Search - Francesca Beghe :: Francesca Beghe

Proof that Beghe should've been up there

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 03/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Aha. Francesca Beghe. With an exotic name like that, she was hard to forget, yet she unfortunately slipped through the cracks like so many bands in that musical transition period of the early 1990's. What I do remember was her ballad single, "Something About Your Touch" that I heard only once during my NMSU years. After finding this out-of-print CD over a decade later, I found her soulful voice to be like Taylor Dayne mixed with Mariah Carey, without the latter's multioctave range. However, in more tempered instances, she nears Karla Bonoff and Carly Simon.That's what I got when I heard "Heaven Knows," of the futility of searching for that dream girl when all the time, the protagonist is the one. And then the song I remember from long ago, "Something About Your Touch," which is a nice keyboard/piano ballad with sax solo, but seems more at home in the late 80's, kind of like Phil Collins' "Do You Remember."Imagine my surprise when I was listening to the next song, "Trust In Me." When I heard the chorus, my ears perked up. Surely this was the same song that came out in the Bodyguard soundtrack, which I heard ad nauseum at my workplace? Yup, it was. So she did it first, and what a powerful soulful voice too! And guess who does the guitar solo? Elliott Easton, late of the Cars, who also appears on "Should've Been Me," "Let Your Spirit Fly," and "Lost In America."She does cover intimate issues in the bedroom ballad "Hold Back The Night" and the awakening adventure of "Let Me Show You What Love Is."Beghe also covers social issues here. One is the sobering ballad "Names On The Wall," is about the Vietnam War soldiers who, "once living, they were once breathing, now they're all just names on the wall." Poignant is when she sings about pressing her ear against the wall and hearing helicopters, exploding bombs, and the "echoes of a thousand souls."The other, the mid-paced "Lost In America," is a critique on America's materialistic and glitzy image, where a foreigner the protagonist meets attacks and destroys the illusions of going after a Hollywood dream: "You Americans, with your clean dreams and happy faces, who do you think you are? Do you think life is like Hollywood Boulevard?" That foreigner's critic gives the protagonist perspective, making her realize that she is lost in America.The regret of seeing an ex with another woman is the topic of the mid-paced guitar pop of "Should've Been Me," which turns from simple regret and wishing for another chance to her vowing to haunting him wherever he goes. Let's hope the guy doesn't slap a restraining order."Let Your Spirit Fly" is the best ballad here, centered around airy keyboards and Beghe's gospelly voice. Getting moral support from someone, letting loose after walking one's longest mile, and rolling up that final curtain is what ties the title theme together. All with a sizzling solo from Elliot Easton."Little Angelina," which has a drums, organ, and piano motif close to Steve Winwood's "Roll With It," is about the hottie on the block who's quite the arrogant "look but you can't touch" tease. I'd be with Beghe when she sings of the title character, "I just want to slap her face oh yeah."Beghe does piano, keyboards, and wrote or co-wrote every song here, as well as the music. This should have been a winning album, with enough singleworthy songs, but alas."

She'll Be Back

07/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was reading these reviews, and figured I'd fill people on in what's up with Francesca Beghe:I found this info at asrcrecords.com/beghe/"In 1991 Francesca Beghe released her debut album for SBK/EMI Records. Critically acclaimed by such notable magazines as Rolling Stone, People and Musician and voted VHI Artist of the Month, Francesca made quite a name for herself.In 1993 Francesca went back into the studio with writer/producer Glen Ballard. She emerged with a beautifully performed and recorded album featuring songs co-written with Ballard and other legendary writers including JD Souther and Will Jennings. Mixed by Ed Cherney, Francesca's sophomore effort promised to deliver the beauty and integrity her fans would be expecting.Sadly, amid the cost cutting and reshuffling leading to the label's demise, Francesca's second CD was never released. Francesca continued working. Her song Trust in Me was recorded by Joe Cocker and featured in The Bodyguard movie and soundtrack album starring Whitney Houston. Her song No Use Talkin' cowritten with Cindy Bullens and recorded by Irma Thomas was featured in the movie Double Jeopardy starring Ashley Judd. Fernando Saunders, Kimberly Scott and her husband Ben Green have also recorded her beautifully crafted songs. After taking some time off to start a family, Francesca is back in the studio. With the grace and conviction so evident on her first record, Francesca is now ready to continue her story. We eagerly await her long overdue CD. Available sometime this summer on ASRC.""

Outstanding

i didn't ask | Washington, DC | 01/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Francesca Beghè's phenomenal, eponymous debut release on SBK records is a shining example of what an artist with a true understanding of music and vision can accomplish. When released, People magazine rated it an Editor's Choice, and Beghè was VH-1's Artist of the Month...for good reason. It's absolutely impossible to categorize this album, for it encompasses everything that's good about music, both sonically and lyrically. Beghè wrote or cowrote all of the songs, and plays piano on all the tracks; her voice is incredible. It's full of passion, soul, longing, and power. She has an incredible range, soaring the musical scale octive after octive. She has the capability of a Mariah Carey or Celine Dion, but with less hystrionics and more honesty. The music itself includes bits from every genre...pop, rock, soul, country, and there are definitely some gospel roots. I just cannot say enough about this album; it speaks for itself and it is timeless. I cannot recommend it enough. This will occupy a permanent place in your CD player."