~ Come Rayne Or Shine ~

David's first album is titled "Only You". Released back in 2008, it contains 14 of his original compositions. My first impression when I first listened to it was that his style is somewhat like Joshua Payne's second album (raw, very acoustic and intimate, probably cut in his own studio instead of a big studio) mixed with a little bit of Ryan Cabrera (love the guitar riffs and the tone of his songs).  

There is something about the lyrics of his songs...they are real, like it could also happen to you and me, and at some points, they really hit home with the feelings described as he sings about love, hurt, etc. Couple that with his uncanny ability to come up with some very catchy tunes and his smooth vocals, it is a joy to listen to!  Whether it be a fast-tempo, happy song or a melancholic song that reminisces about lost love, "Only You" is a great debut from this independent singer/songwriter.

Some of my favorites include "Always Hurt" (where he sings about not wanting to go through love again, because he always ended up getting hurt), "Won't Even Start" (his only single released from the album, which did quite well on iTunes and Youtube), "Heart" (about a man who appears to be cold, but actually yearns to be loved by the girl) and "Hold On" (an uplifting song that encourages us to hold on despite the hard times).

"Romantic & earthy" - described from a fan of Joshua Payne on his music...how apt! I have been a big fan of him and his music since his first album 'Your Love, My Home'...beautiful beautiful music with lovely word imagery, soaring voice and the emotions from it.

It's funny how I 'stumbled' upon that album...I was looking through some albums in a music store, and noticed his album which was just behind Josh Groban's. Don't know why, but something compelled me to take another look and to get it (maybe it's his handsome face..LOL!). I didn't at first, but after going to his website and listening to the samples of his music there, I instantly went and got it at that same music store (there were no other places that carry his CD...I think I'm only a few of the people who were lucky enough to grab a copy in Malaysia!) Since then, I was hooked...=)

Here's another CD that I got along with my PGLM CD. I have not been to watch the musical myself, but listening to the CD makes me wish I did go. *sigh* One wonders how one can manage to miss all these wonderful things...

This recording comprised of 2 CDs, with so many songs that I feel are ALL the songs sung in the musical. Too bad some had such a short duration (like Getaran Jiwa). Infused together into the songs were snippets of dialogue...which I think is cool for a person like me who didn't watch the musical. At least I get a little gist of what the story was about.

Loved the singers' voices in it...who knew Malaysia has so many hidden gems? The actor who played P. Ramlee sounded quite like the real thing, it's kind of freaky! The actors who played his wives were also very cool...you could hear demure, some angry and depressed, and contentment in the voices.

Awesome job done by the production team who came up with great quality musicals! Now, if only their tickets weren't that expensive to go to, I might just go and watch local productions more often...heh!

Well, I finally got my hands on a copy of this after going through desperate attempts of looking for it in stores and 'stuff'! Am really bummed that I didn't get to watch Season 3 of this lovely musical when it was showing way back in February, but I guess this is the next best thing eh?

First things first, my likes...I loved that they included (almost) all the songs in the musical, and it flowed like it should have been in the musical. One of my favourites was the duet between the Bayan and the Puteri (Moga Temui Cinta). That song wasn't featured in their Season 2 recording, so I'm really stoked that Moga Temui Cinta was released in this recording!

The main characters' voices are still great...loved Stephen Rahman-Hughes strong voice, and Tiara Jacquelina's innocence that she brings to the table. Although in one or two songs you can hear some weird notes, but I guess it's all part and parcel of being a live recording, no? We can't expect a perfect rendition every single time...=)

It was also really nice to hear more of the other characters, like the Bayan who was not included in the previous recording. Plus, there were some different arrangements to the songs which worked very well. Some of them include Cinta Atau Setia, Dewa Perang, Malam Saksi Cinta and Pengorbanan Abadi.

Now I go to some of my little dislikes...maybe it's just me, but I feel that this season's recording was not as clear compared to last season's. It was mentioned that the recordings were taken from the sound manager's booth, but it somehow didn't reflect the full sounds that came from the last season's recording. Sometimes, it seems like I was listening to slightly muffled songs. Still, it's not really a big deal, but I feel if the recordings were clearer, it would give a bigger impact.

Although some of the arrangements were very cool, some I feel were a bit 'overdone'? I didn't like the way they sped up the tempo a little for the romantic songs like Di Puncak Tertinggi, Keranamu Kekasih and Katakan...I mean, I love the lyrics and melody to the songs! They make me feel so good and mushy, but to rush it like that seems to be playing down the 'romantic-ness' of the songs. Maybe it's just me...I'm a sucker for love songs, but I felt that sometimes, slow is not such a bad thing *wink*

I enjoyed this CD loads because it's from one of my favourite musicals, but somehow I can't help comparing it to the previous season's recording (who wouldn't?) which I also loved. I don't really know...probably the faster song works with their additions to the special effects and illusions, but just listening to the CD on its own doesn't really do it for me. I hope they release a video format of the musical so I can enjoy it to the fullest! *crosses fingers*