Woohoo!

The Ten Tenors Return

Gonna burn a hole in my pocket -- again.
But it'll be worth every cent. :)

Thanks to L for the heads up!

Swooning Session -- Beware

If you haven't bought this yet, what the HECK are you waiting for???

--> Review of Michael Buble's Come Fly With Me album

Recently released in Singapore, and doing very brisk sales from what I could see at That CD Shop in Great World City last weekend. I'm still working on the Class 95 people to help promote Peter Cincotti, but Buble has built up a huge audience here, mainly through word of mouth, and now needs no further introduction.

This follow-up to his immensely successful self-titled effort only a mere year ago is a gem. It contains an 8-track CD, plus a 12-track concert DVD, and 3 bonus songs from the Sessions@AOL recording. *short pause to wipe some drool off my face, heh*

I'm a big fan, so here's a detailed rundown:

CD selections

Track #1: Nice 'N Easy -- Very good choice for an opener. His style has evolved somewhat since his crooning days on the last album, and I love every bit of it. More full-throated ( somehow that term keeps popping into my head ), definitely more powerful vocals. The overall mood has actually shifted from his previously mellow delivery to a rich, thumping Big Band sound. ( I adore the Big Band era, so this is right up my alley. :)) Some resemblance to Sinatra, but really, Buble has already come into his own. Spectacular.

Track #2: Can't Help Falling In Love -- A cover of that Elvis Presley classic, which starts off sounding a bit elevator-music-ey, but has grown on me in a big way, and now ranks 2nd on my list of favourites on this CD. Wait for the chorus, and those glorious high notes. Blasting them on the Discman with the lights turned low, or in my car when I'm all alone -- pure heaven. :)

Track #3: My Funny Valentine -- This is the first of 6 "live" performances, and was included in the repertoire during his show here last September. Very well done, and if you read my review of the concert, you may recall a bit during this piece when he stood a few feet away from the mike and just belted out the last few lines, to amazing effect. The good news is, in this version, you'll be able to pick out when this happens, though nothing compares to actually seeing him close his eyes as his voice soars. Still gives me goosebumps.

Track #4: Mack The Knife -- Ooh, Bobby Darin revived! I still can't decide between Clay Aiken's, Robbie Williams' and Michael Buble's covers, 'cos they all interprete it differently. This version's again very Big Band-ish, and Buble doesn't miss a note. Terrific.

Track #5: Fever -- I'd forgotten how fantastic Buble's "live" performance of this song was at last year's show, but now have the opportunity to relive those memories. :D Ranges from a purr to a growl to power notes. Don't think anyone will ever beat that!

Track #6: You'll Never Know -- My absolute favourite on the album, and I melted completely when I first heard him sing it last year ( lousy SUNTEC acoustics or not ). The very first piece he did for his beloved grandfather, and gorgeous beyond compare. Listening to him croon "I speak your name in my every prayer " makes me weak in the knees, haha. :P

Track #7: For Once In My Life -- Big Band in full colour. It doesn't get any better than this!

Track #8: Moondance -- Excellent, though not one of my favs. Wish they could've included The Way You Look Tonight. Sigh.

The concert DVD

Features tracks #3 to #8, plus other crowd pleasers like The Way You Look Tonight, That's All, How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, etc. Also has lots of footage from various interviews and backstage meet & greets.

The best thing about this is being able to witness his showmanship on-stage. When I first watched him perform, I was blown away. Seeing him on the TV screen isn't the same, but it gives a pretty good gauge of what he's like in front of an audience. Totally different from his studio persona. I LIKE it. :)

Also, many little-known facts are revealed -- e.g. when did he break up with his girlfriend?! The man's single now! ;D He talks about his childhood, his love for jazz, poker, life on the road, his rapport with the band ( all young guys -- they sound great, btw, both on the discs and in concert ).

Funny that they kept saying how, when they were teens, no-one else seemed to be listening to jazz. Not at that age anyhow. Buble talks about how his grandfather always believed he would "bring it back" to the masses -- which he certainly has, bless him. :) I don't know. Maybe it depends on your family / friends. My mom loves jazz, and I tuned in to Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and The Platters way back in primary school. I've always loved this genre, and always will. And darn it, I'll make it a point to introduce my teenage cousins and any other young people I know to Buble, Williams and Cincotti ( if these 3 ever sing together, I'll die happy. :P )

Sessions@AOL

David Foster proteges tend to get a chance to do an "acoustic set" ( other example: Josh Groban ), and this showcases Buble's vocals, as well his band's finesse, wonderfully. The perfect ending if there ever was one.

And if you'd like to read my review of Buble's phenomenal Singapore show, click on this link:

Michael Buble In Singapore -- September 16th 2003

So far, there're only 2 CDs that can make me smile no matter how crappy a day I've had, and no matter how many hundreds of times I've heard the songs:

Robbie Williams -- Swing When You're Winning
Michael Buble -- Come Fly With Me

Where's Clay, you ask? Haha, I love his Measure Of A Man album, but I think the best is yet to come ( i.e. his much awaited X'mas CD due for release later this year ). Be patient! :)


And the medical news for today?

Just spotted the patient attendance stats for local ERs in 2003:

CGH -- 122,000 +
SGH -- 109,000 +
TTSH -- 105,000 +

We have a winner! Boy am I glad I'll be working in an A&E that doesn't even belong in the top 3 for the next 6 months. Yeah, baby, yeah! :D