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" Following a successful run in the musical adaptation of Shrek and with her Girls Aloud pals releasing their own solo discs, it was surely only a matter of time before Kimberley Walsh recorded a collection of stage classics. The twist here is that they&amp;#039;ve been re-worked into poppier renditions of their original counterparts; a move that has its charm in places but suffers from some mis-judged arrangements elsewhere. Lead single and opening track &amp;#039;One Day I&amp;#039;ll Fly Away&amp;#039; sounds atmospheric and almost tribal on record; and despite Walsh&amp;#039;s recent shaky performance of it at the NTAs, it&amp;#039;s one of a few re-imaginings that successfully makes the transition from stage to pop. A guitar-flecked rendition of Wicked&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;Defying Gravity&amp;#039; and a sultry jazz version of Oliver&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;As Long As He Needs Me&amp;#039; both cater to Walsh&amp;#039;s vocal tone and range, while remaining pleasant on the ears. However, some over-zealous piano and flat emotion taints &amp;#039;On My Own&amp;#039; from Les Mis, while &amp;#039;Somewhere&amp;#039; is curiously transformed into a bluesy guitar number that drains any feeling from the classic track. The only original song &amp;#039;You First Love Me&amp;#039; has a certain camp appeal, but it&amp;#039;s not enough to get excited about the prospect of a future solo project. The result is a worthy addition to any Girls Aloud fanatic&amp;#039;s collection, but not enough to turn the heads of the casual music peruser.  Tracks to download: &amp;#039;One Day I&amp;#039;ll Fly Away&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;Defying Gravity&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;Falling Slowly&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;As Long As He Needs Me&amp;#039; Watch the music video for Kimberley Walsh&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;One Day I&amp;#039;ll Fly Away&amp;#039; below:      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/music/album-reviews/review/a455266/kimberley-walsh-centre-stage-album-review/>