Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Surprise Surprise!' Unequivocally the Best Album of Her Career, 5 Nov 2007
'Taking Chances,' Celine Dion's 2007 English language release can only stand to serve as the best work in her long and illustrious career--no small accomplishment. Over 26 years Celine Dion has released in excess of 24 solid hours of original recorded material in six languages. So when it was announced that her new album would be something different--edgy and playful, risky and unique--one had to wonder what else she could bring to the table.
Well, as it turns out: A lot.
Packed into 16 solid tracks, Celine runs the musical gambit from 80s ballad covers to R&B, Gospel to the edgy Rock that was promised. And don't worry, there are even a few traditional-style Celine ballads thrown in the mix for good measure.
But its far more than the genre landscape that sets 'Taking Chances' apart from Celine Dion's 33 previous full length releases. The lyrics are simply far and away the best Celine has ever had to work with. The subjects of the songs are as varied as they are focused and detailed. Astonishingly devoid of tired clichés, the lyrics tell real stories with beautiful images. The result is a foundation of memorable, catchy lyrics upon which a wide instrumentation and Celine's masterful vocals build songs that simply stand up and stand out.
Particular highlights of the album include a remake of Heart's classic 'Alone.' Celine breathes new life into the song and takes complete ownership of the material with her powerful voice. 'Eyes On Me,' might be her most adventurous undertaking since 'Refuse to Dance' on 1993's 'The Colour of My Love.' After a few careful remixes 'Shadow of Love' could be the hottest thing to hit dance clubs in the last decade, and 'Ain't Got Nothin' Left' will leave listeners stunned by the apt attitude Celine works into her voice. The hoarse, gravelly--yes, GRAVELLY--vocals on 'That's Just The Woman In Me' defy all expectations and show us that the veteran chanteuse is still learning some new tricks.
But the song that may best describe the album--and Celine Dion's career--is 'Surprise Surprise.' Appropriately, the chorus taunts "Just when you think you've got me figured out/Just when you think you know me well/Baby you barely even broke the ice/My river runs white/And you're not in sight/But you're closer than you were."
In recent years it has been difficult to watch Celine Dion struggle to remain relevant. Since 2003 she has released a string of less than satisfying 'concept' albums that, while containing gems of their own, have felt rushed and tired. 'Taking Chances' defies this sad precedent and will certainly catapult the chanteuse back to the top where she belongs. This album is a window into the world of a mature woman who knows exactly what she wants, exactly what she's got, exactly who she is, and exactly what she's doing.
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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent (English language) studio album from Celine, 12 Nov 2007
Although I am an English speaker, I have always preferred Celine's French albums and singing, I feel they hold an added passion - possibly as French is her mothertongue. I was a little apprehensive when I first listened to this CD.
It's the first full studio English language album from Celine since 'Miracle' and I absolutely love it! Celine's voice remains exquisite. For some, Celine seems to induce the Marmite effect, but whatever your opinion, this album contains songs that show the versatility of her voice and is most definitely worth a listen!
There are some ballad tracks such as 'A Song for You' but also others which may be a surprise to those who expect more of a 'My Heart Will Go On'! 'Eyes on Me' could almost fall into the R&B genre and 'That's Just the Woman in Me' oozes soul. My personal favourite is 'New Dawn', which I would describe as mixture of gospel, soul and pop. My least favourite song is 'Alone'; a cover of the Heart hit from the 1980's. Although Celine sings it superbly, it's production is not exceptional and I expected more as it was produced by members of Evanescence.
Unfortunately and disappointingly, none of the UK versions of this album include the bonus tracks available on the Japanese version: 'Map to My Heart' and 'The Reason I Go On'.
This version of the album comes with a DVD giving a preview of the 'A New Day' DVD that will be released in December. The DVD is very short and is basically a promo item. NB - the Amazon description of the DVD is mis-leading. It does contain the live versions of the 4 songs listed from 'A New Day' and the released promo's of 'A New Day'. There is NO 'Making of the Show' or 'A Day in the Life of Celine' and only a very brief section of the 'Fan Appreciation Piece'. Nice to watch, but if you're going to buy the DVD anyway in December, it may be worth buying the 'Taking Chances' CD without the DVD and save a few pounds! This CD/DVD release comes in a card CD case, mine was a little squashed when it arrived, but fab none the less!
Overall this is a varied, intense and passionate album. Go buy it!
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad but, 30 Nov 2007
I came to like Celine Dion in the last few years but although this album is growing on me it is certainly not as good as her previous works. She has such a powerful voice and I think some of the songs on this album don't do her justice. Power ballards are definately her thing in my book although she does a great job on Taking Chances it lets her down.
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![Celine Dion - A New Day - Live in Las Vegas [Blu-ray] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YaLdQAj9L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
~ Celine Dion
~ Celine Dion
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~ Celine Dion
