Heart's Desire - Niamh Parsons

Advantages: Good songs sung by a great performer
Disadvantages: None

...If you are looking for the near-perfect tenor solo, the title track is it. McKellar's rendition of "Land Of Hearts Desire" is a lesson in superb vocal technique. Everything from voice, pitch, phrasing - right down to the last perfectly graduated diminuendo is just about flawless. It is rare to find singing of this calibre outside the field of opera. I've got just about everything Kenneth McKellar has recorded but I keep coming back to this song. There is an almost magical quality about it... The other tracks, with the exception of "Think On Me" are fairly standard Scottish folk songs. McKellar does a thoroughly professional job with all of them. Listen to some of them as sung by others, especially "Land Of Hearts Desire" and "Think On Me", and you'll realise just how good McKellar is.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A varied and well-produced concept album.
Disadvantages: Fails to capture the spirit of Poe's works.

...this exquisite audio fancy. Taking note of Hollywood's increased focus and freedom granted to film directors such as Hitchcock, Parsons believed that his skills and experience as a music producer could be implemented into a recording of his own. His flair can indeed be seen throughout this recording, which places neatly trimmed, catchy, radio-friendly songs against more ambitious instrumentals for the discerning music fan, while the whole thing is saturated with layers of sound that tow an interesting line between subtlety and a desire to draw attention to themselves to show just how clever Parsons can be. It's a risky endeavour that could easily have failed disastrously, but careful and talented execution succeeded in granting the Alan Parsons Project its first considerable success, both financially and critically. Of course, it's still rife... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Distinective French music at it's most brilliant
Disadvantages: At some point it has to end

...Long Live Noir Desir! Noir Desir is dead! Well, kind of. It’s probably not particularly PC to like Noir Desir as their charismatic singer, Bretrand Cantat is currently about to stand trial for manslaughter (of then girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant), the story behind which is rather hazy; but this should not get in the way of recognising what an utterly sublime band Noir Desir were. It is very easy to dismiss European rock music and often it is pretty bad; mainland Europe flourishes in all other art forms but contemporary rock music seems to be one item that is missing. So it is just as easy to accept something slightly less than great as great because of general paucity of skill. Not so with Noir Desir and especially Des Visages des Figures, for this has to be one of the great albums. In truth I’ve been listening... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful