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Ultimate High | 
 enlarge | Artist: Carly Hennessy
Label: MCA
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $3.74
You Save: $10.24 (73%)
New (41) Used (19) from $3.74
Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 35043
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 112587
UPC: 008811258726
EAN: 0008811258726
ASIN: B00005RGNL
Release Date: November 13, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Beautiful You - Carly Hennessy, Hennessy, Carly | | • | I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind - Carly Hennessy, Alexander, Gregg | | • | Surface Wound - Carly Hennessy, Alexander, Gregg | | • | You'll Never Meet God (If You Break My Heart) - Carly Hennessy, Brisebois, Danielle | | • | No One's Safe from Goodbye - Carly Hennessy, Hennessy, Carly | | • | Young Love - Carly Hennessy, Alexander, Gregg | | • | I Need a Little Love - Carly Hennessy, Alexander, Danielle | | • | Get You Off - Carly Hennessy, Hennessy, Carly | | • | Rip in Heaven - Carly Hennessy, Brisebois, Danielle | | • | All Kinds of People - Carly Hennessy, Crow, Sheryl | | • | Just Missed the Train - Carly Hennessy, Brisebois, Danielle | | • | What I've Found - Carly Hennessy, Hennessy, Carly |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
The Irish teen-pop act's radio-friendly power-pop debut album, produced by New Radicals Gregg Alexander, originally issued by MCA in 2001.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 It's More Than Just A Name Change, It's A New Radical Pop October 22, 2008
Flap Jackson (State Road, NC)
Back in the day, bubblegum pop had a tight grip on radio. Artists like Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys cranked out hit after hit, sucking every dollar out of every tween and teen in the late 90s and early 00s. Then there was Carly Hennessy. She achieved a record contract the old-fashioned way (by hard work and luck), and she came from a rather modest background. She clearly caught the attention of the record execs because they sent "You Get What You Give" mastermind Gregg Alexander the job to produce it. Unfortunately, the album died by its timing and though it was on obscure shelves across America, gaining a following, the album held silent till 2008. It was here where the new and improved Carly Hennessy became Carly Smithson, and took American Idol by storm. And even though again, timing sent her packing early, attention came back to her old album from fans searching for everything Carly. So what will they find? A radically different Carly. But first, I must say that I did not cry when she left AI, and I am by no means a fan.
The album has the writing of its producer all over it, most evident in the mid-tempo "You'll Never Meet God (If You Break My Heart)." Strange and long title aside, you might get deja vu when you hear the countdown. In fact, this very well could've been The New Radical's follow-up album. "All Kinds of People" is the standard racial harmony song that could've worked better in the 70s, but it's pleasant enough. "Just Missed The Train" also puts up a very strong effort on the album, and it would have been perfect for any number of Country divas, especially Martina McBride. In fact, I would love a cover from the Country music circle. "I Need A Little Love" and "RIP In Heaven" also hit and surpass their marks to make for an excellent back-half of the album. You make up your own mind on "Get You Off" however.
The highlight comes in the form of the bouncy, but failed single, "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind." The song does all its supposed to do, and creates an amazingly catchy and upbeat tune, radio-friendly to the core, but more pleasant than a basket full of kittens. Britney has never thought creating a song this good. And it seems Carly takes a jab at the former pop princess in the song. It's sweet, and like the rest of the album, has rather impressive vocals. Trust me folks, it's not easy to do some of the stuff she does here.
Unfortunately however, the album does have its weak moments. Mostly from "Beautiful You" and "Surface Wound," which I'm not even sure where their marks were, much less if they hit them. "Young Love" also has some of the more stranger moments on the album.
But the problem that bugged me most was the length. Not that the album was 52 minutes; I was cool with that. But the fact that there were only two songs less than 4 minutes bugged me. Even the best of songs could have been cut dramatically, and radio edits are an absolute must for the album. Because when you lengthen the song, you give it more room for error, which the best of artists make, much less a debut. This album could've easily been five star had they cut off 30-60 seconds off most of the songs.
Overall, under the direction of Gregg Alexander, you know you'll find something you'll like. Fortunately, there's substance to go with the fluff, and fluff to go with the substance. Truly a debut, with its varying Country and pop elements, Carly does well with most of what she's given, and you'd expect the occasional song that's not up to snuff. But most surprising, she hits a few songs out of the park. Call it the New Radical's follow-up that never happened, an underrated pop album, or just call it what it is, just plain good. I just wish they could've edited it down a bit length-wise.
 Brilliant August 29, 2008
I. Hughes (South Coast UK)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This CD is Excellent... How Carly didn't win AI I will never know. Hopefully now she will get the fame she so rightly deserves.
A
 Not impressed! August 21, 2008
Ashley Miles (Milford, MA USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I m huge fan of Carly's and really all of the American Idol season 7 contestants. I bought her CD (along with Brooke White's) because i thought it was going to be like the music she sang on the show and on tour but I was wrong. It's just bubblegum pop that doesn't fit her voice at all. Carly has beautiful range to her voice and it never showed in this CD. Pop music works for some but I expected more from this CD. The music compny screwed her in this cd. It should of showed her range more.
An unfound gem May 22, 2008
James C. Crawley (New York, NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm not really into this genre of music, however this cd works. I really liked Carly on AI and felt she was let go way too soon, but that's the voting methodology for AI. She has the vocal capability, she had well written and produced songs but the album didn't do well. There are quite a few radio hits that never made it to the masses and so this album ended up in the bargain rack. That's not the way Carly Hennessey's bio should read: very talented singer but wasn't marketed properly. She was 18 years old when she came out with this album and it's very good, anything she did today might be spectacular. Give this album a try I think you'll like it.
Pop perfection! May 19, 2008
Tombo (West Hollywood, CA United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's a shame that this cd failed to get noticed when it was first released--it's a nearly perfect pop album. Smithson's got an amazing voice and Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois' songs are fabulously infectious. Universal Music Group should really start pushing this cd again. The songs sound perfectly fresh, even though they were recorded seven years ago. The perfect pop soundtrack for summer.
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