Customer Reviews
All Hype and no Substance! - By: Seaside, 19 Apr 2008 
Isn't it amazing what TV & a whole bucket load of hype can do.
This guy would not get a partin an amateur production of Gilbert & Sullivan!Of course it's all a question of "the kings new clothes",if we criticise him we don't have a heart/cannot hear how well he sings, or just don't appreciate talent.(Where is it?)
Well, Mr Potts sings off key(often)and when he finds the key he continues by singing flat.
Make the best of it Mr Potts because the fickle world of "popular" music will soon tire of you,and when they do they will tear you to pieces, as they discover the fabrication that has been passed off as talent.
Talent cannot be invented,as has Paul Potts,it comes naturally;and this voice is decidely unatural.
TRULY APPALLING PRODUCTION . - By: Russell Crerar, 26 Dec 2007 I WOULD NOT NORMALLY WRITE A REVIEW AFTER 96 PEOPLE HAVE BEFORE ME . MY REASON IN DOING SO IS THAT I FEEL NOBODY HAS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH WHAT IS WRONG CONCERNING THIS ALBUM . IT IS RUINED COMPLETELY BY ALL THE ACCOMPANIMENTS WHICH ARE SIMPLY FAR TOO LOUD AND SWAMP THE SINGER ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ALBUM . IT IS ALL OUT OF PROPORTION AND THE MIXING IS DIRE . LISTENING IS CONSTANTLY PAINFUL AND IRRITATING . IT IS A BATTLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH . THE VOICE IS ALSO POORLY PRODUCED . AT TIMES ALL THE SOUND IS MUFFLED AND UNCLEAR . COUPLE THIS WITH NUMEROUS VERY POOR ARRANGEMENTS OF THE PIECES AND IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER IF YOU HAVE ANY GOOD TASTE . I DO THINK PAUL POTTS CAN SING AND I FIND PLEASANT TONES IN HIS VOICE . I HAVE NOT HEARD HIM PROFESS TO BE AN OPERA SINGER AND I DO NOT THINK HIS MARKETING HAS PARTICULARLY TRIED TO COMPARE HIM WITH ANY OF THE CLASSICAL GREATS - OR ATLEAST I HAVE NOT SEEN IT . THE COLLECTION OF SONGS HERE IS BORING AND WE HAVE HEARD THEM ALL 1000 TIMES BEFORE . PAUL HAS BEEN VERY ILL - SERVED BY THIS FIRST RELEASE BUT I DO THINK HE SHOWS PROMISE AS A POPULAR ENTERTAINER WITH A DIFFERENT MORE INDIVIDUAL REPERTOIRE IF PRODUCED AND MIXED BY SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING INSTEAD OF THIS CACOPHONY OF BLAND POP OVER PRODUCTION WHICH ONLY SERVES TO HIDE THE TALENT AND VOCAL CAPABILITY THAT PAUL HAS . HIS VOICE IS NOT THE BEST BUT IT IS GOOD ENOUGH TO BRING PLEASURE IN POPULAR SONG TO MANY PEOPLE . I THINK HE COULD FIND A LASTING MARKET WITH SUITABLE MATERIAL IF THE ARRANGEMENTS ACCOMPANIMENT AND MIXING ARE LESS PAINFUL AND ACTUALLY SPACED CORRECTLY AND IN PROPORTION . HE IS A GOOD SINGER OF POPULAR MUSIC AND HIS PERFORMANCE HERE IS ADEQUATE . THE MAIN FAULT IS NOT HIS . ALSO PLEASE LIST THE SONG TITLES IN THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THEY ARE SUNG WITH THE BEST KNOWN VERSION WHERE DIFFERENT IN THE BRACKETS AFTERWARDS . HERE IT IS THE OPPOSITE . THE TITLE IS LISTED IN THE LANGUAGE NOT SUNG WITH WHAT IS SUNG IN BRACKETS . I FIND THIS YET ANOTHER IRRITATION . IF BROWSING TO POSSIBLY BUY YOU CANNOT TELL EXACTLY WHAT WILL BE SUNG . IT IS ALSO VERY POOR VALUE WHEN COMPARED TO MOST ALBUMS WITH LESS THAN 42 MINUTES PLAYING TIME AND ONLY 10 SONGS . HOWEVER IN THIS CASE I HAVE TO SAY REGRETTABLY THAT IT IS A BLESSING TO HAVE IT CUT SHORT AS OUR EARS WERE BATTERED AND OUR HEADS LITERALLY BURSTING . VERY LITTLE CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER THIS RELEASE WHICH HAS BEEN RUSHED OUT WITH POOR TECHNICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT . THE CHRISTMAS EDITION CANNOT EVEN NUMBER THE TRACKS CORRECTLY SO MUCH IS THE SLAP DASH TO GET IT ON THE SHOP SHELF . ANY FOLLOW UP NEEDS TO BE FAR BETTER IF PAULS CAREER IS TO BE PROLONGED . IT IS WORRYING THAT SO MANY THINK THIS IS WONDERFUL . IT IS A REAL ASSAULT TO THE EARS AND I AM SORRY TO HAVE TO SAY IT . I HAD HOPED FOR FAR BETTER .
Hmmmm..... - By: H. Borrett, 25 Dec 2007 I'm kind of undecided on this one. I think this guy obviously has a raw natural talent, & he sings musically & tells a story beautifully when he sings. His 'nessun dorma' definately does something for me.
I am a classical musician (not a singer, violinist), & if you want opera, don't buy this. Potts communicates the music very well, but he is not an opera singer. Just enjoy him for what he is, which is a nice voice (singing songs, which, by & large, are not from opera! Translating a pop song into Italian does not make it opera!). The songs are so cheesey you can practically smell them, & anyone with a good classical training could sing them just as well, but whether or not you like the way potts does it is deeply personal. But to say that this is opera is insulting to people who train for hours every day to sing opera music which is much harder & technically demanding. It actually makes me sick into my mouth a little bit.
not so good at all - By: S. Mccully, 17 Dec 2007 
paul potts is not that good. listen to pavarotti, bocelli, russell watson , gardar cortes to mention a few & you'll be able to see the comparison.
paul dosen't cut the cloth.he's a mobile phone salesman who sings as a hobby. he isn't a classical trained performer.
there are far better operatic albums out there to buy
unfortunately this album is rather dissappointing
A singing success story - By: Mart Music, 16 Dec 2007 
Paul Potts is a walking, singing example of how talent shows are so successful at both finding undiscovered talent & stirring the public into voicing their opinions & emotions so strongly towards that newly uncovered talent.
Opinions are generally divided between those who are able to take the singer for what he is (an ordinary guy with a natural gift for singing) & those who are grieved that his lack of operatic training has not hindered himin finding successin that music genre.
Technical perfection & music school education should not be prerequisites for being able to perform classical & operatic music, for history is rich with composers & artists who have found success with little or no formal training. Perhaps no better illustration of this is the famous Edward Elgar, a largely self-taught composer, who found difficultlyin gaining recognition during his early years but whose talents as a classical composer are today unquestioned.
Paul Potts is a singer with a voice, & life story, to touch the hearts of those wanting to enjoy music for what it is - entertainment. Yes, I agree with the critics who claim he is not an opera singer, how could he be when he hasn't had the chance to walk onto that theatre stage yet?
What he has got however is a phenomenal talent for singing opera songsin a way which grabs the attention of those listeners who would often shy away from an area of music sometimes mistakenly regarded as only for the elitist high society.
It took courage for him to stand on that stage, & the public showed their love & admiration for him by electing him as winner so I think he deserves all the success he gets.
