Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/10/2007
Australian vocalist
Mig Ayesa's solo piano take of
Peter Frampton's '70s über-
ballad "Baby, I Love Your Way" was a welcome surprise on the 2004
CBS reality competition
Rock Star: INXS. As the rest of the contestants oversang, writhed on-stage, and generally schlocked things up,
Ayesa stripped back his approach and let his boyish charm and soft vocals make the most of
Frampton's popular if somewhat unfairly critically maligned hit. The move helped propel him into the final three on the show, although he ultimately was not picked to be the new lead singer of the
rock band
INXS. Frankly, with his yearning, high-pitched voice more suitable for
Coldplay-style
alt-rock and
Eric Carmen-esque AOR than straightforward
rock and
funk,
Ayesa was never a good fit for the '80s Aussie icons. Which is why
Ayesa's 2007 solo debut album,
Mig, comes as a pleasant surprise. Playing as a better-produced version of the
Mig viewers saw on
Rock Star, the album finds
Ayesa not only revisiting his now trademark
"Baby, I Love Your Way" -- which features
Frampton on guitar -- but also other superbly chosen cover tunes such as
the Kinks'
"Waterloo Sunset," the Police's
"Wrapped Around Your Finger," and
the Rolling Stones'
"Angie." These are impeccably produced arrangements that frame
Ayesa's pleasing vocals with tasteful orchestration and enough electric muscle to give the proceedings a bit a
glam rock sheen. If his take on
David Bowie's
"Life on Mars" is a bit too close to the original, it only serves to point out how covers-heavy the album is. That said, the few
Ayesa originals included here, such as the sweeping, bright
pop anthem
"She Loved" and the
Raspberries-influenced power
ballad "You and I," are as memorable and engaging as anything else on the album. In that sense,
Mig reveals
Ayesa -- pictured with his large mop of shiny black hair and action-figure outfits -- as a kind of contemporary anime
lounge singer ready to do battle with giant
rock opera robots and sweep his princess away in his piano starship.
~Matt Collar, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 6
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sandy
from chicago
you won't be disappointed
What a beautiful album. What I really like is that I put it on and listen to and enjoy every song, not just a few. I particularly like MiG's originals.
Wanda
from Huntington, WV
Awesome
What else can I say? The music on this cd is AWESOME. The orchestrations are spot on and the vocals are absolutely gorgeous. I REMEMBER the originals of the cover songs and have fallen in love with them all over again, in fact, I think I like these covers better than the originals. With that said, the originals (SHE LOVED, COULD IT BE and YOU AND I)totally take this cd to another plane. The original songs fit perfectly with the covers yet stand on their own. MiG is an excellent songwriter who was able to work with some terrific collaborators on the originals as well as the covers. BUY THIS CD. You won't be sorry.
Laurie
from Washington, US
Amazing!!
Wow! Classic Rock mixed with an orchestrated background is truly amazing!
MiG’s wonderfully unique voice and the combined talent, of Matthew Wilder, Paul Buckmaster and Rob Mathis have created a marvelous master piece.
Peter Frampton playing guitar and MiG’s special arrangement on “Baby I Love Your Way” is breath taking!!
His three originals are pure talent and I can’t wait for his next CD!
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