Sarah Brightman - As i Came of Age (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

Very different, but good

Lynn Burke | 10/31/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Not many people know about this album, but being a die hard Sarah fan, I bought it to add to my collection. This is defenitally not the kind of Sarah Brightman music everyone is used to hearing so you need to have an open mind. Some of my favorite tracks on this cd are "The River Cried", "Brown Eyes", "Good Morning Starshine", and "Alone Again Or". This cd has a different feeling to it that I can't quite explain. It's very pop-ish and has an 80's sound to it. Just keep in mind that the music on this cd is in a completely different category than her other cd's. If you are a big Sarah fan or a collector of her music, I recommend this cd because its worth the buy."

A bit of an oddity

M. Croy | Texas, USA | 03/03/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As I Came Of Age is unlike any other of Sarah's albums. Recorded after her musical theater work and before her fabulous classical-crossover albums, this is an album of folksy, soft-rocking 80's-style pop.

I have to say this is probably the worst album Sarah made after she went solo. Some of the tunes are ok and the rhythms can be fun, but everything on here is mediocre at best and just plain bad at worst. There is not one really stand-out good song. The lyrics are just terrible at times, the musical arrangement lacks imagination, and what I personally find most annoying, every other track closes with a poorly done fade-out.

However, even the worst songs can't hide Miss Brightman's voice, and an album with her voice on it can't be all bad in my book. Here you see an unusual side of Sarah's voice. She sings in a strong, chesty, pop manner, not at all like the soft pop-voice she tends to use in her recent albums like La Luna. As always, her voice is clear and smooth, and the lower key that she sings in gives it an earthier, more human sound than you get with her ethereal soprano. And while the selection doesn't show off her upper range, you do get to hear the fullness and strength of her lower ranges.

So as a bottom line, I recommend As I Came Of Age only if you are a fanatical admirer of Miss Brightman (like me), because this album is substantially below par as far as her work goes."

Good tunes but not standard Brightman.

Matthew D Wion | Milwaukee, WI United States | 03/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Frist of all this album shows you just how versatile Ms. Brightman can be. Her versatility is her most postive contribution as a performing artist.
The songs on this Album are very catchy and nice to sing along with. The tempo is up beat and it's very very 80s. Sarah, of course, has a nice voice; but it is neither the breathy whisper of her current pop or the soaring sweetness of her rich soprano. This shows Sarah as a full-blown pop artist. If you are mostly a Eden, La Luna, and Time To Say Goodbye Brightman fan then you will not be likely to really enjoy this album.
For my own part I really liked it and think it is worth the purchase and the listening experience. Perhaps this means I'm simply too fond of Sarah Brightman, but I think not, it is a good sample of late 80s pop; if you like that you'll like this.
What I find truly fascinating is that we get a differnt aspect of Sarah's voice; something more akin to her music theatre voice, but more pop oriented. A deeper, lower octave, and more upbeat sounds marks her performance. This is something I would love to hear her incorporate with the soft pop and siren soprano that she currently relies on (as this would manifest her versatility in even more creative ways)."

Utterly enjoyable---if you don't expect the wrong thing

ericmusicguy | 10/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As I Came of Age is a delight, once you get past how different it is from Sarah's more popular works. Following in the vein of experimental albums that got her through 1989--1996, this album is unique in that it's pop-like, and yet it's very folk-sy. But in a beautiful way. Her voice is not just fresh--it's dynamic. You don't hear Sarah sing with this much feeling outside of Phantom anywhere else. She's young, emotive, and ready to sing.

The album kicks off with the wonderful "The River Cried", which is mournful yet spirited. "Something To Believe In" is the gem of the album and was the only single release from this disc. It's a moving track that features some amazingly adaptable lyrics, a heartfelt vocal delivery, and an absolutely beautiful musical arrangement with soft guitars and instrumentation, and an overall treatment that add up to make an undiscovered Sarah classic. "As I Came of Age" is almost epic, a retro-spective, personal moment a la mode "I Loved You" from the album Fly with a much more dynamic, momentous musical feel. "Take My Life" is an angst-filled storybook of pain that again showcases the expression in Sarah's voice.

The first lull is "Some Girls" which has it's feet stuck in the 80s. A gas but highly forgetful. "Brown Eyes" is cute but again, feels musically out of place. These two drags are rescued by the joyous "Love Changes Everything," more appropriate here than on her countless ALW-released musical theatre albums.

"Good Morning Sunshine" is alright, but features an overblown musical arrangement that does the song no good, but the song is very catchy. "Alone Again Or" is a bit hard to define. Almost bluesy... "Yesterday" follows in the vein of "Some Girls" but isn't as bad.

"Bowling Green" is one of the most enjoyable Sarah songs you'll ever hear that Sarah could (but most likely, won't) do wonders with as a live performance. Another story-book song, this time we're told of a charming town in Kentucky with an irresistible vocal from Sarah and an adorable musical arrangement with harmonica-like synths (I think--it's hard to tell what it is) and a great, acoustic-guitar-driven pace that would have finished the album far better than the pale "It Must Be Tough... To Be That Cool."

In whole, this album fits nicely into the five albums from this era of Sarah's career (The Trees They Grow So High, The Songs That Got Away, Dive, and Fly, plus this release) that are refreshingly unique from Sarah's themed crossover works from 1997--2006. It has its perks, just as the others do. For example: you buy The Trees They Grow So High for Sarah's lilting, young and pure voice; you buy The Songs That Got Away for some unheard-of (a welcome change) show tunes; you get Dive because it's the first Brightman/Peterson album, and a great one at that; and Fly because its her undeniably good "rock with a bit of ambience in there" album.

Like those, you should buy As I Came of Age because, again, you get some of the more rare qualities of Sarah's voice (as pure as ever, but far more emotive than it's been in years), and, in the case of a fair number of songs, the music from the album itself is just great.

This is by far the most underappreciated Sarah album, which is a shame. Take a chance on this one, and you won't be disappointed, even if it's expensive and even if the musical style takes some adjusting to. Don't buy this if you just have to have every CD released because you're a collector; but DO buy this if you love Sarah, her voice, and music, and want to hear her work her magic in yet another of the countless ways that she does."

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