21 - ADELE

Great cd.

I bought this based on the Amazon reviews. I'm usually disappointed when I buy a cd from one of the new artists, but this cd, which is her second, is strong throughout. Well written tunes, simple arrangements, not over produced like so much of the crappy music these days, and this young woman can really sing. She does cool things with her voice without over signing like so many of the over-hyped singers these days and she has soul. I finally got to see her perform on TV, one song on Dancing With The Stars, and she is a brilliant live performer. The best videos on youtube are the live ones from Jools Hollanders Late Nite show, amazing. On her first CD 19, her phrasing and style is a bit all over the place, obviously trying to find her own style and copying others, but the album is good. On this, her second album, 21, she stamps out her own indelible style and it is distinctly Adele. I've had the cd a couple of months now and I never tire of listening to it. All the songs are about a relationship and they are gut wrenching and passionate with strong lyrics. Adele is the real deal; a very good song writer and a great, soulful singer. This is one of the best albums in years by any performer and Adele is the number one selling recording artist in the world. As of this update on June 27, 2011, this cd has been number 1 on the global charts for 16 weeks this year. It has sold over 7 million copies (digital and hard copy). If you are a romantic or have ever been in love you will relate to these songs.

Having felt a bit lukewarm about her debut album 19, I was eager to see what Adele's sophomore effort would sound like. 21 feels much like a promise fulfilled. There has never been any denial of Adele's soaring voice. In fact, she simply puts most current artists to shame in the days of so much auto-tuning. Adele's producing partners have been a tremendous asset on this album, working with the likes of Ryan Tedder and Paul Epworth. Her collaborations have produced a deeply emotional and personal album. You can feel the emotions of each song. From the first track to the last, Adele holds your attention and conveys so much power and feeling that it is difficult not to push repeat on each song just to hear it again. "Rolling in the Deep" begins with a gospel-bluesy feel. Adele has said that she channels Beyonce's Sascha Fierce when she sings it, and it definitely shows. Her haunting voice floats effortlessly over the strong beat. Other standouts on the album are "Turning Tables", "Set Fire to the Rain", "Take it All", "One and Only", and the haunting "Someone Like You" (though you would be hard-pressed to find a song on the album that is sub-par. Maybe only "Dont' You Remember" falls a little flat). Note to artists out there - if you wanna get a great ballad, go see Ryan Tedder. With "Apologize", "Bleeding Love", and now "Someone Like You" to his credit, he is proving to be a ballad writer like none I have seen in the past two decades. It is hard to believe Adele is only 22 years old. It is exciting to think of how many albums and wonderful singing will come out of her in the years to come. This is easily the best album release of this year, and possible of the last 4 or 5 years. It is an amazing display of vocal ability and beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking songwriting. A must own.

I was skeptical when Adele came to the forefront of the music world. With Amy Winehouse spiraling down, I thought Adele would be a talent we would enjoy for far too short. She has proven me wrong. Many artists fall into a trap where they spend years refining their first album, only to disappoint when they need to create another. Adele has done the opposite. While her first album was good, this album is amazing. The songs are predominantly about love, which is generally a faux pas, but her songs are original and phenomenally written. Her voice has become more powerful and controlled; it is clear she has a good voice teacher. On vinyl, this album shines. Like Brothers, by The Black Keys, the music just sounds like it was intended for vinyl. I have both the mp3 album and the vinyl hard copy, and I prefer the vinyl. The only thing I found a touch perplexing was the order of the songs. Generally, the order of tracks indicates how a story is to be followed. I felt that I'll Be Waiting should have been at the absolute end of the album. As it stands, it ends with Someone Like You. While that is a great song, it's quite a downer in terms of ending an album. Other than that, I think this album is flawless and a great buy for any Adele album.

Best songs ever!

I ordered 3 CDs on Amazon that tracking showed shipped from California to Texas with an unexpected 2 day delay in the middle. All 3 arrived today, with this one and another in the same bag. The top covers of the two of them where shattered. Looks like something heavy had been put on top of the paper bag Amazon shipped them in. Luckily the CDs and bottoms of the cases were fine. Transferred to blank CD jewel cases along with the inserts. Not worth filing an Amazon return or exchange for. The Adele CD itself is great! I've had it on MP3 for years. TWO take-aways here: (1) Always good to have some blank CD jewel cases around, and (2) AMAZON - you really should be always shipping CDs in BOXES not bags. I've bought several others from Amazon recently that were packed in small boxes, with zero shipping damage.

I just love her voice!

Excellent CD. All of my favorites.

10 de 10 lo que esperaba

Great! Original and new! Thanks for the rapid, easy and unproblematic delivery!

Deze cd had ik al, maar uitgeleend, vergeten aan wie en nooit meer teruggekregen.

Le canzoni più famose di Adele sono qui. Il vinile è un successo dietro l'altro, devo alzare molto il volume dell'impianto HI-Fi per avere un coinvolgimento decente ma la qualità è buona, la voce centrale e i vari strumenti ben identificabili nella scena sonora, bello sentire il pianoforte che l'accompagna nel brano Take it all. Rispetto agli altri brani, paricolare è il fatto che la voce sia più squillante e meno ovattata in I'll be waiting. Un album da collezione anche se su vinile standard ma che suona bene, separazione dei canali elevata, fruscio e tic inesistenti, a volte anche se non sono stampati su vinili 180 gr le stampe possono essere buone. Copertina semplice e busta interna senza testi con due foto per parte di Adele in bianco e nero e da un lato nella parte in basso è dedicata alle collaborazioni. Quello che conta è la sua voce e i suoi bellissimi brani musicali, per cui è un voto positivo.

Great songs