Josh Groban - the talent Clay Aiken wishes he could have
Written: Dec 31 '03 (Updated Apr 14 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Josh's vocal talents and these gorgeous theatrical ballads will sweep you away
Cons: Angie Stone's duet, a few miffed low notes
The Bottom Line: Josh Groban is a REAL vocal talent - this concert shows off his incredible abilities to great effect, and the CD/DVD package is a great deal. GET THIS NOW!
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| bob_tomato's Full Review: Josh Groban in Concert by Josh Groban |
Consider Clay Aiken for a moment - he's good, but... what Clay really needs to do is get himself a career as a real vocalist, performing in theaters and on concert stages for PBS. What he really needs to do is: be like Josh Groban...
Wasn't he on that quirky Fox show?
Clay and Josh have something in common - I saw them both for the first time on a FOX network show. Josh would never have won American Idol - he's far too talented to ever have to appear on that show (sorry Claymates - your man certainly knows how to sing, and I like him too, but he is nowhere near as talented as our Mr. Groban)
I remember the first time I heard Josh Groban - like many other people, it was his appearance on a couple Ally McBeal episodes that brought him to my attention. I never got to see the prom episode, where Josh sang You're Still You just for Ally (bless her quirky little soul) - my first Josh Groban experience was the wonderful episode where he performed To Where You Are in a moving memorial service scene. I saw the episode broadcast in reruns not long after 9/11/01, and I remember being moved nearly to tears by this sensitive and emotional episode - To Where You Are is an absolutely wonderful song. (Tomato Trivia - I do cry every time I see the Baby Mine scene in Dumbo; certain songs and movie scenes just get to me. Oh, stop laughing... some music really moves me, and I bet you've got a few songs that make you snuffle too...)
Before we get to the nuts and bolts of the song reviews, here some basic information on Josh Groban's In Concert - a dual media release with both a CD and a DVD of the same PBS concert broadcast. The CD contains 7 of the songs performed in the concert, plus a bonus studio track O Holy Night. The DVD is a 105 minute concert including 15 songs, a Making of the Special feature and some behind the scenes video footage shot by Chris Groban - ah, nepotism!
We'll return to the review after this short pledge break...
The concert was staged for a PBS special; a full orchestra was used, and the production features several musical guests, including composer/conductor John Williams (ET, AI, Star Wars, etc), producer David Foster, singers Angie Stone, Lili Haydn, and Andrea Corr (The Corrs). The stage is simple yet effective, using huge video images of sweeping backgrounds to set a dramatic mood for each song. If you have ever watched a PBS concert special, this is fairly typical stuff - the artist performs favorites in a gorgeous venue in front of several thousand adoring fans. There are a several slow pans across the stage, many closeups of babyfaced Josh belting out his theatrical melodies, and a few shots of society women just Aiken for their man (sorry, couldn't resist)
And swoon they should! Josh seems to be an unassuming, soft-spoken and gifted young man (read kristinafh's review to get a more personal opinion of Josh's attributes), and he is genuinely charming in his between song patter. He and David Foster take some time to discuss the story of a couple songs (Broken Vow and To Where You Are), and Josh comes across as a humble, gee-whiz kinda guy, still surprised by his good fortune to have been discovered by Foster. OF course, it doesn't hurt that Josh has an amazing voice...
Canto Europa
Several of the songs are not in English, but don't let these titles scare you off - they aren't opera arias. These songs are all fairly dramatic ballads, not really pop, but leaning more towards a theatrical sound. Personally, I like these sorts of ballads over most any boy band sopfest (that "shing" you just heard was the sound of kristina's claws coming out). A quick run down of these titles:
Alla Luce Del Sole - This is a terrific song to start off the show, and Josh really shows off his entire vocal range to great effect. It's a moving piece, and I really like the transition from the quiet, dramatic verses into the chorus when the timpani and strings swell, sweeping the song along to greater intensity.
Gira Con Me QUesta Notte - This song is much in the same mode as the modern arias performed by Andrea Bocelli and Russell Watson - very dramatic, but not given over to a full scale operatic sound. (here's a nitpick - if you listen VERY carefully, you can hear a soprano vocal in the background, sounding much like the classic Star Trek introduction - not sure why they felt it was necessary)
Alejate - throughout the concert, you'll hear a lot of girls (and their moms, no doubt) unleashing some loud screams for Josh - I'm sure these outbursts are solely in response to his singing talents. This song gets some very loud woo-hoos indeed; it's a beautiful Spanish guitar ballad guaranteed to make the heart beat a bit faster...
Canto Alla Vita - Andrea Corr of The Corrs (natch) steps up to duet with Josh on this one - it's another beautiful, more up tempo song, not one of my personal favorites, but it certainly is good on it's own merits. You be the judge...
Un Amore Per Sempre - time to swoon... this is a gorgeous ballad, and Josh gets every last drop of theatrical value out of the rich Italian lyrics, and from the required Manilow-esque key change in the final passages. My only gripe about this one comes from the snarky musician in me protesting the major-key resolve at the end. The song works beautifully in the minor key throughout - why ruin the mood with the audio equivalent of a flashing "applause" sign? But of course, this is all on the arranger of the music, not on Josh - I think this is the second best track in the collection.
The Prayer
This song mixes English and Italian lyrics, and was originally performed by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion for Bocelli's Sogno - they set the bar VERY high for this song. Groban performed it with Charlotte Church on her PBS special, and he completely outdid Charlotte's performance. Here, he outshines his partner again; Angie Stone is completely out of place in this duet. Not to say that Ms. Stone isn't talented - she has a very lovely voice - but she is the wrong choice for this song. Throughout the entire song, her breathing interrupts phrases where it shouldn't, and she does not have the higher range required for the bridge and ending of the song. Her Italian is very phonetic; it's obvious that she does not do this sort of thing very often. I'm not sure who would have been the perfect partner for a duet with Josh on this song; an interesting choice would have been Pat Benatar - she's got the classical training and the rock and roll oomph to deliver the goods in the bridge.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Let's round out Canto Europa with a familiar chorus from Ludwig Van Beethoven - arranged here to feature solo violin work by the mysteriously omnipresent Lili Haydn, violinist/vocalist/philosopher (and all around intriguing musician who deserves your attention for reasons I've outlined in my review of her most recent album, Light Blue Sun) Lili introduces the song by playing and singing the melody simultaneously (not an easy thing to do for a violinist), and continues throughout, providing Josh with wonderful backing vocals and solo string work.
Oscars, Tonys and Le Cirque
One of the highlights of the concert is the appearance of Hollywood film composer, Boston Symphony conductor, and long-time PBS favorite John Williams, the man who brought the classical style back into vogue for film scoring, most famously in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, E.T., Jaws, and A.I. - the source for the song performed here - For Always. Williams conducts as Josh performs this song, which really tests his low range. He does scuff his tires a few times, trying to get the lowest notes but other than this problem, the song is wonderfully done.
Josh also performs the theme from Cinema Paradiso (a movie buff's "must have" film) - it's another gorgeous song that he really sells. You should also check out the original version in the film itself...
David Foster sits down at the piano to reminisce with his protege about his discovery of Josh at the Interlochen Arts School, and their subsequent work together. Finally, Foster accompanies Josh for Broken Vow, a Walter Aranasieff composition which is the best song in the concert in my opinion. This is the quintessential lost love, heart-breaking, show-stopping, "dear God I wish I had written that" song, and Josh delivers it perfectly. PLEASE WRITE A MUSICAL AROUND THIS PIECE AND CAST JOSH AS THE LEAD - I will stand in line with the swooning throng to get tickets for that one.
Josh also sings Let Me Fall from Cirque Du Soleil's Quidam, a haunting piece that evokes the spirit of the innovative circus troupe very well. Not one of my favorites from this collection, but it is good nevertheless.
Tonight, A Very Special Episode of Ally McBeal
As I stated in the introduction, You're Still You and To Where You Are were both featured in episodes of Ally McBeal, and to great effect. Of course, what you heard in those episodes was closer to the tracks that appear on Josh's studio recordings. Here, in a live concert setting, I find these songs to be even more powerful and moving. These are simply wonderfully written songs, and Josh's voice is absolutely perfect for both of them. His delivery is heartfelt - you believe that these songs resonate deep within him. This is one of the qualities I love about Josh - he inhabits these songs, whether in English or not, and he makes the lyrics and emotions of each song believable. This is a hallmark of a talented vocalist, and Josh will only get better as time goes on. I highly recommend this CD/DVD set; first of all, the price for this set is really good, and it's nice to be able to see and hear the concert in different formats. Most of the songs are wonderful, with just a couple mis-steps. I can't wait to hear these songs performed in ten or twenty years, after he has had time to develop his voice and talents further...
Related Review
Josh Groban: Live at the Greek
Recommended:
Yes
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