Brightman’s duet with beloved opera singer Andrea Bocelli, “Time To Say Goodbye,” also probes for hope in a desperate situation. Her voice next to Bocelli’s is soothing, and delivers warmth to what would otherwise be a sad song. Brightman shares this chemistry with Jose Cura as well, in “Just Show Me How to Love You” — there is a half-beat after he starts singing in which you’re not sure if it’s still Brightman or not. His gentle voice flows in after hers, and then it deepens and grows stronger, building to a powerful, climactic duet at the end.
Speaking of duos, you can’t miss Brightman’s cover of Simon and Garfunkle’s “Scarborough Fair.” Well, I think of it as their song, anyway, though their 1966 version wasn’t anything close to “original.” Personally, I prefer the folky charm of their version, but Brightman definitely brings her own polished style to this very old song. Who’s to say which way the bards of Old England would have preferred it?
So while I feel this CD is a must-have for any Sarah Brightman fan and a smart buy for any fan of really rich music, don’t think I’m going to bow down and worship this album. There are a few songs I’m not as into. The strong cadence on “Tu Quieres Volver” is a little too much marching-band-esque for me, and the inspirational “What You Never Know” reminds me too much of a cheesy pep talk. Not that these are bad songs -- I wouldn’t skip over them or anything -- they just stand out from an excellent collection as a little weaker than the rest of the pack.
I listened to the CD before I viewed the DVD, and originally, “A Question Of Honour” was my least favorite on the album. It’s very electronic, but that’s not even the problem. It’s the trite lyrics — some didn’t even really make sense. “Win or lose, it’s a question of honour. And the way that you choose, it’s a question of honour.” Hmmm. But then I watched the DVD, and this is one of the songs for which she has a video. Before each video, she discusses the background of the song, time period, and video. And after her narration, it’s grown on me. It was written and sung to serve as an introduction to a boxing championship, which gives the song a contextual clarity so it makes sense (i.e., the lyrics “two men collide”).
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1 - Connie Phillips
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