I Dreamed a Dream by Susan (Vocals) Boyle (CD, Nov-2009, Columbia (USA))

This CD is a mixture of the best and the worst. The best is the voice that made Susan Boyle famous on "Britain's Got Talent" and a performance that stunned Simon Cowell and the rest of the world via YOUTUBE (not to mention all the news surrounding the millions of YOU TUBE hits around the world.) Boyle's version of "Wild Horses" is a genious adaptation of the Rolling Stones hit and, coupled with the recording of "I Dreamed a Dream," are well worth the price of the CD. The negatives are the lack of imagination in the arrangements throughout the CD. It is hard to be excited about the different songs when they have been produced with similar orchestrations, in exactly the same beat with the most simple (uninspired)arrangements. In fact, the songs chosen, while nice, do nothing to show any virtuosity or ability to sing with different tones or tempos and with different orchestrations. I would have loved to see what she could do under the tutelage of David Foster and I would have loved hearing her do a piece that would be her own rather than iterations of covers that belong to others. I cannot imagine why this unimaginitive set up would have been on purpose, considering the potential for this singer. Perhaps it is because she was guaranteed to go gold no matter what. In any case, I look forward to hearing more from this lady when she has a better agent, arranger and more time to choose more judiciously the songs she will sing and how she will sing them. With more experience under her belt and the confidence that will come with it, her potential is exciting. The message that comes from this lady is still a potent one -- it is NEVER too late to make a dream come true, if you overcome your fear, get off your duff and try!

Susan Boyle is a phenom! Her splash on Britain's Got Talent! was memorable beyond most anyone beyond seeing an awkward kid named Clay Aiken knock off one amazing performance after another on American Idol!

What a voice! When I first heard Susan Boyle I could not believe my ears!And how the English seem to pull one rabbit after another from a hat is always impressive! I became a fan just to see what would happen. Who could not follow as Susan was literally plucked from obscurity and thrown into the limelight! It was exciting beyond most reality programs!

Now for the CD! Despite some religous tunes that I don't care to hear, the CD is impressive. Her version of "Wild Horses" is remarkable, and "I Dreamed A Dream" is her signature. I found the entire CD worthy. I did not expect such power and range, or interpretation! I sense some light gospel in her voice, and that adds character, as if she needs more. I listen to a wide variety of music and have included Susan Boyle's CD on my playlist since its release. I suspect it will be on that list for some time. Sign me up for her next release!

I wonder how long it will be before she will touring with Andrea Bocelli?

Voices like Susan's do not come along every day...or every decade, for that matter. Susan has an amazing range and can change her voice from strong to soft, in a heartbeat. I think what is so important is that Susan bridges the gap from superstar to everyday people, she is a star the average person can call their own, because she defies the stereotype of what a performing genius should be. All the more reason to love her and celebrate the fact that she makes the world a lovlier place with her angelic voice and wonderful spirit. Wild Horses, sung in a completely different way than the original Stones verson is worth the price of this CD alone, buy my favorite is Cry Me A River, boy can I relate to the emotion behind that one. It's like she's singing right to me. Get it for yourself, and see what I mean.

I was very excited to see Susan Boyle had a CD out, I loved her voice every time I heard her on TV or on the internet. Everyone was surprised at her sounding like an angel when she looked like a housekeeper...
But whoever did this CD with her didn't do her any favors at all by rushing her into it. It sounds, truly, like it was done in one all-day session. And the later into the CD you get, the more moments where she loses her voice. Not the sexy raspy deliberate jazz-singer type sound, but the I've been singing all day in a smoky bar type rasp.
In other words, big disappointment. The first track you hear it on you think, oh well, everyone has a slight mistake now and then and you can't re-record every track if there's a little wavy spot in it. But then another and another until I actually felt sorry for her that she was losing her voice, and felt sorry for me that I had bought a CD not just for myself but my mother and sister also. And they'll notice the same thing...
So in my opinion, she should have waited until everything was right. But, being new to the business she may not know when it's right - so someone let her down big-time. All for a buck so they could sell the CD's for Christmas.
The world is a greedy place, and I don't blame Susan for that.
It's just sad that she was once again used and abused.

Susan Boyle created a sensation on the British version of American Idol with "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables - a voice of gold from an improbable source. This first CD sold over 700,000 copies in a week. Of course, "I Dreamed A Dream" is there plus 11 other beautifully sung and recorded ballads and songs. If this is your favorite genre of music - buy it! You will not be disappointed.