Petula Clark - Sign of the Times (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Petula still rocking at 69 years old!

martinlivesdowntown@hotmail.com | Epsom, Surrey, England | 11/16/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ok Ok so I am bound to be biased. I am a huge Petula fan. I like her music, her style...and if you are a Pet fan then you to will love this live album.
If you are not a Petula fan, or are undecided, then this album may disappoint. Pet is 69 today, and the voice is beginning to show signs of weakness (as can only be expected).
Saying that, the songs are great. You have the classics such as A SIgn Of The Times and Downtown...along with previously unrecorded material like Vivre from Notre Dame De Paris and Celebrate!
Pet can still hit the high notes, and her banter with co-stars Lou Rawls and Richard Carpenter is funny. Check out the song with Lou - the chemistry between them is fantastic and very amusing. Downtown and I'm Not Afraid are the show stealers. The latter being a new Pet anthem, but it is very emotional and moving. You will love it from the second it starts.
The orchestra is not as great as some she has sung with - which reduces the dramatic effect of some of the numbers, and the backing singers are weak in parts.
The only let down is her rendition of the song she triumphed with on both sides of the Atlantic - "With One Look" from Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard". It just doesnt sound right.
So all in all it's great to have the first LIVE recording in over 20 years, and for fans it will be a great treat - really fantastic. For those of you who havent followed her career, her styles and her appearances on the concert stage, it may be a little bewildering."

A DISAPPOINTING CONDENSATION OF A DISAPPOINTING CONCERT

Thomas C. Rizzo, Jr. | Largo, Florida | 01/27/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As another reviewer of this CD stated, I've been a die-hard fan of Petula Clark since I first heard the opening notes of "Downtown" in late 1964 - but I'm also one to listen to her latest output with an open mind, and be honest in my criticism of it. Any flaws I felt this "live" recording had on first hearing have only been magnified by my recent attendance at a concert Clark performed in Long Beach, looking and sounding very much like she did in the early 70s. "A Sign of the Times", alas, is a far cry from Clark at her best, and is an odd representation of her PBS special in that it includes songs not heard in it and versions of others different from those heard in the program, a sort of cut-and-paste of two concerts filmed on the closing nights of the Virginia Arts Festival last spring. Given what material was excluded from this Varese Sarabande release, one wonders why those credited with "preparing" the album for release selected such lackluster tunes as "The Wedding Song," "Celebrate," "Look for the Silver Lining," and "Vivre" to remain. Too often, Clark's voice is stretched thin by an effort to reach a note or sustain it in her inimitable way, and while these problems are not as noticeable in the broadcast version of the concert, they seem emphasized here by their frequency. How unfortunate that Clark's January 11, 2002 concert in Long Beach wasn't the one captured on film - greatly trimmed down, her mass of unruly curls replaced by the straight hairstyle she wore in the early to mid-70s, her voice was strong and confident and crystal-clear as she ran through her string of mid-60s hits intermingled with material from her film and stage work. Petula Clark definitely still has "it" - it's just not evident on this disappointing CD."

A Legend still Shines

W. Schultz | Detroit | 11/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At 69, Petula clark is a living legend. While most remember her from her 15 top 40 hits of the 1960's, clark had a career before "Downtown" and she has continued to have one after. Hightlights include "With One Look" from her recent spin as Norma Desmond in "Sunset Blvd" and "I Dreamed A Dream". Also Petula has long written many songs (Many under the name of Al Grant in the 60's) and here she continues with the beautiful "I'm Not Afraid". Off course, some of those 15 big hits are here also, "Downtown" and "I Couldn't live Without Your love" to name a few. Be sure to check out Petula on your local PBS station this coming month and SEE this Legend Work her magic."

A stunning live performance; she's still got it!

Norman Landsburg | Chapel Hill, NC United States | 12/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I drove 200 miles from home to attend this concert in Norfolk, Virginia on May 20, 2001, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. At 69 years young, Petula Clark still has one of the best voices I have ever heard. The concert was a delightful cornucopia of her classic 1960s hits, recent songs, and Broadway standards.Like any great singer, she knows how to convey the feelings of a particular song; she alternates between easygoing and serious whenever the song demands it. In concert, she is one of those performers (all too few today) who can generate a true feeling of warmth towards her audience, and we, the audience, love her for it.While nothing can compare with my memory of the live performance, this CD is a joy."

Petula's Powerhouse Performance

Mr. I. Offler | turkey | 11/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Petula has spent the last Ten Years concentrating on musicals. She starred on Broadway in Blood Brothers before taking it on a successful tour of the USA, she was the longest serving Norma Desmond in ALW's Sunset Boulevard, and don't forget Someone Like You in the UK. Sure Petula is heading toward the big 70 and as we all know one's body (including one's voice) ages with time. But as this album shows it has not diminished her talent one iota. Her voice has developed so much more character and depth.So now let's review the albumKicking off with A Sign of the Times, Pet is in great form on this catchy Trent/Hatch song, nice to here it performed live again. The self penned I'm Not Afraid proves what musical discipline has done for the lady as she rings out every emotion. from this beautiful ballad. On At Last she camps it up with Lou Rawls, before singing the inevitable Downtown. There is never a better version of this song than the original studio 45, it always has lost something sung live, but of cause she is expected to sing it, she sings this version much better than of late. The opposite applies to I Dreamed A Dream & With One Look, they have never sounded better sung live. Two not so well known singles Don't Give Up, which is given a new upbeat arrangement, the beautiful Wedding Song and a tribute to Karen Carpenter with Brother Richard on Piano on I Need to Be In Love are wonderfully performed and obviously enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience. Celebrate, a new Petula song, upbeat and Jazzy the exact opposite to Here For You, the gentle title track from her last & highly recommended studio album which Petula uses to close her show. I Couldn't Live Without Your Love does age well, here she swings along obviously enjoying herself with a little help from Lou & Richard. The old standard, Look for a Silver Lining follows before a terrific finale. Petula closes with a dramatic reading of the powerful ballad from Notre Dam, Vivre! sung entirely in French, showing that she still sounds terrific singing in the Gallic tongue.
Petula is accompanied by a superb Virginia Arts Festival Orchestra and her own musicians, M.D as usual is the wonderful Kenny Clayton, 4 backing singers and the Virginia Chorale Young Singers Project.
An excellent souvenir for those lucky enough to have witnessed a brilliant evenings entertainment, for the rest of us, who are not so fortuate, then this is a reminder that even after 60 years in the BIZ, Petula can still deliver the goods.....and how!!!!"

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