The Best Of

The Best Of (2001) - The Corrs

Well, what a wonderful collection of songs all bundled up neatly in one CD. All the hits are here, while most are in it's initial album version format, some are edited, some are remixed, some are live versions to provide variation. Withs songs from each and every album they have released contributing to this album right up to the point of release, it was a very fair representation of the Corrs. Coming out of the their debut album "Forgiven, Not Forgotten" are "Runaway", "Forgiven, Not Forgotten", "Love To Love You", "The Right Time" and "Erin Shore" which is an unreleased instrumental track. From their "Talk On Corners" CD came "Only When I Sleep", "I Never Loved You Anyway", "Dreams", "What Can I Do" and "So Young". Out of their "Unplugged" CD came "Radio" and their REM cover "Everybody Hurts". And from their last CD "In Blue", came "Breathless", "Irresistible", "Give Me A Reason" and "All The Love In The World". Along with this best of CD comes two new tracks "Would You Be Happier" the leading single and "Make You Mine". If you are interested, try searching for the Australian edition of this CD as you get an extra track titled "Lifting Me" which brings the total to 19 tracks. But this collection is good enough.

Tracklisting:
01. Would You Be Happier
02. So Young (K-Klass Remix)
03. Runaway (Radio Edit)
04. Breathless
05. Radio (Unplugged)
06. What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix)
07. The Right Time
08. I Never Loved You Anyway
09. Irresistible
10. Forgiven, Not Forgotten
11. Lough Erin Shore (Unplugged)
12. Only When I Sleep (Radio Edit)
13. Love To Love You (Radio Edit)
14. All The Love In The World (Remix)
15. Everybody Hurts (Unplugged)
16. Give Me A Reason
17. Dreams
18. Make You Mine
Australian Bonus Track
19. Lifting Me

Absolutely Shirley

Being Shirley On Stage Live 2006 (2006) - Shirley Kwan
關於我 關淑怡演唱會 Live 2006 (2006) - 關淑怡


After being noticeably absent from the stage for a decade, one can't help but be nervous for this quiet achieving diva. When you think of Shirley Kwan, a chain of other high profile female artists comes to mind, Sandy Lam, Faye Wong, Sally Yip and of course, the late, but great Anita Mui.

A dominant force in the early 90's, Shirley had released enough hits in a short 4-5 years to rival an average artists' music career. Appropriately titled "Being Shirley", the concert is precisely that, Shirley being who she is, doing what she does best.

The concert starts with 3 new tracks from her latest EP, but flows nicely through out weaving between stand out ballads such as "一切也願意", "患難建真情", "難得有情人", "繾綣星光下" and "一首獨唱的歌". Then there's Shirley's fast tracks including "Dela", "午夜狂奔", "製造迷夢", "夜迷宮" and "梵音".

Graceful and always a delight to watch, the audience can't help but be won over by her countless gushes of appreciation to her fans for sticking by her and for their patience. Shirley's vocals although a bit shaky to begin with, warms up and radiates perfectly by the time she gets to the 6th track and continues right through the end.

Though in her late 30s and already a single mother, she looks great, moves well and is an alround entertainer. Although you may not recognise the name, you will definitely recognise the songs. Give this one a spin, Shirley, despite a successful set of concerts, still remains to be one of the sweetest and surprising undiscovered hidden treasures.

Tracklisting:
 2CD set
Disc 1
01. 進化論
02. 帶我去跳舞
03. 關於我
04. 非愛不可 - 林一峰合唱
05. 雲上舞
06. 夢伴
07. 忘記他
08. 繾綣星光下
09. 假的戀愛
10. 逝去的傳奇
11. DELA
12. 午夜狂奔
13. 製造迷夢
14. 一切也願意
15. 梵音
16. 戀一世的愛
17. 夜迷宮

Disc 2
01. 愛恨纏綿
02. 仍是那麼深愛你
03. 當世界無玫瑰
04. 患難建真情
05. 星空下的戀人
06. 難得有情人
07. 叛逆漢子
08. 明年今日
09. 親愛的 - 陳奕迅合唱
10. So Sad - 草蜢合唱
11. 人生可有知己
12. 冬戀
13. 地老天荒
14. 一首獨唱的歌

3DVD set
Disc 1
01. Opening + 進化論
02. 帶我去跳舞
03. 關於我
04. 非愛不可-林一峰合唱
05. 雲上舞
06. 夢伴
07. 忘記他
08. 繾綣星光下
09. 假的戀愛
10. 逝去的傳奇
11. DELA
12. 午夜狂奔
13. 製造迷夢
14. 一切也願意

Disc 2
01. 梵音
02. 夜迷宮
03. 愛恨纏綿
04. 仍是那麼深愛你
05. 當世界無玫瑰
06. 患難建真情
07. 星空下的戀人
08. 難得有情人
09. 叛逆漢子
10. 親愛的-陳奕迅合唱
11. 鳴謝
12. 人生可有知己

Disc 3
01. 冬戀
02. 地老天荒
03. 一首獨唱的歌
Encore
04. 明年今日
05. 難得有情人
06. 繾綣星光下
Bonus Feature
07. A-Z (VT segment)
08. 我想說(VT segment)
09. Dedicated to... (VT segment) 

Love To Love

To Love (2003) - Faye Wong 
將愛 (2003) - 王菲

Amist all the unfortunate and somewhat tragic losses suffered by the Chinese music industry in 2003, there was at least some happy news that was worth singing about. Faye Wong quietly made her exit from the limelight after delivering her final commitments to EMI and took two years off, and her absence was definitely felt. Although I've always yearned for Faye to release another Cantonese album, since her last one was 1995's "Di Dar", hearing news that Faye's back with her first release with Sony finally put millions of Faye fans hearts at ease, the wait is over.

"To Love" is an incredible album, as with most of Faye's other artistically crafted records. Boasting 4 hit singles already merely 5 months after it's release, you know you're onto something good. "To Love / In The Name Of Love" is the album opener and leading single, not to mention also the fastest song on the album, is a fusion of everything. "Leave Nothing" is another unique piece of work. "Carousel", I've never quite understood why it was plugged so earlier on, but I guess it's due to the song's simplistic arrangement. "Passenger / Withered Flower" is beautiful as it is passively touching.

Personally, the first 6 tracks are the strongest, and my bet is that it won't be long before "Empty City", "Beautiful Mistake" & "Precious Sunshine" make it onto the radio as well. "To Love" is a strong indication of Faye's welcoming return, as it has sold a million copies in the first week. The queen with the crystal clear voice is back! 

Tracklisting:
01. 將愛
02. 空城
03. 不留
04. 美錯
05. 乘客
06. 陽寶
07. 旋木
08. 四月雪
09. 夜妝
10. 烟
11. MV
12. 假愛之名
13. 花事了

More Faye

The 1st Complete Collection From Faye Wong (3CD+Karaoke DVD) (2005) - Faye Wong

情．菲．得意 (3CD+卡拉OK DVD) (2005) - 王菲

Another year has passed, another greatest hit set for Faye. This seemingly endless tradition of releasing greatest hits for one of my favourite female vocalists, usually doesn't even make me flinch. However, with this particular release, with the claim of it being "the first complete Faye Wong collection", I just had to look into it a little more.

I don't know what every body elses's definition of "complete" but from my understanding, it's supposed to be everything, from beginning to end. Fair enough, this collection does have a healthy amount of Faye material stretching almost her entire career span, bar the one album release "To Love" from Sony in 2003. I for one, would think some material would have to be plucked from that album in order to be able to declare the collection to be "complete". Now, I do understand there are copy right issues, and profit distributions and things of that nature, but we really can't pretend that album never happened.

This is a cantonese orientated release, with a few collaborations and duets thrown in here and there. Faye's collaborations are few and far in between, so it's good to see a few included here, with the highlight being "Fashion Show" with the late Anita Mui. Naturally, there was always bound to be a few mandarin tracks since Faye haven't release a proper cantonese album for almost a decade. Note worthy mentions go to "Wish We Last Forever" the Teresa Teng cover, "Mortal World" from "Faye Wong '97" & "Chanel" from Faye's 200 release "Fable".

The compulsories are also here, namely "Easily Hurt Woman", "Like Wind", "No Regrets", "Willing", "Chess Piece", "Brink Of Love & Pain", "Scandalous", "Dated", "Repayment" & "Love Letter To Myself". With most of Faye's commercially successful tracks being ballads, this album naturally is ballad heavy. I am disappointed that there was not any further inclusion of Faye's later releases with EMI, with the only "rockier" inclusion being "Chanel". If the publisher is to call this a complete release, are we pretending that Faye's other rockier mandarin tracks aren't hits and never existed? I mean, where was "Bored", "Spectacular", "The Last Blossom", "New Tenant", "Wing Of Light", "Lonely Red Shoe", just to name a few. And even a few finer ballads were overlooked, and I'm referring to "I Don't Want To Be Like This Either", "The Moon At The Time" & "Passing Years"?

I guess the point I'm trying to point out is that, true this collection does have a substantial amount of Faye materials spread over 3 cds, but clearly it's not a "complete" collection by my definition. Many of Faye's later releases are largely ignored or overlooked and definitely doesn't do Faye justice as an ever-evolving artist.

I highly recommend this release to anybody who's new to Faye, or to those Fayenatics who are just trying to complete their Faye collection, but this release has quite some territory yet to cover in order for it to be considered a complete collection. If anything, dare I say, the title is somewhat misleading because if anyone was to think this release would sum up who Faye Wong is as an artist and if this release was to supply them the bare essentials, they'll definitely be underequiped.

Personally, I would have liked to see a 4th cd covering Faye's later releases, painting a fuller picture of Faye's career, and maybe seeing a separate vcd/dvd equivalent as the tracklist to this "bonus" dvd is rather half-heartedly compiled and doesn't really serve a purpose as such.

Tracklisting:
CD1
01. 無奈那天
02. 藉口
03. Everything
04. 巴黎塔尖
05. 又繼續等
06. 多得他
07. 靜夜的單簧管
08. 請勿客氣 -軟硬天師合唱
09. Miss You Night & Day
10. 容易受傷的女人
11. Kisses In The Wind
12. 季候風
13. Summer Of Love
14. 不再兒嬉
15. 執迷不悔
16. 流非飛

CD 2
01. 如風
02. 冷戰
03. 忘掉你像忘掉我
04. Do We Really Care?
05. 我願意
06. 知己知彼
07. 胡思亂想
08. 誓言
09. 夢中人
10. 愛與痛的邊緣
11. 棋子
12. 出路
13. 天空
14. 非常夏日 - 張學友合唱
15. 但願人長久
16. 流星

CD 3
01. Di-Dar
02. 曖昧
03. 浮躁
04. 暗湧
05. 約定
06. 你快樂(所以我快樂) (國)
07. 人間
08. 原諒自己
09. 情誡
10. 償還
11. 郵差
12. Eyes on me
13. 給自己的情書
14. 香奈兒
15. 色盲
16. 花生騷 -梅艷芳合唱

KARAOKE DVD 珍藏版
01. 如風
02. 我願意
03. 棋子
04. 夢遊 (LIVE)
05. 明天我要嫁給你 (國) (LIVE)
06. 天與地 (粵)/用心良苦 (國) (LIVE)
07. 千言萬語 (LIVE)
08. Di-Dar
09. 曖昧
10. 暗湧
11. 你快樂(所以我快樂) (國)
12. 人間 (國)
13. 只愛陌生人
14. 迷路 (LIVE)
15. 當時的月亮

A Wonderful Surprise

Sandy Live 07 (2008) - Sandy Lam
 憶蓮 Live 07 (2008) - 林憶蓮

Sandy Lam has been very generous to us eager music fans. Between 2000 and 2007, Sandy has entertained us with 4 sets of concerts. 2002 was a fan favourite with many hit singles performed. 2004 was a collaboration with Anthony Lun and the Hong Kong Orchestra providing a classy affair. 2005 was to coincide the release of her first full length Cantonese album in ten year, “Original Colour”. With this latest concert, there’s no coinciding new album release. Held in mid-November last year, it’s almost a personal indulgence from Sandy. Comprising of pre-dominantly album cuts, with a few hits thrown in between, it’s not a mainstream project that Sandy is taking us on and quite a daring move, as well. With such an extensive catalogue, who is to know what is to be expected?

Sandy’s vocals are top notch in this series of concerts; all 25 tracks are brilliantly performed. The set is ballad heavy, and there are no fast medleys incorporated, unlike her previous three concerts. If anything, she closes the concert with a lyric less track called “Incomplete” where it’s just Sandy humming. Despite being ballad heavy, Sandy does offer a lot of variety in terms of content and delivery style. While some songs are performed to perfection that it rivals the studio versions, others are re-arranged to provoke a fresh sense of adaptation.

For those who are after the hits, thrown into the mix are “Cry”, “Chicago Story”, “Lonely Shooting Stars”, “Rush, Rush”, “Feeling Perfect” & “End”. The thing about this live concert is that it’s almost like listening to a new album, as most of these album cuts, we tend to not pay as much attention to, as the plugged singles.

This concert is really more thought provoking than to get your blood pumping as Sandy takes you on a journey to explore the depths of all your sensory pleasures. With the tag line of “come as U are, be who U are”, one can’t help but feel that with this concert, Sandy really has nothing left to prove, but this collection of songs, is what she enjoys singing most and is the concert where she feels most at home. You'll be guaranteed to be thinking of the performances, long after the concert has finished.

The EMI Era

Faye Wong Best Boxset 5 In 1 (2004) - Faye Wong
王菲唱遊全集 5 in 1 (2004) - 王菲

Faye Wong has always been an artist that reigned in her own class. Regardless of what the press writes about her, one fact remains .... well, as a fact, the girl can sing. Although never vocally empowering as divas such as Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, she definitely doesn't have a paper thin voice. Faye's voice is crystal clear and projected with such poise and the pitch is controlled with perfection.

Although her artistic growth is ever evolving as displayed through the five albums she has released during the period, Faye Wong was never an artist that succumbed to releasing albums merely to blend in with commercial radio. Her first release "Faye Wong '97" was basically as radio friendly as the collection goes, consisting mainly of ballads, it contained it's fare share of hits including "I Don't Want To Be Like This Either", "Mortal World", "You're Happy So I'm Happy" & "Bored".

1998's release "Scenic Tour" was one of the most successful albums in the series and the inclusion of the bonus 3 cantonese EP was definitely an added incentive to purchase this collection as it was only available with the original pressings of the album. It contained the hits "Red Bean / Repayment" , "Sex Commandment / Love Commandment", "Give Up Half Way / Excuse Myself" and "Emotional Life".

1999's "Only Love Stranger" was always going to be a highly anticipated release particularly after the success of the previous release. Despite falling short of expectations, Faye took another sharp turn and headed for a more rockier and edgier direction as displayed from "The Last Blossom", "A Century Of Loneliness / Watching Over The Wheatfield" and the alternative sounding "Hypnotize". The ballads still remain in the form of "Butterfly / Postman" and "The Moon At The Time" and it also includes the song from the Pepsi commercial "Spectacular".

2000's "Fable" is arguably the most complete body of work from Faye. The first five tracks fit together nicely and tells of a story, and it also helps that they all became hits particularly with "Chanel" and "New Tenant". The haunting ballad "Love Letter To Myself / Book of Forgiving and Forgetting" appears twice as does "Firefly / Goodbye Firefly" which continues with the rockier sound developed from the last album. It would have been a nice addition if the bonus VCD that came with the original pressing of this album was contained in the collection as well.

Last but not least, "Faye Wong '01" is probably the album that I listen to the least from this collection. I guessed I anticipated a little bit too much from the way that Faye always managed to topple her previous effort with every new release and I can't help but "Fable" raised the bar a little bit too high. Despite the wealth of materials contained within this release, I couldn't help but feel that there was no particular flow or theme within this release as there was a little bit of everything thrown into the mix. However, this album did have it's few moments of highlights including what I believe would be one of Faye's finest ballads "Passing Years". This release also features the maddening "Wing Of Light" and "Idiot". On the more ballady side of things, there's "Vertigo" and "Colour Blind".
On the whole, this is a very nice little collection to have. Why purchase "Most Fayevourite" when you can own the whole collection all at once and be able to experience Faye's artistic growth over the years.

Tracklisting:

 











王菲 / Faye Wong (1997)

01. 麻醉 Anaesthesia
02. 你快樂（所以我快樂) You’re Happy (So I’m Happy)
03. 悶 Bored
04. 娛樂場 Amusement Park
05. 人間 Mortal World
06. 我也不想這樣 I Don’t Want To Be Like This Either
07. 小題大做 Making A Fuss
08. 懷念 Reminiscence
09. 撲火 Into The Fire
10. 雲端 Cloud’s Edge

唱遊 / Scenic Tour (1998)

01. 感情生活 Emotional Life
02. 臉 Face
03. 色誡 Sex Commandments
04. 半途而廢 Give Up Half Way
05. 飛 Fly
06. 祢 You
07. 小聰明 A Little Clever
08. 醒不來 Can’t Wake Up
09. 紅豆 Red Bean
10. 童 Tong

〔Bonus CD〕
01. 原讓自己 Forgive Myself
02. 償還 Repayment
03. 情誡 Love Commandments

只愛陌生人 / Only Love Strangers (1999)

01. 開到荼蘼 The Last Blossom
02. 當時的月亮 The Moon At That Moment
03. 催眠 Hypnotise
04. 只愛陌生人 Only Love Strangers
05. 百年孤寂 Centruy Of Loneliness
06. 蝴蝶 Butterfly
07. 過眼雲煙 A Passing Cloud
08. 嗶一聲之後 After The Beep
09. 推翻 Overthrow
10. 精彩 Spectacular
11. 守望麥田 Watching The Field
12. 郵差 Postman

〔Bonus VCD〕
01. 百事可樂廣告"愿望篇" 1 分鐘版
02. 精彩 Music Video
03. 百事可樂廣告"愿望篇" 製作花絮

寓言 / Fable (2000)

01. 寒武記 The Cambrian Era
02. 新房客 New Tenant
03. 香奈兒 Chanel
04. 阿修羅 Asura
05. 彼岸花 Flowers Of Paradise
06. 如果你是假的 If You Were False
07. 不愛我的我不愛 I Don’t Love Anyone Who Doesn’t Love Me
08. 你喜歡不如我喜歡 I Like It More Than You
09. 再見螢火蟲 Goodbye Firefly
10. 笑忘書 The Book Of Laughter And Forgetting
11. 螢火蟲 Firefly
12. 給自己的情書 Love Letter To Myself

王菲 / Faye Wong (2001)

CD 1 國語 LP Mandarin LP
01. 光之翼 Wings Of Light
02. 等等 Wait A Moment
03. 打錯了 Wrong Number
04. 有時愛情徒有虛名 Sometimes Love Is So Fake
05. 流年 Passing Years
06. 夜會 Night Date
07. 流浪的紅舞鞋 Wandering Red Dancing Shoes
08. 白痴 Idiot
09. 兩個人的聖經 Two Person’s Bible
10. 單行道 One Way Street
11. 流浪的紅舞鞋（鋼琴版） Wandering Red Dancing Shoes (Piano Version)

CD 2 廣東 EP Cantonese EP
01. 迷魂記 Vertigo
02. 色盲 Colour Blind
03. 不眠飛行 Sleepless Flight
04. 心路 Heart Of The Road
05. 女皇的新衣 The Empress’ New Clothes

All For Me? Not really, just some, not all

All For You (2001) - Janet Jackson

"All For You" is Janet's first album release since 1997's "The Velvet Rope" which featured some amazing songs. "All For You" is slightly disappointing, well, in my opinion anyway. There's a total of 20 tracks of which 6 are interludes. Therefore, technically speaking, there's a grand total of 14 songs altogether. "Doesn't Really Matter" which was featured in the movie of which Janet also starred in "The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" is included here which is great. Her other singles including the title track, "Someone To Call My Lover" & "Son Of A Gun" are all here. However, once we lift off the single releases, there ain't that many songs left that are pleasantly enjoyable. Well, besides "Come On Get Up" & "Feels So Right", the rest are bearable or downright disappointing.

For starters, there are far too many sex talk with four tracks filled with sexually explicit lyrics in the form of "Would You Mind", "China Love", "When We Ooo" & "Love Scene (Ooh Baby)". I seriously believe the inclusion of these four tracks are downright unnecessary & inappropriate for some of Janet's younger fans.

"Truth" is an honest song about Janet's current being and how she feels about life. "Better Days" is an uplifting & positive ballad but could have passed us by without the foul language. The remaining two tracks "You Ain't Right" & "Trust A Try" could have fitted in "The Velvet Rope" and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference because it's so similar to the songs from that album.

On the whole, the album is average. Could have been much better considering Janet dwelled on this album for four years. There's 6 or so great tracks to enjoy but on the whole, you're buying the album for 10 tracks or so though there's actually 20 tracks on the album. Hopefully, Janet would come back with a stronger and more pleasant album in another four years or so.
Also, if you're accustomed to listening to the radio edit or radio versions of the singles, you might find the album versions slightly tedious as some tracks last up to a whole minute longer than the radio edit.

Track listing:
1. Intro 1.00
2. You Ain't Right 4.32
3. All For You 5.29
4. 2 Way For U (Interlude) 0.19
5. Come On Get Up 4.47
6. When We Ooo 4.34
7. China Love 4.36
8. Love Scene (Ooh Baby) 4.16
9. Would You Mind 3.06
10. Lame (Interlude) 0.11
11. Trust A Try 5.16
12. Clouds (Interlude) 0.19
13. Son Of A Gun 5.56
14. Truth 4.30
15. Theory (Interlude) 0.30
16. Someone To Call My Lover 4.32
17. Feels So Right 4.42
18. Doesn't Really Matter 4.18
19. Better Days 5.05
20. Outro 0.08

Second dose of Good Medicine

Medicine Woman II: The Gift (1998) - Medwyn Goodall

Medwyn Goodall is no stranger to fans of world and new age music. Having released well over 20 albums, this is one of his more appreciated albums. "Medicine Woman II: The Gift" is the second in a 4 volume series of Medicine Woman albums and it  topples the previous release effortlessly with this relatively perfect collection of songs.

One of the amazing factors of this album is that all ten tracks are instrumental pieces as vocals become part of the arrangement and there's not a word that is sung, but the messages and feeling are successfully conveyed through the use of various instruments such as the Spanish Guitar, Bamboo Flute, Mandolin, authentic South American drums along with a host of other instruments.


"Celebration" the opening track sets the mood for the album. It's an uplifting, positive track that sets mind at ease and takes you to a different place. Where you imagine you are standing within an exotic tropical rainforest and the unique sounds only helps to provide you with a more vivid picture. "Invocation Part 2" seamlessly follows through with the positive theme and the rest of the album flows effortlessly from one track to the next. The stand out track would have to be "The Gift", instantly attracting you with it's unique guitar arrangements and it's soothing Enya-like vocals.

Unfortunately, the main downfall of this album is that after listening to the first five tracks, the next five seems like a semi-altered collection of the first five tracks and you get the idea that no new grounds are broken into or explored and you get the feeling that you've heard it all before. As a whole, this album seems relatively complete even if it was released only with the first five tracks with "The Gift" being a severely major reason for purchasing the album itself. Some of Goodall's other releases are not as easily satisfying on the ear as this release but this is definitely the one that is set to please. The album actually is a mediocre 55 plus minutes but the first 28 minutes or so should do the job at setting your mind at ease.

Tracklisting:
1. Celebration 6.43
2. Invocation Part II 5.46
3. Jungle Heart 5.43
4. Orchid Potion 5.24
5. The Gift 6.24
6. Talking To The Sun 5.24
7. Sacred Ground 4.56
8. After The Rains 5.31
9. Emerald - Mayan Relic 7.00
10. The Gift (Single Version) 3.33

Universally panned - extraordinarily unbland

Glitter (2001) - Mariah Carey

Mariah's first album release with Virgin Records was one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2001 but unfortunately, also became one of the most controversial releases of the year. First of all, there was the episode with Tommy Mottola and Jennifer Lopez in terms of sample stealing which ended with "Loverboy" having one of the most tragic backtracking track imaginable and successfully becoming one of the weakest track on the album. There was the ill-fated date of release of September 11 for the rest of the world except for Australia and Japan which lead to it's poor performance on the US charts. There was that over publicized emotional and physical breakdown which lead to Carey being hospitalized just weeks before the album was released. This album also unfortunately served as a soundtrack to the film of the same title which Carey also stars in except the film did everything else but "Glitter".

With all that mess aside, "Glitter" is actually a relatively likeable album despite the absolute panning from critics. "Loverboy" was a poor representation to the public to base what the rest of the album would be and an all round weak single. The melody was alright but that jumbled mess of a backing track was severely annoying and does make one wonder if the song would have done better if released in it's accapella version. Plus, having two versions of the song on the album doesn't really help either.

As with every other Mariah album, there is always the ballad department, and on this release, there's three and a half ballads. Do let me explain where the half comes from. Of the three ballads, "Never Too Far" would have to be the stand out track and also became the second single which was severely overlooked therefore failed miserably. It's one of those tracks where you can actually hear what Carey is singing and where she holds a single note for an amazing 15 seconds in the climax. "Lead The Way" is a simply but well constructed ballad which Carey worked on with long time partner Walter Afanesieff. "Reflections (Care Enough)" is the other ballad which deals with the concept of the lack of motherly love to an orphan. The half of a ballad appears in the form of "Twister". "Twister" is not much of a song considering it's only a mere 2 minutes and 26 seconds long because it doesn't really have verses and choruses therefore it's more of a poem that is slowly sung.

And what we have left are Mariah and her collaborations. On this album release, there's nothing less than 11 other artists that contribute their vocals to the tracks. First of all, there are two obvious covers "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" and "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" which are the odes to the 1980's which is where the movie is set in. "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" sees Carey laying her vocals over the actual backing track to the original version of the song which was first released back in 1982. "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" however is a newly recorded track which sees Carey collaborating with Busta Rhymes, Fabulous and DJ Clue therefore the hip hop and R&B influence on the track are apparent. "All My Life" is a new recording despite the fact that it sounds like a cover because it's another ode to the 1980's with the lyrics specifically penned by 80's legend Rick James.

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" sees Mystikal contributing his vocals onto the track. However, it's still a mystery to see the single released as Mariah Carey featuring Mystikal when it's blatantly obvious after just one listen to see that Mystikal sings the majority of the song and Carey provides the vocal in between the verses. "Don't Stop" is arguable the fastest track on the album except it can become relatively annoying once you hear Mystikal yelling at you one time too many. A similar case also occurs on "If We" where Ja Rule and Nate Dogg manage the verses while Carey manage the choruses. "If We" is a laid back, groovy track that is instantly likeable where you get to hear Ja Rule sing instead of shout. "Want You" is an R&B track and it's the track that's the closest to a duet out of all of the tracks on the album as Carey does harmonize with Eric Benet vocally.

Overall, it's an alright album and an amazingly diverse album, nothing like her earlier work of course but nothing disappointing like "Rainbow". Sure, there are several tracks that would require the skip button like "Loverboy" and the far too 80's sounding "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and "All My Life" but other than that, the album is relatively likeable as a whole. Go on and discover what you've been missing out on and be your own judge.

Tracklisting:
1. Loverboy (Remix) (Featuring Da Brat, Ludacris, Shawna & Twenty II) 4.30
2. Lead The Way 3.53
3. If We (Featuring Ja Rule & Nate Dogg) 4.11
4. Didn't Mean To Turn You On 4.54
5. Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica) (Featuring Mystikal) 3.38
6. All My Life 5.10
7. Reflections (Care Enough) 3.21
8. Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Featuring Busta Rhymes, Fabulous & DJ Clue) 6.43
9. Want You (Featuring Eric Benet) 4.44
10. Never Too Far 4.22
11. Twister 2.26
12. Loverboy (Featuring Cameo) 3.50

情•菲•得意 Vs 阿菲正傳

Faye Wong (2009) - Faye Wong
阿菲正傳 (2009) - 王菲

Exactly 4 years after the previous hugely successful Faye Wong compilation “情•菲•得意”, comes the latest one “阿菲正傳”, with exactly the same format, 3 digitally remastered CDs plus a DVD. How long a compilation remains available is usually a clear indication of how well it performed for the record company, sales wise, particularly if the compilation contained no new material. As most of us are aware, Faye Wong’s been in hiding since her last round of concert finished up and hasn’t issued any new music since 2003. Six years on, the arrival of this latest compilation is a clear indication of her star selling power, and she is still very much a relevant diva in high demand.

Onto this latest compilation, it seems to have picked up where the previous compilation left off and tried to fill in more of the gaps to give you a slightly more complete Faye Wong collection. 7 songs appear in an alternate format, be it remixed or unplugged, 6 of these songs appear in their original version in the previous collection. 4 songs that appear in their Cantonese version, make their appearance in Mandarin form, being “半途而廢”, “愛一次給不完 (張學友合唱)”, “紅豆” and “蝴蝶”. 10 songs are duplicated, all mainly on the first disc. 4 songs appear twice, both in Cantonese and Mandarin, namely “容易受傷的女人”, “執迷不悔”, “百年孤寂 / 守望麥田” and “給自己的情書 / 笑忘書”.

Faye’s releases from the EMI era are more prominently featured here, but still not as comprehensive as the “Most Fayevourite” compilation released by EMI. The inclusion of the 10 track DVD is a real gem, although some of the tracks are heavily edited and features performances from Faye at the peak of her career in Hong Kong.

On the whole, this compilation does contain a wealth of materials. The alternative versions may mean more to hardcore fans than the general music loving public. This compilation is more mandarin heavy and contains less ballads. The inclusions of some songs in both versions may annoy some, but there are some decent inclusions that were surprisingly over looked in the previous compilation namely, “天與地”, “夢遊”, “我也不想這樣”, “開到茶靡”, “流年”, “螢火蟲” and “當時的月亮”.  

The previous compilation featured “花生騷” and “Eyes On Me” as special non-Faye album inclusions, this album features “我愛雀斑” from the Alan Tam tribute album, “不得了” and “心驚膽戰” both previously only appeared on various Faye Wong greatest hits or best of sets.

There’s always constant talk of Faye Wong making a return from her seemingly indefinitely hiatus, but until I actually physically hold her next studio album in my hands, all reports are just a wishful fantasy. Judging from the early sales of this album, Universal music have succeeded yet again with another Faye Wong compilation.

Here’s hoping the “next” Faye Wong compilation contains 80 tracks spread over 5 discs, encompassing materials that supersede both aforementioned compilations, recognize the fact that “To Love” was a Faye Wong album that exists, and for once and for all, release something that is really worth shelving hard earned money for. Regarding the bonus DVD, what ever thrown in would just be the icing on the cake, be it properly sequenced MVs or live performance footages. With the “newest” piece of music from this compilation being 8 years old, it’s a clear indication that Faye Wong never goes out of style. 

Tracklist:
CD 1
01. 容易受傷的女人
02. 執迷不悔 (國語版)
03. 冷戰 - 十大中文金曲
04. 我願意 (弦樂版)
05. 夢中人
06. 知己知彼 (Europe Mix)
07. 天空 (Unplugged)
08. 棋子
09. 暖昧
10. Di-Dar (Historical Mix)
11. 浮躁
12. 你快樂(所以我快樂)
13. 半途而廢
14. 當時的月亮
15. 百年孤寂
16. 給自己的情書

CD 2
01. 尾班車
02. 有緣的話
03. 可否抱緊我
04. 浪漫風暴
05. 執迷不悔 (粵語版)
06. 不再兒嬉 (Rock Version)
07. 把鎖匙投進信箱
08. 長大
09. 流非飛 (60's Version)
10. 如風 (Autumn Version)
11. 容易受傷的女人 (國語版)
12. 回憶是紅色的天空
13. 愛一次給不完 (張學友合唱)
14. 只因喜歡faye (林海峰合唱)
15. 天與地
16. 夢遊

CD 3
01. 你在我心中
02. 一人分飾兩角
03. 誓言 (Discovery Mix)
04. 不得了
05. 心驚膽戰
06. 我也不想這樣
07. 紅豆 (廣東版: 償還)
08. 蝴蝶 (廣東版: 郵差)
09. 開到茶靡
10. 只愛陌生人
11. 守望麥田
12. 笑忘書
13. 螢火蟲
14. 流年
15. 迷魂記
16. 我愛雀斑

DVD
01. 流非飛(王菲)/ 傾斜(葉倩文)/震撼(王菲)/Summer of Love(葉倩文)/心裡的陽光(王菲) -1993台慶-飛躍舞台Dancing Queen
02. 知己知彼/ 非常夏日(張學友合唱) - 1994香港小姐決賽表演
03. 晚風/ 夢(黎明合唱) - 1994星光熠熠耀保良
04. 出路 - 1994年度勁歌金曲香港最受歡迎女歌星
05. 我願意 - 1994年度勁歌金曲亞太最受歡迎女歌星
06. 討好自己 - 1995週五紅人館
07. 愛與痛的邊緣 - 1995第17屆十大中文金曲頒獎禮
08. 我只在乎你 - 1995年度RTHK香港電台十大中文金曲頒獎禮 - 懷念鄧麗君
09. 流星/ 浮躁/ Di-Dar - 1996香港小姐決賽表演
10. 輕撫你的臉/ 我願意/ 情書/ 季侯風 (張學友合唱) - 1997翡翠歌星賀台慶 

Shirley's Era

Shirley's Era (2009) - Shirley Kwan

Shirley's Era (2009) - 關淑怡

 

It took Sandy Lam 10 years to come up with a follow up Cantonese album, with Shirley, it took 14. Originally slated for a 2008 release to coincide with her round of Unexpected concerts last year, the album finally makes it way onto the CD shelves this year.

The album consists of 12 tracks, 9 Cantonese tracks, 2 remixes and 1 Mandarin track “花鳥” which is the Mandarin version of “山水”. Predominantly targeting the Hong Kong market, it sums up most of Shirley’s recent work nicely. “天規” and “山水” were both showcased in her concert last year. Those performances are included in the DVD. “天規” is a commanding fast paced track whilst “山水” is a euro-inspired ballad.

The two TVB themes are also included, “鑽禧” from “The Gem Of Life” and “只得一次” from “Best Selling Secrets”. Both songs display quite a different Shirley. “只得一次” is a more traditional ballad whilst “鑽禧” is classier and more alternative to what’s typically saturating the Cantonese market.

Previous contributions to the 12 Faces of Woman Compilation also make their way onto the album in the forms of “三千年前” and “眾生花”.

The two new plugs, “男左女右” is a duet with Leo Ku, and is a poppy fun track that works surprisingly well and is definitely one of the highlights of the album, and “地盡頭” is a ballad and doesn’t quite match up to “山水”.

On the whole, it’s quite a solid album. Everything thrown into the mix, you have ballads and uptempo tracks, you have TVB themes, you have remixes and even a Mandarin track thrown in for good measure. The remixes are surprisingly pleasant as you can tell that they did try and re-interpret the songs, instead of just slapping on a different beat and hoping that the vocals will mesh. Here’s hoping Shirley’s next release doesn’t take another 14 years!

Tracklist:
CD
01. 天規
02. 地盡頭
03. 男左女右
04. 山水
05. 只得一次
06. 28日
07. 鑽禧
08. 三千年前
09. 眾生花
10. 山水 (Remix)
11. 天規 (Remix)
12. 花鳥 (國)

DVD
01. 地盡頭 M.V.
02. 男左女右 M.V.
03. 鑽禧 M.V.
04. 天規 (Live Version)
05. 山水 (Live Version)

 

Originally Sandy

Original Colour (2005) - Sandy Lam
本色 (2005) -林憶蓮

You know you're a diva in high demand if the market is constantly flooded with greatest hits and best of packages every time you release a new album. Such is the case for one of my favourite female artist, Sandy Lam.

After a long 3 year hiatus, she released <本色> late last year, back by a highly popular tour which is still ongoing. When you buy this product, what you’re going to get is … simply beautiful music. No fancy packaging, no bonus DVDs, stickers, note pads or whatever music companies feel like dishing out with CDs these days. The encouraging thought with Sandy releases is that … there’s yet to be seen where a CD has been re-released to try and cash in.

Now, onto the music, 10 brilliantly crafted musical pieces. First single, the album track <本色> is one of the upbeat tracks, being a Korean cover, one can’t help but feel slightly disappointed, thinking, it’s her first Cantonese release in 10 years, and all she could come up with for the leading track is a cover. However, second single <為何他會離開你> is definitely Sandy’s forte. As a mid-tempo ballad, it is heartfelt, simple and elegantly sung. Two other tracks made it onto the radio <不敢奢想改變你> and <再見悲哀>, both being mellow but unforgettable pieces.

It’s a wonderful blessing to be able to hear Sandy sing in Cantonese once again and made me realised how much I’ve missed it over the last ten years. She has teased us with the “Encore” EP and thrown in a Cantonese track here and there for good measure, but nothing quite rewarding as this. Her singing is top notch. The pronunciation is precise, clear and effortlessly pleasant to the ear.

Overall, the album is ballad heavy, with 2 main upbeat tracks. However, it is very cleverly sequenced with a mixture of other musical genres thrown in between. It reminds me of her <2001蓮> in the sense that the album is finished before you realize it. Discounting the silent gap between the last track and the special spoken message explaining why the opening track “Incomplete” has no lyrics, the album just falls short of 40 minutes, but most Chinese albums are short in length, and the quality more than makes up for it. Here’s hoping I don’t have to wait another 10 years for the next full length Cantonese album!

Tracklist:
01. Incomplete
02. 沒結果之後
03. 還是我 還是你
04. 時光本是無罪
05. 為何他會離開你
06. 本色
07. 不敢奢想改變你
08. 聆聽
09. 夜有所夢
10. 再見悲哀

Breathe for Toni...

Pulse (2010) - Toni Braxton

For most, the last memorable Toni Braxton album would have been "The Heat" from 2000. There was "More Than A Woman" in 2002 and "Libra" in 2005, but from an Australian point of view, "Woman" got a limited release whilst "Libra" never made it to the stores.

Touted as one of the stronger forces of the 90's, although not half as prolific, with the two albums that she had, she managed to make massive impact on the charts.

Fast forward to 2010, at the age of 42, with the last decade passing by without a proper hit, it was always going to be interesting to see what she comes up with. Countless leaks and album push backs later, "Pulse" finally hit the stores this month, even in Australia.

In this day and age, it's a brave move to release an album consisting of only 11 tracks, although the release of a deluxe edition may lead one to think it's a marketing gimmick.

From what I have collected, there's no less than 21 proper album tracks + 2 remixes of "Yesterday" that's included or had been in contention to be released on the album, at some point in time.

"Yesterday" is by far the most memorable and stand out track, so it wasn't hard to see why it was the lead single, sounding a bit like a Ryan Tedder production, which seems to be the flavour at the moment as far as ballads go, it's that unmistakable voice that sets the song apart.

The album doesn't break any new grounds, just what Toni sounds like when she was at her best, a collection of ballads mixed in with a few uptempos with the sound of the 90's, being ever present.

From the actual album, stand out tracks include:
Yesterday, Hands Tied, If I Have To Wait, Why Don't You Love Me.

From the left overs and deluxe editions:
Not A Chance, Stay, It's You, I Hate Love.

Judging from the sales predictions, Toni may not have secured the sales that she was after, despite countless TV performances left right and centre, but it was nice and refreshing to see some proper talent doing the rounds.

Welcome back Toni Braxton, I've been missing you since "Secrets" and "The Heat".

Tracklist:
01 Yesterday
02 Make My Heart
03 Hands Tied
04 Woman
05 If I Have To Wait
06 Lookin At Me
07 Wardrobe
08 Hero
09 No Way
10 Pulse
11 Why Don't You Love Me
US Itunes Deluxe Edition
12 Yesterday (Remix) Featuring Trey Songz
13 Stay
14 Rewind
15 The Wave
16 Caught (Don't Take Your Hat Off) Featuring Mo'Nique

A fresh start...

Welcome to the World of JelLy AuDiO!