I Dreamed a Dream

by Susan Boyle

Overview

There's no question that Susan Boyle's story is inspiring, but the same adjective can't quite apply to her debut, I Dreamed a Dream. This is almost a willful antonym of "inspiring" -- it is not stirring, rousing, or stimulating, it is sleepy, reserved, and placid, but is that a surprise? Boyle's grand unveiling on Britain's Got Talent was with a song from Les Miserables -- the very song that lends this album its title -- and if she could become an international sensation based on a show tune standard, there's no reason for her to change her approach on her debut, since that's the sound that made her a star. Plus, a large part of Boyle's appeal is that she's a middle-aged woman singing middlebrow material, recalling a bygone era when there were singers that appealed to an adult audience by offering soft, stately versions of pop hits and standards. That time was the late '60s and early '70s, and apart from a rather faithful version of Madonna's "You'll See," I Dreamed a Dream could very well have been released all those years ago, as it mixes up the show tunes, gospel, and Christmas carols with covers of Skeeter Davis' "The End of the World," the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," and a version of "Daydream Believer" that is easily the most lugubrious on record. Boyle never digs into the intent of the lyrics, but she sings beautifully throughout, delivering more of the same of what she did in her moment in the sun on television. And, frankly, that's all she needs to do: those won over by Boyle, either her voice or story, will surely be satisfied, and those expecting more were never likely to listen to I Dreamed a Dream in the first place. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/23/2009
Label:	Columbia / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC:	0886975982929

Tracks

1. Wild Horses
2. I Dreamed a Dream
3. Cry Me a River
4. How Great Thou Art
5. You'll See
6. Daydream Believer
7. Up to the Mountain
8. Amazing Grace
9. Who I Was Born to Be
10. Proud
11. The End of the World
12. Silent Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Susan Boyle   Primary Artist
Ralph Salmins   Drums
Steve Mac   Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Frank Ricotti   Vibraphone
Chris Laws   Drums
Dave Arch   Organ (Hammond),Piano
Mae McKenna   Vocals (Background)
John Parricelli   Guitar
LJ Singers   Choir/Chorus
Steve Pearce   Bass

Technical Credits

Ronan Phelan   Session Assistant
Claude-Michel Schoenberg   Composer
Andy Hill   Composer
Steve Mac   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Sylvia Dee   Composer
Keith Richards   Composer
Lawrence Johnson   Leader
John Stewart   Composer
David Foster   Composer
Patricia J. Griffin   Composer
Chris Laws   Engineer,Pro-Tools
Isobel Griffiths   String Contractor
Herbert Kretzmer   Composer
Dave Arch   Arranger,String Arrangements
Chris Barrett   String Engineer
Johan Jansson   Composer
Alain Boublil   Composer
Geoff Foster   String Engineer
Madonna   Composer
Wayne Hector   Composer
Ren Swan   Mixing
Mick Jagger   Composer
Arthur Hamilton   Composer
Fiona Cruickshank   Assistant
Daniel Pursey   Engineer
Nick Cervonaro   Assistant
Tim Larsson   Composer
Jean-Marc Natel   Composer
Rolf Wilson   Leader
Nicki L'Amy   Coordination
Johan Fransson   Composer
Tobias Lundgren   Composer
John Baker   Copyist
Audra Mae   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Steve Orchard   String Engineer
Stuart K. Hine   Composer
Arthur Kent   Composer