Saturday, October 18, 2014

Ngoc Lan 10: Hanh Phuc Noi Nao (Unfound Joy) Album Review


Ngoc Lan's 10th solo studio album produced and released by May Productions is considered to be technically her last solo studio album for the label.  If indeed this had been originally intended as the farewell solo studio album by Ngoc Lan for May Productions, I believe this was the perfect vehicle for her to go out with a bang, for lack of a better expression.  The extreme high quality in production of this album is quite evident.  As with most of Ngoc Lan's albums, the arrangements involve musician Thanh Lam and the sound and recordings were top-notch.  The title track, Hanh Phuc Noi Nao Unfound Joy), with Ngoc Lan's effortless and flawless vocals has become one of her most unforgettable signature ballads.

All 10 of the tracks included on this album are enjoyable, to say the least.  Another track that would also become a signature tune for Ngoc Lan featured on this album is Ngay Vui Nam Ay (Magic Boulevard).  I personally adore Mua He Nam Ay, as well as Yeu Anh Lan Dau (Nostalgie Cinema) and a song with beautiful Vietnamese lyrics written by singer Julie Quang, Noi Sau.  Ngoc Lan's voice was in top form throughout this album.  Hanh Phuc Noi Nao is the perfect vehicle which showcases many of Ngoc Lan's amazing talents as an artist and reaffirms how magical and irreplaceable her voice was.  Ngoc Lan really did possess the singing voice of an angel.

16 comments:

  1. Oh how could I forget Magic Boulevard??? Again, NL' translation was just so good for that song..

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  2. I like the Vietnamese lyrics Ngoc Lan had written for Magic Boulevard. But really, it wasn't a translation since the Vietnamese lyrics had norhing to do with the French lyrics.

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  3. Well, it's the same case with Mưa Trên Biển Vắng. Prior to MTBV, there was another song named Nhớ Anh Mà Thôi that was translated of the same song. Mưa Trên Biển Vắng had also not much to do with the original song but is more well known compared to Nhớ Anh Mà Thôi

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    2. You're absolutely right. I also love the beautifully written lyrics of Mua Tren Bien Vang. I guess there are times where literally translated Vietnamese lyrics would either hurt the music by not flowing well with the song's melody or altogether would sound ridiculous when literally translated in Vietnamese. A good example of a song that should have never been translated from English to Vietnamese would be "No Milk Today". The Vietnamese lyrics were entitled "Hom Nay Khong Sua" written by Pham Duy. Despite the level of respect I had for Mr. Pham Duy, the first time I saw this title on a compilation cassette recorded by Duy Quang, I thought it was a joke. But it wasn't. I am still in shock today that this had actually happened sometime ago. Wow! Anyway, in this case, then the alternative would be for the lyricist to come up with Vietnamese lyrics for the song that would have nothing to do with the lyrics orignally written in its original language. I can empathize having been in similar predictions with a song or two I had recorded in my career. Can you guess which one(s)?

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  4. Hihi, can't think off one yet since I'm not an expert in nhạc lời Việt.

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    1. hehehehehe..... you did tell me that. actually, the song I am referring to is
      "Crazy" that I recorded for Bien Tinh Productions. This was a Patsy Cline classic written by Willie Nelson. Khuc Lan had written the Vietnamese lyrics titled, "Le Tinh", which translates to "Love Slave". Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see the slightest connection between "Crazy" and "Love Slave". LOL

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  5. I'm listening to your song on YouTube right now.. and indeed, "Crazy" and "Love Slave" don't have any connection at all...Hahahahaha

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  6. Hi VictorVoice, could you please help me find the original tittle of the song Nỗi sầu, the Vietnamese lyrics of which was written by Julie Quang ?

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    1. Hi Hanoi d'antan, let me get back with you. I'll have to ask chi Julie. From what I heard, it was a Japanese song.

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  7. Un grand merci par avance, VictorVoice :)

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    1. Merci bien, mon ami. Je suis tres content découvrir il y a un ami qui parle francais, aussie. Enchanté......

      Thien Phu

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  8. VictorVoice, je t'ai laissé un message en français car je t'ai écouté chanter en langgue de Molière :) A propos, je constate ton âme très vietnamien bien que la moitié de ton sang soit d'origine suédoise. Et ton interpretation de la chanson Magic boulevard, c'est sublime. Bravo !

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  9. un gros merci, mon ami, Hanoi d'antan! Vous avez raison! Bien que mon père est d'origine suedois, il est né aux Etats-Unis, donc il est americain.... suedois-americain, pour être exact, et mon grand-père maternel était métis, il était demi francais et demi vietnamien, mais depuis que je suis un enfant jusqu'à présent, j'ai toujours pensé de que mon âme est principalement vietnamienne, parce que je suis né aux viet-nam, et quand j'ai commencé parler, ma première langue était vietnamienne. j'aime la culture vietnamienne.

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  10. Peut-être qu'on a le même âge, Viktor. Je te montrerai quelque chose sur Facebook :)

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