Wait! What? Kylie Minogue singing with an orchestra???
Yes, “The Abbey Road Sessions”, is the latest album from the biggest Australian import, Kylie Minogue, recorded, as the title suggests, at London’s legendary Abbey Road studios with a full orchestra. And yes, it is also yet another set of her greatest hits or let’s face it, another way of milking her die-hard fans’ pink dollars. There I said it! As if we need more after splurging our hard-earned money on countless number of her greatest hits, box sets, live and remix albums over the years.
Yes, “The Abbey Road Sessions”, is the latest album from the biggest Australian import, Kylie Minogue, recorded, as the title suggests, at London’s legendary Abbey Road studios with a full orchestra. And yes, it is also yet another set of her greatest hits or let’s face it, another way of milking her die-hard fans’ pink dollars. There I said it! As if we need more after splurging our hard-earned money on countless number of her greatest hits, box sets, live and remix albums over the years.
The great thing about this compilation album though (Yep, the Kylie fan in me
now talking after the opening rant!) all sixteen songs are re-arranged and
re-sung to materialize this fabulous concept of pop diva meets 22-piece
orchestra. A rousing opening number “All The Lovers” certainly warms our hearts
with its message of love. “Where Wild Roses Grow”, still eerily haunting and
poetically beautiful as the 1995 original, brings back Nick Cave for a reunion.
Her signature sex kitten purrs are in abundance on the piano-led “Come In To My
World” and funky “On A Night Like This”, a fitting theme for a James Bond flick.
“Confide In Me” and “I Believe In You” are pure vocal perfection, by Kylie
standard of course. 80’s dance-pop, “Never Too Late” gets a remarkable revamp and it is
now a heartrending ballad with Kylie’s sweet familiar nasally voice begging her
lover to start over again; the second best track of the set after “Flower”, the
melancholy previously unreleased track that finds Kylie yearning about
motherhood.
"Distant child, my flower. Are you blowing
in the breeze? Can you feel me as I breathe life into you? I know one day
you'll amaze me"
The orchestral renovation on her disco
numbers does not necessarily translate magic. The slow-downed versions of
“Better The Devil You Know” and “I Should Be So Lucky” in particular (Yawn!),
the folky “Hand On Your Heart” and the Motown-esque cheesiness, “The
Locomotion” should have been left alone as disco anthems. Besides, “Slow” is no
longer sexy here and the acoustic-heavy “Love At First Sight” is dreary.
Well, that being said, there’s at least some
new music from Kylie to play for the boys when they come over for dinner. But
“The Abbey Road Sessions” is strictly for Sunday evenings and we shall stick to
wine only. If you know what I mean.
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