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Rating: Marrying one of the founders of Enigma (and the first member to leave) turned out to be an extremely wise choice for Sarah, a light soprano and former muse of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Taking advantage of the dreamlike and hallucinogenic atmospheres that Peterson mastered, she presents us with a new "themed" album, as had already happened with the previous "La Luna". Instead of cold northern and winter atmospheres, as we can infer from the title, we are transported into the enchanted and seductive world of "The Thousand and One Nights," thanks to a skillful mix of classical music, pop, and ethnic nuances.
As usual, Sarah and her staff offer a collage of original songs, reworking of classical pieces, and covers. The title track is the revisiting of a Portuguese song, this time with Arabic flair. The initial languor suddenly explodes into a tumultuous disco rhythm, enhanced by glossy synthesizers that blend perfectly with the intriguing Middle Eastern melody. We continue with the inevitable cover of "What a Wonderful World", very airy and bright. However, the first real gem is "A Beautiful Day", where a famous piece from Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" is combined with modern electronic sounds. The result is an engaging rhythm combined with an exceptionally clear and ethereal vocal performance.
The album continues with songs that venture through images of deserts and gardens overflowing with fragrances. Notable is the melancholic Free, presented in French as a bonus track. "What You Never Know" is an equally sweet track, as are "The Journey Home" and "The War is Over", with pacifist undertones yet not at all cloying. "Mysterious Days" reprises the mix of dance music and Middle Eastern sounds of the first track, but with a more catchy result. "Beautiful" is a whispered, intimate, and touching track, preceding the majestic suite of "Arabian Nights". The latter, divided into five parts, ranges from the already known dance nuances to much more tribal tones, without neglecting more melodic and suspended moments, culminating in a finale supported by a soft and timid electric guitar, projecting dim visions of nocturnal landscapes and oases bathed in moonlight. The album then ends with a cover of the famous "Strangers in Paradise", very respectful of the sober atmospheres of the original, and in a decidedly tender song, "Until the End of Time".
As usual, the singer's vocal abilities cannot be doubted. Her crystalline voice, at times almost adolescent, unfolds magical atmospheres like few other singers have been able to do. Also noteworthy is the production of this album, with impeccable sound quality. Finally, I would also draw attention to the videos derived from some songs, set in the rooms of luxurious Middle Eastern palaces, creating a unity with the music.
In conclusion, listening to a Sarah Brightman album truly represents a kind of daydream, as refined and evocative are the atmospheres that her music intends to recreate.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Harem (05:45)
Burning sands
Winds of desire
Mirrored oasis
Reflect a burning fire
Within in my heart unwatered
Feeding the flame
Welcoming you to my harem
Sing for me
A song of life's visage
Sing for me
A tune of love's mirage
Deep desires
Sleep untold
Whispers that echo
The desert of my soul
I hold your Eastern promise
Close to my heart
Welcoming you to my harem
Sing for me
A song of life's visage
Sing for me
A tune of love's mirage
Time is change
Time's fool is man
Time will escape
The passing sands of time
I hold your Eastern promise
Close to my heart
Welcoming you to my harem.
04 What You Never Know (03:24)
What you never know won't hurt you
What you never know won't lie
What you never know won't desert you
What you never know won't say goodbye
What you never know won't hurt you
What you never know won't lie
What you never know won't desert you
What you never know won't make you cry
What you never know won't hurt you
What you never know won't lie
What you never know won't desert you
What you'll never know unless you try
06 Free (03:45)
And do you still touch her like you do
Kiss her all over in the way I kissed with you
And when you sleep with her do you sometimes think of me
Not if you love her in the way I see
I had to be free
Had to be free
It's all that I wanted
I wanted to see
Wanted to be
Alone if I needed
I had to be free
Had to be free
From feelings that haunted
I wanted to see
Wanted to be
Free
And then in the evening light when the bars of freedom fall
I watch the two of you in the shadows on the wall
And when the darkness steals some of the choices from my hand
Then will I begin to understand
08 The War Is Over (05:15)
My statues are falling
Like feathers of snow
Their voices are calling
In a whispering world
Waiting for the morning glow
Heaven is calling
From a rainy shore
Counting wounded lights falling
Into their dreams
Still searching for an open door
In morning dew
A glorious scene came through
Like war is over now
I feel I'm coming home again
Pure moments of thought
In the meaning of love
This war is over now
I feel I'm coming home again
An arrow of freedom
Is piercing my heart
Breaking chains of emotion
Give a moment to pray
For lost innocence to find it's way
Fields of sensation
A cry in the dark
Hope is on the horizon
With a reason to stay
And living for a brand new day
Salaam Allah alad donia alal'insaan (salute God and bless life and humans)
Ah ah oh ah
Mata nahia behob ou aman (When will we live in love and safety)
Salaam Allah, Salaam Allah (salute God, salute God)
Salaam Allah alad donia alal'insaan (salute God and bless life and humans)
In morning dew
A glorious scene came through
Like war is over now
I feel I'm coming home again
Pure moments of thought
In the meaning of love
This war is over now
I feel I'm coming home again to you
09 Misere Mei (00:54)
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea
Et a peccato meo munda me.
(Wash me from my iniquity
And cleanse me of my sin.)
14 You Take My Breath Away (06:50)
Dilgi-ta gia-he My life is gone
App meri jan-le giye Because you take my soul (breath) away
Dilgi-ta gia-he My life is gone
App meri jan-le giye Because you take my soul (breath) away
We saw the holy men
come in from Sanchi
We touched their souls
and heard the Martyrs crying
Among the fields of red
We took the strange brew
The windless sky diwali
Moon were calling to me
The deeper I go
The higher I fly with you
You take my breath away
Ooho you...
???
Mera Raja My king
Mera Raja My king
You take my breath away...
You take my breath away
Ooho you...
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