Well, I don't understand why Steve Balsamo sings on the POE album, he has a faint and weak voice. Lenny Zakatek, John Miles and all the others on the APP albums were soooo much better.
If you have ever seen Steve perform live then you would agree that he has both the ability and stamina to carry off the role of Poe with ease.In the recording studio it's a lot easier.
With the greatest respect to all of the APP singers the part of Poe demands a certain amount of genius to be the all rounder that musical theatre demands. After all Andrew Lloyd-Webber didn't think that Steve was weak surely and in Notre Damme du Paris he was exceptional.
Don't also forget that on stage you ever only get one chance to make an impression. Therefore it is easy to see why Eric chose Steve to carry out this difficult but brilliant part.
I think you need to hear Steve singing live. I was lucky enough to see all the live Poe performances in Abbey Road and he was phenomenol. As Tony says, Andrew Lloyd Webber cast him as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar when he was a complete unknown, and Lloyd Webber had many well known names and faces that wanted that role who didn't have the skill, musical ability or voice to carry it off 8 times a week! Sometimes, in production of an album, some of the strength of the vocal can be lost. I wouldn't say this is necessarily true of Poe but some of the vocal is not as outstanding as it could be and is live. Eric thinks Steve has a voice that complements his music perfectly... I have to agree! That's not to detract from other singers that have worked with Eric or Alan Parsons Project, everyone has their own strengths, tastes and preferences.
This sounds like another example of some people still pining away for the "good old days".
Some of the songs as they turned out on the album were not perfect for Steve's voice. Perhaps that where my exposure to the old Project days is coloring my opinion in that in almost every circumstance, the perfect singer was selected for each song.
Like Tony and the other poster, I saw POE show at Abbey Road, not once but twice. Steve was PHENOMONAL!!!!!!!!!! Perfect in the role, perfect voice for doing the stage version, just damn perfect.
The POE CD doesn't do the stage show justice, that's for sure. Let's hope we see something more this year.
Surely singing is like making love; sometimes you like it weak, sometimes strong....or am I thinking about making a cup of tea!?! opinions are like arseholes.....everyone has one. Keep up the good work Eric. x
Henry, it seemed to me that Alan Parsons chose really athletically voiced singers for much of the material on the post-Woolfson albums, but they often lacked *expression* and versatility (the strongest songs were ones like "Wine from the Water," fronted by Eric Stewart).
I think Balsamo is a commanding auditory presence on record (and from what I hear equally powerful live) and Eric Woolfson has found the perfect interpreter for these songs. Not only does Balsamo have extraordinary range, to me, he convinces as Poe, lending the material enormous emotional depth right across the board, from the anthemic spiritual songs to the more lighthearted pieces. That's some feat!
If I had to compare him to anyone in this context, it would be to John Miles' work with AP/EW, particularly on the first "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" and "Freudiana" - for reasons of range and character - but I really can't think of any comparable vocalist.
Even if someone doesn't particularly like the stylistic difference in Eric's more recent works such as POE to those of years past, musically it cannot be said with any validity that POE is not an exceptional work, nor can it be said that Steve Balsamo's voice is weak. In fact, Steve's voice is one of the most expressive and versatile in the industry today, and the way his voice has been recorded on the POE CD shows us just how true this is.
The pianissimo passages on song such as Tiny Star have been captured on the recording showing every nuance and emotion just as clearly as the more rocky/loud tracks such as Pit and the Pendulum or the powerful Immortal. It is a credit across the board to everyone that was involved - it is an exceptionally well written, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced recording. Even if stylistically someone doesn't like it, it cannot be said with any validity that any aspect of it is weak. I was fortunate enough to be at all three Abbey Road performances too, and they were exceptional live performances and very worthy of a place in the West End.
It doesn't take away from anything that anyone in the past did either. Those things are there for us all to enjoy, but new things are here for us too. Just enjoy them all for what they are.
By the way, one of the answers to some messageboard fun we are having in the contest section at http:stevebalsamo.2.forumer.com is "Life's Too Short"...
the boy's got pipes,end of story.Weak my foot.... Have you checked your hearing lately Beethoven? I suggest a visit to the DOCTOR!!!! (*shouting down an ear trumpet*). Twot (*under breath*). Turn it up Eric!! Lenny's Tom