Paul Potts - One Chance
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CD Details
Artist: Paul PottsBrand: Ignatius Press
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Extra tracks
CD Release Date: 2007-09-18
Music Label: Sony
Product features:
- Condition: Used - Very Good
- Nessun Dorma
- Time to Say Goodbye (Contepartirò)
- Amapola
- Everybody Hurts (Ognuno Soffre)
- Caruso
- Nella Fantasia
- You Raise Me Up (Por Ti Seré)
- My Way (A Mi Manera)
- Cavatina
- Music of the Night
- O Holy Night (bonus track)
- Silent Night(bonus track)
Music reviews of One Chance
Music Review: Contest-Winning Tenor Thrills Many With Warm Renditions!
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm reviewing only the first disk of this 2-CD album, since that's the only one I have. (I've placed the review here because there are so many reviews of the other versions I'm afraid mine would get lost in the shuffle--and I do have a few remarks I want to air.)
First of all, the current Paul Potts mania opens the door to all kinds of absurd descriptions of his singing. Readers should probably discount nearly all the extreme reviews and focus on those which show some sense of balance and impartiality. To call him better than Pavarotti or to complain that he is not a Pavarotti at this point makes no sense at all. He will be himself, and whatever that may ultimately mean is as yet uncertain (regardless of what we may wish or expect).
As to the CD, I bought it after seeing and hearing Mr. Potts on his famous YouTube video. From some reviewers' comments I got the feeling it might be a waste of money, but I wanted to hear a clearer sample of Potts' singing so I could judge his prospects for myself. After hearing the ten items on my CD I conclude that, though some imperfections are present, the disk is worth having, as it yields some unique and very satisfying musical experiences. It also provides clear evidence of Potts' musical talent, achievement, and possible future.
The voice itself is very fine and quite well developed for the brevity of its formal training. The musical sense is also very fine: it bespeaks a love of the art, a refined taste, a good ear for pitch, and a sensitivity to mood and persona. With the "one chance" offered by the Got Talent competition and his musical gifts and training, there is no reason why Potts should not be able to build a noteworthy career on the stage as well as on recordings. But that will depend on his willingness to strive for the level of performance such a career demands and his ability to assemble the needed resources. The prospects look good at this point.
"Nessun Dorma" is, of course, the piece we all have heard on YouTube, and the only operatic selection here. The performance is enjoyable and inspiring, though a few blemishes appear. Potts' diction in a few spots needs improvement. He occasionally mispronounces the Italian vowel "e," making it sound more like "ah." Musically, too, he may fall a little short at times, though overall he performs very well. (Thanks to Pavarotti, we're accustomed to a very high level of perfection in the singing of this lovely aria. That Potts falls a trifle short of that standard is no disgrace; moreover, he adds his own special vocal attributes.) Perhaps the best parts of Potts' rendition are the beginning and the sweeping ending where he sings "vincerò" (I shall win) as if he really means it. His high B-natural on the next-to-last note is powerful, brilliant, and in tune.
On "Time to Say Goodbye" Potts does a laudable job of negotiating the rather fast Italian lyrics at the beginning. The melodies he sings very beautifully, with the fine, sustained tone which separates him from lesser singers and the brilliance and drama which enliven climaxes. He obviously knows the Bocelli rendition, which he often seems to emulate.
His performance of "Amapola" in its original Spanish is quite endearing. At the outset he risks the exposure of his naked voice with only the barest minimum of accompaniment. To his credit he passes the test with flying colors. The naturalness and simplicity of his expression make us feel we're being serenaded by a real, flesh-and-blood person. He brings plenty of feeling to this old song, ending with the lover's anguished question "Amapola, cómo puedes tú vivir tan sola?" (Poppy flower, how can you live so alone?) Listen to it a few times: it will absolutely grow on you!
"Everybody Hurts" is sung beautifully in Italian from the very start, though a couple of very slight glitches occur near the beginning. Here he displays the smoothness of his range, from the low register through the middle and on up into high register.
"Caruso" is presented with lots of passion and conviction in flowing and quite well pronounced Italian. His singing in the low register is very fine. This dramatic rendition is convincing, satisfying, and well sung, with only the tiniest problem here or there.
"Nella Fantasia" is a lovely song which Potts sings with great warmth. His Italian sounds great and very natural. There isn't much to complain about in this beautiful performance.
"You Raise Me Up" is sung in Spanish as "Por Ti Seré" and starts out rather barely with only open fifths on the piano and the voice singing softly in its low register. It echoes the simplicity and naturalness of "Amapola," and exposes the beauty of Potts' voice with its fine tone quality and well suited vibrato. The sound builds slowly to include Celtic pipes, full orchestra, a rhythmic percussion beat, and background vocals. It is one of the finest performances on the disk, thoroughly enjoyable, engaging, and uplifting.
"My Way" is also sung in quite good Spanish, in such a way as to make us believe Potts knows exactly what he's saying. (He uses the Iberian pronunciations of the letters c and z, which sound a bit like lisping.) I've never particularly liked this song, but I must say it is well sung here and seems to lack nothing at all.
"Cavatina" is another standout among the contents of this CD. Again we are treated to the sweet simplicity, sincerity, and naturalness which make Potts' singing so accessible and affecting to his listeners. A simple, well-played guitar accompaniment keeps his voice clearly in the foreground. Few others could sing this song so well.
"Music of the Night" is another outstanding performance, perhaps the popular favorite on this disk. It is a fine vehicle to display the vocal riches which Potts brings, for it includes highs and lows not only of register, but also of emotional power and intensity, as well as a few strikingly dramatic moments, such as sudden pianissimo high notes. The performance is excellent, fully engaging, satisfying, and enjoyable, in spite of a few problems with diction. (The letter s tends to be lisped and some of the other pronunciations seem a bit too tender.) The ending note is gorgeous and stable in pitch despite the orchestral dissonances surrounding it.
In sum, this is a pretty good maiden recording. With Potts' talent and beautiful voice, along with more painstaking production efforts, we may hope for some magnificent recordings in the future. Potts' greatest attribute would seem to be simply himself. He comes across as a real person, and one whom we imagine we know, understand, and perhaps love. His apparent humility, lack of artifice, and down-to-earth wholesomeness make us attend carefully and sympathetically to what he sings.
Description of One Chance
Former cell phone salesman and now Britians Got Talent winner Paul Potts has spent most of his life feeling insignificant and bullied, but says that his voice was always his one true friend, a voice that Simon Cowell calls simply magical.Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts has spent most of his life feeling 'insignificant'. Bullied at school for being 'different', he realized growing up that he had one true friend and that was his voice. Singing was his escape. He was able to lose himself in his own little world - the vicious words of his tormentors replaced by hauntingly beautiful lyrics and melodies that lifted his heart and spirit. It was a love, a passion, a lifeline that would follow Paul into adulthood and help him through many more periods of adversity.
Though it's fair to say that when Paul strolled awkwardly - almost apologetically - onto the Cardiff stage for his first Britain?s Got Talent audition a week before that final, in his now infamous £35 Tesco suit, and announced to Simon and fellow judges Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan that he was going to sing opera, they never thought for one minute they were looking at their winner. Until he opened his mouth and started to sing.
Paul Potts Photos
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