Taking Chances - Personal Reviews | Official Topic

November 4, 2007 at 07:24 PM

1. Taking Chances 10/10 - shame it's not very sucessful but it was a decent enough start for her to promote the album

2. Alone 10/10 - love it, but do NOT release it as a single!

3. Eyes On Me 8/10 - slightly disappointed, the "shoooooooooooow" note in the recording sessions seemed more powerful than in the final product. Not single material.

4. My Love 7/10 - nice, filler though. Not single material.

5. Shadow Of Love 9/10 - Great! I want this as the fourth single.

6. Surprise, Suprise 8/10 - Decent, filler tbh.

7. This Time 10/10 - MUST be third single with a controversial video!!!

8. New Dawn 10/10 - Excellent, reminds me of Call The Man - NOT single material though

9. Song For You 10/10 - Lovely, another gem for albums only

10. World To Believe In 8/10 - Classic Celine but seems rather forgettable 'cos the others songs are a lot stronger! Do not release as a single!

11. Can't Fight The Feeling 10/10! I have played this the most! must be the second single!

12. I Aint Got Nothin Left 0/10 - I doubt i will ever play this on it's own! i might let the cd play through it should i be playing track 11 but otherwise i'm never going to listen to it! Ne-Yo = most overrated producer of all time! I would have given it a 1/10 if they hadn't screwed up her voice, as we know even Celine's voice can save the worst songs but this is not Celine's voice!!!!

13. Right Next To The Right One 7/10 - Nice album track, filler, not single material.

14. Fade Away 8/10 - Great song but rather forgettable. Maybe last single material.

15. That's Just The Woman In Me 10/10 - One of the best. Shame Celine said she wouldn't sing it live, because this is the case, she shouldn't release it as a single

16. Skies Of L.A 5/10 - Boring but a nice closer. Like track 12 i doubt i'll get the album out of its case just to hear this!

November 4, 2007 at 07:42 PM

I am definately more impressed by the album than I expected.

Taking Chances - I didn't care much for the original but even though Celine hasn't changed much in her rendition of it, I love it. there are some production thing that bothered me and they exist also in the arrnagments for Platinum weird (which the exact same arrangments) but I'm over it now. I think it's very radio friendly and a great choice for a first single.

Alone - Being the first thing I heard by Ben Moody, I was abit dissapointed because I expected it to be more rock and it is softer than I wanted it to be. nevertheless (but still.. ) I love it. I think Celine's vocals are soaring and it's an incredible song.

Eyes on me - love it! love it! love it! whoever is reminded by Shakira is an idiot because Shakira could have never pulled it off. I can't hear it ONCE without starting to dance and it's definately a refreshing change for Celine's style.

My love - I love it. It reminds me of a mix between a coldplay ballad and a David Gray song. I think it's definately one of the more quality songs of the album. it also has great lyrics, very emotional and it's just an amazing song.

Shadow of love - If they don't release this as single, they are IDIOTS!!!!!!!!! It's an amazing song and like Thomas (I think) said, I just get the urge to let everyone listen to it, to know their opinion. I LOVE the 2nd chorus where she changes the "but I can't hiiiiiiiiiiiiide" and it's just a really great production and amazing vocals.

Surprise Surprise - I think it's a great song. definaetly edgier than normal Celine and Kara did a great job (and I normally hate her to death!!!) . The chorus is amazing... you just have to sing along.

This time - I love it when I saw the recordings but I suddenly really started to love it once I realized that I too could relate to it. no, I haven't been abused by my.. euh.. imaginary husband however I know what it's like to be physically abused and so I can't listen to this song, without starting to get really angry... I guess it's a compliment as for the emotions I get from this song. I think it's more rock than "alone" and I love the intro.

New Dawn - I don't like it. I think of Larka when I hear it. I have a hard time as it is with this song because of the lyrical content but half the song Celinesounds just like Linda Perry and the other half, she just screams endlessly and pretty much with no emotions but just screams for the sake of screaming. I hate this song...

Song for you - I listened to this one only twice. it should've been something I would love but I can't quite relate to it. I think it's well written and it shows that there was alot of thoughts and emotions put in this song but it does nothing to me. also I think that the violin wasn't neccesary and that a cello would've been by far better.

A world to believe in - I so thought this would be one of my favorites but it's really not. Her vocals are soaring in the chorus and it makes you feel really sort of.. good inside when she says "you gave me a WORLD.. to believe in..." however the rest of the song is quite average.

Can't fight the feeling - I don't like it. I think it's nice and I luuuuuuuuuuurve her low notes here but it's quite a pointless song. not my thang..

I got nothing left -This must be a joke. in general it's a nice song... quite cute actually.. but why does it sound as if she inhaled helium?! it's stupid. I don't see the point of it. it doesn't contribute to the song.

Right next to the right one - I imagine Celine sitting around a campfire with a guitar and a tamborine haha... this is the type of songs I should really love normally. I think it is good and I hope it would grow more on me but so far I think it's just passable.

Fade Away - so yeah, it sounds just like a Kelly Clarkson but I love it.. it's so .. ahhh I don't know. I really love it. this should definately be released as a single.

That's just the woman in me - THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM!!!!!!!!! There aren't enough word to describe how much I love this song.. not one blues or sort of depression song Celine has ever made, is that soulfoul like this masterpiece... go John Shanks for finally making a GOOD song in his career...

Skies of LA - I think it's a great way to end the album. it's quiet and relaxing and I love the ending that has some electronic sound to it....

Seba, tell Edward I love him 4eva too :wub:

November 4, 2007 at 07:45 PM

Ok after listening several times, this is my complete review:

Taking Chances: 9.5. This song had/has such potential. It is extremely radio friendly, and I wish more could've been done to promote its airplay.

Alone: 6.5. This song is growing on me, but I really think she should've made it a rock song like it originally was.

Eyes On Me: 7. Good song, but very very different. It seems like it is lacking something, though I am not sure what.

My Love: 7. Eh, its ok.

Shadow Of Love: 8.5. Love the song, good beat, excellent single potential...it also seems like it is lacking something though.

Surprise, Surprise: 9. I didn't like this song from the previous clips, but I am really liking it now. Now thats a surprise, right? :giggle:

This Time: 9. I scored it this high because of the lyrics. Celine sounds good in it, but it seems as though they could've added something extra to it. As far as a single is concerned, sure that'd be good but I don't know if I would make it the 2nd single. I would release something that could really and truly take off and is radio friendly first, then maybe make this the 3rd single.

A New Dawn: 9.5. The girl can get down with it! This song shows her vocal ability. Don't think it should be a single...I like the new day has come reference.

A Song For You: 6. It makes me sleepy, what can I say?

A World to Believe In: 10. As I said before, this song suits Celine's voice, its classic Celine and what made me fall in love with her voice many years ago. I like the music involved, the lyrics are absolutely beautiful, and it gives me chills when I listen to it. Not a good single, but I think that it would work great in a movie.

Can't Fight This Feelin': 9. Celine rocks out once again...I'm hooked on a feelin', a natural high.

I Ain't Got Nothin' Left: 8. Did Ne-Yo have nothing left when he wrote this song? I expected more considering his previous work. I like it better now that I have listened several times, but its missing something.

Right Next to the Right One: 6. This is when I press the next button on my CD player. I just can't make myself like it, sorry. Maybe if I can listen to it a little more

Fade Away: 10. The next single...please let it be the next single. Great beat, great lyrics, great sound, shows off her voice. AWESOME song, this is definately one that will be on repeat.

That's Just the Woman in Me: 9.5. Hey, talk about Taking Chances...this just proves she can do anything. I wasnt crazy about it at the beginning, but I am liking it more and more.

Skies of L.A.: 6.5. Once again I think I was expecting too much, considering the writers and producers.

Taking Chances is for sure one of the most diverse English albums that she has put out. Overall, I'd give the album a 9 out of 10. I think Map to My Heart and the other song (cant think of the name) should have replaced 2 of the songs on here. The album has extreme potential if people will give it a chance. I'd rank this in the top 5 Celine albums (maybe even top 3).

So, Fade Away: Single 2

This Time: Single 3

Shadow of Love: Single 4

November 4, 2007 at 07:50 PM

My Favorites Are:

I GOT NOTHIN' LEFT

Can't Fight The Feelin'

That Just A Woman In Me

Eyes On Me

New Dawn

Alone

This Time

My Love

Etc.... Luv them ol! :clap:

November 4, 2007 at 08:55 PM

wow wow wow wow !!!

When I first heard the 30 second clips of the album I already loved what I was hearing ! Now that I have heard the full songs its even better then I imagined. I cant really rate the songs except all of them to ME are BIG FAT PERFECT 10 ! They are all so unique ! I have never felt that way about an album before and thats why I waited to put my personal review because I wanted to see if I just thought all the songs were awesome because its my first time hearing them. I think that celine used diversity in this album and yet stayed true to herself. This album makes me so proud to be a Celine Fan !!!

I do have a favorite song though " Right next to the right one " - I love it ... and I usually dont like songs like these.

November 4, 2007 at 09:00 PM

Ok, I'm now listening to the album for the first time and I'm writing exactly what I think at the moment:

1. Taking Chances - Really good song, a good single choice. 6/10 ^_^

2. Alone - Amazing song... probably my favorite from the album. This is the real Celine with some upgrades :clap: 9/10

3. Eyes On Me - I'm happy she finally decided to do something different.... when I first heard the clip from the recording sessions I didn't like it, but now it's one of my favorite songs on the album. I f*ckin love this song. :thumbsup2: 9/10

4. My Love - Nothing special... I don't like it very much, too forgettable. I hope it won't be a single. 4/10 :confused:

5. Shadow Love - Nice song... The lyrics and the vocals are amazing :w00t: 6.5/10

6. Surprise surprise - hmm... a little boring at the beginning. I like the end. 5/10

7. This Time - amm... no, I don't like this song, maybe it'll grow on me -_- 4/10

8. New Dawn - Awesome song... even when it started I knew it would be something great.

9. A Song For You - beautiful ballad. 6/10

10. A World To Believe In - great melody, great lyrics, great performance. Bravo Celine! :clap: 10/10

11. Can't Fight The Feelin - another amazing song on the album. Rock Celine. 9.5/10

12. I Got Nothing Left - what's with her voice ? :blink: The song is good, but what she did ? Too much pro-tools or helium ? :mdr:

13. Right Next To The Right One - I can't understand what she is trying to be... Shania?... Kelly ? I can't stand when she is trying to be someone she is not. But the song is good actually :mdr: 6.5/10

14. Fade Away - :doh: :doh: :doh: Kelly Clarkson :kicking: 6/10

15. That's Just The Woman In Me - great performance. :yes: 10/10

16. Skies Of L.A - Beautiful BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL ! 10/10

17. Map To My Heart - A big mistake it didn't enter in the album 8/10

This is an amazing album. Better than A new day has come and One Heart for sure.

Bravo Celine , Good Work :clap:

November 4, 2007 at 10:51 PM

my fave so far is surprise surprise. i dont know what it is, its just such a great song to listen to. i LOVE her sound on this album ,it is so different to the others, i cant wait for it to come out so i can listen properly...as im forbidding myself to listen all the way through on tc. i also love TC of course and AWTBI is great, awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! :wub:

November 6, 2007 at 12:14 AM

The songs aren't in the album order, I just kind of picked which ones to listen to as I reviewed them

New Dawn - Low notes in the beginning kill me! Just unbelievable. I love the vibe of this song, and the beat, and the feeling it gives me. Her voice is so soulful! The arrangement is perfect, I love the guitar in the middle. Not a lot of lyrics, but she sounds fantastic and I just love the whole completed song.

I Got Nothing Left - I'm flabbergasted by the completed version. I die a little inside when people say this song sucks. I think it's absolutely fantastic. She conveys so much emotion when she sings this song! I love the melody, and I particularly love the verses. I love the way her voice sounds given the complete song. I think she has a lot of gospel in her voice, especially when it kicks in towards the end. My only nitpick is that a couple of times, especially at the very end it takes a strange turn and gets a little random sounding, but other than that I just adore this song.

A World to Believe In - The verses and her tone melt me. I think it's one of the most beautiful songs she's ever done. The arrangement goes with her voice so perfectly. I love how it starts very mellow and then builds up more and more with her bombastic trademark belts in the chorus. Her voice sounds fantastic throughout the entire song. One of her best ballads for sure to me.

A Song For You - It goes without saying that the piano arrangement is like buttah. Really haunting. Her voice still sounds a little strange to me but after hearing it a few times it doesn't really take away anything from the song. At least her voice is conveying a lot of emotion. This is another one that doesn't have a whole lot of lyric and relies on the arrangement to carry the song, which it does just fine. Very pretty overall and short but sweet.

My Love - I've given this song better marks than my previous comments. Hearing it up close and personal is the best way to hear the amazing emotion in her voice. The arrangement is also very pretty and it's not as boring as I once thought. Another song where the arrangement starts off very simple and then various instruments kick in at various points and makes the song feel very full by the end. Glad she added some nice vocals towards the end to make it more interesting.

Skies of L.A. - Okay, so I was expecting the song to build into something, but ya know what? It didn't, and it's a-okay with me! What an amazing little gem of a song! God it's just so mellow, calm, and smooth. Her tone is unbelievably warm. It's definitely a song to chill to, and a perfect way to end the album. It's just so different than her normal song, and it's perfectly fine. I'm glad they added it and I'll be enjoying this one for sure. My only criticism is the layering of her voice at the very end. She gets on top of herself a bit.

That's Just the Woman in Me - I stand by my previous comments. I think this song is amazing in every way. Her voice is incredibly raw, powerful, gritty, and it's to die for. You can just hear the grit in her belts and how scratchy it sounds. The arrangement is awesomely bluesy and it's just the perfect combination with her voice. The scream at the end makes you buggy eyed! I think John Shanks did a fantastic job producing his portion of the album!

This Time - I love the voices in the beginning. Understanding the lyrics just make the song that much better. Moody did a great job with this one, much better than Alone. It's got that harder edge that they were going for. Overall a great song and very catchy. I can't imagine fans not eating this one up.

Fade Away - Again, I love the violins throughout the song, and it has a dark and angry vibe to it. Very good song, and the chorus is awesome! I also really love the backing vocals at the end of the song, they seem to get higher and higher. Similar sounding to This Time in that it has that edge to it and it's very catchy, but with much more kicked up vocals.

Alone - I think it gets better the less you listen to the Heart version, heh. I think if the original wasn't so amazing it would make this version better than it is. I like her vocals for the most part but I cringe at certain parts because she sounds so whiney and nasal. I do like the arrangement for the most part. I like that she sings it in slightly sharp or flat tone, I don't know which, but my biggest criticism is that horrible nasal wail in the middle, that should have been longer, stronger, and just all around better. The full arrangement in the middle makes the song more complete and brings it up slightly for me.

Eyes on Me - Still love this one. I do think she sounds a bit whiney on certain lines, but it's not too bad. I love the beat and the layered arrangements of the complete version. It covers up those whiney vocals A solid track, and not among my favorites at the moment, but still nice. I do like that it's noticeably different than her usual song.

Taking Chances - Haven't gotten sick of this one yet. I only wish it didn't take so long to get to the interesting part of the song. I'm trying not to let all the lipped and bad performances of this song taint me because it really is a nice pleasant sounding song with really good vocals. Definitely fits in with the overall tone of the album.

Shadow of Love - Love this song! The heartbeat sound at the beginning is really cool, and one of those details you have to hear up close to appreciate it. Celine sings it a bit different, I can't put my finger on it, but I love it. The chorus is infectious. It doesn't feel like cheap Euro-pop to me...that genre is best summed up by the song One Heart and they should not be in the same category. Another song that seems to have lots of layers to it which makes it sound very full and complete.

Can't Fight the Feeling - LOVE the bass riff at the beginning! Her vocals are very Your Light, and Make You Happy only with obvious edge. Overall the song is great. Definitely has a couple different vibes going on with the verses, chorus, and bridge, but it works well together. It's not as "pretty" sounding as the rest of them but it's still a good song, and exemplifies the whole "taking chances" theme.

Right Next to the Right One - I think it's the oddball of the album, but it's a good song. Another example of doing something different; it doesn't mean you have to do a screaming rock song to be different, just incorporate a circus sounding song, heh.

Surprise Surprise - the perfect pop song. I don't know what else to say about the song. The arrangement is very pleasant, as are the vocals. Going to be a fun one to sing along to Just when you think the song is about over, it takes a turn to another sounding song, but comes back with better vocals.

Overall I'll say this album probably has the least amount of tracks to skip for me. Honestly the only one I might not listen to very much is RNTTRO. I think they did a fantastic job of putting it together and picking songs for it. Celine sang her butt of for us once again, and despite not having anything to prove, she only proves that much more that she's one of the greatest vocalists in history.

November 6, 2007 at 04:13 AM

Well it seems to me that this must be an incredible album...I actually like how some fans gave certain songs a perfect 10 and others a score below 5! This makes for a diverse album which will appeal to many people!

So here is my complete review:

1. Taking Chances- Love the song! I give this song 9/10. I played this song out!

2. Alone- Love it! 9/10. This was my second fave song until I hear the rest of the album :lol:

3. Eyes On Me- Good song, but I'm not in love with it! I give it a 7/10

4. My Love -OMG! 10/10!! Actually 20/10!!! lol. I love this song, it's amazing!! I cannot believe more people were not as equally impressed with it as I was. You guys, I am totally in love with this song! It's so passionate, I don't know how to explain it but I totally love it! I feel like I have a broken heart again, but this song comforts me.

5. Shadow Of Love- Very nice. Love it! 8/10

6. Surprise Surprise- Awesome! Another great track! 9/10

7. This Time- Loved it the first time I heard, and it's still totally amazing! 9/10

8. New Dawn- I listened to it a few times, but I can't get the feeling for it, I've skipped it many times since then (I still love you Celine!) 6/10

9. A Song For You- Sorry, I still can't get a feel for this song. 6/10

10. A World To Believe In- Again, not my favorite... 6 1/2 out of 10

11. Can't fight the Feeling- Another nice track, 7/10.

12. I Ain't Got Nothing Left- Love it! Nice kick back song! Beautiful!! 9/10. (Listening to it as I type, I am so in love with this song too!)

13. Right Next to the Right One- Beautiful, much nicer than the 30 sec clip lol. 8/10

14. Fade Away- OMG!!!!!!!!! This has to be a single!!! Story of my life right here!!! 10/10 Love this song, love it, love it, love it!!

15. That's Just the Woman In Me- Awesome song, but I think it would have fit in the FIY album! 8/10

16. Skies of L.A.- Nice song, but...I won't have this on repeat! Love it though! =) 7/10

The album gets a PERFECT 10!!! Thanks to the high score of My Love

Singles:

Fade Away

This Time

Surprise Surprise[?]

Edited November 6, 2007 at 04:13 AM by Lawna

November 6, 2007 at 06:37 AM

I'm not rating the songs, and I'm not choosing favorties, but let's share some thoughts here...

-I Got Nothin Left: I mention it first because there were huge expectations for the song, and let me tell you, I can't stop playing it! Her voice is fantastic! She sounds like and AMERICAN GIRL, not a FOREIGN OLD WOMAN. For an english album, that's an acomplishment. So you guys wanted "Irreplaceable II." Boo-hoo. This track can not be compared with any of the others, and like someone said already, leave it alone, and I wouldn't mind if it becomes single.

-Now the Rock triangle: Can't Fight the Feeling + Fade Away + Shadow of Love, they are sooo good and such pleasant surprises, I believe this triangle is truly the CORE of the album.

-Then also, Woman in Me + Right Next/Right One are more like rock gimmicks, as in janis joplin on one side, and the beatles or folky stuff on the other, still nice additions to solidify the concept.

-Surprise + World to Believe are nice pop tunes, reminescent of ANDHC... I like them, but seem out of place.

-Song for You, it's a quality Celinish track, I don't mind it's on the album, not one of my favs though.

-Eyes on me, again not comparable with any of the other, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do, but it's really catchy damn it! Not sure if it fits the concept though, it's very commercial as in "i'm trying too hard." Think One Heart, if it weren't a rushed album as it was. It would have sounded more like this.

-MY LOVE, wow, with such a title it had better be this good! One of my favs definately, made me tear up a bit, it 's fantastic.

-New Dawn, hum, I never felt the urge to hear it, I've played it maybe two times, and I don't miss it. However it does fit the album very well and I don't mind it being there at all.

-No need to beat the dead horse, I won't mention the title track.

-Alone + This Time, the Moody tracks, GOOD! Solid, commercial, and Celine doesn't come off as trying to be anyone else, they can both be single and I won't say a word agains it.

I'm glad Map to my Heart didn't make the cut, just because Celine was having a good voice day and belted it doesn't mean it's such a good song. Reason I Go On, never heard it yet.

To wrap it up guys, I am sooo pleased with this album, I don't mind ANY of the songs being single, I truly don't care which one is second third fourth or fifth. Let her team choose them, I'll just sing along.

November 6, 2007 at 02:08 PM

What is REALLY starting to point out in all those reviews is that no fan seems to LOVE the exact same songs, the opinions are all over the place. I think this is the first time in a long time that we do NOT agree pretty much on the same songs...usually a few songs generally stand out from the rest, this time however this is not the case, there are 8 or even 9 songs that people consider the best. That IS incredible and I think it means that this album will appeal to the larger audiences a lot!!!

November 6, 2007 at 06:35 PM

This album is sooooo amazing!!! it's a perfect blend definitely her best since All The Way :clap:

I guess the ones that I luuuvreee the most are

Taking Chances (Just love the voice on this one the raw parts "saaaay" "Never knooowing")

Alone (Love the song since forever and the music box it's great)

Surprise Surprise (It's the chorus that stays the most in my head from the whole album "Just when you think you've got me figure out...the only thing I hate is the title :bleh: )

Can't Fight The Feelin' (One of her best uptempo songs...make sme wanna screeeam my guts out)

This Time (The lyrics and whole concept of the song)

That's Just The Woman In Me (a whole new Celine in the best kind of way)

Eyes On Me (When i first heard the clip of the song I thought it was going to be sooo cheap...but now....woow...has a great feelin')

My Love (It has several different shades of tones love it)

Right Next To The Right One (It has some kind of silliness that talks to you in such a naive way...love it)

I Got Nothin' Left (The way her voice cracks with emotion is just unbelievable)

and then...

A world To believe in (The song is great...but the chorus just doesn't work for me....too "inspirational")

A New Dawn (mmm...I guess it still has to grow on me....still kinda dull)

Fade Away & Shadow Of Love (Is good to hear Celine's voice...but don't offer nothing new for me)

A song for you (The Classical piano is great gives me the same feeling as the way they used "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: No. 2, Adagio sostenuto" by Rachmaninov in All by Myself)

Skies Of L.A. (Sounds too much like a Christmas song)

I Guess at this time I'm too Hooked up on the uptempo rockish songs so the ones that are too slow...are not working for me .....but I know they are important to keep the pace of the album....so....I'll give'em time

Edited November 6, 2007 at 06:38 PM by Loup_garou

November 7, 2007 at 06:23 AM

And boy am I glad I did. I just finished listening to Taking Chances via AOL listening party. I figure it's either now or next tuesday - what's the difference? What I wish I hadn't done is watched those 'making of' clips as it they pretty much ruined any surprise I would have gotten out of "That's Just the Woman in Me", "Alone" "Surprise, Surprise" and "Eyes on Me" ...oh well.

First I have to say, I am not one of those biased Celine fans that rave about everything she does. I have not been in love with anything she's put out since 1996's 'Falling Into You'. In my opinion she has not topped that album. Until possibly now. This is probably the most raw and honest album Celine has recorded since FIY. And it is a breath of fresh air. There is not ONE song on here I do not like. Her vocals on every track are absolutely amazing. After listening to this record, we are reminded why Celine is Celine Dion. I'm not going to go through every song...just the ones that stick out in my mind at the moment.

First of all. The single that SHOULD have been released in the first place is "Fade Away". It's like Declaration of Love, Queen of the Night, River Deep Mountain High, and Your Light" all rolled into one. It is one of the biggest kick-#ss songs on the album - on any album for that matter. The next kick-#ss song on the album is "Can't Fight the Feeling"

Those who kept commenting on her nasally sound in "I Got Nothing Left" will be pleasantly surprised to discover she doesn't sing the whole song this way - only the chorus. Her vocals on this track are STELLAR.

One of my personal favorites and a gem on the album is "Right Next to the Right One". So simple and elegant but bumps along nicely and is never boring. Very different from anything she's recorded before.

Those who felt "A World To Believe In" was a cheese-fest will realize it's a song about hope in a dark diminishing world where little hope is anywhere to be seen.

"A New Dawn" Great message...again, a hope song. Very gospel - absolutely stunning - strong vocals, sung with power and conviction.

"Skies of L.A." Absolutely gorgeous song that wraps up the album perfectly.

Bottom line: This album shows us Celine has something to say and she's gonna make you believe it. I would says she's even a little pissed - she even swears on one of the tracks - can't remember which one. The album as a whole has a more cynical and darker feel to it with sprinklings of optimism throughout. This is a great body of work she has put on record. She has never sounded better. Finally, something I can hold up to 'Falling Into You'.

November 8, 2007 at 07:05 AM

i listened to the album a couple of times before deciding to make and snap judgement on it. at first listen i dont believe its as catchy or fluent as 'a new day has come'. but now that i have given it a few listens i can definately say that this is an incredible effort on the part of Celine and im sure will become more of a staple than a new day. while most may say its not risky, it definately is more edgy for celine. its also my opinion that the more classic ballads (my love, song for you, world to believe in, new dawn) are actually stomped on by their rockier and hipper counterparts (taking chances, eyes on me, fade away, this time, surprise and woman in me). with all that bein said ill give my first impression and my latest impression

1. taking chances - loved it from the start altho i didnt like how close it waz to the original i def agree that celine raises it higher. i also believe it waz a perfect first single and am surprised it hasnt done better 8/10

2. alone - i may be one of the only people in the world that didnt know the original song before. that being said i think the original is still better, and i felt celine was a bit mechanical on it and not as powerful as she coulda been. still very catchy and worth it. is there a wall of sound effect in this? 7/10

3. eyes on me - at first i thought she was trying too hard and it sounded a bit weird. now its def. one of my top 5. its so infectious from the get go, it gets better with numerous listens. love the part where she shouts 'so u better say yeahh' 9/10

4. my love - on first listen i thought BORING (thats wat i thought the first time i listened to most of the ballads) but its definately grown big time. i love how it fills out. its my second favorite ballad on the the album. 8.5/10

5. shadow of love - when i first listened i thought, this is ok pop music, but didnt think anything special of it. especially after how much everyone else had been going on about it. its not until tonight i think that i realized how great it is. its almost like peaceful dance music if thats possible and i lver her delivery altho i think the backing vocals at the end arent that great. 8/10

6. surprise surprise - i thought this would be something great from watchin the studio recording. when i first listened it was just ok. it is definately a gem now though. its def a top 5 and excellent production by kara. the lyrics make it even more awesome than it is. 10/10

7. this time - i instantly loved the intro and the background vocalists. the song and its theme are new territory for celine. that bein said im not sure how it would work as a single and i think the chorus is played over and over. not many lyrics aside from them. still its haungting and powerful. 8/10

8. new dawn - i thought it was weird from the jesus start but just knew it was goin to be special. i cant describe it, but its awesome and i fell in love from just the first listen. thats saying something about it.i lovewhen it really starts to kick in ad she starts to wail. 9/10

9. a song for you - to be honest i skipped over this the first time i was listening to the album. its ok but i still havent gotten into it. 6/10

10. world to believe in - i like it alot and i like that the ballads this time around arent even like they usually are. cant really explain it. still, in the long run i dont know that they will be special. i love the build up and the chorus. classic celine yet nothing like BYLM, MHWGO, B&B, POL. as i said, id love to discuss how the ballads are different this time around. i cant see any of them being good single material (even when ballads were more popular in pop music). 7.5/10

11. rntro - i like it. thought it was weird on first listen and the starting vocals sound like she is trying too much. i definately wouldnt want anyone else in the room when im listenin to this song. the starting is NOT cool. funny enough though, eventually it gets very catchy. at the end its good but not excellent. 7/10

12. i got nothing left - everyone scared me by talking about how much she sounds like a chipmunk. i dont get it, yeh the chorus is a bit different than her normal singing, but im pretty sure ive heard her sing like that before. on first listen i thought..hmm well ok..neyo couldnt you have come up with some more words. its like he got nothing left. i still stand by the fact that i think he could have written a better song for her. that being said the song brings her to another level. the singing style suits it perfect and one of the tracks where i LOVE her voice. especially in the end. 8/10

13. rntro - its ok. i havent given it much of a chance ill admit, but i dont think ill ever love it. 6/10

14. fade away - i love the 'show must go on' rythm and i love the song. i like it more than i did on first listen. its one of those songs that keep repeating in my head after ive listened to it. love when she says 'faddddde to black' 10/10

15. thats just the woman in me - love it love it love it. i dont think i love it so much because of the actual song. i love how different her vocals sound on it. incredible. incredible. its definately a stand out, id want everyone i know to listen to it just so i could tell them its celine. 10/10

16. skies of l.a - why not skies of miami or something else. everything is alwasy l.a he he he. aside from that i love how dreamy the song is. its like ur floating. good end for the album and i dont understand why some think its so boring. 8/10

all in all an excellent album by celine that gets better with each listen. maybe i wont find one song on it that i love as much as immortality, i surrender, if walls could talk or think twice. but in the end i definately think this has the least amount of filler material. its a good listen from start to finish

lol i hope this posts

November 8, 2007 at 11:28 AM

I agree that this is a great album in fact its a fantastic album but I dont think it is as edgy as it was originally made out, I think the songs are great but could have done with less ballads (which are still great dont misunderstand me). Although it is a Ballad (condraticting myself) SKIES OF L.A. is just amazing, if you listen carefully there is background music which is very trance like TOTALLY LOVE IT.

TJTWIM should be a single and TT very commercial in this day and age I think

7/10 for the album

November 8, 2007 at 12:02 PM

Taking Chances Album Review

1. Taking Chances - When the single first debuted, I was just not feeling this song at all. I don't what happened between then and now, but I love it. The lyrics are probably what got me and of course, her voice. I love how it starts subtle, swells, then quiets down again at the end. Very nice opener. 9/10

2. Alone - From the beginning of the song, the haunting melody had me sucked in. Celine breathed new life into a classic. She made it her own IMO. The arrangement is really good. The ending chords give me chills. 9/10

3. Eyes on Me - A completely different side of Celine, a side that I have fallen madly in love with. This song is one of my favorites on the album. The hypnotic beat had me moving when it started up, you just have to dance to this one. The hook and chorus sealed the deal for me, I was strung out at first listen. I really love when so says "so you better say YEAH". The lyrics are very devilish and seductive, just brings out the wild side. Such a great groove, it would be a great 2nd single. 10/10

4. My Love - Very touching and emotional song. When you really, really listen it is so moving, almost makes you wanna cry. Her voice is so heartbaringly honest. Everything about this song is touching, the melody is beautiful. In fact, this song is the ringtone for my text messages currently. 10/10

5. Shadow of Love - At first from the 30 second clips, I thought it was cool but nothing extraordinary. How wrong we can be. I LOOVVE this song now, LOVE it. Her voice is in another place, on another level on this song. Such distinction and emotion. Makes you just wanna get up and rock out. The lyrics are just outstanding. At this point, I'm no longer listening to a CD but rather having an experience. 10/10

6. Surprise, Surprise - A bit more tame than the previous jewel, but no less awesome. She bares her soul in the lyrics to the man in her life who thinks he further along than he is but SURPRISE, SURPRISE, her rivers runs wide and its not that easy to figure her out. Her voices are once more superb as are the lyrics.What sticks out to me the most about this song is the last note, its indescribable. 9.5/10

7. This Time - Much more heavy and serious lyrical theme with this song. It deals with domestic violence and it being time to get out of it. It's a very strong song, it could very well empower women to get out in time before its too late. Her vocals are powerful and emotion-filled as would have with the rest of the CD. I really like this song alot, I'm glad she did it. 9/10

8. New Dawn - This one has a gospel soulful feel to it, still empowering as Celine belts at the beginning of the 2nd verse, "I am Woman, A mountain I will climb...". The vocals are so soulful. During the bridge, she does some of the albums most soulful runs. Its very encouraging when you really listen to the lyrics, as she begins the song by calling to Jesus. 9/10

9. A Song For You - The slowest song on the CD, but it starts with a beautiful and haunting piano playing. The lyrics are beautifully arranged. This one will find more space in the hearts of the older listeners, we can appreciate it more. Celine shines once again though, her bright vocal presence glows in the gorgeous ballad. The instrumentals are grand. 9/10

10. A World to Believe In - This one is VERY touching. One of those numbers you wanna sing the chorus with her at the top of your lungs (especially after the key change at the end). It's an inspirational song, that can be directed towards whoever has given you a world to believe in, even in the midst of the cold world we know as earth. Celine's vocals and emotions once again radiate into your heart and just move you...its just so moving to me. 10/10

11. Can't Fight the Feeling - This is another song that upon the clips I was ignorant to its greatness. Sort of a Country/Rock feel to it. Wow, how I love it. From the beginning, Celine starts singing in a lower register than usual and its just so great. Yet another "sing along with at the top of your lungs" song. Her vocals are really great but at the end she gets sooo soulful the song almost gets gospel on you lol. Theres one run in particular towards the end when the chorus is rearranged, that is like WOW! I actually find myself rewinding the song to hear that run again.I I'll even tell you where the run is...3:14 lol. 10/10

12. I Got Nothin' Left - This was my favorite song upon first listen of the clips. Her voice is yet again distinctly manifesting in another way. It's amazing how many ways she can use her God-given instrument, it's astounding. The song is a heartbreaker, she expresses such a sad emotion in lyric and note. Ne-Yo wrote this one, thankfully it doesn't sound too much like his sound (yall know the sound I'm talking about lol). It's great though, still one of my favorites. I absolutely the belting on the last chorus...so soulful. My current ringtone.10/10

13. Right Next to the Right One - Someone else who reviewed this CD called this song, the oddball of the bunch and I agree. But I am in love with it, the lyrics are touching and I love when she says "mm-hmm". It has a folky sound to it which leads me to believe I like folk music lol...or at least the folky sound with Celine's voice. To those that think its weird and skippable, just sit down still somewhere and then turn the lights down and listen to the words, give it a chance and ignore your preconceived notions. 9.5/10

14. Fade Away - This song is one that anyone that has ever been hurt can sing along with at full emotion. I find myself singing this one at the top of my lungs and after its over I actually feel very emotional. How even after you've been touched by the pain, time can heal your heart again. I tell you her emotion on this CD is just crazy. The vocals on this one are suberb too, as well as the lyrics, this is truly among top tier of songs on the CD, single material. It's a Rock classic IMO. 10/10

15. That's Just the Woman in Me - All I can simply say is OH MY GOD. Man.......hold on yall, I'm tryna find the words..........(sigh) Ok. This here song is another dimension, another planet. This is ONE of the BEST SONGS she has ever done. I have no idea why but I even find myself on the brink of tears at the end of listening to this one. Many have said it's as if she has been possessed by the spirit of Janis Joplin on this one, I don't know what the deal is but it is otherworldly and almost supernatural in my opinion too. It's the fulness of Soul, Rock, Country, and even Gospel in Celine's voice ever expressed on record. The words are great, one of the best covers I have ever heard. This song is an out of body experience, don't believe me? Listen to it with headphones. Celine Dion is a VOCAL FORCE. She just emotes emotion and passion so perfectly on this especially...I could go on forever, you'd be better off just listening for yourself. 10/10

16. Skies of L.A. - The total opposite of the previous experience (song). Very subtle, whimsical, soft....it just carries you to the very peaceful place. Strangely enough this was done by the guy that also did Rihanna's Umbrella. Hey, he's versatile. The lyrics are deep, almost make me think its talking about polution and something else deeper. I don't know, but the vocals are superb even being subtle. Celine's voice is masterful. 9/10

17. Map to My Heart - I'm actually upset about this one, that is didn't make the US version of the CD. Simply breathtakingly beautiful. The lyrics are glorious, so romantic and moving. The guitars in this one are great too. Celine once again shows off her dynamic voice, starting subtle, exploding into the bridge and on and then ending sweetly. She sings with such emotion, anyone would doesn't have a stone for a heart would be touched. It could VERY WELL be a single. One of my favorites on this CD, the melody is enchanting. 10/10

18. The Reason I Go On - Wow, just got this song recently, it is so touching, I was nearly moved to tears at first listen. A classic Celine Inspirational Hit. The vocals are perfect in everyway as usual with the VOCAL FORCE (see the That's Just the Woman In Me review lol). The lyrics are aimed to pull out tears from your heart and eyes. The melody is BEAUTIFUL. BEAUTIFUL. BEAUTIFUL. 10/10

In summary, this CD is an experience, one of the best things I have ever heard and certainly the best CD of 2007. If you really wanna experience it in it's fulness, listen with headphones, you can hear everything. If I had to sum the CD up with 4 words they'd be: Emotion, Passion, Versatilily, and Perfection. I'd give it several Grammys. Amazing Effort, amazing. God bless Celine Dion.

November 9, 2007 at 07:03 PM

Am writing this down per song I am listening to.

Map to my heart

I’ve loved since the first time I heard it. The beginning is so sweet, tiny and intimate. It really gives me a chill mood. Then the bridge starts in and I was like Woah! Rock on! I like unexpected surprises in a song, and this is one. And those high and/or long notes are brilliant. And the ‘eh eh eh eh’ are quite new too, I love it.

This time

Great intro and outro. Though I would have done a spooky one, like footsteps on the hall. Her voice sounds so fragile and hurt. Very much drama in the verses, which I prefer. The refrain doesn’t do it for me, like; it doesn’t really fit with the total song. That doesn’t mean I hate the refrain. I love the background in the refrain. The bridge is the best part, her voice really soars. I like the way she sings ‘all you took from me’. Overall a superb song, with daring lyrics.

That’s just the woman in me

I think they placed it on the wrong place. Uhm, it’s after an up-tempo song so it sounds really soft compared to the rest. Now I heard it after ‘This Time’ and now it feels right. Her voice is the way I love it! And really LOVE it!! I became a fan of Celine because her rawness, like her note on ‘All By Myself’ and the one in ‘River Deep…’ Seriously, this gives me orgasms in my ears. This how music should sounds, in my humble opinion. Her voice is right on along with the music. The last note finishes the song for me, makes it complete and I am so satisfied. One little annoying thing, is when she sings the line with buying flowers, there’s a drum too much.

Fade away

Yum, the violins sounds so much promising. And it is! Coz the refrain is sublime! I totally love it. Everything is just right, her voice, different sounds, and the high notes. Really a good and very strong song. Stop the ‘Sounds like Kelly’; coz the song has Celine Dion all written over. She really gave everything that was in her lungs that day! The end is good.

A world to believe in

Sounds country-ish, the beginning. Very soothing and calm beginning. I really like it. She should not use her vibrato when she is ‘shouting’ world and love. It really has a great harmony and such a classic Celine song, like everyone already said. Just beautiful. I love how they did the end of it.

Taking chances

I admit that I had to get used to it after hearing Platinum Weird’s version a million times. Her voice sounds the way I like it. It is such a good, build up song. It starts very acoustic, then the guitars and drums starts and then I have to wait again ‘til the bridge, which I love the most, and then the last time chorus, the high note, it’s all too good.

New dawn

Already one of my favourites. She starts so good, with the hmm’s. Her lower register really give me goose bumps. Oh I could repeat the first part all the time. And her bursting notes are perfect. And when the choir joins in I melt. I love that! Pity is that the chorus goes on repeat a lot. But overall I really feel it, and yes it’s a religious song, which I am not, but encouraging words makes the song what it is! I also love the adlibs and her voice sounds really soulful.

My love

It just starts. When I hear it for the first time I thought there went something wrong. First I really LOVE the lyrics. The piano is really haunting somehow. It really leads me through the song. Her voice sounds very sweet yet fragile. When the drums starts in, it’s just a good pop ballad, yet different for Celine’s liking. It really suits her voice. The ending is strong, I like that in a song. The song reminds me of something. I guess it’s her tone, but it’s really pretty!! Far from boring.

I got nothin’ left

It already starts annoying, a high sound. Her voice sounds alright in the beginning. But after that it’s bad. They really didn’t do her voice any justice. And maybe if her voice was normal, I might have liked it. Overall it still is quite boring. And the lyrics are too simple, could have been written by a 1 year old. I am trying to listen to it with thoughts of how it sounds with a normal voice, and then I realise she puts a lot of attitude in her voice, which I like. I think the more I listen to it, the more I accept the twisting voice. I do not like the bridge kind of things. The background vocals are annoying and it’s going nowhere.

Surprise surprise

It surely is a surprise for me. Not a typical song for Celine. Her voice sounds really good, it has a tone as ‘oh well’ (in the beginning), which adds something to the full song. The refrain really stays in your head. The use of music instruments is well done. The refrain sounds so sad somehow, that it really touches me. The last time when she sings the chorus hits the goose bumps factor! And woah at the last ‘surprise’

Skies of L.A.

If I had to choose one song that has simple yet beautiful music, with wonderful vocals that soar it should be this song. It might be boring for a lot of people, but if you listen carefully it has everything that a song with lyrics like this should have. Unusual instrument/sounds, which I really love. The producers really did a great, great job!! Nice way to end the (regular) album

Shadow of love

Oh I love the intro a lot! As if a heart I pumping. Her voice sounds again so different, but beautiful. The full song is just amazing. Everything is. Not much more to say about it. It surely is a radio friendly song.

Eyes on me

Interesting. The beat isn’t that heavy like some said. But I like the guitar sounds in it. It has a feel good vibe all over. The backing vocals might be cheesy, but I think it suits the kind of song. I expected a long note, as we’ve seen in the recording session video. But it seems like they’ve cut it off. Too bad. Overall it’s a fun song, just for her to sing it live for fun as well.

Alone

I never heard of the original before. I did listen and did not like it. I think this one is OK. I love the music box intro and outro. And that unexpected scream before the second chorus. But overall it’s a bit dull. I wanted more guitars, and less orchestra sounds.

Right next to the right one

Amazing!! It’s so fresh yet so ‘remember the days…’ feeling. I really love the instruments they’ve chosen for this song. Celine’s voice sounds vintage to me. Really one of my favourites.

The reason I go on

Dull. I thought I would love it after a few listens, but I just like it. There is nothing special in this song at all. Nothing more to say.

A song for you

Such emotion, such pureness. The piano breathes through my skin. Her voice sounds a bit different, but very fragile. I think I know exactly what Rene meant when he said it was the jewel of the album. I am sure it will give me teary eyes on bad moments.

Can’t fight the feelin’

My favourite at the moment. I love everything about it. The lower tones are so cool. It really rocks, it’s so different for her (English work). She should do more songs like this. Yes it reminds me of ‘Your Light’, but that one is one of my favourites of the FIY album as well! Rock on!

So overall I think this is one of her best albums ever! It surely is new and fresh, and her voice sounds completely different on every single track. And that’s how an album should be. I thought she could never pull a ‘Falling into You’ off. And I do not mean vocally, I mean with diversity of songs and sounds. Vocally I think she sounds even better, and less mechanical. Thumbs up!

Okay now the ratings:

Taking chances 9/10

Alone 6.5/10

Eyes on me 7/10

My love 8.5/10

Shadow of love 9.5/10

Surprise surprise 9/10

This time 7.5/10

New dawn 9.5/10

A song for you 8.5/10

World to believe in 8/10

Can’t fight the feelin’ 10/10

I got nothin’ left 3/10

Right next to the right one 10/10

Fade away 9.5/10

That’s just the woman in me 10/10

Skies of L.A. 9/10

Map to my heart 10/10

The reason I go on 6/10

November 9, 2007 at 07:41 PM

Taking chances 9/10

Alone 6/10

Eyes on me 7/10

My love 6/10

Shadow of love 7/10

Surprise surprise 8.5/10

This time 5/10 (lyrics 10, music 0... sorry)

New dawn 8/10

A song for you 10/10 (I am falling in love with this song)

World to believe in 3/10

Can’t fight the feelin’ 8/10

I got nothin’ left 6/10

Right next to the right one 7/10

Fade away 5/10

That’s just the woman in me 11/10...

Skies of L.A. 2/10

Map to my heart 5/10 (not that masterpiece...)

The reason I go on 3/10

an Albums with real milestones in her career!! I love it. I prefer this album with real highlights an some strange songs - and not an album full of "nicely" songs. Sorry my Englsh!

November 9, 2007 at 08:02 PM

Here's my (long) review

Regarding the album as a whole, I'll say a few things. I think for die hard fans, she isn't taking that many chances. But to the average listener who connects her to MHWGO and BYLM, this album is pretty different for her. I think overall, this album has more non-lovey-dovey songs then she has in her entire repitoire and I'm very happy for that! I'll have to know it for a while before I can compare it to FIY or LTAL, but so far I think its ranking pretty high.

Taking Chances: I loved the song when I heard the original and I knew I’d love Celine’s version. She didn’t really do anything different with her interpretation, but you cant’ deny its catchiness, and she sounds amazing in it. The song has a great build, starting out softly and ending with that huge final chorus. A testament that she can pull off sounding more fresh without sounding like she’s trying too hard.

Alone: I’ve already talkedabout this one a lot so I’ll just reiterate. Heart’s song is one of my all time favorite songs EVER, and I always wanted to hear Celine sing it. I like Celine’s version….even really like it, but I don’t think its as effective as the original. I think Ben did a great job with the arrangement for the most part. Adding the music box was a brilliant idea, bringing even more moodiness to an already moody song. Where his arrangement fell short was in two places. First was right before she belts out that “oooooooooooohhoooo…till now”. In the original, there was a longer musical interlude, but in Celine’s version the scream seems to come out of no where and is a bit out of place. The second issue I have is with the long musical interlude. The strings and drums are cool but it is desperately missing an electric guitar. Maybe he avoided it because that’s what the original had, but the song suffers without it. As for Celine…we all knew she could tackle this song in terms of vocal power. But she didn’t connect enough with the vulnerability of the song. She sounds completely devoid of emotion in the verses. There’s no longing, no desperation when she sings. If she only brought a bit of the emotion from On S’est Aime A Cause into this track, it would have been perfect.

Eyes On Me: On every album, she has that one (and sometimes two) songs where you just think to yourself “Why Celine??” The song where she’s trying to be modern or cool, and it just turns out to be more embarrassing then anything else (ie. Treat Her Like a Lady). This is that song…for me at least. It’s not necessarily the style of music, but more so lyrics, the speed at which she has to sing them and the HORREDOUS background singers. I have a much easier time believing Celine as a battered woman then I do as some chick telling her guy to keep his eyes on her at some club. Plus I really don’t like the combination of her accent and trying to sing these words out at a relatively high speed. In terms of the music, I don’t mind the Bollywood sound, but I think they didn’t do it right. For example, the music sounds a LOT like Beyonce’s Baby Boy, but Beyonce’s track had that really heavy beat to the song which made it much more contemporary. Eyes On Me has a lot of piano in the background which doesn’t work imo. I absolutely despised it when I first heard the clip, but it’s grown on me a bit since then. So for now it’s about as quality as “When the Wrong One Loves You Right”.

My Love: I really like this one as well. The piano and the understated vocal gives this track a bit of a Coldplay feel to it. Two things bother me about this song. First are those incredibly annoying and cheesey background vocals about halfway through the song that keep repeating “did you know….did you know….”. Why put that in there? It totally takes away from the song. The second issue I have with this song is when she starts to wail like a banshee. The song is so pretty and understated and I wish it stayed that way. Instead it goes all quasi-gospely “And IIIIII wiiiii-iiiiii-iiiiill”. So those are my two complaints, but overall I still really like this one.

Shadow of Love: I LOOOOOVE this freaking song!! I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since we first heard the clip. It’s without a doubt my favorite on the album…which surprised me. I was really looking forward to the new “rock n’roll” Celine, but its this pop-dance song that has completely taken me. The intro is fantastic. Vocally, she totally nailed the mood of the song. The second “I can run, but I can’t hide” is awesome, the chorus is insanely catchy. My only gripe about this song is that at the end, when she does that last “I can run but I can’t hide”, they should have used the same vocal as the second chorus with the higher “can’t hide”. It would have made the ending a bit more bombastic.

Surprise Surprise: Awesome song! While Kara wrote it as a song about revealing your true self to your significant other, I think for Celine it perfectly translates as a song tackling the public’s preconceived notions of her. We all saw how tough Kara was with her in the studio, but you can clearly hear the pay off. Another really catchy, well produced track that sounds like an updated Celine. And I LOVE how she ends the song!

This Time: Another great song. The first verse gives me chills when she sings it! Her voice is vulnerable and a little detached sounding…very effective! The lyrics are poignant and truthful without being too over the top. The line where she sings “I’ve been afraid for years, but that won’t keep me here” chokes me up every time. I really love the backing vocals on this one in the beginning and ending of the songs. Those guys really know how to give songs that moody (no pun intended) and gothic feel.

]New Dawn: I don’t have much to say. I’m kind of apathetic about this one. I usually love these kinds of gospel sounding songs with the choir of singer in the background but this song doesn’t really get to me. I love when she sings in her lower register. Its nice song I guess, lol.

A Song For You: Its really pretty. The instruments are beautiful, the lyrics are sad and her delivery does real justice to the mood of the song. It’s not really my thing, so I don’t love it. But you have to give credit to everyone involved for doing a great job. You can’t help but get sucked into the melancholy of this song when you hear the strings and the piano.

World to Believe In: What can you say about this one? It’s a pretty standard Celine ballad. It actually reminds me a bit of ‘Bed or Roses’ by Bon Jovi. It’s not a song I’ll listen to often, but I won’t necessarily skip past it.

Can’t Fight the Feelin’: Why? When I heard the 30 second clip (which was the chorus) I absolutely loved it. But the verses KILL the song for me. She’s trying waaaay to hard to sound bad-#ss, and instead it sounds awkward and super nasal. And AGAIN with the cheesey background vocals! The lyrics are pretty hokey as well. It actually sounds a lot like something Shania would sing. The only good parts of this song are the “heeeey” parts and the chorus that follows. Also, I find the speed of the song to be quite strange. The verses are faster and driving, and it gets to the chorus and it seems to slow down a bit. And then the refrain and the end of the song lose the drive on the song completely. This one’s a miss for me.

I Got Nothing Left: Uuuughhh. When I first heard the 30 sec clip, I though I might actually like it. I really enjoyed all of that adlibbing she did during the chorus, and I was kind of hoping the helium voice was just a mistake that happened when the song was uploaded. The song itself is dull…sounds like a generic, old school RnB song….like a mish mosh of a Stevie Wonder and Aaron Neville song. I don’t know if Ne-Yo is just overrated, or that he had ‘nothin left’ for Celine and came up with this crap. But lets get to the vocal. WHY ON EARTH?? Why? Seriously, why?? Someone said they liked it because she finally sounded young and American. She isn’t young and American and if that’s what you want, go buy a Britney album. The one thing you do not do with Celine is f*** with her voice, and he f***** with her voice big time. I know I’m being dramatic, but I think it’s a disgrace.

Right Next To The Right One: I wanted to hate the song, but I just can’t….it’s so cute! It almost has a Beatles vibe to it. I really love the simple verses, but I’m a little less fond of the chorus. She should have been a little softer on her delivery as she was on the verses. I’m really curious as to what inclined her to pick this one, because I find it completely unexpected. Even the ‘surprises’ on the album, like TJTWIM, are songs I could totally see her doing, but this one came out of left field. And I LOVE that little ad libby thing she does right at the end of the song.

Fade Away: Awesome song! One of the best on the album. It definitely sounds like a Kelly Clarkson song and that’s a good thing. It’s modern and different for Celine, but not in a way that seems like she’s trying too hard. She totally pulls this one off, and vocally it’s amazing. Her own back up vocals soar, the guitars and the strings give the song a great mood. LOVE IT!

That’s Just the Woman in Me: LOVE IT!! It’s probably my second fave after Shadow of Love. You can tell in some parts she’s trying hard to sound raspy, but I think overall it’s really effective. It has a great mood to it, I love the attitude she brings to it, and you can hear it in her delivery how much she loves this song. She’s an actress in this one, playing the roll of a Janis Joplin type, and she nailed it. And that last scream is orgasmic!

Skies of L.A.: I don’t care for this one. It’s a little too dreamy/fantasy for me. The piano and the musical arrangement in general is really beautiful. I absolutely hate the way she sings this one. It actually reminds me of one of Mariah’s interludes…on the Butterfly album I think. Its nice but I’m having a hard time getting into it.

November 9, 2007 at 08:17 PM

What is REALLY starting to point out in all those reviews is that no fan seems to LOVE the exact same songs, the opinions are all over the place. I think this is the first time in a long time that we do NOT agree pretty much on the same songs...usually a few songs generally stand out from the rest, this time however this is not the case, there are 8 or even 9 songs that people consider the best. That IS incredible and I think it means that this album will appeal to the larger audiences a lot!!!

I agree comnpletely! It may be a sign that no one will escape Céline this time! She has songs for all tastes!! :clap:

November 10, 2007 at 05:44 AM

Taking chances (10/10)

- Superb first single. I supported the idea that it's the first single off the album cause again this song's production is just wonderful that I can feel that the song is progressing in phases. Strong vocal performance which shows off a good range of vocal for celine (not that she needs to prove anything).

Alone (10/10)

- I haven't heard the orginal, never knew Heart, and very expect myself to in the future. I just like this song! Her vocal is so fine, chrystal clear and full of emotion. But I never understood why she screams (2:50) cause I just don't think it fits. The arrangement is just superb, not too messy and thanks to the music box it makes one hell of an intro and outtro.

Eyes on me (10/10)

- The best part of the song is where celine sings "So you better say yeah...". In overall, this song has a good vibe, and is an up-lifting song. I think I'd appreciate it more if they would do a remix (pls, find an expert this time) and release it as a radio edit. This will show that celine's taking chances to even take on such a song that is not normally what she would do. I just like this song!

my love (8/10)

- although this is not one of the up-tempo numbers in the album that I normally would dig, I'm really glad that it made the cut. The song started brilliantly, and slowly addes more and more emotion then ka-boom where she soars higher followed by a brilliant ending.

Shadow of love (10/10)

- although it's an up-tempo number but I have to say that the overall feel is so soothing, so dreamy, so motivating, so up-lifting. The vocal and the music mingle nicely and created such a wonderful track. I disagree when people say that it's too repetitive. I anticipate a club-mix of this song, cause I think it'd do great with a lil' more club-feel to it.

Surprise surprise (10/10)

- Gosh, this is such a surprise! I like this a lot. This is once again something that people can relate to. Great vocal performance, good catchy chorus, not over produced by Kara nor oversung by Celine, and contemporary. However, If this song was made shorted it'd be much better rather than being slightly repetitive. I think a radio edit would be much better when they decide to release this as a single and surprise the audience.

this time (10/10)

- superb, from the very start to the very end. celine's so full of emotion in intepreting this song. I can really feel the song's lyrics, rythm and celine's vocal.

New dawn (5.5/10)

- this song is so 'out' of this album. Although it's a lil' boring, but I think this would be such a freaking awesome song to be performed live in concerts. I have a feeling that if this song was to be produced and intepreted differently it would be awesome.

A song for you (5.5/10)

- It'd be better if this can be the final track on Taking Chances. I mean once again I don't think this is something that celine hasn't done (a lot) before.

A world to believe in (6/10)

- this song is a 'usual' celine song with a very good chorus. I think she has done quite a lot of such songs and would really think that this album needs to do as its title suggests: taking chances. I like it, but...

Can't fight this feeling (7/10)

- This song feel a lil' out-dated. I think some drum beat would make is so much better. The overall production has a very 'rockish' feel, but i think without the chorus and the bridge it would have been real boring. I can't fight this feeling that if this song was produced by whoever produced songs for bon-jovi, it would be great!

I got nothing left (6/10)

- May be we put too high an expectation in Ne-yo that I felt a lil' disappointed. I think ne-yo wanted to restrain celine's vocal so much until the finished product sounded a lil' chipmunk.

Right next to the right one (7.5/10)

- lovely song, it's not boring but not very exciting the same time. It feels like a good filler but never a single.

Fade away (7/10)

- I like how the verses progresses into powerful chorus. However, I think I just don't very much like how she sounds in the beginning of the chorus: the key makes her sounds just a tiny bit of annoying. Though this song in overall is good, I think it's pretty much fogetable, not very much catchy like this time, or eyes on me, or surprise surprise.

That's just the woman in me (7/10)

- I can't seem to describe my feeling towards this song. This song demostrates GREAT vocal of celine but I don't think I would appreciate an album with all of the songs in which have the similar style.

Skies of L.A. (5/10)

- Eh! I normally like the last track in Celine's album. Before I listened to it, I have had too high an expectation which led to a lil' disappointment. May be I am too shallow to understand the lyrics. If possible, I would trade this track with some other tracks that didn't make the cut.

November 10, 2007 at 05:57 AM

I tend to see if you guys like the ones that I consider the best.....and if you like those, then I'll read your entire review... :yes:

November 10, 2007 at 04:49 PM

I loved the album so much so I couldn't help it but to choose a top 10

I liked all the songs but these are the best with my reviews on

1 I got nothing left

I can't talk about this song

all I can say it's the most beautiful song I have listened to from Celine since Just walk away

it became my nomber one song in all Celines songs

2 my love

what a great lyrics a great melody and so much great preforming

I loved it , I loved it

it's the kind of songs that you can tell they will be immortal through times

but who knows

3 this time

what power

oh my god specialy the lyrics I think they contain a great massege need to be told

I realy hope this will be a single because it have what it takes to be hit

it reminds me of I surrender even though I surrender is more powerful

4 new dawn

before I listend to the album no one talked about this song so I didn't expect too much

but when I listend to it I couldn't help but cry

what a song

what a lyrics

and specialy what touching feeling from Celine

5 that's just the woman in me

just the way I expected

beautiful song

but I didn't liked Celines voice in some of the parts

6 alone

one of the best songs and celine showed so much powerful accint while singing it

7 eyes on me

I have no idea what kind of music this song is but I defently injoied listining to it

8 surprise surprise

not my type but I liked it too much

I usualy dislike this kind of music but I think this one I like

9 song for you

it's kinda of songs you say it's great but you don't listen to very often

I loved it very much but I don't get to its mood very often

10 fade away

beautiful song all my friends loves this song who don't like Celine

in the end I think this is one of the best albums ever

but I think there is one thing missing in it

long notes

cos the longest note didn't last more than 8 sec

what's the deal with that

November 10, 2007 at 11:07 PM

Ok. So, here's my personal review of the album:

1. Taking Chances 6/10. As awkward as it may seem to most, this is probably one of my least favorite songs of the entire album. As always, I had been impatiently waiting to listen to the first single from Celine's CD. When I did, I was not impressed (I couldn't believed myself) and feared how the rest of the album would be. Then, I listened to the Platinum Weird song and felt it was sung in the exact way. Finally, I have to admit that the video was cool, one of her best.

2. Alone 9/10. Ben Moody's production is amazing, and the instrumentation gives me chills. It would have been a better first single, but now I don't want this to be released, since cover after cover does not seem to me like the brightest idea.

3. Eyes On Me 8/10. It's always great that Celine takes her music in different directions, and the song is fun, but I'm not sure how well it would do as a single. Previous uptempo smash "I'm Alive" did a million times better in Europe than in America, so this one could be more marketable over there.

4. My Love 10/10. I definitely hated 4 Non Blondes, but the now-defunct-group's lead singer and songwriter Linda Perry has written several poignant, radio-ready smashes for P!nk and Christina Aguilera, so I had high hopes for the couple of tracks she penned for Celine. And boy, did she not disappoint me. "My Love" is a gem!

5. Shadow Of Love 9/10. Another uptempo song, "Shadow Of Love" takes me back to the 80's. To me, it's like a mixture of Transvision Vamp, Heart, and Animotion.

6. Surprise Surprise 8,5/10. When I watched the recording sessions, I kinda became stressed by watching Kara DioGuardi push Celine too much, but she achieved perfect vocals. At first I did not appreciate this song a lot, but it's a grower.

7. This Time 10/10. OMG this has to be a single, and Celine must act in the video, playing the role of the abused woman. It's time that Celine forgets about singing in a room for the video, and does some acting, à la "Think Twice." This song deserves number 1 status all over the world.

8. New Dawn 10/10. If I had been one of the A&R guys, I would have suggested this soaring tune as the closing song. One of the most heartfelt songs she has ever recorded.

9. A Song For You 7/10. This one has yet to make an outstanding impression on me. Non-album tracks "Map To My Heart" and "The Reason I Go On" are miles away from this one.

10. A World To Believe In 9,5/10. If Celine wants to cross over to the country charts, well this is the song that could do it in a gigantic way, with just changing a few chord arrangements. And it's a pity if she doesn't do it, since some other big country artist could record their version.

11. Can't Fight The Feeling 8/10. Again, this song takes me to the 80's, and I could imagine Lita Ford or Vixen having a huge radio hit with it back in 89. Don't know how well it would fit in the airwaves now, but it's a smashing song.

12. I Got Nothin' Left 10/10. Now, Ne-Yo is a genius. This is probably my favorite song in the album. And it does not hurt that I had been a fan of his early compositions "Sexy Love" and "Because Of You," cause I love his backing vocals on it. And Celine vocals are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

13. Right Next To The Right One 9,5/10. This one is laid-back, pretty romantic, and though several fans here in the forum seem not to be fond of it, I like it a lot.

14. Fade Away 10/10. Definitely, this one has "SINGLE, SINGLE, SINGLE" written all over it. The best uptempo song on the album.

15. That's Just The Woman In Me 9,5/10. Celine said that she was glad this song waited for her all those years, since it did not fit on any of her previous records, and I'm glad it did, too. She truly channels Janice Joplin on this one. A possible single? Maybe not, but truly a memorable recording.

16. Skies of L.A. 5,5/10. It baffles me that the first and last songs on the album are the ones I like the least. This one is just boring to me. I can listen to the entire album and be completely happy with it, but this one is the one I will have to skip.

Overall, this is IMO one of Celine's best. And as I stated in another section of the forum, if this had been the follow-up to "Falling Into You" and "Let's Talk About Love," it would have sold over 25 million copies worldwide as well.

Greetings from San José, Costa Rica!!!!! :wub:

Edited November 10, 2007 at 11:09 PM by luisma4

November 11, 2007 at 05:53 PM

Taking Chances: I wasn't very excited when I heard the song for the very first time but I started to like it more as I listened to it several times. It's a nice song but definitely not one of my very favourites.

Alone: Céline sounds great and the song is nice but there's really nothing special about it. I don't really like the fact that Céline covered this song.

Eyes On Me: :mellow: I don't like this song. It's not celinish at all.

My Love: It's a good song and I think I'm starting to like it more. The refrain is my very favourite part of the song, it's absolutely awesome! :in_love:

Shadow Of Love: :w00t: :clap: What a song!!!!! I've been totally addicted to it since I heard the clip for the first time! It's definitely one of my favourites on the album, I love it so much!! It sounds so fresh and everything! :in_love:

Surprise Surprise: :hmm: I've heard the song many times and I still don't know what to say about it. I don't like it and I don't dislike it.

This Time: I didn't like it at all when I listened to it for the first time but then I realized I actually like the refrain quite a lot. I think it's great Céline recorded a song with a message like this!

New Dawn: :in_love: I absolutely adore this song! It makes me smile and feel so good! The only thing I don't like is the religious lyrics in the beginning.

A Song For You: :mellow: I don't really like this song. It makes me feel kinda depressed. :confused:

A World To Believe In: :in_love: This is an amazing song!!!!! Words cannot describe how much I love it! I get chills every time I listen to it!

Can't fight this feelin': I'm not sure if I like this song. It's kinda cool and makes me smile but I don't really know... The refrain is very nice.

I Aint Got Nothin' Left: The song is great and the way Céline sings it is so cute! :in_love: One of my favourites on the album.

Right Next To The Right One: :mellow: I don't really like this song. I think it sounds boring.

Fade Away: :mellow: This sounds weird but the song kinda makes me stressed and I'm not comfortable with it. Céline shouldn't sing songs like this.

That's Just The Woman In Me: :in_love: I fell in love with this song after hearing a few seconds of it! It's not a typical Céline song but it's so cool! The way Céline sounds still surprises me!

Skies Of L.A.: There's something very pleasant and nice about this song. That's all I can say about it.

November 13, 2007 at 09:45 AM

Taking Chances is Celine's strongest material since Falling Into You, and its strength lies on the diversity of musical flavors that can be found on the album. Celine steps out of her comfort zone (well, sort of) and ventures into soft rock (the title track, Can't Fight The Feeling, Fade Away), gothic (Alone, This Time), Oriental (Eyes on Me), EuroPop (Shadow of Love), country (Surprise, Surprise, A World to Believe In), gospel/soul (New Dawn), jazz (A Song for You), RnB (I Got Nothing Left), folk (Right Next to the Right One), and blues (That's Just the Woman in Me). Of course, a Celine Dion album wouldn't be complete without the pop ballads (My Love, Skies of LA), but instead of the usual roof-raising vocal bombast, Celine's delivery is subtle and restrained, which makes these songs surprisingly charming.

In contrast to previous albums wherein there are tracks that really stand out from the rest, Taking Chances is uniformly strong and (maybe I’m going far with this) about a dozen tracks can be released as singles---actually, most of the songs in this set are radio-friendly that Taking Chances sounds almost like a greatest hits compilation.

My personal favorites in the album are:

A World to Believe In---poignant, soaring and anthemic, i loved this song the first time i heard it in the recording session. the song echoes 9/11 and the Iraq War ("i've seen the tears...i felt the pain...in so many lives lost in vain"), yet is full of hope ("i see for one fleeting moment, a paradise under the sun")

Surprise, Surprise---just when you think you got this song figured out, it twists and turns in sweet and pleasant surprises. Kara dioguardi can be a b**** in the studio but she sure knows her stuff well, so kudos to her too!

Fade Away---love the "string sawing" in the intro, the vocals mix in the final chorus, and everything between. loudly screams "HIT!" (sony-bmg, please!)

This Time---powerful, chilling, haunting...nice to hear celine tackling more “substantial” lyrics

Can't Fight The Feeling---"Just dance, come on play!". this is pure fun!

Right Next to the Right One---not a single-material, but love it nevertheless. the melody is delicate yet playful, the lyrics bittersweet. i've been humming this in my head for days now

November 13, 2007 at 10:42 PM

Celine Dion is back and she's Taking Chances and This Time, the album is full of Surprise Surprise and she'll surely keep you under her Shadow of Love. So you better keep your Eyes On Her because she's not about to just Fade Away.

lol, i tried to be creative with the words.... anyway lov the album 5/5

November 14, 2007 at 02:54 AM

Well tongiht i bought celines new album Taking Chances and it's now the album of my life. Today I broke up with my boyfriend of 5 years. He was mentally abusive towards me and he was very controlling towards me. I honestly feel so stupid for allowing myself to be in such a toxic relationship. I have been listening to This Time, I Got Nothing Left, & Fade Away on non stop playback. I told him that I'm done with poision love. I'm sure he probably has no clue as to where I got that from. lol If you listen to This Time there's a line in the song that talks about poision love. Hopefully now I will be happy and i just need to stay strong.

To Celine thank you so much for putting out this wonderful album. It's helped me more than you'll ever know.

November 14, 2007 at 03:13 AM

Celine's music is more powerful then we think. Good luck with everything!

November 14, 2007 at 03:48 AM

That's so wonderful, I'm sure we're all so happy that you've helped yourself. Celine had said so many times during the recording that if she helped one person end a bad relationship with that song she would be so thankful. Apparently, my friend, you're that person. :flowers:

Edited November 14, 2007 at 03:49 AM by imgoingtobiteyoure_face

Sign In

Taking Chances - Personal Reviews | Official Topic

Recommended Posts

krazy_kool_dude

Mrs.Goldman

djs31982

OnlyCeline

celine_dion_fan

Nikosn17

greasepaint*30

LVCeline

Lawna

Javier_Natalio

Filine

Loup_garou

CelineFreak

joshua312

boyblackuk

Lyricium

Macaronie

IL_DINO

Tal

Elaine

simon_wks

smw

Celine lover

LuisMa

Terre

Ph03n1xfalling

Dechen

celinedion1

Del

MTJ

Join the conversation

Recently Browsing 0 members

Browse

Activity