Michael Ball & Alfie Boe's Together Again: What You Need To Know

~ Mirror ~ 25/10/2017 ~

Last year, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe teamed up for Together, an album of show tunes and festive favourites that shot to the top of the UK Album Chart and earned the pair a Christmas No. 1 album. Now the pair are back for second helping and this week their second album, aptly titled Together Again, arrives in stores.

So what can we expect this time around? Here's everything you need to know...

A little background...

Boe and Ball first met back in 2007 while they were both starring in a west end production of the musical Kismet and had reportedly been talking about the idea of doing an album together pretty much ever since, but being busy people it took them nearly a decade to get around to actually doing it.

When they finally did, they decided to do their own take on their favourite show tunes – not many of which feature duets for two men. The album was certified double-platinum and, when it topped the charts over Christmas last year, made them the oldest duo in the history of the charts to score a No. 1 album in the UK.

With that kind of success, a follow-up seemed inevitable and their label, Decca, was quick to sign them up for a second bit of the apple, which they duly began working on earlier this year.

Who's producing it?

Nick Patrick, who produced the pair's first album, returns to handle production duties on its follow-up. Patrick has become something of a specialist in producing albums by classical crossover artists, having worked with the likes of Katherine Jenkins, Il Divo and Russell Watson in recent years, but he's also worked with artists such as Tina Turner, Gerry Rafferty and Marvin Gaye.

Any special guests?

Nope, not this time. Just Ball and Boe all the way.

What does it sound like?

The duo have pretty much stuck to the formula that worked so well for their first album, so there's a mixture of show tunes and a couple of festive numbers thrown in for good measure. There's a huge opening medley of songs from West Side Story, along with a selection of favourites from musicals such as Beauty and the Beast, South Pacific, and Sweeney Todd: The Barber of Fleet Street.

There's also a cover of Bette Midler's 'The Rose', taken from the 1979 film of the same name, a belting rendition of 'New York, New York' and a festive closer in the form of 'White Christmas'.

Does it deliver?

If you're a fan of musicals and big, powerful voices then yes, absolutely. Grab yourself a copy and cross your mum's stocking-filler off your Christmas list, job done.