Josh Groban - Awake: ...wake me up before you go-go
Written: Nov 07 '06 (Updated Nov 07 '06)
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Pros: Yay! More Josh Groban! Love his music...
Cons: ...when it's performed LIVE. Hmmm...
The Bottom Line: Josh: Put out another CD/DVD combo. Make me fall in love with these songs. You're a great theatrical vocalist; keep it on the stage from now on, OK?
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| bob_tomato's Full Review: Awake by Josh Groban |
Vocalist Josh Groban returns with his latest recording, Awake, and while this is the first of his studio albums that I've managed to really connect with, the problem is that I'm not completely convinced by this effort either. Maybe I just need to wait for the next PBS special / DVD release to come out and be happy with that.
I've always enjoyed listening to Josh sing, but I've always preferred the sound of his live albums over the studio albums. I think that the reason is pretty simple – the theatrical quality of his voice and his music just seems to lend itself better to the stage rather than the studio. Take my Alejate challenge and see if you don't agree:
The debut album version vs. the versions found on both concert DVDs – in the original version of this song, Josh sings pretty, but it's too nice, too smooth. Both concert versions are more raw, they have an edge, a passionate quality about them that grabs the ear and captures the heart. Perhaps it's that Josh has had more time with the song by the time he performed it for these concerts, perhaps it's just my preference for theatrical music to be performed live, but...
The same goes for other hits from Josh Groban and Closer compared with the versions found on the live DVDs. His songs just seem to pop when performed live, and the studio albums suffer by comparison, in my opinion. The albums aren't bad, they're just not as good...
Now, that being said - Awake's opener Mai is fantastic – I love the energy of the symphony, and Josh's Italian vocal sizzles with an accuracy and quality that has been hit and miss for him from time to time in that language. This one comes close to capturing that live feel I enjoy in his music.
Another nice touch to the album are the cameos by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Herbie Hancock. Gotta give it to Josh for using the South African vocal group as the backdrop for the beautiful Lullaby and his duet Weeping with Vuse Mahlasela. The pairing with Hancock is a commendable stretch for Josh – as usual, Hancock brings his singularly funky groove to the track, along with some industrial effects and a jazzy Rhodes piano. I'd guess that Herbie would feature a real jazz vocalist if the song were on his own album, and I like the fact that Josh gave it a shot. The result is decent enough - it certainly won't challenge anything by Al Jarreau - but it is at least a truly new sound for Josh to have ventured into.
But then, as with his other studio albums, there are tracks that don't do anything really adventurous – and I'm sorry to say that I find the first single, You are Loved (Don't Give Up), to be both stilted and awkward. Josh sings far too deliberately through phrases that are exquisitely painful examples of awful songwriting. I'm sure that this song will hit all the right notes for the Groban Groupies, but I'm just not feeling it. Maybe it will improve when it comes out on his third DVD(?) Personally, I think I would have chosen In Her Eyes for the first single - it's definitely adult contemporary radio material, and might even have some crossover potential into pop radio. Of course, the 5/4 time of the song might be too much to expect for a typical radio listener to understand, but that might just be my lack of faith in the taste of that audience.
Another disappointment of Awake are the Latin flavored ballads. He has shown that he can sing these types of songs so very well live, but in my estimation, Un Dia Allegra doesn't even come anywhere close to being as good as Alejate, Un Amore Per Sempre or even Gira Con Me Questa Notte. The song's quality simply isn't up to the level of these others. An orchestral version of Un Giorno Per Noi (better known as A Time for Us from Romeo and Juliet) doesn't fare much better. Even with it's quiet, lovely intro featuring a gorgeous cello, I'm not moved to continue enjoying the song once Josh begins singing – the high notes are all very impressive, but there's just not enough passion, not enough edge to be found in this and most other tracks.
And so after having given the new album a real shot at shaking me Awake out of my anti-Groban-studio album bias, I find that I'm still in hibernation, awaiting his next live DVD set. Hopefully, by the time he's toured the world with this material, he'll have found the key to performing these songs with real feeling, and he'll be able to convey it in his live performances. Until then, I'll just listen to Mai while I nap…
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Josh Groban - Awake
Released November 7, 2006 by Warner/Reprise Records
Track Listing
Mai / You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) / Un Dia Llegara / L'Ultima Notte / So She Dances / In Her Eyes / Solo Por Ti / Now or Never / Un Giorno Per Noi (Romeo e Giulietta) / Lullaby (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) / Weeping (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Vusi Mahlasela) / Machine (with Herbie Hancock)
Related Reviews
Josh Groban In Concert
Live at the Greek
Recommended:
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bob_tomato
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