'We Love Disney' Album Review

I received the following products in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. This post contains affiliate links. I participated in the 'We Love Disney' album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.





Disney songs ...yes, I like them. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even though I don't have kids, I was excited to hear the new compilation album, We Love Disney. Produced by award-winning David Foster, the album has songs from various movies -- from Cinderella to Frozen-- sung by different artists.

My favorite songs were "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat," "I Wan'na Be Like You" and "Friend Like Me." While I'm not a huge Fall Out Boy Fan, their song ("I Wan'na Be Like You") was surprisingly great.

The choice to go with a country twist for "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Let it Go" also surprised me. I don't know why, when Kacey Musgraves sings "A Spoonful of Sugar," all I picture is Annie Oakley from "Toy Story" singing it. The interpretation of "Let it Go" worked surprisingly well. I'm not a big fan of country music, but Rascal Flatts did a good job with it. I think I like their version of the song better than Demi Levato's.

Personally, I didn't think that "Colors of the Wind" needed a re-do. I liked Vanessa William's version of it just fine. 

The track listing for We Love Disney is as follows:

• NE-YO “Friend Like Me” (Aladdin)
• Jessie J “Part of Your World" (The Little Mermaid)
• Jason Derulo “Can You Feel the Love Tonight / Nants’ Ingonyama” (The Lion King)
• Gwen Stefani “The Rainbow Connection” (The Muppet Movie)
• Ariana Grande “Zero To Hero” (Hercules)
• Jhené Aiko “In a World of My Own/Very Good Advice” (Alice in Wonderland)
• Fall Out Boy “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” (The Jungle Book)
• Tori Kelly “Colors of the Wind” (Pocahontas)
• Kacey Musgraves “A Spoonful of Sugar” (Mary Poppins)
• Charles Perry “Ev’rybody Wants To Be a Cat” (The Aristocats)
• Jessie Ware “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” (Cinderella)
• Lucy Hale & Rascal Flatts “Let It Go” (Frozen)
• Various Artists “It’s a Small World”

Here's a video for one of my favorite songs:

Links for your enjoyment:

• I-Tunes: http://bit.ly/WeLoveDisneyMusicO2O
• Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MAjCQ3
• Official "We Love Disney" website: https://www.welovedisneymusic.com
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/welovedisney
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeLoveDisneyMusic
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WeLoveDisneyVEVO
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/WeLoveDisneyMusic/

I received the products mentioned in exchange for an unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on a product link and make a purchase through Amazon.com.

Andrea Bocelli 'Cinema' Review

I received the following products in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. This post contains affiliate links. I participated in the Andrea Bocelli “Cinema” album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.




I'm a big Andrea Bocelli fan. I own several of his albums, so I was excited for the opportunity to review his latest album, "Cinema." The songs are from popular movie soundtracks, such as West Side Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Evita, The Godfather, Love Story and more. Show tunes and Andrea Bocelli, I thought the album would be an instant winner.

Cinema Track Listing (deluxe edition): 

1) MARIA from West Side Story 

2) LA CHANSON DE LARA from Doctor Zhivago

3) MOON RIVER from Breakfast at Tiffany’s 

4) E PIU' TI PENSO duet with Ariana Grande from Once Upon a Time in America /Malèna

5) BE MY LOVE from The Toast of New Orleans

6) THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT from The Phantom of the Opera

7) BRUCIA LA TERRA from The Godfather

8) POR UNA CABEZA from Scent of a Woman

9) NO LLORES POR MÍ ARGENTINA duet with Nicole Scherzinger from Evita

10) L'AMORE È UNA COSA MERAVIGLIOSA from Love is a Many Splendored Thing

11) MI MANCHERAI from Il Postino

12) CHEEK TO CHEEK duet with Veronica Berti from Top Hat

13) SORRIDI AMORE VAI from La vita è bella 

14) HISTORIA DE AMOR from Love Story

15) OL' MAN RIVER from Show Boat

16) NELLE TUE MANI (NOW WE ARE FREE) from Gladiator

'Cinema' Review

I'm sorry to report that this album left me a bit disappointed. The songs that I disliked the most were "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Cheek to Cheek" because of the singers chosen for the duets. The women didn't enunciate the words well (I heard "chee to chee" instead of "cheek to cheek") and had nasaly qualities to their voices.

I am impressed with the variety of languages used in the album, which included English, Spanish, Italian, Sicilian and French. One of the most surprising songs was "Ol' Man River" because I had no idea about Bocelli's range. While he doesn't have a baritone voice, he hit those low notes with ease.

One of my favorite things about the album is that the songs are showtunes -- they're songs that I knew or recognized. It was fun to hear Bocelli's interpretation of them. While I didn't like all the interpretations, I still think that Bocelli has a great voice and I look forward to his next album.




You can find Cinema on:

• iTunes: http://bit.ly/BocelliCINEMA
• Amazon: http://amzn.to/20rVsBN 

I received the products mentioned in exchange for an unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I receive a small commission if you click on a product link and make a purchase through Amazon.com.

'To Be Loved,' A Michael Bublé Album Review

Where have all the crooners gone? There's at least one left in North America and his name is Michael Bublé. Bublé's latest album, To Be Loved,  is an album full of cover songs and a few originals that will have you at least tapping your toes. One of my favorite things about it is that I already knew some of the songs, so I could sing along.

When asked about his latest album, Bublé said:

"I want to take you on a wonderful journey about love—all different kinds of love. The album swings big time: it rocks, it’s soulful, it’s happy, sometimes a little sad. It’s romantic, it’s yummy, and it’s heartfelt... 

"...Do not think I take my success these last ten years for granted. I was anything but an overnight sensation, which inspires me to deliver big time for my fans—maybe even make some new ones this time out. I labored over every song, every note and every arrangement because I can’t resist trying to make each record better than my last one... 

"...I wrote 'Close Your Eyes' about my wife and about the power of all the women in my life—my sisters, my mom, my grandma and all women in general. Let’s face it, where would we be without them? 'I Got It Easy,' another original, is basically a song where I count my blessings and is a reminder to me and everyone to appreciate all the good parts of life. I’m a very lucky guy and I never want to forget it."

What I Liked

Among my favorite songs are: 

• It's a Beautiful Day
• Something Stupid (featuring Reese Witherspoon)
• Come Dance with Me
• I Got it Easy

"It's a Beautiful Day" is a positive song with a dangerously catchy tune. I recommend it to anyone who is having a bad day. "Something Stupid" with Reese Witherspoon  is a song that kind of caught me by surprise. At first, I thought I was going to feel so-so about it; then I found myself wanting to memorize the lyrics so I could sing along. "I Got it Easy," like Bublé says, is about counting your blessings. It's a nice, humbling bluesy hymn. 

My favorite song is "Come Dace with Me." It has a cha-cha beat that made me literally dance in my chair. 

On a side note, the song "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" is not the same as the song that Rod Stewart sings. Bublé's voice kind of reminds me of Bing Crosby in it. 

What Could Be Better

One of the things that I find no excuse for in professional singers is a lack of enunciation, which is something that I noticed throughout the album. Bublé doesn't pronounce the last consonants on some of the words here and there, or he doesn't emphasize them well. ...Anyway, this is just me being picky. 

Check out "To Be Loved" for yourself: 

• iTunes
• Amazon

I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the album to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Rod Stewart's Latest Album, 'Time!'

Thanks to Capitol Records and the One2One Network, I recently had the opportunity to review Time! by Rod Stewart. Time! is the first album that Stewart has created with new music in over 20 years. For this album, Stewart wrote and produced 11 of the 12 songs. He explains that his songwriting spark came back as he wrote his recent memoir.

"Suddenly ideas for lyrics were piling up in my head. Next thing I knew, I had a song called 'It's Over' about divorce and separation. And now I was getting up in the middle of the night and scrambling for a pen to write things down, which has never happened to me. I finished seven or eight songs very quickly and I still wasn't done, and it became apparent that I would eventually have a whole album of material to record."

My Take on Time!

Overall, I enjoyed Time! You hear the classic sound of Stewart's voice (and see that his signature hairstyle is still the same). One of my favorite things is that the album has a lot of positive songs. "She Makes Me Happy," "Beautiful Morning" and "Live the Life" are all fantastically upbeat. "Beautiful Morning" is a song that everyone should wake up to, and it makes a great song for workouts. "Live the Life" is a nice, uplifting song. Other songs that I enjoyed include "Brighton Beach," "Picture in a Frame" and "Pure Love."

One of the songs that Stewart's camp is pushing is "It's Over," which is about the singer's divorce experiences. Personally, I found this song depressing and too sad. However, I can see how it could be cathartic for those who have had this experience.

Check out Time! for yourself:

• iTunes  
• Amazon 

I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Emmy Rossum's "Sentimental Journey"

I love getting my hands the latest albums that come out, and it was a great pleasure to listen to and review Emmy Rossum’s latest release, Sentimental Journey, which is out today. Rossum is a classically trained singer (bonus points) and Sentimental Journey is her first album in six years.

About Sentimental Journey

Sentimental Journey is a cover album featuring songs from the 1920s through the 1960s like “Pretty Paper” and “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You).” There are 12 songs on the album (plus a bonus track) for every month of the year. Emmy explains: 

“Each song needed to either lyrically or emotionally reflect the corresponding month. Some songs were obvious fits, like ‘Summer Wind’ for June, and ‘Pretty Paper’ for December. Others songs were less literal fits. I chose ‘Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)’ for September because, to me, the plaintive melody and lyric emotionally reflect the cold weather creeping in and the sense of melancholy we can get in the fall months."

Rossum says about the old-time tracks:

“I grew up surrounded by classical music singing with the Metropolitan Opera and when I would come home, the house was filled with the voices of Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, and Judy Garland,” Rossum says. “For as long as I can remember, my mother would sing ‘Apple Blossom Time’ to me as a bedtime lullaby. Classics, jazz, and standards infused my childhood.

“…I know there are generations that are familiar with this music and the original versions, but there's also a whole generation that isn't and I really want to share these songs with that younger generation as well. I've always gravitated toward a classic vocal approach, which likely stems from my training as a child, so I feel incredibly comfortable and happy singing these songs.”

Sentimental Journey Track Listing:

• “Sentimental Journey” (Les Brown, Ben Homer, Arthur Green)
• “The Object Of My Affection” (Pinky Tomlin)
• “I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover “(Mort Dixon, Harry M. Woods)
• “These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)” (Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey)
• “(I’ll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time” (Albert Von Tilzer, Neville Fleeson)
• “Summer Wind” (Heinz Meier, Johnny Mercer)
• “Many Tears Ago” (Winfield Scott)
• “All I Do Is Dream Of You” (Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed)
• “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” (Jimmy Cox)
• “Autumn Leaves” (Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert)
• “Things” (Bobby Darin)
• “Pretty Paper” (Willie Nelson)

My Take

I truly enjoyed Sentimental Journey, as Rossum re-popularizes songs from artists like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Eddie Cantor and more. The upbeat songs are cutesy and fun, and Rossum’s rendition of tunes will make you think that you’ve traveled back in time. In fact, this is one of the few albums that you and your grandparents can both enjoy, and they’ll already know all the lyrics. 

My only complaint about the album is that I wish that Rossum would have toned down her “pop” voice on some of the songs. When she sings from her throat, Rossum sounds like Christina Aguilera. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since I like Aguilera’s music. I just would have liked to hear more Emmy and less Christina in those instances. 

Buy Sentimental Journeyon Amazon. 

I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Chris Mann 'Roads' Album Review

 If you've never heard him sing, Chris Mann's music is like Josh Groban gone pop, but in a good, non-Backstreet Boys kind of way. I receive quite a few albums to review from established and upcoming artists, and I can honestly say it was a pleasure to listen to and review Roads, Chris Mann's latest album. There are many times when I stash reviewed albums that I didn't care for at the bottom of a storage box, but Roads is staying in the CD tower next to my desk.

Chris Mann is a classical crossover artist that you maybe saw on NBC's "The Voice." His new album is largely a cover album featuring songs that you've heard like Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind,” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” “Ave Maria” and Damien Rice’s “The Blowers’ Daughter.” He also co-wrote two new songs: “Cuore,” based on Bach’s “Air on a G String,” and the contemporary ballad “Falling.” Mann's classical training paid off (I'm biased when it comes to classical singers) because he sounds like a veteran artist even though this is his first album.

One of the most unexpected songs, but also one of my favorites, is "Viva la Vida," which Coldplay originally performed. I just want to start jumping up and down and have a mini dance party whenever I hear it. (I'm a dork.) One of my least favorite is "The Blower's Daughter," which features Christina Aguilera. Mann sounds awesome in it. Aguilera, one of my favorite artists, sounds great too. The problem: they sound disconnected. You don't hear a peep from Aguilera until the last minute or so of the song. When I heard it for the first time, I was like, "Whoa! Where did she come from?" She just sounds kind of awkward and out of place, like the two singers didn't record the song in the studio at the same time...or something. You can listen to "The Blower's Daughter" in it's entirety on PerezHilton.com!

I you were a fan of Chris Mann when you saw him on "The Voice," there is no doubt that you'll love Roads. Learn more about Chris Mann at ChrisMannMusic.com.

Find Roads on iTunes 
Find Roads on Amazon.com

 

This is a review post from One2One Network. I was provided with a copy of the album and I am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated are my own.

Mat Kearney "Young Love" Review

Debuting at #1 on the iTunes Album and Rock charts, Mat Kearney's Young Love album is a compilation of personal stories set to catchy music. This Oregonian who moved to Nashville to further his music career combines pop, alternative rock and folk music sounds into songs that will make you at least tap your toes.

My favorite song is the single "Hey Mama," which is the most upbeat and inviting song in the whole album. This is the song that will want to make you purchase the album. My second favorite song is "She Got the Honey;" it has a reggae vibe that distinct from the other songs. Coincidentally, Kearney's wife was the influence for both of these songs. My only gripe (for lack of better words) is with the song "You Can Count on Me" because of the children singing on the track--they sound annoying to me. Otherwise, I can't get this song out of my head.


Check out this Mat Kearney widget to find lyrics to the Young Love album, tour dates and more:



Check out Mat Kearney on Facebook.

I received Mat Kearney's Young Love album for free from the One2 One Network. The personal opinions expressed do not reflect those of  Mat Kearney or  the One2One Network. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

He Is We “My Forever” Album Review

What do you get when you have a Christian-sounding band that doesn’t sing about God? No, not Creed; you get He Is We. He Is We includes the talents of Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly who were coworkers destined to be band partners. 

The first impression I got of He Is We’s latest album, My Forever, is that the harmonies and music style sound very similar to contemporary Christian pop music. This is not necessarily a bad thing—it just isn’t my thing. However, Taylor’s voice also reminds me a lot of Alana Davis, who I liked. 

The album includes cliché song titles such as “Happily Ever After,” which so happens to be my favorite song in the album. This is the only song that stood out to me, as all the other songs sounded the same. To be honest, while I played this album in my office as I worked, I really could not distinguish one song from another. To give the album a fair chance, I replayed it about five times, but nothing about the album grabbed my attention. This album is ideal for those who want music with an even, upbeat tempo and bright-eyed lyrics that are safe to play around any age group. 

Here is what others had to say about He Is We:

"[He Is We] have impressed and proven to be a smash hit all the way from here to there. Their repertoire consists of pop and sizzle, the likes of which could have you rolling on your back with blissful ecstasy in no time at all." –Verbicide

“[Rachel] Taylor and guitarist Trevor Kelly have the goods: Folky, positive-thinking anthems like “Forever and Ever” and “All About Us” are big enough for live sing-alongs and sweet enough for to soundtrack next year’s prom.” –Alternative Press

“If you love sweet, straightforward, melodic pop music, you owe it to yourself to listen to He Is We." –About.com

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I received He Is We’s album, My Forever, for free from Sneak Attack Media. Not all personal opinions expressed reflect those of  He Is We or Sneak Attack media. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Yael Naim “She Was a Boy” album review

Album cover

You probably heard her easy-going voice on a Macbook Air computer as she sang the 2008 hit song “New Soul.” In collaboration with percussionist David Donatien, Yael Naim’s latest album, She Was a Boy, is a refreshing change from the rebellious, pop princess wannabes heard on the radio. NPR states about the first Israeli hit solo artist in the U.S., “...the multilingual singer crafts a mysterious and delicate sound which utilizes elements of folk and jazz, but her effortless blend of English, Hebrew and French is what makes her music irresistible.” 

Photo by Zoriah

She Was a Boy has already earned Naim the Victoire de la Musique” (France’s Grammy equivalent) in the Best Female Singer category. The album title track, Naim remarks, is about a “woman with a strong character who’s not ashamed of her masculine side…(and a young child) pure enough to see her as she is.” It is obvious that the songs in She Was a Boy are deeply personal, as they reflect personal fears and the perceptions of others. While Naim’s is known for her folk-pop sounds, her new album incorporates ballads and acoustic blues. Personally, my favorite songs are “Come Home” and “Go to the River” because of the upbeat rhythms, and “Stupid Goal” because I find the lyrics relevant and, consequently, comical. 

The most impressive aspect of Naim’s She Was a Boy is that she wrote and composed all the music herself, with the exception of “Go to the River,” which Donatien wrote and arranged. Naim also recorded the songs in her own studio and played many of the instruments herself. Knowing this, I instantly think of is singer/songwriter Beck, who is known for writing his own courageous lyrics, as well as composing, arranging and playing the many of the instruments in his own albums. 

So, do I like this album? Absolutely. 

I received Yael Naim’s album, She Was a Boy, for free from Sneak Attack Media. Not all personal opinions expressed reflect those of Naim, Donaitien or Sneak Attack media. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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