Search - Julia Fordham :: Collection

Sophiscated Bliss

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 05/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before this CD, I had never heard of Fordham's music. However, I accidentally came across this CD and I was immediately entralled by Forham's music. This CD is a snapshot of life -- Fordham paints for us the vignettes of life through these 15 tracks. She neither hides the pain or the joys or the complexities of life. For instance, she sings about the complexities of a relationship in "Girlfriend." "Girlfriend" is a cheating song told from the viewpoint of the other woman. You can hear the intensity of the pain of this tune through Fordham's lower registered smokey vocals. On the other hand, she celebrates the joys of falling in love in "Falling Forward." "It Was Nothing You Said" is Fordham's tip on how to maintain a vital relationship. "Kid," a brand new track recorded for this CD, is an exhortation to teenagers to be themselves and not to succumb to peer pressure. Fordham takes the time to paint these vignettes of life with great care. "Mahattan Skyline" is nothing short of breathtaking when you can almost "see" the song personified as she paints it for us through her voice. "Porcelain" and "Lock and Key" are other examples of how Fordham demonstrates that she's a great crafter of words and images. "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways," a lush power ballad, puts Fordham in the league of superstars like Whitney Houston or Celine Dion. "Where Does the Time Go" is another example of a more commercial pop ballad. Curtis Stigers in fact, complements Fordham very well. Most of these tracks are written by Fordham. Unlike other songwriter-singers' albums, Fordham deals with a great variety of issues performed over a variety of tempoes. One thing is for sure -- these songs were not penned overnight, they are testaments of a poet who has lived and experienced the joys and pain of life."

A great voice you may not have heard before

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 06/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Julia Fordham's "Collection" spans her first ten years as a renowned singer, like many for whom subtlety is her greatest virtue, went all but unrecognized in America. When her first album was released in 1988, critics clamored over its honesty and purity, and many compared her voice favorably to Annie Lennox and Anita Baker. The song "Happy Ever After" became an international hit and the video established Julia in America as a singer songwriter to watch. Her second (and best) album, "Porcelain," continued in that vein, including another near hit in "Manhattan Skyline." It was during this tour that I saw her twice, one of those a showcase at the top of the World Trade Center where the audience included such admirers as Sting. Her vocal and expressive talents on stage won over a signifigant following, but despite some heavy muscle on behalf of her record company, the album only sold a modest amount. When the third album was being prepared, Julia recorded her first outside song, "Love Moves In Mysterious Ways." A great ballad written by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford of "Footloose" fame and produced by Peter Asher (then riding high as a producer of Joe Jackson and 10,000 Maniacs), it was attached to the movie "The Fisherman's Wife." It was supposed to be the song that would lift Julia's "Swept" off the launch pad and make her an American Star. But when "Fisherman's Wife" failed to lure in movie goers and the song disappeared, it also seemed like Julia's record company lost interest.That left the very good "Falling Forward" and introspective "East West" albums to fend for themselves. As the songs here from those two discs suggest, both are worthy albums. Producer and bassist Larry Klien's work on "Falling Forward" in particular is noteworthy; listen to how he showcases Julia on "I Can't Help Myself." Of the two songs recorded expressly for this CD, "It Was Nothing That You Said" ("it was everything you didn't say") continued to show that Julia was an expert in capturing emotions to music. I heartily recommend this CD to fans of both Norah Jones and Dido."

She's absolutely brilliant

Collin Mitchell Kelley | 07/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You cannot mistake this voice. It's lush, and jazzy and sometime soaked in misery. Other times its bouncy and full of light. The songs that matter here are "Lock and Key" (one of the best songs of the 20th century), "Killing Me Slowly," and "Manhattan Skyline" and "Falling Forward." You really can't compare Julia Fordham with anyone else...she's original. I first heard Julia on the "Porcelain" cd (still her best work)and have been enthralled with her ever since. Do yourself a big favor and buy the greatest hits, then buy the other albums to delve deeper into her amazing singing and songwriting."