I had known of Sarah McLachlan but never took any notice of her until a friend's funeral in which 'Angel'(studio version) was played.
The next day I sought out McLachlan's CDs and luckily came across 'Mirrorball', discounted to $9.99 at JB Hi-Fi(Australian equivalent of Best Buy).
What stood out immediately was the superb production.
Every instrument came through with clarity and (pardon the inarticulateness)'oomph!'
I found myself listening to music that I'd never thought I'd ever like.
'Building a Mystery',Hold On' and 'Good Enough' is a brilliant opening hat-trick and drew me into the record instantly.
Even the standard(for Sarah) 'I Will Remember You','Adia & 'I Love You' didn't get me to press the fast-forward on my player.
The second half is just a touch superior to the first.
The exhilrating 'The Path of Thorns', the starkness of 'Fear' and the desperate 'Posession' is another sublime three-in-a-row.
The (almost) bubble-gum popness of 'Sweet Surrender' and 'Ice Cream' are pleasant entrees for the final two songs.
This version of 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' is the best I have heard from any of Sarah's other recordings of it.
The smouldering build-up,Sarah's passionate delivery of "If I shed a tear I won't cage it, I won't fear love",the high notes she hits just before Sinclair or Ashby (help me out McLachlan diehards!)launches into an electrifying (blues?) solo which gives even my goosebumps goosebumps.
In a fitting final song, Sarah nails 'Angel' perfectly. Better than the studio version. I can see why it is commonly played at funerals.
Magnificent.
I just want to address a few criticisms of the cd from other reviewers.
Fade outs in-between songs is a tad off putting, but for me it doesn't detract from the recording, but I can understand other points of view.
I like the production but I can understand that people, who have been fans of Sarah longer than me, don't like how some songs sound too produced.
Finally for the reviewer who gave it one star after Sarah drops the f-word in 'Building a Mystery'.
You are a very small,sad little person if you let one word get in your way of enjoying a wonderful recording.Your loss.
This record has found its way back into my CD player(along with '10,000 Days' & ' Black Holes & Revelations') consistantly since April 2007.
I have subsequently bought every Sarah CD & DVD and now (shockingly & humbly) find myself a die hard fan.