No Angel

After hearing and immediately falling in love with Dido's second album, "Life for Rent", I decided to give her debut album a shot. (Over 1,000 reviews giving it high ratings didn't hurt either.) The cd opens out with the smashing "Here with Me" that shows the power and strength that I love in Dido's "White Flag". The lyrics are simple, but it's so stirring, you won't be unmoved. Dido then slides into dark and troubled waters with "Honestly OK", "My Lover's Gone", and "My Life", which are mainly just a few lines and lots of electronic instrumentals: not neccesarily a bad thing, but the songs turned out a little shallow and unfulfilling. Dido redeems herself with the title track ( not a dirty, flirty song as you might be expecting, but simply expounding on the "strive for excellece, not perfection" idea); and the smash hit, "Thank You". "All You Want" and "Isabel" aren't bad, but they seem to be lacking something - I wasn't hooked. The whole album carries a dark and depressing undertone of heartache and loss, which gently pulls you in under into it's sweeping undertow and you feel it softly bearing you away to somewhere solitary and shadow-covered. But dear Dido, give us a chance to breath! So the bottom line is, there are a few good songs on here and I don't regret buying it(After all, I got it for $1 used), but I enjoyed "Life For Rent" more. Her voice, songwriting skills, and mixing is more developed and mature than in "No Angel". I'd advise you to get both.

Finally! After 15 years of waiting, this record has made its way onto my shelf. I love Dido. Not only that we share the same birthday (December 25), but her voice is so ethereal and angelic that's just way too impossible for me to not love it. What's more, the music fits her voice perfectly. All songs are personal favorite but if ever I were forced at gunpoint to pick some, 'My Lover's Gone', 'Honestly OK', 'Slide', 'Isobel' and the ever mesmerising and iconic 'Here with Me'. Damn, listening to this record makes me realise just how fast time flies.. I was a young boy when this album first came out and believe me, even after all these years, No Angel still sounds relevant and fresh. Why, why can't we have modern singers like Dido? She doesn't need any controversy to prove herself because she is truly talented. She doesn't need to show her tits or ass to gain fame. She just uses her voice and lyrics to captivate the very core of your existence, which is your heart. And that's how I fell in love with her music and so should you!

I first heard Dido in a movie theater, of all places, tucked in among the dull pre-movie elevator music. I'm a devotee of most "chick singers," including Sarah and Indigo Girls, and Dido immediately stuck out as someone I would enjoy. So when I left the theater I ordered "No Angel" right away, and when it came I...put it on my shelf and forgot about it. This was in late 1999 or early 2000. Then, in June 2000, a friend recommended it to me, and I've been hooked ever since. I've always compared her voice to Sarah's, but when you hear them back to back you realize that there's more of an edge to Dido, a distinction that is very clear in her lyrics. Her songs are a little angrier and lean a little more toward empowerment and strength than Sarah's typical go-gently-into-the-night sorrow songs. They deal with real-world issues like love, breaking up, cheating, and even abortion rather than Sarah's angels and mysteries. Someone else here compared No Angel to Sarah's song "Possession," and I would agree; I would say it's much more like that entire album---Fumbling Toward Ecstasy. But Dido puts a spin on it that is all her own. I'm looking forward to her next album.Oh, and I try to ignore her connection with Eminem. It makes me feel better.

I started listening the her when I heard White Flag - from her second CD. I picked this up and I heard Here With Me - I had heard it on the radio and in a movie prior to buying the CD. I really like that song; maybe even better than White Flag.The other songs on this CD are great! What a wonderful first album!

I previously reviewed this album in a not so complimentary manner, because of my reaction to the hype around it. Then, I put the album away for a day or two. I then put it back in the portable CD player and gave it another go around. The next day I did it again, and again, .... Since giving this album another chance, I have not been able to keep the CD out of the player for longer than 36 hours! Ignore the hype when you listen to the album. It has a very mellow and subtle mood that draws you in to listen to more. Dido's voice is soothing in a mixture of a jazz and pop kind of way. The instrumentation is not extravagant, but that just lets you hear her voice all the better. The lyrics on some songs (Thank You) tell a little story.To cut to the chase, I am not sorry that I bought this album. And, I am looking forward to her next one (Is she working on a new one yet?).

EXCELLENT album. Some songs from the original ROSWELL series.

I just love Dido! I got addicted to her through the opening theme song to the Roswell tv series. (I miss that show) I love every single song on this cd. I remember seeing her at Enron in Houston and was blown away, usually a singers voice sounds better on the cd, she was the first singer I'd heard live that sounded WAY better in real life.

I liked it better than 'Life For Rent' which I liked a lot.

I was so please when I heard this album was due for a re-release as original copies sell for stupid money.Unfortunetly it must have been a rushed pressing...My sleeve is marked with a sticker stating Gold Vinyl but its silver as advertised....The worst thing is the cracks and pops on Side A Track 1. Ive tried to clean the vinyl just incase its residue from the pressing process and even though its a bit better they are still there.Ive ordered a second copy from HMV so I can see returning this one to Amazon...Its a shame because the rest of the album sounds superb...

This 1999 release is the debut of pop Queen Dido. Following Eminem's inclusion of extracts from `Thank You' in his hit `Stan', the album seems to have enjoyed staggering success and introduced the world to her brand of alternative pop. Every now and then an album comes along that just breaks down all barriers, and seems to pervade everywhere. Moby's `Play' was one such and this was another. It even appealed to an old folk/glam rock/blues/jazz lover such as myself, such was the depth of it's penetration into the musical consciousness of the time.Just why was it so successful? There's nothing here particularly groundbreaking or new. It's not edgy, it's just middle of the road pop for a mass market. And exceedingly well done pop at that, which succeeds in its aim of appealing to as wide an audience as possible. Some have described it as bland and unexciting, but every now and then I like to forget the deep, meainingful and worthy music that seems to fill most of my CD shelves and relax to a bit of fluff, and this as often as not is the bit of musical fluff of choice. It's catchy, inoffensive, well made and produced, everything it should be. 4 stars.

It took three listens to get to like this album. I have owned Life for Rent for quite a while and expected No Angel to be similar. It is, but not at first.It took time to adjust to the pace of it. On first play I liked the two hits and maybe three of the others. Second listen similar. Some of the tracks sounded strongly of minor chords, and unpleasant for it. Third listen loved it, and let it play through two more times back to back.Now when the CD kicks off and 'Here with Me' gets going I am sometimes lost. I'm thinking, 'I am sure this is on Life for Rent'. Anyway, maybe that's just me.There are two extra tracks included on the Amazon AutoRip copy, that comes free with the Amazon sold copies. They are good tracks. The second is a remix of 'Thank You' with a dance beat.

This album has thousands of reviews already, it being major popular mainstream pop, so this is probably pointless. Good tunes, reasonable singing voice, but nothing here to merit mega popularity of course, as one would probably expect with the mega popular.This is great to listen to at the end of the day, and by the time it ends it will have peacefully lulled you to sleep, except that the final track jolts you awake with some ill placed stanzas of jarring strings. That apart, what is there not to like?

Simply superb CD from Dido and have already ordered Life For Rent. Superfast Delivery too 10/10