Tears of Heaven [The Concept Recording]

Recording Date: August 6, 2010
Label: GlobalVision Records, LLC
Time: 71:18
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Rob Lerner
Main Singers: Linda Eder, Rob Evans, Christiane Noll, James Barbour

1. Between Heaven and Earth - 4/5 - First off, I would like to state that I have a soft spot for Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder. But all that aside, this song, featuring Morgan James, is pretty good. Her vibrato is a bit too warbly and sometimes makes it so that she is incomprehensible. Other than that, the tempo/style change is smooth and not jarring. Very good piece.

2. Shadows On My Heart - 5/5 - Linda Eder is amazing in this song. There are very few times when her vowels fall flat. This song is a great style for her. Filled with emotion, her voice floats through the song with ease.

3. Pearl of the East - 2/5 - This song is very strange. It's kind of out of place in the album. The style is odd and the company is modulating all over the place. The key changes like nobodies business. Definitely not one of my favorites.

4. The First Time I Saw Paris - 5/5 - If I was smelling cinnamon or nutmeg and had a fire going, I would be convinced that this was a slow jazz remix of a Christmas song. This song is very good. It makes you feel warm and cozy just listening to it. Very nice.

5. The Tiger and the Dove - 3/5 - Rob Evans's is very pleasant in this song, sadly the song doesn't match. It's just all around a boring song. Nothing special about it. Very little variation. Just blah.

6. Who Can You Trust? - 4/5 - A very evil sounding song (which I like). Michael Lanning is very intense in this song, which I feel fits the song. Linda Eder, on the other hand, sounds like she is trying to match Lanning's growl, but her voice just can't do it. She should just stick to what she does best (everything else, that is).

7. Morning Comes - 3/5 - Strange, this song reminds me of something that should be in "Lion King". It sounds like a jungle tribe singing some kind of morning ritual song. I don't know, maybe I interepreted the lyrics wrong, but that's what it sounds like to me.

8. I've Never Loved Like This - 4/5 - A very nice and powerful duet between Rob Evans and Linda Eder. The pair sing very well together. Their voices fit perfectly with one another, like a puzzle.

9. Can You Hear Me? - 3/5 - This song seems lackluster. There is not a lot of emotion in this song. But seeing as though the rest of the album is very good, I shall let it slide.

10. I've Had To Learn - 4/5 - Rob Evans's driving solo. A very nice piece. He's singing about how he's had to cope with killing innocent people. I think. It definitely seems like that's what he's singing about. Anyway, quite a good song. Very dark. The only problem with it is that Evans doesn't sound like he means what he is saying. He doesn't emote very well. Which is rare, for him. He usually emotes too much.

11. The End of the World - 2/5 - Okay. First of all, this song reminds me of "Over the Moon" from Rent. THere is little instruments in the background, a complete solo, and very little melody. An overall depressing piece about the fall of Saigon. The lowest point in the album.

12. Tears of Heaven - 3/5 - The titular song (sung by Linda Eder) is not anything to shout about. It's kind of a boring song. Very little melodic quirks and variation. A blah song.

13. Moving On - 4/5 - James Barbour (who we haven't heard in a while) sings beautifully in this song. The last note of the piece sounds like something Colm Wilkinson would sing. Truly beautiful. A very heartfelt track.

14. Raining Fire - 6/5 - Yes, I know that the rating is absurb, but this song is SO FREAKIN' GOOD!!!! I listened to it about 6 times in a row! In love Frank Wildhorn's songs like this. I could compare it to "Facade" (Jekyll and Hyde) or "Madame Guillotine" (The Scarlet Pimpernel), but here Wildhorn has outdone himself. If you only listen to one song on this whole album, listen to this one.

15. Without Her - 5/5 - Forgiving the lyric "No one turns their back on me/Unless I tell them to", this song is a delicate balance of intensity and tenderness. James Barbour is powerful and hits all the high-belting notes with ease. Extremely good.

16. Sweet Song of Life - 4/5 - Quite a dainty piece. Linda Eder's voice is perfect for it. A nice love song.

17. My Confession - 3/5 - No, it's not that God-awful Usher song. Christiane Noll's voice is way too overblown and shrill in this piece. Evans's is fine, but compared to Noll, he's basically a mouse scurrying in the background. That's how loud she is. Not the best.

18. Tiger and the Dove (Finale) - 4/5 - Ending on a high note (figuratively and literally), the finale is a rare occurence when the reprise is better than the original. A good ending to a good album.

19. Tears of Heaven (Radio Mix) - N/A - Just think of the original, but with a pop music style.

20. Can You Hear Me (Radio Mix) - N/A - Same as above.


Conclusion: This album is definitely worth your money (or at least the amount of energy it takes you to click on the download link.) I highly recommend it.

 4.3/5

Download Album: http://www.mediafire.com/?c2nnxnqf3ie1jwb