Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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As the lead singer and songwriter of duo Savage Garden, and as a solo recording artist in his own right Darren Hayes has held a career spanning two decades. He has sold over 27 million albums globally having achieved two U.S Billboard number one singles including holding the distinction of having written the longest running A.C hit in the chart's history with ballad 'Truly Madly Deeply’.

Since 1996 Hayes has released 6 albums: two Savage Garden and four solo offerings and has toured the world many times including sold out shows at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall London, The Sydney Opera House and Radio City Music Hall New York. Some career highlights include performing at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremonies and performing a duet with the late Luciano Pavarotti.

In 2011 Hayes released his 4th solo album 'Secret Codes and Battleships' marking almost 20 years in the music business. As with every show in his career he toured this record with a show designed by globally acclaimed director Willie Williams (U2, We Will Rock You).

A keen supporter of equal rights, his essay ‘Perfect just the way you are’ was recently published in the book ‘It Gets Better’ alongside noteworthy contributions by U.S President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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Following his acrimonious split with musical partner Daniel Jones, Spin is the debut long-player from Savage Garden's Darren Hayes. The soft rock influences of the Jones era, are dumped in favour of superbly crafted pop and R&B numbers but with some more familiar sounding ballads thrown in too ("Insatiable" and "I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You"). In true Savage Garden style though, Darren's lyrics regularly descend into a confessional, cataloguing of his popular cultural tastes such as "Occasionally I can be caught dancin' to Britney… I like every single thing that Spielberg's done" ("Good Enough"), and also on the witty, 80s-tribute tune "1980 (Me)" ("…studded denim, big hair, acid wash, Rubik's cube, my boom box…") As on Affirmation Hayes manages to combine intelligent lyrical commentary on global politics and social issues, with the catchiest of backing melodies. On title track Spin, diverse issues ranging from Bosnia to HIV/AIDS are sensitively dealt with within a couple of verses over a funky George Michael-style "Faster Lover" tune. "Creepin' Up on You" sounds more Jacko, than the "King of Pop" does himself these days. This is a five-star album, which is guaranteed to give such established stars (as Jackson and Michael) a "run for their money".

John Galilee, Amazon.co.uk

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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Japanese memorial tour EP for the ex-Savage Garden vocalist features five tracks from his 2002 album, 'Spin'. Tracks, 'Dirty', 'Insatiable', 'Strange Relationship', 'I Miss You', & 'Good Enough'.

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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As one half of Australian boy band Savage Garden, falsetto-voiced Darren Hayes became the unofficial poster boy for the sensitive new man of the '90s, thanks to his often schmaltzy brand of adult contemporary pop, which was lapped up by a willing public in both the U.S. and Europe as well as his homeland. As accomplished as Spin, his first record since their acrimonious 2000 split was, its blend of George Michael-esque R&B and soft rock ballads didn't exactly indicate a hugely chameleon-like solo career – which makes his reinvention on follow-up The Tension and the Spark, a highly personal self-penned 13-track set of songs evoking the swirling electronica of Madonna's Ray of Light and the sophisticated synth pop of Pet Shop Boys, even more surprising. Sure, its electro-based dance-pop sound isn't akin to Hayes suddenly veering into thrash metal or Celtic folk territory, but compared to the MOR leanings of his previous output, it's an adventurous and ambitious step forward for an artist whose four-million-selling debut suggests he could quite easily have stuck to what he knew best. Largely co-written and co-produced with Robert Conley, whose band Specificus previously toured with Hayes, it's a subtle and introspective record that tackles angst-ridden insecurity ("Unlovable"), the cult of celebrity ("Pop!ular"), and his discomfort at being idolized by fans ("Hero"). However, The Tension and the Spark is far from being a bleak and downbeat ode to self-pity. "Love and Affection" is a sizzling fusion of twisted synths, acidic basslines, and throbbing beats that recalls the experimental club sounds of Mirwais, "I Like the Way" is a slinky attempt at glam-disco that could have been lifted from any of Goldfrapp's dancier albums, and the trip-hop-influenced "Dublin Sky" is an uplifting acoustic number that provides the perfect gap-bridger between his old and new sound. But the album is undoubtedly more intriguing when it's at its most melancholic. Opening track "Darkness" is a brooding slice of ambient electro, full of William Orbit-style sound effects, atmospheric strings, and ethereal guitar hooks, which brilliantly sets up both the album's sound and lyrical themes of dark and light, while "I Forgive You" throws some gothic pop and alternative country influences into the mix on a bitter tale of contempt that allows Hayes to release his inner menacing side before collapsing in a frenzy of unsettling electronic bleeps. This sudden change in direction won't receive half the attention that Robbie's Brit-pop or Justin's R&B-funk makeovers did, but just as convincing and effortless, it's one that has undeniably resulted in the album of Hayes' career.

Jon O'Brien, Allmusic.com

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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Previously the forte of prog rockers, hair metallers, and hip-hop MCs, the idea of the double album has recently been embraced by the pop world, with Christina Aguilera (Back to Basics), Beyoncé (I Am…Sasha Fierce), and even Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates (Go Your Own Way), unable to restrict their creative flow to just one disc. Following his split with Columbia Records after ten years and 25 million sales together, former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has used his new-found freedom to become the latest unlikely artist to boldly attempt the ambitious concept with his third solo album, This Delicate Thing We've Made. Clocking in at a near-two-hour running time, Hayes' first release through his own Powdered Sugar label could quite easily have become an exercise in self-indulgence, but luckily, he has plenty to offer both sonically and lyrically. Written during the period of his civil partnership with his animator/music video director husband, and his subsequent public coming out announcement, the majority of its 25 tracks eschew the dark and tortured themes of predecessor The Tension & the Spark in favor of a more optimistic approach which revels in his newly discovered happiness, particularly on the likes of "Who Would Have Thought?" a brooding trip-hop-inspired co-write with Guy Chambers, which comes complete with a chiming wedding bell middle-eight; the shimmering Enya-esque choral-led "The Only One," and the joyous new wave pop of lead single "On the Verge of Something Wonderful." Not that Hayes has become averse to addressing more heavy-handed issues, either, as evident on the politically charged, robotic synth-funk of "Bombs Up in My Face," the new age waltz of "Neverland," which tackles the subject of domestic violence, and the campfire sing-along of "The Great Big Disconnect" which covers everything from weapons of mass destruction to AIDS in Africa. The shimmering electro-pop that he so convincingly pulled off on his sophomore album remains the album's prevalent sound, the highlights of which are the Paul Van Dyk-inspired, six-minute trance-lite epic "Casey," the Giorgio Moroder-esque bubbling synth pop of "Step Into the Light," and the Middle Eastern-flavored "A Conversation with God." But elsewhere, Hayes takes full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his more adventurous side, shifting from Prince-inspired falsetto funk ("Me, Myself and I") to Scissor Sisters-style glam rock ("Lucky Town") to melancholic country-pop ("Maybe") to a cappella gospel ("Walk Away"), all with consummate ease. Of course, the album's sprawling nature means that it might be a bit of a slog for anyone other than hardcore fans, while the schmaltzy tendencies of Savage Garden unfortunately rear their head on the slushy and dreary acoustic ballads "I Just Want You to Love Me," "A Hundred Challenging Things a Boy Can Do," and "Words." But strip away these misguided ventures into lounge territory and you're left with an inventive, seductive, and slightly eccentric record which only furthers Hayes' surprising reinvention as one of pop's most unpredictable mavericks.

Jon O'Brien, Allmusic.com

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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'90s MOR merchants Savage Garden might not have been known for their daring invention, but since their 2001 split, frontman Darren Hayes has become one of pop's most unexpected mavericks, flirting with '80s electro years before anyone had even heard of the term "nu-synth" on The Tension & the Spark, and appearing to compete with the most self-indulgent of prog rock acts on the 25-track double album, This Delicate Thing We've Made. However, perhaps tired of making bold artistic statements, only for a fraction of die-hard fans to take any notice, his fourth record, Secret Codes & Battleships is arguably his most commercial since 2002 debut Spin. There's still an array of interesting musical touches, from the Middle Eastern chanting on the cinematic balladry of close "The Siren's Call," to the burst of widescreen Sigur Rós-esque post-rock which interrupts the sweeping synth pop of "Bloodstained Heart," to the twinkling music boxes which kickstart the slow-burning, U2-inspired opener "Taken by the Sea." But with producer Carl Falk (Backstreet Boys, Nicole Scherzinger) on board, the majority of its 13 tracks come equipped with a pop sensibility that has been largely absent from his recent output. Lead single "Talk Talk Talk," a club-friendly fusion of twisted house riffs and pulsing electro beats, is his most mainstream single in nearly a decade; "Black Out the Sun" is a gorgeously yearning attempt at string-soaked R&B which shows that Hayes' trademark falsetto can still pack an emotional punch: while the inventive "God Walking Into the Rain" starts out like a Madonna tribute with its William Orbit-influenced electronica and "Like a Prayer"-ish gospel backing vocals, before settling into a shimmering, synth-led slice of melodrama packed with bluesy guitar hooks and an unashamedly retro-hair metal solo. Admittedly, it's a record which takes a while to get going, with the '80s-inspired double-whammy of "Don't Give Up" and "Nearly Love" echoing the more forgettable moments of Savage Garden's brief but impactful career. Nevertheless, it's an impressive feat that on album which was conceived way back in 2007, they're the only two tracks which sound slightly stale. It remains to be seen whether Hayes is a little too late to win back the millions of fans who worshipped his previous wedding dance favorites, but by limiting his experimental tendencies and focusing on the kind of intelligent synth pop he does best, he's given himself a fighting chance.

Jon O'Brien, Allmusic.com

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Darren Hayes - Albums Collection 2002-2013 (8CD)

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We Are Smug is a ‘secret’ Darren Hayes side project with producer Robert Conley. This album is a strange 'Prince meets Disco' sound and it was recorded before Darren made his double album “This Delicate Thing We’ve Made”. Darren sings on all but one of the tracks (‘Fire It Up’ is sung by Robert Conley). This is superb pop-electronica music from the former Savage Garden frontman. Only previously available in 2009 to fans on the internet and then not for sale even. It is a cult favourite with fans and has never been available physically on CD before now. A bonus extra track of “Riot” has been added and it's a great one! The packaging is striking, colourful and contemporary.