Something for everyone (Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 3)

Member Name: Majmun

Product:	Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 3
Date:	29/07/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great mix of songs, some brilliant performances

Disadvantages: Couple of dodgy tracks

I love the whole concept of Radio 1's Live Lounge. I really enjoy finding covers of songs I like and hearing them done in a fresh and different way. I also like hearing people do their own tunes acoustically, bringing a whole new dimension to the song. I got this particular Live Lounge for Christmas and think it's fantastic with a collection of truly brilliant covers and acoustic versions of songs.

The CD comes in a chunky red case which contains two discs both jam-packed with a fab 20 songs each. It's a pretty eclectic mix featuring songs, bands and singers that you are unlikely to ever see in the same place again! There is also a bonus DVD featuring half an hour of Live Lounge performances from the likes of The Script, Rihanna and Elbow.

The first disc is probably the slightly stronger out of the two. It's pretty hard choosing only a few highlights from that disc but I have a couple of favourites. Newton Faulkner covering Foundations (originally by Kate Nash) is one. This a great cover and Newton Faulkner really makes it his own. He has fun with the song and his great voice really shines through. Another favourite is Elliot Minor covering Take Thats's Rule the World. They perform it brilliantly with plenty of feeling and emotion.

Other stand out tracks include Dizzee Rascal's rather funky and memorable cover of That's Not My Name, Ida Maria's sweet and soulful cover of Sweet About Me and The Feeling's cover of Work by Kelly Rowland which is really different for them and great fun to listen to. I also love Panic at the Disco performing their song Nine in the Afternoon. I love this song and I think Brendon Urie's voice has a lovely quality to it which you don't often get to hear in other Panic songs.

There are a couple of tracks on Disc 1 that do miss the mark a bit for me. One of them is Girls Aloud's version of With Every Heartbeat originally by Robyn. I feel a bit bad saying that as I like the song, I like Girls Aloud and in some parts the song sounds quite good, particularly the chorus which is sung with real emotion. But unfortunately a couple of the girl's vocal abilities cannot keep up with the song and in some parts they struggle to the point where it sounds a bit painful. I still listen to the song though and just have to close my ears for part of it! One song I cannot listen to however is Daddy's Gone by Glasvegas. I find it utterly depressing and I don't really enjoy the lead singers voice live.

Although Disc 1 is slightly stronger, the second disc still contains some real blinders including my favourite on the whole album - Guillemots cover of Sam Sparro's Black and Gold. I adore the original Black and Gold and never tire of listening to it. I think this cover is almost, if not just as good as the original with Guillemots really putting their own spin on the song. The result is a slightly rockier, raw version full of emotion but still just as catchy and brilliant as the original.

Another favourite track on Disc 2 includes The Script covering Lose Yourself (originally by Eminem). It is a really unusual cover with The Script singing this rap song. This is a fresh and interesting cover and I'm impressed how The Scripts Danny O'Donoghue can sing the song so fast without compromising his great vocal abilities. My other favourite is Lupe Fiasco performing Superstar. It is his own song and I love how he performs it on this album. It has a great chilled out vibe to it and his voice sounds strong and pure.

Other great songs on Disc 2 include Bat For Lashes cover of Sweet Dreams, Rihanna performing Hate That I Love You and Scouting For Girls performance of their hit Elvis Aint Dead. I also love Goldfrapp's version of It's Not Over Yet originally by Grace which is haunting and emotional.

There are a couple of songs in particular that I avoid on Disc 2. The first is Ironik Stay with Me which I just find irritating. The second is Santogold's cover of Adele's Hometown Glory. I love the original but find the cover horrendous. Santogolds voice sounds strained and awful and she has tried to make the song heavy and almost gothic. It actually scares me in parts.

Overall this album is a must have for any music lover. There is something for everyone on the album and I love the diverse collection of songs and artists on the album. There are a couple of songs that may not float your boat but you get that with any compilation album. If you do want to get it is available for £6.98 on Amazon.

Summary: Brilliant album