New album is called Hope

Talk about Libera CD/DVD

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j8000
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by j8000 »

I look forward to more details. Like some others I hope it doesn't turn out too saccharine, although unusually for me I did rather like Santa Will Find You. :oops:
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enjaysea
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by enjaysea »

Well they did change their name to Libera after all -- they're not bound to a specific musical style. And this freedom to explore options has always been there really, at least for the 28 years that I've been listening to them.

I think the reason I enjoy a wide variety of their recordings is because no matter where each song falls in the casual / classical spectrum, they all still have that signature sound that Robert Prizeman is able to awaken out of the humble voices of children.

Anyway, we're not listening to these on records, or cassette tape right? So if you don't like a track, go on to the next one.
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Surpinto
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by Surpinto »

enjaysea wrote: <span title="Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:51 am">7 years ago</span> Well they did change their name to Libera after all -- they're not bound to a specific musical style. And this freedom to explore options has always been there really, at least for the 28 years that I've been listening to them.

I think the reason I enjoy a wide variety of their recordings is because no matter where each song falls in the casual / classical spectrum, they all still have that signature sound that Robert Prizeman is able to awaken out of the humble voices of children.

Anyway, we're not listening to these on records, or cassette tape right? So if you don't like a track, go on to the next one.
I agree with this very much. When looking at Libera's music one must look at the recordings made as Angel Voices and prior. If we look at the totality of their recordings we can see that the variety of influences truly do stretch from ancient to modern. Many songs (e.g. "One Voice" from the "New Day" album of 1990 which was an arrangement of a 1979 song, not to mention "San Damiano") are much more modern than most of what they are doing now.

The amazing part of Libera, aside from the incredible training they provide to the choristers and the professionalism of their singing, are the arrangements of songs, old or new, that create the distinctive sound that makes them who they are. The harmonies Prizeman and associates add even to "pop" songs totally divorces those songs from their prior context and gives those songs a style that creates the song anew.

Though it is not pop, "Wayfaring Stranger" to me is an example of such a song. Those familiar with the American bluegrass and folk genres know quite well just how unsuitable that song would appear to be for a boy's choir; but few people criticized the song in advance because only a few of us here are familiar with that sort of music. In fact, because I very much am familiar with this piece in its American folk music context, I was rather skeptical of how it would sound. Yet, the arrangement was superb and has renewed this song for me such that I no longer even think to compare Libera's version to the American folk versions with which I was familiar prior. This is an amazing feat; to re-create a usually twangy bluegrass song (that was the most popular version though there are others) into an ethereal choral work that is one of their best pieces of recent times.

Across their history many of their albums contained pieces I did not care for as much for others. But in my experience, there has never been, nor shall there ever be, an artist whose music I enjoy 100% of the time. Even my favorite composers or modern rock groups have entire albums or series of works I would never choose to listen to under any circumstances! We are all entitled to our opinion but we will never all enjoy every single work created by Libera or anyone else. The fact that about 90% or more of what Libera puts out is enjoyable to me is what makes me a major fan. This is a far higher percentage than many other groups that I listen to; choral, modern, or otherwise. Whenever I am listening to my Libera mix and The Lamb" or "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" (AV2) :lol: come on, I move on to the next track just as enjaysea says.

I see no danger of Libera going pop as we can see by the very pop choices they have made since the 1980's in their recordings; so this is nothing new. Let us wait to hear these songs before prejudging them. After all I never thought I would like "Wayfaring Stranger".
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filiarheni
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by filiarheni »

Surpinto wrote: <span title="Thu Mar 02, 2017 11:02 am">7 years ago</span> But in my experience, there has never been, nor shall there ever be, an artist whose music I enjoy 100% of the time. Even my favorite composers or modern rock groups have entire albums or series of works I would never choose to listen to under any circumstances! We are all entitled to our opinion but we will never all enjoy every single work created by Libera or anyone else. The fact that about 90% or more of what Libera puts out is enjoyable to me is what makes me a major fan. This is a far higher percentage than many other groups that I listen to; choral, modern, or otherwise.
This is true for me word-for-word, after 14 short months only in fact, but I do expect it to stay this way, because Libera is the first music to have such a huge and long-term effect on me, from the first day until now, and I've listened to most different music styles and musicians all my life.
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hiskeys
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by hiskeys »

Perhaps another good example of the 'magic touch' of Libera on a song would be Billy Joel's Lullabye. In that case, however, it was the video itself, not just the arrangement, that gave the song a whole new context. It has a level of sobriety that was most likely unanticipated, but quite a pleasant surprise.

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fan_de_LoK
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by fan_de_LoK »

dani wrote:It would be gutting if the album isn't 12 or more songs.
Because Angel and Jupiter (I vow to thee my country) are album fillers and can be brought on iTunes all over the world so it's not like the majority of fans don't already have them.
Sadly the 7 songs hypothesis seems to confirm.... :|

After the Sony Music shop site, there are now two other major sites that updated their 'Hope' pages with the songs list, and they only announce the same 7 songs...

HMV : http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Libera_0 ... td_7678615
Tower Records : http://tower.jp/item/4455055
Image


I hope this can still change and that other songs will be released, but I start to be pessimist :roll:
dani
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by dani »

If it is only 7 songs I'm also starting to believe that they have a contract and they have to release so many cd's in Japan and the Far East

Because 7 songs and 2 of them songs have been on cd's in Japan already.

So it seems strange to release another mini album if they don't have enough content to release a full album ?


ETA - it does look like they are meeting some kind of a quota
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JimmyRiddle
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by JimmyRiddle »

It's a good point...and at this stage no indication of an international release i.e. it's only appeared on Japanese online sites. It could indeed be a 'mini-album' instead of a full length product. Enthusiasm slightly dampened (more so if the top two are the versions we are thinking of). Yes Libera can work wonders with their arrangements but they are not miracle workers. Maybe another 5 songs will be revealed and it will be lifted to the heights of 'Peace'?
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dani
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by dani »

JimmyRiddle wrote: <span title="Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:53 am">7 years ago</span> It's a good point...and at this stage no indication of an international release i.e. it's only appeared on Japanese online sites. It could indeed be a 'mini-album' instead of a full length product. Enthusiasm slightly dampened (more so if the top two are the versions we are thinking of). Yes Libera can work wonders with their arrangements but they are not miracle workers. Maybe another 5 songs will be revealed and it will be lifted to the heights of 'Peace'?

Let's hope so but it is strange like you said there has been no news at all on a release anywhere bar Japan and the release date is about 6 weeks away.


ETA - Moose on twitter just tweeted and said he was listing to Angele so let's hope that will be additional song added
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fan_de_LoK
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by fan_de_LoK »

The CD 'Hope' is due for May 10.
We are currently March 16, 7 weeks remain.

I don't know the various steps and constrains and timing that apply for a CD production, but yes, it seems possible that they are still working on some of the tracks.
I want to believe that, though :wink:

But then, what is the point to announce in advance only 7 tracks for the new CD without any comment saying that more is coming ?
Is it usual to proceed like this ?
dani
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by dani »

From a marketing point of view it's very strange to release 7 song names and then add more after 2/3 weeks but then Libera follow the beat of there own drum.


But now other sites are listing the album with them 7 songs it wouldn't surprise me if that's it and Libera do like there mini albums in Japan.

And we all assumed it was a global album and at the moment it's looking more like a Japan and Far East release again.
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hiskeys
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by hiskeys »

I'm not that familiar with their Far East touring arrangements (and it might be entirely different from Japan to other places, like the Philippines where Roberto de Ocampo might have more direction).

Someone like Libera Records Japan or others, might have required or strongly suggested the new CD, the sales of which could help offset the cost of the tour. It keeps the 'buzz' and excitement of releasing these new songs in Japan, as opposed to some other tour. And since the Japanese fans are quite passionate, they probably don't mind as much an overlap of a couple songs from a previous release.
TullyBascombe
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by TullyBascombe »

I've forgotten, was the original announcement of an upcoming new album posted just in Japan or was it on their main webpage? If it was the latter I think we should have a fair expectation that the album will eventually be marketed outside of Japan.
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Surpinto
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by Surpinto »

So far we have only seen Japanese music companies offering the album for pre-order, this only strengthens the theory that this will be a Japan-only release. Originally, I believed that, like "Angel" and "Jupiter", these would be Japan-driven albums which Libera would then make available on iTunes for further distribution. But now that we have additional information about the possibility of a new song not on the track listing of the Japanese vendors, per the tweet by Moose, it lends credence to the theory that there is to be a wider release of a more substantive album internationally.

The only real discussion of this new album (as opposed to discussion of the music videos), even by Libera itself, has been on the Libera Records YouTube channel and Libera Records Facebook.

I see a few possibilities/options here:
  1. The track listings on the Japanese music sites are incomplete for some reason. As FDL said, with only a month and a half to go before the scheduled release of a physical album (which needs to be manufactured and distributed), it is possible, but is extremely unlikely, that this is the case.
  2. As already mentioned, this album could be a Japan-only release (possibly due to a contract) with a wider ranging album to come afterwards that is internationally released. This could be like the "Angel" album which was only released in Japan along with a DVD (as is the case with "Hope"). If we go by that example, the title track was later released as a single and the other tracks later released as "The Holiday EP"; both for distribution outside Japan. However, no new tracks were added in that scenario, so this could be a new type of marketing/sales strategy for them.
  3. There are additional singles or EPs being planned that have nothing to do with the "Hope" album.
Personally, I am leaning towards number 2.
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niels
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by niels »

i hope there comes a full album for the euro to :D i will waith and see :roll:
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