A Gift Conjured from the Pain and Joys of Living
Phantomsinger | 06/18/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There are a lot of intimate heartaches exposed in "Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan". Thankfully, in the midst of 13 songs lie a celebration of living through the pain and joys of life.
This recording is a gift. It is a generous, unselfish offering borne out of life experiences, wrapped with beautiful chords of music and presented whole heartedly for the enjoyment of the listener. All 13 songs are performed by top notched vocalists, many are considered rising stars of the Broadway stage. While each number is worth the price of admission, stand out performances include Jonathan Groff's tearful "Now" about the gut wrenching pain of breaking up with someone you love, Shoshana Bean's tear inducing "Home" about the promise and discovery of true love, and Danny Calvert's achingly tender rendition of "Kiss The Air" about the courage to admit and face the dissolution of a marriage. Other note worthy performance include the fantasy driven "Never Neverland (Fly Away)" by Stephanie J Block and the exhilarating opening track "I'm A Star" performed with relish by Eden Espinosa.
Mr. Alan possesses the talent to capture moments of life and encapsulates them within beautiful melodies. He is able to conjure strong emotions of sadness and laughter with the simplicity of his lyrics. My only wish was that he had used Lisa Brescia for "Magic". Ms. Brescia's pitch perfect performance of the song on YouTube makes her stronger choice than Ms. Adrian Lenox who is performer on the recording.
It has been a very long time since I hear something that creates a strong urge to grab the next person I see and say "HERE! LISTEN TO THIS!" If you are looking for solace during a blue day, "Dreaming Wide Awake" will keep you company like a true friend. Mr. Alan, I wait with baited breath for your next offering.
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Lyrically Beautiful and Heartfelt Success
LeoCanSang | Houston, TX | 01/11/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I discovered Scott Alan on myspace and knew that I wanted to hear more as what I'd heard inspired me. When I saw that he had released a new CD I immediately went and listened to just one of the songs and I was sold.
"Home", sung by the amazing Shoshana Bean, is a breathtaking song filled with emotive lyrics and ear-pleasing melodies. Jonathan Groff takes us inside of his head when he masters the song, "Now". The stand-out performance (coming from a modern musical stand point) for me was Eden Espinosa convincing us she's a star in the triumphant "I'm A Star". (if you wanna see a great up and comer sing the same song, check out Natalie Weiss on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oN36UaZPtc )
This album is not just for the modern showtune lover though. Filled with beautiful love songs and uplifting songs with lyrics straight out of a good place. This CD is a must-have for all music librarys."
