[ Post a Response | The Dame Shirley Bassey Message Board ]
Posted by Vanya on November 8, 2009, 2:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Times review"
217.43.11.160
Thank you for posting this review, Philip.
What I find especially pleasing is the reference to the lovely phrasing that is audible on this disc. I don't think I have ever read a review that commends this aspect of Dame Shirley's artistry. Of course, we can all quote numerous examples where Dame Shirley has been able to distill real emotion in an otherwise commonplace lyric.
However, on this disc I think that she is now operating at the level of nuance. The Bassey 'treatment' has not always been the most hospitable to nuance. Although it is not a completely different kind of vocalizing, there is a regard for subtlety and shading here that makes the experience of the listener an altogether different one than we have ordinarily come to expect.
I cannot think of another project that displays the full spectrum of the Dame's considerable vocal gifts. It really does have everything. I find myself replaying tracks and finding fresh insights and interpretations. It is a disc, unlike the many abortive efforts of the 90s, that rewards repeated listening. To my ears it eclipses even the most beloved of the classic UA albums that have a vintage of well nigh on 40 years.
It is, in every conceivable respect, an extraordinary achievement.
-Vanya
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