2001 album for the international artist who's conquered the classical music world as well as pop. Teaming with producer Youth (Fine Young Cannibals, Bananarama, James, Crowded House, the Orb) to create this trance/dance i... more »nfused album. Highlights include the first two singles, 'Destiny' & 'White Bird'.« less
2001 album for the international artist who's conquered the classical music world as well as pop. Teaming with producer Youth (Fine Young Cannibals, Bananarama, James, Crowded House, the Orb) to create this trance/dance infused album. Highlights include the first two singles, 'Destiny' & 'White Bird'.
CD Reviews
Violin music on steroids
Jozef Purdes | Atlanta, GA United States | 01/17/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The new album by Vanessa Mae marks a return to her first work. Unlike "Storm", "Subject to Change" offers more instrumental tracks, and does not sound as eclectic. Pros:
* The album is full of energy and catchy and simple tunes.
* It is rare to see such a packed album (65 minutes) these days.
* The tracks "Destiny" and "Laughing Buddha" are like "Red Hot", Mae's signature tune, on steroids. The album is worth its price for these two tracks; the rest is just a bonus.Cons:
* Vanessa Mae still thinks that when she sings in French, it will sound nicer. Among all those high-energy tracks, her singing feels a little out of place.
* The import version is a little pricey; you may want to wait for the US release.Overall, Vanessa Mae has proven with her third pop album that she is here to stay, so get used to it."
Not as good as some prior albums but good either way!
Mykola | Philadelphia, PA USA | 07/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I like a few other reviewers felt that some of Vanessa Mae's prior albums were better in originality and use of the violin than this album. It seems like she's trying to move even more toward a pop tilt on this album, but overall this album is definitely worth the purchase. Also, even though the violin is not predominant like prior albums her voice really shines through on the songs with vocals. I particularly like White Bird. Either way if you're a fan of hers I don't think you'll be disappointed because I really think it's an album that you just pop in and listen to!"
WHERE STORM LEFT OFF..
Shashank Tripathi | Gadabout | 09/29/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Quite simply, Mae's latest album takes off where her last one left off. She makes you wonder why rock and roll is associated with guitars, not violins. Once again, she weds a dizzying array of synthesized and generated sounds with violin playing of great warmth and dazzling virtousity. Expect beat-driven songs that combine her spiffy ability at the strings with various subgenres, as well as softer, more introspective pieces. The arrangements are classy as usual, and together with the well produced combinational elements, make for an entertaining album. Caveat: it may get a little monotonous, but if you enjoyed Storm you will likely find something on Subject To Change to keep you interested."
A Subject That's Constantly Changing (for the better)
Ken2001 | Memphis, TN | 11/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Subject To Change is Vanessa-Mae's best Pop recording so far in her career. Nearly all of the tracks are outstanding. Ironically, the only track that I didn't like was White Bird, the most publicized recording on Subject To Change. The reason why I didn't like it was because it sounded bland and "commercialized," meaning that it's indistinguishable from other dance or "house music" songs you may hear.
Although all the songs are good, the one that I feel is most revealing is Jamais, a song about love and passion that gets really erotic. It kind of gives an imaginative glimpse of Vanessa-Mae in the embrace of another man. Interesting indeed!
Overall, this is a great CD from an artist who will only get better in time."
A few standout tracks
Jason Ding | Ottawa, Canada | 09/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Being a Vanessa-Mae fan, I picked this up the first time I saw it in a store without reading any reviews. I have her previous album, Storm, and after listening to this, my first impression was that it was much better. She is a very fine violin player but what I find stands out the most are her songwriting skills, best shown on tracks like Yantra, Night Flight and Destiny. What is a shame though, is that aside from those tracks, it seems like the rest of the songs are all space-fillers and really lack any effort in the making. Perhaps it would have been better if she did some more classical remakes like on her previous pop albums instead of using original tracks.Also, like a previous reviewer felt, I thought it would probably have been better if she stuck to the violin and away from the microphone. She has a beautiful voice, but it is not really suited to the tracks on this CD.Nonetheless, despite its problems, I enjoy it very much, and although I find there are a lack of good songs, the few that are here are so amazing that they are worth the whole import price of the CD. It's a great getaway from all the other all-too-similar pop out there."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1