Peaceful Slumber: Susan Boyle, 'I Dreamed a Dream'

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FAME HAS BEEN more than fickle for Susan Boyle.

Been on YouTube? Then you know her story: The 48-year-old Scot shot to international stardom with her angelic take on "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables," a performance so breathtaking that it melted steely televised singing show judge du jour Simon Cowell into a quivering puddle of pudding on "Britain's Got Talent."

The plain-dressed, slightly unkempt Boyle instantly became the hidden-talent poster person, a book we as a society learned not to judge by its cover. Her triumph was lauded far and wide, given the attention Internet denizens usually reserve for dramatic chipmunks and kids with lightsabers. She was beloved.

Then, of course, came the inevitable backlash. A crush of interest from the notoriously impolite international media led to headline-grabbing Boyle outbursts. The pressure, coupled with her second-place finish on "Britain's Got Talent," led Boyle to an emotional breakdown, she told Scotland's Daily Record.

Now, months later, Boyle's star has far from faded: Her first album — appropriately dubbed "I Dreamed a Dream" — has broken the all-time global pre-order record on Amazon.com.

And fans of her reality show work will be very satisfied customers.

"I Dreamed a Dream" is an album in the vein of Barbra Streisand, Eva Cassidy and Bette Midler — and on it, Boyle proves that her voice is powerful and malleable enough to place her in the company of those respected talents.

Album opener "Wild Horses," a bright, crystalline take on The Rolling Stones' grungy original, shows that Boyle means business. And unlike many of the albums that the reality-TV-to-record machine cranks out in droves these days, this disc boasts an accompaniment deft enough to complement Boyle's formidable instrument.

But almost as dazzling as Boyle's mountain-stream vocal clarity is her voice's adaptability, showcased by a set of songs likely chosen to boast her range.

Boyle matches Madonna note for earnest note in a rendering of the Spanish-tinged "You'll See." She powers through a smoky, jazzy version of "Cry Me a River," a song that Ella Fitzgerald made famous. Even Skeeter Davis's country-esque '60s gem "The End of the World" comes out fresher with a little bit of the Boyle treatment. And a blissfully subdued take on gospel standard "How Great Thou Art" might be one of the disc's most dazzling jewels.

A personal favorite: Boyle's take on The Monkees' "Daydream Believer." I'd expected it to be a trainwreck. It very much is not. Although Boyle's dance steps probably still wouldn't rival Davy Jones'.

Even "Who I Was Born to Be," the album's lone original tune, appears to fit in with the rest of the presentation — a rare treat for Boyle, since artists who emerge from reality show competitions tend to be fed the songwriting industry's most unpalatable tripe.

The album's least steady steps come in a few predictable song selections: "Amazing Grace" and "Silent Night" leave little room for interpretation and Boyle plays them straight, singing solo until she builds up to a chorus-accompanied crescendo. They're beautifully rendered, but a bit boring.

Boyle certainly isn't blazing any new musical trails, but her voice is the unquestionable star on this album. And for the many thousands who are waiting anxiously by their mailboxes for an Amazon.com shipment, Boyle's 'Dream' will certainly deliver.

Photos by Hugh Stewart and Austin Hargrave/courtesy Shore Fire Media