Four of my all-time favorites from Phantom are recorded in this CD: "All I Ask of You", "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", "Music of the Night", and "Phantom of the Opera". "Phantom of the Opera" is the solo version by Crawford that is not released elsewhere.

My favorite picks besides the Phantom ensemble would go to "Only You" and "Memory". After listening to the platters' original version, Michael Crawford adds spice to this timeless classics. "memory" is full of sentiments.

I highly recommend this album. My hat off for michael Crawford.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

AMAZING!  Oct 24, 1999
By Alicia Dingman
This is a fantastic recording! Michael's voice is at it's best. Any Dream and Memory are beautiful. Trust me it is SO worth your money. Michael has the strongest, most entrancing vioce you'll ever hear. He really does have the voice of an angel, and this CD proves it.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Michael's Best Album  Apr 10, 2004

This album is by far the best that Michael Crawford has released (not counting the OCR of Phantom), as he performs every one of these timeless songs absolutely flawlessly.

His Phantom work on the CD is up to its usual high-quality, though Barbara Bonney isn't Sarah Brightman. He does a jaw-dropping rendition of "Gethsemane" that is one of the most powerful I've heard. Yes, his approach to the song's rhythm is straightforward, but I prefer this more ballad-like approach. His performance of "Tell Me on a Sunday" (one of ALW's best, least-known songs) is also fantastic. And "Love Changes Everything" is well-arranged and sung (with backup vocals from the ladies and choir) and is one of the few songs that consistently gives me goosebumps.

However, all that being said, the one REAL reason to buy this album is to hear its unique arrangement of "Only You." Having heard the song previously as it was originally performed by the original cast, I considered the song to be boring and pedestrian. Whoever re-arranged the song (with new lyrics?) deserves a medal, because it transforms "Only You" into an enormously power love duet that is one of the best songs in ALW's entire canon. Overall, this album comes highly recommended, especially for those with only a passing familiarity with Crawford's or ALW's work.

9 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Michael Crawford gets to sing other songs from "Phantom"  Dec 22, 2001
By Lawrance M. Bernabo
I have always thought the main reason Michael Crawford did this album of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs was because it gave him a chance to sing some of the other songs from "The Phantom of the Opera." That probably explains why "All I Ask of You" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" are two of my favorite tracks on this album. But my favorite is "Tell Me On A Sunday," from the little known musical "Song and Dance," a song that clearly suits Crawford's evocative voice. This album includes a wide variety of songs, from the upbeat "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)" from "Evita" to the dramatic "Gethsemane" from "Jesus Christ Superstar," but clearly Crawford works best with songs that build to emotional climaxes such as "Memory" from "Cats" where his voice gets to soar above the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. If all you know of Crawford and Lloyd Webber is their successful collaboration on "Phantom," then this album will serve as a wider introduction to the work of both artists. You will especially want to hear his duet on "The Music of the Night" with Barbra Streisand.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Michael Crawford Rises Above All  Sep 09, 2003

This is definitely one of the best CD's I've ever owned. I've gone through a couple copies of it, since its first release. Every one of the tracks is amazing, as Michael Crawford takes some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest melodies and recreates them.

"Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an excellent way to start off the album. The tracks from Phantom are all excellent, as is "Memory" and "Only You". But the two finest tracks on here are his rendtions of "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar and "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love. This version of "Gethsemane" is without a doubt the most powerful, operatic, and heartbreaking rendition ever. The soaring orchestra and choir add a depth to the song that is missing from all other versions. "Love Changes Everything" is an epic love song, with an achingly beautiful melody and dazzling lyrics. Michael Crawford's voice, as well as the orchestra and choir (once again!), bring the CD to a fantastic close with this powerful anthem about the greatest human emotion.

All in all, this is absolutely one of the best CD's you can buy. Fans of Michael Crawford, Andrew Lloyd Webber, or beautiful music should buy this as soon as possible. It is well worth it, and will be listened to countless times. Praise to Michael Crawford and Andrew Lloyd Webber in this combination of their amazing talents!

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