Absolutely Stunning
musical | WY | 02/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"so i guess i owe andrew lloyd webber for getting me into musicals with the phantom of the opera. at first i didnt really branch out too far from there. i mean i listened to and fell in love with cats and evita, but those are pretty general and most have at least heard memory or dont cry for me argentina. after those i started to branch out more and eventually came back to lloyd webber with aspects of love.
at first i was pretty reluctant. i mean the reviews overall and here on amazon were fairly negative. but some said that if u give this musical a chance it wont dissapoint, so after a LOT of thinking, pondering, and reading i finally said what the hell and just ordered it. well i certainly wasnt dissapointed.
andrew lloyd webber comes up with a stirring and moving score that relies on emotional content, not a large orchestra or elaborate flourishes. i love phantom but the softer touches here are very powerful. the lyrics by don black and charles hart both provide emotion and progress the story brilliantly.
almost the entire piece is sung which makes it all feel very natural that the characters are all singing. however the "real" songs dont feel as impressive as other works, but they're not suppossed to. they're all softer and more laid back.
because its all sung, a lot depends on the performers. they sure dont dissapoint. i dont think anyone could even say anything negative about michael ball at this point, but why would u want to. his performance here is emotional and brilliant. anne crumb as rose certainly is an interesting idea. she does well, and she is quite moving as rose. but i cant help but wonder wat would've happenned if sarah brightman sang the role like she was suppossed to. her version of anything but lonely sure blew crumb's out of the water. but crumb still is impressive. the rest of the cast is strong but mildly forgetable, no one really has a show-stealing number so they all kind of fall flat.
this is overall a powerfull piece that is moving and complex. the story is incredably intricate and intense. one definately has to go in with an open mind concerning both the plot and the music itself. this is a completely different sounding musical compared to lloyd webber's other pieces, but it is still as powerful and impressive as ever. this is a definate winner"
Absolutely Beautiful
Joseph Croft | NEPA | 08/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am so pleased to finally own this recording after wanting it for so long. Having sung "Love Changes Everything" for awhile, I wanted to explore the rest of the musical, and I was not disappointed! The cast and music are fantastic in every way. Michael Ball is one of my heroes, and he plays Alex brilliantly, with great fire and spirit throughout. His voice soars through the score, particularly when matched with the stellar Ann Crumb. Her portrayal of Rose is complex and brilliant, showing grace, ferocity, and power.
The music is also incredible. Andrew Lloyd Webber has his most gorgeous music in this piece. "Seeing is Believing", "The First Man You Remember", "There Is More To Love", "Anything but Lonely", and, of course, "Love Changes Everything" are the standouts, but the piece as a whole is brilliant and beautiful.
An intimate, complicated love story, Aspects of Love is fantastic on every level and is not to be missed."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1
