Amazon.com
The debut of the young, classically trained international quintet of sopranos Jo Appleby and Tsakane Valentine, tenors David Habbin and Geoff Swell, and basso Nick Garret offers up a familiar take on the crossover formula that has enriched everyone from genre pioneers The Three Tenors to Russell Watson and beyond. While their occasionally electro-pumped rhythms and youth-angled marketing shtick (“The world’s first opera band!”) may borrow a page from Opera Babes and Bond, it… More >>
Ideas Product
#1 by Al Frankenjerk on May 25, 2010 - 11:10 pm
Some reviewer wrote:
‘Amici (Italian, pronounced “A-mee-chi”; the “ch” is like in the English word “chocolate”) and means “friends.” Come to think of it, their names translates to “Friends Forever.” ‘
Well, Duh….thanks for the astute glimpse into the obvious.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by Anonymous on May 26, 2010 - 1:40 am
Sorry, but this is not what I expected, as it was advertised as cross-over/pop…still a little too heavy opera sounding for me. I prefer clearer voices,less instruments. It left me not yearning for more.After playing it through,it was so bland,I didn’t realize it had ended.Sorry,I wanted to like it.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by M. Amick on May 26, 2010 - 2:38 am
This CD was just not my cup of tea. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend and the samples on Amazon that I listened to were good. However, to me the entire CD as a whole was just too over the top. I’m sure others enjoyed it, but I didn’t expect it to be as “opera” as it was.
Rating: 2 / 5
#4 by Anonymous on May 26, 2010 - 3:43 am
…I’ll have to get the bad taste out of my mouth. It was bound to happen in this age of classical cross-over artist that a classical “boy (and girl) band” would immerge — here they are!
I think I might like them better if I hadn’t heard some of the material done better by other cross-over artists such as Sarah Brightman or Josh Grobin. Even some of the stuff I hadn’t heard before such as Senza Catene(Unchained Melody for those of us not well versed in Italian) felt retreaded — didn’t Sarah do My Heart will Go on in Italian? (not the same song but the same feel/idea — been there done that). Much of this CD has the same feeling.
Lovely and handsome to look at.
Going back to it a couple months later didn’t improve my opinion of this CD — if I could give it fewer stars I would.
Rating: 1 / 5
#5 by Avid Reader on May 26, 2010 - 3:59 am
One is tempted to give five stars to a CD simply because you don’t want to admit that you paid 18 bucks for something and didn’t like it. I like some opera selections (Verdi, Puccini in particular) and what I truly enjoyed were discs of selected works, e.g. Love Songs I (solo) and Love Songs II (duets). This is a hybrid though.
In order to attract the non-classical music crowd, a semi-pop beat was introduced as well as some odd instrumentation and some “popular/popularized” tunes. The voices were adequate although I agree with another reviewer that a Berlitz refresher course was needed for the Italian. This is not to say that it was an unpleasant experience; rather, it was an inoffensive, slightly boring series that neither challenged nor excited.
And who did the selections? Unchained Melody? Please. Nessum Dorma? The zillionth time. Pavane? Another old standby that Barbara Streisand did better 30 years ago. This group would be perfect for some of the love duets but they are nowhere to be found. I have an idea (may be mistaken) that a different selection and arranger could have produced a far better CD. Here’s wishing them luck…
Rating: 3 / 5