Awake
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- Artist: Josh Groban
- Rating:
- Release Date: November 07, 2006
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Vocal Music
Review
Longtime fans of Josh Groban should be pleased to know that the vocalist's third studio album, Awake, features more of the polished, well-crafted, and emotionally grand classical crossover pop he has become known for. In fact, the album is perhaps his most appealing and deviates little from his previous outings. Here listeners get a mix of original songs -- some co-written by Groban -- that trade between more classical/opera-oriented songs sung in Italian and more pop-oriented songs in English. Interestingly, the tracks co-penned by Groban are some of the most compelling, and showcase his knack for a kind of '60s Scott Walker baroque pop meets '80s Diane Warren adult contemporary vibe. This brings up the only problem with Awake, which is that as Groban's music has moved closer and closer to pop, the necessity of utilizing Italian becomes increasingly nebulous. Truthfully, barring any awkward translations, most of these songs would sound fine sung in English and generally come off as very good Italian pop songs. So, despite being quite listenable, from a mainstream pop point of view the use of Italian is great for lending the album a sheen of pan-European classical regality, but in some ways limits the emotional impact of the songs to only those who understand Italian. None of this really matters, though, to fans of Groban, who justifiably respond to his superb technique, silky tone, and bedroom eyes. It doesn't hurt either that he's brought along some unexpected guests this time around in the African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, appearing here on two tracks, as well as legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, who shows up on the angular and half-funky "Machine." It's also great to hear Groban dig into an adaptation of "Un Giorno Per Noi," Nino Rota's theme to Franco Zeffirelli's classic 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. The song, as Awake itself, is a grand collision of pop culture and co-opted classical themes from then and now, and perfectly embodies everything that has made Groban so successful. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi| Awake (2000 Album by Godsmack) | |
| Awake (2008 Album by Miguel Zenón) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Awake (Josh Groban album)
| Awake | ||||
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| Studio album by Josh Groban | ||||
| Released | November 7, 2006 | |||
| Genre | Operatic Pop | |||
| Label | Reprise/143 | |||
| Producer | David Foster | |||
| Josh Groban chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
 This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
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Awake is a platinum-certified album by the American singer-songwriter Josh Groban. Announced on September 13, 2006, it is Groban's third studio album, and a follow-up to his multi-platinum album Closer. Awake was released on November 7, 2006.
The album was certified 2× Platinum in the US by the RIAA for shipping two million copies, and is the third top selling classical album of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[2]
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Contents
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Album information
The album's first single is "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)". The album features producers Imogen Heap, Marius De Vries, Guy Sigsworth, Eric Mouquet, Glen Ballard and David Foster (who also worked on previous Groban works). As with all Josh Groban albums, songs on Awake are performed in English, Italian and Spanish. The album offered a more modern vibe to Groban's voice by using more instruments aside from the occasional classic piano accompaniment in his previous albums. The album also featured Groban's head voice technique as evident in most of the tracks in the album.
Awake additionally features tracks that credit Groban's recent movements in South Africa. "Lullaby" and "Weeping" (album tracks 11 and 12) are sung by Groban in conjunction with the renowned South African musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, with further contributions from Vusi Mahlasela and Dave Matthews. "Weeping," a pop song originally composed in South Africa, is thematically oriented with the country's history of Apartheid.[3] "Lullaby" is a track included in the album as a supplement to "Weeping," considered one of the album's major highlights. "Lullaby" is meant to flow gaplessly into "Weeping," but the rest of the album uses gaps. The song Now Or Never was produced and co-written with English singer/songwriter Imogen Heap.
The single "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" peaked at #9 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, while the tracks "February Song" and "Awake" each peaked at #13 on the same chart.
Track listing
- "Mai" (Leo Z./Andrew Sandri/Marco Marinangeli) - 4:35
- "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" (Thomas Salter) - first single - 4:49
- "Un día llegará" (Oksana Grigorieva/Claudia Brant) - 4:18
- "February Song" (Josh Groban/Marius de Vries/John Ondrasik) - 5:12
- "L'ultima notte" (Marinangeli) - 4:22
- "So She Dances" (Asher Lenz/Adam Crossley) - 4:54
- "In Her Eyes" (Michael Hunter Ochs/Jeff Cohen/Andy Selby) - 4:54
- "Solo por ti" (Mark Hammond/Marinangeli) - 3:59
- "Now Or Never" (Groban/Imogen Heap) - 3:38
- "Un giorno per noi" (Nino Rota/Lawrence Kusik/Edward A. Snyder/Alfredo Rapetti) - 5:11
- "Lullaby" (featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo) (Groban/Dave Matthews/Jochem Van Der Saag) - 2:32
- "Weeping" (featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Vusi Mahlasela) (Dan Heymann) - 4:45
- "Machine" (featuring Herbie Hancock) (Groban/Eric Mouquet/Dave Bassett) - 4:54
- "You Raise Me Up" (Brendan Graham, Rolf Løvland)(European Bonus Track) – 4:50
- "Verità" (Richard Page/Per Magnusson/David Kreuger) (Special Edition Bonus Track) - 4:01
- "Awake" (Groban/Eric Mouquet/Thomas Salter)(Special Edition Bonus Track) - 5:11
- "Smile" (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) (Website Exclusive[4]) - 3:43
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[5] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[6] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
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^shipments figures based on certification alone |
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References
- General references
- Specific references
- ^ Awake (Josh Groban album) at Allmusic
- ^ "Classical Albums | Billboard.com". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/classical-albums?year=2009&begin=11&order=position. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ Heymann, Dan. "Weeping Lyrics". Weeping, The South African Anti-Apartheid Protest Song. http://www.weeping.info/Weeping-lyrics.html. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
- ^ Awake Exclusive Edition in the Internet Archive
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Josh Groban – Awake". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Awake&sa=Josh+Groban&smt=0.
- ^ "American album certifications – Josh Groban – Awake". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Awake%22. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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