Dame Shirley Bassey: The Performance
Dame Shirley Bassey: The Performance
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Wednesday, 11, Nov 2009 11:26
Geffen, out now.
What's it all about?
It's a while since there's been a fully-original Shirley Bassey release. The last one, Get The Party Started, had a similar slant to The Performance in that it had the input of modern artists and producers, though it was pretty much a bunch of remixes of old school songs such as Big Spender.
Before that, her Thank You for the Years release featured six de facto new releases, though no-one really cared.
Now, she's bringing in the big guns to write the songs for her, such as the Manic Street Preachers, Gary Barlow, KT Tunstall and David Arnold, the man behind later Bond films and a load of other film scores (including Hot Fuzz and Zoolander). On paper, it's made of win.
Who's it by?
Shirley Bassey. You know, *that* Shirley Bassey. Nuff said, really.
As an example.
"I'll play this part the only way I can/For to live, I'll have to give/The performance of my life." - The Performance Of My Life
What the others say
"Admirably shaking away cruise-ship shtick, Bassey wraps herself around these songs with gusto, meaning that perhaps, for once, mum's Christmas present will find a place on the family stereo." - BBC Music
"The unlikely collaborations yield the most interesting results: Manic Street Preachers and KT Tunstall upstage John Barry and Don Black, the brains behind Diamonds Are Forever, at their own game." - Observer
So is it any good?
It's probably worth consulting producer David Arnold on his thoughts first. "She's as unique and wonderful today as she has ever been", he proudly stated, "and I hope this record will reach an audience who may never have heard her before, so they can say 'she's got it' and for her fans from the past who can say 'she's still got it'."
Congrats Arnold: you win. He's proved two things with this release - that all it takes is a bit of ingenuity on the songwriting side of things to make it accessible, though the quality of the songs really allows her to shine through.
Shirley Bassey's an acquired taste at the best of times - though the big hits are burned with a red-hot cauterising iron into the ear drums of all and sundry - so to deny knowledge of her is futile. Mums and dads - not to mention grandparents - are usually huge followers of her too, so everyone knows what she's going up against... namely, herself.
So to say she's still at her peak well into her 70s may surprise many, though it's fair to say that a lot of this is owed to certain songs that allow her to explore a vocal range that's strong for her. Still, it's not the power ballads we're used to. It's her sultry side that takes over which, while it may not be as seductive, certainly works its charms.
The best examples can be heard during The Performance Of My Life which was penned by the excellent Pet Shop Boys, while the classically-written Our Time Is Now, utilising a refrain that's strikingly similar to True by Spandau Ballet, is also like pouring warm liquid velvet to your ears, providing such a practice would still allow you to hear the music.
Gary Barlow definitely deserves the Ivor Novello Award status too; his tune, This Time, is so ridiculously perfect for her that you'd think she'd ad-libbed it after being particularly hard done by in an ad hoc musical. It's just so bloody powerful.
Shirley's going to make new fans with this, providing they have open minds. The great work of KT Tunstall and the Manic Street Preachers in their own careers is bound to generate some interest after carrying over to the World of Bassey. Having said that, the Manics' offering is a bit of a let-down, though given my personal allegiance to the band, it was probably a case of building something up to later knock it down out of slight disappointment.
Others won't be all that bothered by this offering. To the untrained ear, it's just more Welsh crooning. Taking it in properly though, with a token pretentious glass of wine (preferably after downing two or three beforehand), will have you swinging it happily in your hand as you sway from side to side to the slow beats.
Either way, don't cross Shirl. Not a bad word against her, please. She's just too much of a legend to stamp on her talent. Which is still there, it must be added. Congrats Arnold, but full respect to Bassey - she's nailed it.
9/10
Matt Gardner