Album
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My American DreamNeal E. Boyd Vocals
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Tenor Neal E. Boyd came to national attention in the U.S. as a winner of the America's Got Talent television vocal competition. A native of Sikeston, MO, he has a distinctively smoky vocal talent that leaves an impression on listeners. That's the quality that makes for a crossover star. Boyd's program on this, his debut release, consists mostly of musical theater selections; the My American Dream theme announced by the title, although heavily trumpeted by the initial appearance of the Lee Greenwood country hit God Bless the U.S.A., mostly fails to materialize. Like the members of the crossover group Il Divo or Italian star Andrea Bocelli, both of whom Boyd has said he admires, he has holes in his vocal arsenal that will frustrate listeners who like pure singing. In Nessun dorma, which seems to have emerged as a kind of competition standard for aspiring crossover vocalists, and in a piece like Bernstein and Sondheim's Somewhere, his weak middle register is exposed. Boyd's forte is what you might expect: he's a gifted manipulator of the microphone. In pieces that let him bring the bluesy quality of his voice to the fore and push it electronically into new realms—think Anthem, from the musical Chess (track 8)—he's quite effective. The arrangements make heavy use of synthesizers and wordless vocal choruses; these may by anathema to some listeners, but they work well as a counterpoint to Boyd's voice. The concept of the album is a bit of a muddle, but Boyd has what it takes to emerge as a crossover star and is a voice to remember. © James Manheim, All Music Guide
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© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
