of World in Union, hands down. Josh Groban's version of "Anthem" just can't be topped, and I hope that "Remember" isn't the same song Josh did for Troy. "We Are the Champions"? I just don't see it working. Even when Hayley did it, it just didn't fit. -Taylor i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif |
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Post by Libby on Jul 21, 2014 23:01:35 GMT
Even if this was Hayley's upcoming tracklist - or, I should say, especially if it was hers, I'd be thinking: snoozefest. Hayley would sound much better singing them, to my ears, but still, these days, I have higher expectations for her. With the exception of How Great Thou Art, THAT I would like to hear Hayley sing. However, I don't actually recognize some of the songs, but they mostly sound a bit dull.
I've gotten so I want more than just nice songs sung with a beautiful voice. My tastes have changed a bit, especially when I listen to Hayley's more recent setlists.
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Post by Richard on Jul 22, 2014 7:07:11 GMT
Hello folks!  I don't like Katherine's voice either, so I won't be buying her new album. The cover is quite nice though.   Richard  |
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Post by comet on Jul 22, 2014 7:58:51 GMT
 I have seen Katherine live a few times, She is very entertaining and I do like that slight "raspiness or huskiness" in her voice. So I can't be on the side of the Katherine knockers, I hope her supporters here on this forum far outweigh her knockers.
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Post by Bamafan on Jul 22, 2014 10:25:21 GMT
I do like some of Katherine's songs, I don't dislike her. I just think the tracklist could use some work.  My favorite songs of her's are Rejoice and Bailero. :wink: -Taylor i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Jul 22, 2014 12:33:30 GMT
Even if this was Hayley's upcoming tracklist - or, I should say, especially if it was hers, I'd be thinking: snoozefest. Hayley would sound much better singing them, to my ears, but still, these days, I have higher expectations for her. With the exception of How Great Thou Art, THAT I would like to hear Hayley sing. However, I don't actually recognize some of the songs, but they mostly sound a bit dull. I've gotten so I want more than just nice songs sung with a beautiful voice. My tastes have changed a bit, especially when I listen to Hayley's more recent setlists. Tell me about it. Boring, boring boring. But it must be what Decca thinks will be profitable. Cheap album to make = greater profits even if it sells only modestly. It looks like it's designed to be aimed for the Christmas present market, so something nice, broad and vanilla that will appeal widely to the masses on general level is the idea. This is what I'm finding maddening about classical crossover. It's like there's a set song book that all the tracks are chosen from and the rest are stolen off Josh Groban's albums. I must say that if in 2015 after more than four years of waiting Hayley produces a track list like that my head will probably explode. I'll probably need to get my mop and bucket at the ready, because I'm not holding out much hope. |
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Post by Libby on Jul 22, 2014 20:06:44 GMT
LOL don't give up yet, Jillian. I have hope for Hayley yet. I'm expecting more than just "vanilla" from Hayley. She managed to have her way somewhat with Treasure; why not with this next one? Oh, and not just Josh, but Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, and Pavorotti, too, with the ever ubiquitous Nessun Dorma. Even Josh took Caruso from Pavorotti's playbook (though I think his version is a bit lacking with his blithering pronunciation of the fast Italian). I've just recently discovered that 2 of Mario's songs that I like were done by Sarah first! Hijo de La Luna, and none other than Naturaleza Muerta, which Hayley sang with him. I'm about to receive the album she recorded it on any day now. But I have to say that Sarah Brightman's albums do not contain that much vanilla, or at the very least, it's not the most abundant ingredient. Ah, Richard, nice to see I'm not alone in my opinion. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif It's voices like hers which make me dislike opera. But Sarah Brightman makes me like it. And Hayley too, but she doesn't sing it in an operatic way. But Hayley made me like the songs first, so that's what she has going for her. |
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Post by martindn on Jul 22, 2014 20:52:51 GMT
I have several of Katherine's albums. After all, I must owe her something, it was thanks to Katherine that I first heard Hayley. I'm not that thrilled with the content of this one though, so I doubt I'll buy it.
Martin D
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Post by John H on Jul 22, 2014 21:16:01 GMT
I like Katherine's voice and really enjoy her live performances. She has a lovely stage presence.
I heard her sing four of the songs from her new album two nights ago at Westonbirt and I am looking forward to the album.
But I am not excited about it. It seems the record labels stick more and more nowadays to their tried and trusted 'safe' formula.
Paradiso was a little different, but the last one I remember that came close to breaking the mould was Shine from Mary-Jess (and Decca quietly dropped her afterwards).
If you want 'different' in classical crossover, then you need to look to the indie artists. Eurielle and Sisca both have albums expected to be released in the next two or three months and I can thoroughly recommend both of them.
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Post by Richard on Jul 23, 2014 7:55:41 GMT
Hello folks! Looking at the tracklisting, I'll be surprised if Katherine's new album qualifies for the classical charts. John Suchet played a track on Classic FM last Thursday, but I was listening to the cricket from Lords at the time. No, this maiden doesn't bowl me over!  Richard |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Jul 23, 2014 12:43:18 GMT
Just to clarify, my comments about the track list aren't a reflection on Katherine's talents as a singer. My issue is with the state that classical crossover is in at the moment. Hayley fans can't really blame other CC artists about originality of track lists after Hushabye. LOL don't give up yet, Jillian. I have hope for Hayley yet. I'm expecting more than just "vanilla" from Hayley. She managed to have her way somewhat with Treasure; why not with this next one? I suppose that is possible. Only Hayley will have had to have somehow secured a big attitude change from people at Decca to get the backing for something different -- unless she's able to tack it onto the back of something well known or famous that they think will sell i.e. Ennio Morriconne. Katherine is far more famous than Hayley these days and look what she got. I don't know... I mean, Hayley's been doing very similar repertoire for so, so long now that I would be quite surprised and impressed if Hayley's actually been hiding brand new ideas, styles and sounds away all of these years. Hayley was at her best with Ennio and I sometimes think that external and fresh collaborations like that are really the way to go. But that would require the investment and backing of Decca. I think that at the end of the day, Decca want an album that they can put on supermarket shelves where your average casual buyer will recognise some famous songs off the back and buy it for mum or dad. That's alright if a singer has the capacity to make songs definitively their own -- but it's now more than a decade after the heady rush of Charlotte Church and Pure -- and all of these songs have been done so much. Someone needs to tell the people that run the genre that it's not 1998 anymore. Goodness me, I've become a bit disillusioned with classical crossover, haven't I? It's just that the genre seems to take a bunch of fantastic singers and squashes them into tiny, unimaginative, conservative boxes. |
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Post by susieverity on Jul 23, 2014 16:35:08 GMT
Hi Everyone
I have to say I agree with Libby and Jillian that when I saw this track list I thought it looks very boring and it is a shame that CC artists seem to cover the same songs over and over; it adds nothing to the genre. I used to be a huge fan of Katherine and used to pre-order all her albums, but now I just want something a bit different, I am not 'knocking' her either as she is very talented and has a great voice. However, I would much prefer to listen to something new and preferably written by the artist which is why I loved Mary-Jess' album and Josh Groban and the new stuff that Laura Wright (not written by her, but amazing new arrangements) is doing and I hope that Hayley's new album has some original stuff too and not a track list like this.
You never know Jillian, if Hayley does lots of writing which she seems to be hopefully we will hear something different.
Susie
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Post by Libby on Jul 23, 2014 20:24:23 GMT
Jillian, as susie reminded us (or you  ), Hayley does lots more writing than singers like Katherine do (I'd be very surprised to know that she does), so she is more likely to have different songs on her albums. She has been "allowed" to put original songs on 3 international releases so far, so they have absolutely no excuse not to let her include a few again, but I hope they let her do more than just a few. Also, I can't believe, Jillian, that you doubt that Hayley herself would not be capable of "hiding" new things for her future repertoire. Why not? Of course she's had almost no chance to reveal this in the past 7 years, but I think if she's ever going to reveal that, now would be the time. Otherwise, I will write her off with the other snoozefest crossover singers. But I have a strong feeling that she will not go down that easily. Speaking of Josh Groban, maybe she should switch to his label, they gave him all kinds of songs that were different, at least back then. And now he's been allowed to include quite a few of his own songs in his last 4 albums! Yes, 4 out of 6 (one of which was a Christmas album where he sang mainly classics). Or what about Sarah Brightman's label? She was all kinds of different! Of course, her strengths included her entertaining performances on DVD, so that helped. Or what about Enya's label? She's unique and writes nearly everything. Or is that the same label as Sarah? EMI? I don't know. |
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Post by martindn on Jul 23, 2014 20:28:29 GMT
It is not just classical crossover, I think recorded music in general has become stale, probably for the reasons you guys have mentioned, record companies playing safe. This morning Chris Evans on Radio 2 played a song by One Direction, and followed it with "She Loves you" from the Beatles recorded in 1963, and then asked "what's the difference". I think he's got a point. The temptation is for record companies to keep regurgitating stuff that has been successful before. It's the safe option. There seems to be very little innovation in recorded music these days whatever the genre.
Oh, BTW and I could suggest what the difference is between the two bands Chris mentioned is that the Beatles played instruments and were accomplished songwriters. But the real difference is that they were original and prepared to do something different (although they were also influenced by other artists). Everything these days seems to be derivative.
This is why I have hopes for Hayley. She has shown a willingness to experiment. Her Japanese Songs albums were a breath of fresh air. Hushabye was different too, yes I know not everyone liked it, but it was doing something different. And remember, what was different about Paradiso, made of decades old songs, was Hayley's input.
Katherine I think was a bit different to start with, and I enjoyed her music both live and on record, but she seems to have run out of ideas, as many artists do, she isn't the first.
Music sales have declined over recent years as we know, and the lack of innovation I'm sure is a major reason for it. But the result of this is record companies becoming more and more cautious and conservative, so it is a vicious circle. I'm sure the innovators must be out there. But they don't seem to get much promotion.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Jul 24, 2014 6:43:21 GMT
Martin, a mainly lullaby album is not anything different, and even if it was, it's not really a good different. People don't generally listen to lullabies. But before we get carried away with that discussion again... Decca should have just promoted it better. Of course, it was their own idea, but they obviously weren't willing to back it up by really selling it. They did everything so wrong, and I'm more mad at them than at the album itself. Since they were supposedly taking advantage of the royal birth, they should have put in a lot more effort, but they hardly did anything. A few interviews were fine, but the release date didn't make any sense with the alleged due date, and the contest was a bit of a disaster.
Yes, I knew you'd bring up the Japanese albums. They are different, but that doesn't help Hayley much beyond Asia and her most devoted fans around the world. She needs to be able to promote something different that the whole world can hear about and buy. Because it's not as if Hayley's official site features those albums on her website. I don't recall if her website ever mentioned the original HSJS albums, but I know for a fact they didn't mention the latest compilation AT ALL. So, only her fans that follow the forums, her twitter, etc., will know about them, and of course Japan, will.
But besides the musical content being different, the Japanese albums show that Hayley is different in a different way. She makes special albums for Japan, which is wonderful for them, and a nod to her devoted fans there. What other artists have done that?
No, Jillian, don't count Hayley out as just another CC singer waiting for Decca's next unoriginal whim.
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My favorite songs of her's are Rejoice and Bailero. :wink:
