Nilsen's debut album came on the heels of his spectacular win of the first Norwegian Pop Idol competition in 2003 and his soaring rendition of Tal Backman's "She's So High." Later at the World Idol competition in 2004, he reigned supreme with his heart stopping rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day." Both songs are on this edition, as well as a cover of Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" and ten Nilsen original.
R**H
Pretty good album
I first heard Kurt Nilsen on World Idol on Xmas Day 2003 and was blown away by his voice. So I decided when his album came out I would get it, and I did. The album generally is very good, but there are a couple of weak songs, Games we Play and Breathe you In, I am not keen on those. The best songs without a shadow of a doubt are "She's So High, Smell the Roses and Lost in Despair". So I enjoy all of them except Games we Play and Breathe you In.But definitely worth buying if you like his voice!!!
H**S
What a debut
After having heard Kurt on World Idol I was blown away be his performance. However, as is usually the way, I expected an album to be average at best. Especially an Idol album. Boy - was I wrong! If you love Kurt's voice and his rendition of U2's Beautiful Day then this Cd won't dissapoint. Out of 12 tracks, only 2 are covers, and the rest have Kurt's input. It's an excellent album and I'd highly recommend it.What a voice that man has, eh?!
M**L
Four Stars
nice cd
M**I
Five Stars
as described
A**R
World X Factor winner
Decent enough debut from Danish winner of X Factor ,, some nice original songs & couple of very good covers, specially Tal Bachmans She's So High, almost as good as the real thing.Some folk may find his voice a little whiny but Kurt has a great range & will surely mature into a fine performer. I am really looking forward to the always hard to do 2nd album,, give it a listen & let's hope someone with a decent future has finally been " discovered " on this cheesy but entertaining TV show !!! Dave.
T**A
Kurt, a Magnificent Musician
For a debut album, this is nothing short of astonishing! Kurt did not only showcase his amazingly unique voice in this album but also his natural flair for songwriting. He tackled the ballads Lost in Despair, Breathe and I (all my personal favorite)with so much depth and passion as shown in the poetical lyrics of such songs. The melody and the way he sang these ballads with his haunting and yet pleasing voice is so captivating. The upbeat tones and rhythm of Smell the Roses, Last Day of Summer, Wedding'S Off ( another personal favorites), Here She Comes and All You Have to Offer have all the character of a music hit because of the simplicity and pureness of the text and yet honest and refreshing. However there's some sense of poetry and sophistication that one can feel in Lost in Despair, I and Weddings Off that I wouldn't be surprised if any of this songs become a mega hit. Even the cover songs that he did came out better (with all due respect to Bono, Tal, Andreas and Simon) than the original songs just because of his fantastic and superior voice. Kurt singing voice is instinctive and interpretive, such that when he sing a good song like Beautiful Day he made it great by bringing out the substance from the song, just by the simple power of his voice. The way this album was produced by Mr.Evenrude is also commendable,not the typical Idol albums, not over the top nor under but just RIGHT and PERFECT. In essence though, I believe that the power of this album can be mostly attributed to Kurt's own (original) songs and songwriting ability. Kurt is a budding musical genius that the world need to nurture, appreciate and enjoy at the same time.Addendum, the best part of this album is that, there is not one bad song in it and that alone makes for a good buy!
B**Z
Awesome , not to be missed!
This is an amazing debut album for this singer who really shocked and pleasantly surprised the world on World Idol. I was blown away by his performance and just had to get this album to experience more of his unique talent. Even my local radio station which loves to ridicule the American Idol show and the singers that come from it had nothing but praise for Kurt.Unlike many albums, there are no stinkers on this one. It's a nice mix of songs and does a great job of highlighting Kurt's voice. Yes, he does sound a bit like Bono from U2, but he definitely has his own unique feel and spin on these songs. This is a CD well worth getting, and I sure hope Kurt finds the international success he so much deserves...because I want to hear more from him!!
S**Y
Great voice - Hopefully big things to come for Kurt
I have to say that unless I saw Kurt sing on World Idol I wouldn't have heard his great voice - but I'm pleased I did. I never thought I could hear someone who could put their stamp on a U2 song (Beautiful Day) and end up with a version every bit as good as Bono's. She's So High is another favourite song and the version on the album is also as good as the original if not better. I really hope this lad goes on to become a massive hit - since his voice is really amazing.
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