Live in Paradise [Live]

Track Listings

1. Blessed Assurance

2. Holy, Holy, Holy

3. Marantha

4. Running

5. Oh Lord

6. Have Mercy

7. Let Jesus Fix It

8. Don't Stop the Rain

9. Thank You for the Song

10. Saved

11. Take It to the Lord

Tracks:

One Fine Day (Un Bel Di From Madame Butterfly)
Sempre Ricordo (Piano Concerto in A minor)
There's A Place (From The New World Symphony)
Beyond Imagination (From A Midsummer Nights Dream)
O Fortuna (From Carmina Burana)
Lakm2O (Flower Duet)
Ebben?..Ne Andro Lontano (from La Wally)
You Live On In My Heart (Cinema Paradiso)
Chanson Boh (From Carmen)
Remember Me
Stranger In Paradise (From Kismet)
Ode II Joy (From Symphony No. 9)
1001 Nights (From The Nutcracker Suite)
Barcarolle (From The Tales Of Hoffman)
LakmVibeTribe Mix)
Ave Maria
Vittoria! (Aida 2002)

Amazon.com

Plucked from a wet afternoon of busking Bizet and Puccini to passersby on the Piazza in Covent Garden in the spring of 2001, soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo Karen England soon found themselves singing in slightly larger venues: the FA Cup and Champions League soccer finals. That the management company doing the plucking had recently performed a similar Cinderella crossover act for Russell Watson offered portent, and indeed the Babes--the moniker began as a joke--were soon on their way to this recording debut. The marketing shtick and its soccer connections may offend purists, but it's the football hooligans that the Babes are trying to win over here; can Borodin soothe the savage Manchester United fan? Their classically trained voices mesh gloriously, with England's warm mezzo showing particular character in her solo turns.

The repertoire choices here cover material that may already be familiar to fans of Charlotte Church (i.e., Delibes "Flower Duet") and other crossover acts, but they do include some pleasant surprises, like Offenbach's Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann and "You Live On in My Heart," a reworking of Ennio Morricone's enchanting Cinema Paradiso theme with lyrics by Knight. But in a rush toward the musical middle of the road, it's the productions themselves that sometimes overwhelm the Babes with bathos ("Ave Maria"), hollow thunder ("Aida 2002"), and electro club kitsch (the 'Vibe Tribe' mix of "Flower Duet"). Former Art of Noise mainstay Anne Dudley's tastefully restrained coloring of Tchaikovsky's "1001 Nights" is one of the notable exceptions. They're babes, they sing opera--with fair promise--for the masses, and if they turn one in a hundred from football hooliganism to a well-mannered appreciation of Grieg and Dvorák, won't it all have been worth it? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

wallpaper.......2007-07-12

overorchestrated, overproduced aural wallpaper...that said, still, these women have wonderful voices and are worth hearing. They are oversold,too...Opera Babes! Indeed. Folks who like Enya will like this.

simply beautiful, so just enjoy it.......2007-06-11

my daughter has taught me to love opera. this immediately captured me. the Babes' voices blend so beautifully. I love it! who cares about Puccini, Classic Opera, blah, blah, woof, woof. I love this album

Sloppy renditions and amateurish.......2007-05-15

I heard one of the selections on Sirius and liked it so I bought the CD. Upon hearing the entire CD I was disappointed that the only selection I liked was the one that prompted me to buy the product. The voices are nice but they are simply adding voice to opera masterpieces that do not fit. They are certainly not of the caliber of Sarah Brightman or Charlotte Church and don't look for that. Their sound is mellow, dim and without the emotion that does an inservice to the opera pieces they sing. I found the CD lackluster and in all honestly very "amateurish".

Great songs reinvented, with a twist.......2006-09-30

Expanding upon the recent interest in Gregorian chant fusion as well as rich-voiced solo vocalists such as Josh Groban, operatic soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England offer full-vibratoed, somewhat modernized interpretations of favorite classical themes. Backed by chorus, orchestras, keyboards and drums, they draw from such diversely satisfying works as Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly," Grieg's "Piano Concerto in a minor," Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Delibe's "Lakme," Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Verdi's "Aida." Some of the arrangements are fairly traditional, while others are noticeably enhanced. The emphasis tends to be on pretty pieces with sweet melodies, though a few are more intense in nature (#1, 4, 5, 15 and 17). A couple of pop songs, still sung in operatic style, are thrown in for good measure, although they don't have the same appeal and mystique as the old favorites. All of the selections feature both vocalists together, singing in lovely, close harmony. The arrangers of this elegantly hip music include Jon Cohen, Noely, Frank Gallagher, Deni Lew and Anne Dudley, with multi-language lyrics (for the adaptations of instrumental works) by Rebecca Knight and others. I have to admit that I occasionally found myself longing for the modern additions to be more consistently interesting and distinctive--in other words, equaling the artistry of the classics that they're accompanying. Track #1, which really shines, is a well-done example. Alternately, perhaps the source songs might have been better off left in their pure, original styles rather than watered down with schmaltzy, predictable underpinnings that don't add much to the music. But like Enigma did for medieval chant, the Opera Babes are endeavoring to bring some wonderful, time-tested music to a wider audience, fusing it with modern idioms in way that is artistic and generally appealing. For more opera fusion, compare the work of Amici Forever (a group of five singers, both male and female), and the oddly packaged but similar-in-concept album "Coco de Mer" by Adam Plack.

Praise for Beyond Imagination.......2006-02-26

What I really enjoyed about this album was its distinctive sound and arrangement of the material. I enjoy classically performed opera and was surprised how much I like the Opera Babes' versions. Of course, the wonderful voices added immensely to the high quality of this product.

Average customer rating:

Tonight: Hits from the Musicals

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004Z32U
Release Date: 2001-03-27

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Average customer rating:

Beyond Imagination

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000648D7
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Tracks:

One Fine Day (Un Bel Di) [From Madame Butterfly] - Kodo, Opera Babes
Sempre Ricordo (Piano Concerto in a Minor)
There's a Piece (The New World Symphony)
Beyond Imagination [A Midsummer Night's Dream]
O Fortuna [Carmina Burana]
Lakm20 [Flower Duet]
Ebben?..Ne Andrntana [LA Wally]
You Live on in My Heart [Cinema Paradiso]
Chanson Boh [From Carmen] - Juan Mart Opera Babes,
Remember Me
Stranger in Paradise [From Kismet]
Ode II Joy (Symphony No. 9)
1001 Nights [The Nutcracker Suite]
Barcarolle (The Tales of Hoffmann)
LakmVibetribe Mix]

Average customer rating:

Born in the 50's

Manufacturer: On Stage/Sarabandas
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000EHLTYU

Product Description

This CD contains a live concert performance of The Police at the Paradise in Boston on April 7th, 1979. Song listing: 1. Truth Hits Everybody, 2. Hole in My Life, 3. Can't Stand Losing You, 4. Peanuts, 5. So Lonely, 6. Next to You, 7. Born in the 50's, 8. Roxanne, 9. Landlord, 10. Next to You, and 11. Message in a Bottle.

Average customer rating:

Packed with enough metal to shake your foundation
Not quite unique enough

We Live in Paradise
Alev
Manufacturer: Eclipse (Big Daddy)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000ERVJD6
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Tracks:

We Live In Paradise
Time Will Show
Youth (Sleep Well)
Cause & Effect
Just Because
Wherever I Am Going Now From Here
Where Is The Horse?
No One's Fault
If We Ever (Massdestructive Ignorance)
Dying Everyday
Sweet Lullaby
Begun Degismeszek (Turkish Version Of 'If We Ever')

Customer Reviews:

Packed with enough metal to shake your foundation.......2006-04-27

The Good
"Time Will Tell" starts off with haunting guitars and soft, echoed vocals. The track builds to an all out metal explosion. Front woman Alev Lenz's vocals are powerful and engaging on the poignant song "Youth (Sleep Well)." Driving riffs command "Cause & Effect" while Alev unleashes her melodic fury on the microphone. "Where is the Horse" is loading with electronic effects and crushing guitar licks. The politically charged anthem "If We Ever" is just as impactful musically as it is lyrically. Inner emotional struggle is the focal point of the acoustic ballad "Dying Every Day." Why isn't this one playing on the radio? It has all of elements required for rock and even pop radio.

The Bad
The Turkish version of "Just Because" is cool, but I don't think it was necessary.

The Verdict
We Live in Paradise is packed with enough metal to shake your foundation, while at the same time being soft and melodic enough to appeal to the masses. It's nice to hear a metal band with impactful lyrics too.

Not quite unique enough.......2006-04-18

Remember that girl you used to date back in high school. You know, the one where you really, really wanted to make it work out, but eventually it just wasn't what you'd hoped? Yeah, you know how it went. You liked the girl a lot and once you finally got together the relationship started off great, but after a while you realized that she wasn't quite as unique as you had initially thought. You still liked her and wanted to make it work, so you tried to look past the mediocrity and focus on the few cool traits she had. Over time, though, the few things that she brought to the relationship that interested you just weren't enough to outweigh her utter normalcy and, as much as you wanted to stay with her, mostly because you've invested yourself into the relationship so strongly, you knew you needed to find someone more interesting.

That girl, in the current context, is named Alev, and she really wishes you'd have stuck with her. Sure, you had a few regrets once you moved on, but they never were enough to bring you back. You can do better and by now, hopefully you did end up with someone better.

We Live in Paradise starts off so strong with nearly two minutes of instrumental, industrial rock bliss. Sadly, this sets the bar tremendously high for the remainder of the CD and more often than not, the band just can't reach that same level. The first real song, "Time will Show", eschews the crunchy goodness established in the first track in favor of a radio friendly metal version of Alanis Morrissette.

It does get better on and off throughout the album, though, but don't be fooled - there are just as many downs as ups to be found. Some songs, like "Youth (Sleep Well)", show a mature, methodical mix of emotional metal (a la Cold or Evan's Blue) and haunting vocals (similar in nature to Within Temptation but less elegant). You can even, at times, feel the spirit of the later years of the now deceased Stabbing Westward seeping into the slower moments, such as the 9 minute epic, "Sweet Lullaby". Then, unfortunately, there are the myriad of other songs that fall flat.

Too often the band takes on a simplistic, molded for radio airplay, truncated version of their more interesting elements. It's so frustrating to listen to a band and constantly be stuck thinking, "Damn, they have so much potential, but they're holding back..."

On a positive note, this CD is head and shoulders above current female fronted radio-friendly bands such as Flyleaf and Paramore, but it really isn't all that hard to come out on top over such moderately talented competition. Regardless, this release has its moments and that's a start. If anything, it's a great diversion to listen to the closing track, "Begun Degismeszek", which is sung entirely in Turkish, which makes me wish there were more Turkish metal bands around for me to review...

Average customer rating:

Beyond Imagination
Operababes
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006LA19
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Tracks:

One Fine Day
Sempre Ricordo
Theres A Place
Beyond Imagination
O Fortuna
Lakme H2o
Ebben Ne Andro Lontana
You Live On In My Heart
Chanson Boheme
Remember Me
Stranger In Paradise
Ode II Joy
1001 Nights
Barcarolle
Lakme

Album Description

2002 debut album for controversial 'crossover' classical act featuring mezzo Karen England & soprano Rebecca Knight. The 'Babes' have enjoyed a something of a Cinderella story having gone from busking in Covent Garden to performing to millions of people watching both the FA Cup Final & the Champion's League Final within the space of a year. 15 tracks.

Average customer rating:

The World We Live In
Foundation Stone
Manufacturer: Paradise Lane Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A29L5S
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Average customer rating:

Live in Paradise

Manufacturer: Momentum
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0007XZDG6

Product Description

1. Old Ship of Zion 2. Somewhere Listening 3. Ain't No Use 4. Signs of the Judgement 5. Grace 6. God Is Going to Give Me a Crown 7. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 8. God Is Going to Give Me a Crown, Pt. 2 9. What Is Wrong 10. Come on Jesus 11. I've Been Changed 12. What Is Wrong, Pt. 2 13. Sweet Potatoe Pie 14. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Pt. 2 15. God Is Going to Give Me a Crown, Pt. 2 16. The Prayer. Carl Wheeler Engineer, Keyboards, Horn, Strings, Mixing Ronald Smith Drums Charles Holland Group Member, Vocals, Tenor (Vocal) Alphonso Cheeseburger McClain Arranger John Jubu Smith Arranger, Guitar, Producer, Tenor (Vocal), Vocals, Group Member, Director James Gibson, Jr. Arranger, Baritone (Vocal), Group Member, Vocals Gospel Hummingbirds Executive Producer, Group

Overture: American Musical Theatre, Vol. 4 (1953-1960)

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Overture: American Musical Theatre, Vol. 4 (1953-1960)

Manufacturer: Bainbridge
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001P4P
Release Date: 1993-12-03

Tracks:

Stranger In Paradise/Baubles, Bangles & Beads/And This Is My Beloved
I Love Paris It's All Right With Me/C'est Magnifique
You've Got To Have Heart/Hey, There Hernando's Hideaway
All Of You/Young And Foolish/Just Time
Standing On The Corner/Warm All Over/Joey, Joey, Joey
I Could Have Danced All Night/I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face/Wouldn't It Be Loverly...
Tonight/Till There Was You/Seventy-Six Trombones
Do-Re-Mi/Let Me Entertain You/Everything's Coming Up Roses
Cry Like The Wind/If I Knew/I Ain't Down Yet/How To Handle A Woman

Average customer rating:

Live in Paradise
Gospel Hummingbirds
Manufacturer: Gospel Hummingbirds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Live Recordings | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DIJRY
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Old Ship Of Zion
Somewhere Listening
Ain't No Use
Signs Of The Judgement
Grace
God Is Going To Give Me A Crown
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
God Is Going To Give Me A Crown - Part 2
What Is Wrong
Come On Jesus
I've Been Changed
What Is Wrong - Part 2
Sweet Potatoe Pie
Swing Low Sweet Chariot - Part 2
God Is Going To Give Me A Crown - Part 2
The Prayer

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Blessed Assurance
2. Holy, Holy, Holy
3. Marantha
4. Running
5. Oh Lord
6. Have Mercy
7. Let Jesus Fix It
8. Don't Stop the Rain
9. Thank You for the Song
10. Saved
11. Take It to the Lord