A while ago, in my  review of Susan Boyle’s  rendition of Wild Horses, ,I noted that only time will tell whether the latest reality show, overnight success story is here for the run or just another passing event.
Finally the album has been released and has been playing on my IPhone for the last 48 hours. Fully expecting a bunch of much chewed on covers of popular standards, I approached the album with the full intent of tearing it apart. I am happy to say that I was wrong. The 12 songs on I Dream a Dream fit Susan like a glove and are very impressive. Steven Mac’s production and Simon Cowell’s management have payed off. The album passes back and forth from the sacred to the secular, to be expected from a middle aged Scottish lass who spend her time in the church choir. Given that, it takes a lot of guts to bring out an album that juxtaposes Silent Night with Madonna and the Monkees.
   The album opens with devastating Wild Horses which I have already blogged about. Then we are swept into a newly orchestrated performance of the title song and the song that made fer famous,  I Dreamed a Dream.  This version is very different from the way she sang it on Britain’s Got Talent. Here her voice is much softer and held back and the change works for the better. Simon Cowell obviously knows what he is doing.  Cry Me a River follows, moving us from Broadway to Jazz. If you didn’t know who was singing  it, you could  be forgiven for mistaking  it for  a veteran singer like Cleo Laine or Shirley Bassey. A beautiful song.
   The sacred side of the album kicks of with How Great Thou Art  immediately followed by the dramatic You’ll See originally Madonna’s. Someone will eventually write a Seminar paper comparing Madonna and Boyle’s climb to fame, it might make interesting reading. Daydream Believer, Boyle’s version of the Monkee’s hit, is my favorite song on the album and nothing short of brilliant, an incredible improvement on the original. From there the album returns to the sacred with the gospel like Up to the Mountain and Amazing Grace, a song which I feel has been recorded once too often. Who was I born to Be, the only original song on the album, shows  Boyle at her best,  and though very  predictable it still works. Proud is yet another great, flawless, held back  piece. The album closes with  two,  much covered standards, End of the World, beautifully accompanied by classical guitar, and Silent Night just in time for Christmas.
   In total, the album is a very well put together initial offering. Even the cover photo contributes to the feeling of warmth the listener encounters. It would seem that the dream has actually been fulfilled and in an age of cynicism fairy tales can still come true. I recommend it highly.
I Dreamed A Dream

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