Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(335 customer reviews) 130 of 138 people found the following review helpful
Number Five is Alright,
November 23, 2010 Sherrie Jackson (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Illuminations (Audio CD)
I came a little late to the Josh Groban party; he already had three albums out and the Christmas one on the way. I think that may be why changes in style and mood from album to album don't bother, or delight, me as they do fans who've been there from the beginning. I recognize "Illuminations" is a hard right turn away from previous efforts, but there is a lot to enjoy here.
"Hidden Away" and "Higher Window" are real surprises for me; they're simple, beautiful songs, and not unlike the song "Awake" from the album of the same name; however, the melodies are very strong here and the lyrics feel close to home. "Straight to You" is starting to look like my favorite song of his: the interpretation is sublime, the instrumentation inspired, and I like that he stays in mid-range, which reinforces the lyrics of the chorus.
"Voce Existe Em Mim" is the coolest song he's ever done. Had he stuck to the previous albums' formula, this could have had the track 1 spot. Obviously...Read more
106 of 127 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful, hypnotic, slow, majestic, soaring, but sad,
November 15, 2010 Anne B. "anneb" (Tarrytown, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Illuminations (MP3 Download)
Josh Groban has always been a great singer. What is really amazing is that after years of voice lessons he is noticeably better. How could he improve what was already so great? He managed. Everything is clearer, purer, richer, better executed. His lowest notes used to be his downfall & he sometimes struggled with them, but no more. His higher range notes sound more relaxed, more powerful, clearer. Unbelievable. The one oddity, for a near-operatic baritone, is that he relies a great deal on falsetto, which sometimes works well, but not always.
The sound on this album is just crystal clear, clean, awesome. I've never heard anything sound so clean.
Josh wrote 11 of the songs on this album, mostly with collaborators. This is more than he's written before. The songs include quite a bit of variety, with some sounding distinctly classical, others sounding more like folk ballads, and one ("The War At Home") sounding just a little bit country-ish. The lyrics...Read more
177 of 215 people found the following review helpful
I never thought I would write a review like this,
November 19, 2010 Jazifer (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Illuminations (Audio CD)
There seems to be a concerted effort by a number of fans to boost the ratings of this CD by posting glowing reviews, so it's going to be slightly more challenging to decipher what is a genuinely great review and one coming from a fan who would give 5* to a recording of Groban reading the telephone directory. I also presume, therefore, that any reviews that are not favourable will come with a 2/17 people found this review of use attached. All I can say is that if you are considering purchasing this CD, are not a self-confessed music starved Groban fan who is just happy to hear new music after several years, and if you have access to listen to it via a streaming service - take the opportunity to listen to it first before buying it. The mixed reviews really do indicate that this album is polarising listeners and fans, not least because the greater abundance of falsetto that has crept in. You may enjoy it, but I would try before you buy first.
My own personal thoughts --...Read more
