Official Topic - Press & Media Reviews of Taking Chances

[stsheep]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/arts/mus...agewanted=print

 

November 19, 2007

Critics’ Choice

New CDs

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

 

CELINE DION

“Taking Chances” (Columbia)

 

It has now been a decade since Celine Dion first shared the musical electrocardiogram that has come to define her career. And in retrospect “My Heart Will Go On” seems like the end of an era. Since then she has managed only one more Top 10 hit in the United States: “That’s the Way It Is,” from 1999. Her hugely successful residency in Las Vegas is testament to the size and devotion of her fan base, but it may also have fostered the impression that Ms. Dion has become an oldies act.

 

Not true! In this decade alone Ms. Dion has released five albums of new songs, three in English, two in French; her CDs still routinely top the charts in France, Belgium and, of course, her native Canada. Now comes the sixth, “Taking Chances,” which starts simply enough, with the title track, with a strummed guitar and an absurd plea: “Don’t want to be alone tonight, on this planet they call Earth.” (By the way that last prepositional phrase, portentous and meaningless, can be tacked onto just about any lyric in need of extra oomph: “Sweet home, Alabama, on this planet they call Earth”; “You lived your life like a candle in the wind, on this planet they call Earth”; “We be big pimpin’, on this planet they call Earth.”) Before long the music is swelling, giving Ms. Dion a chance to do what she does best: soar.

 

She’s easy to mock because she’s so uncool, or rather, unchilly. She belts out those fervent ballads with a singular combination of confidence (she knows she can nail every note), recklessness (she’s not afraid to overdo it) and unpretentiousness (she sees no shame in giving people what they want). This combination helps explain her overloaded release schedule, and it also helps explain her new CD. Eager to put herself back in the American pop mainstream, she recruited a wide range of big-name collaborators: the R&B singer Ne-Yo; the songwriters Linda Perry and Kara DioGuardi; the producer Christopher (Tricky) Stewart, of “Umbrella” fame; that guy who used to be in Evanescence.

 

The results can be gruesome. “Eyes on Me,” an awkward club track, sounds like Shakira covering Beyoncé’s “Baby Boy.” And “That’s Just the Woman in Me” is truly puzzling: a melodramatic blues-rock song, with lyrics that sound no less bizarre when delivered in Ms. Dion’s French-Canadian approximation of a Deep South accent. (There isn’t a drawl thick enough to redeem, “Searching for that imperious, mysterious, femme fatale kind of stuff.”)

 

O.K., so it’s obvious that chances have been taken. But most of the best songs here are the safest. “I Got Nothin’ Left,” the one Ne-Yo helped write and produce, is a beautiful lament, sung by Ms. Dion in the smallest voice she can muster, which is still pretty big. “Shadow of Love” is a pounding Euro-pop song that’s cheerfully inane, in the best sense. And “Surprise Surprise,” a sweeping power ballad that’s satisfying because it follows the rules: from the second the strings kick in you know a triumphal modulation is coming.

 

 

So what do you guys think of this review??

 

I think it's a fair review

"I got nothing left" and "surprise surprise" are my favorite in this album

but i don't think "I got nothing left" is a safe song

it's a song with it's own unique favor

[Céline's Blues]

New Celine Dion CD: Listening more closely

By Ron Rollins | Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 08:35 AM

 

All right, I finally did get through the new Celine Dion CD (as assigned by our mean entertainment editor) … here’s my non-kneejerk review:

 

Celine Dion

 

TAKING CHANCES

 

The critical rappings Celine Dion often takes as being too peppy, glittery or over-polished may not be entirely fair, given the other things she brings to the table: Undeniable vocal oomph, a finely tuned sense of what her audience wants from her, and artistic confidence so supreme it would make Cher jealous.

 

“Just when you think you’ve got me figured out … Baby you’ve barely even broke the ice,” she sings here on “Surprise, Surprise,” and while the song is directed toward a love interest, it serves as well as a statement about what she’s up to on “Taking Chances” — a smartly produced disc of reasonably credible pop-rock in which Dion gets a bit street-sassy on the title tune and “Can’t Fight the Feelin’,” and even a little white-chick bluesy on “New Dawn.”

 

When you listen close, it is pretty darn impressive what she can pull off with that voice of hers, when she puts her mind to, well, taking chances with it. Fans, at least, will be pleased.

 

Grade: B-

 

iPod picks: “Taking Chances,” Alone.”

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________

 

 

 

 

 

Alone for the second single!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ronny83]

By CHUCK CAMPBELL

The Knoxville News-Sentinel

 

"TAKING CHANCES," Celine Dion (Columbia)

 

Celine Dion's critics might scoff at the title of her new release, "Taking Chances," and the queen of bombastic belting has done her part to earn skepticism: What constitutes taking a chance when everything she's done has been formulaic? Perhaps her huge, untamed hair on the cover is something of risk, as is her revealing outfit. But considering Dion's history of calculated, crassly commercial music, it's tough to imagine her sound would change one iota.

 

And yet, it does.

 

The shift isn't as dramatic as her hair, and cynics might see the broadened sound as a carefully measured attempt to recruit a new audience beyond the older, adult-contemporary crowd that constitutes her fan base. Still, "Taking Chances" represents unprecedented growth on Dion's part -- an evolution of style, lyrics and vocal delivery.

 

To be sure, the 16 tracks include lots of trumped-up schlock for her traditional fans to glom on to, stuff like her perfunctory cover of the Heart hit "Alone" that is every bit as overwrought as the original.

 

However, "Taking Chances" also finds Dion toying with her range (the title track, "I Got Nothin' Left"), showing a sense of humor ("That's Just the Woman in Me," "Right Next to the Right One"), tackling serious issues (the domestic-abuse themed "This Time"), rocking out ("Can't Fight the Feelin"'), getting bluesy ("That's Just the Woman in Me") and singing a slapping-beat "Eyes on Me" that would perfectly suit Shakira.

 

The release isn't particularly great, but it's unpredictable and well-produced, and it has its moments of melodic warmth as Dion, who typically overplays her powerful pipes, reins herself in with endearing effect.

 

Clearly she knew that her experimentation would spook some of her followers, so she also routinely revisits her old method of dishing out platitude-ridden love songs that open with subtle textures before she takes a deep breath and belts her head off.

 

She may be taking chances, but she's not stupid.

 

Rating (five possible): 3

http://www.kansascity.com/415/story/391379.html

[mebe]

Hehehe I like this last review!

[CSCfan]

Celine Dion Takes A Chance

 

Celine Dion has taken a chance with Taking Chances, her new ROCK album!

by Leigh May, Entertainment Editor-Music on 2007-12-06

 

Celine Dion has long been known for her powerful voice in ballads and pop songs, so it may come as a surprise to find that she has recently recorded an album of mostly rock songs! Her new album, Taking Chances, has a number of tracks with distorted guitars, real drums, and, of course, Celine's powerful voice to match!

 

The opening track, and first single, "Taking Chances", is all about finding that person that you find a connection with quickly, and you just want to be with them, even if it could turn out bad ("what do you say to taking chances?"), and taking chances is certainly what she has done with this album.

 

One of the stand-out tracks on this album is "That's Just The Woman In Me", which is a bit of a bluesy number, and reminds me a bit of Janis Joplin. The vocals are more raw than we're used to hearing from Celine, and shows the diversity in her voice. This track is definitely one of my personal favourites on this album.

 

"Alone" is another awesome track on the album. It opens with a music-box-style piano and cellos, and goes on to bring in timpanis, and, of course, the drums and guitars kick in after the first chorus. It has a fantastic string arrangement which doubles with the guitar solo, and the melody of the vocals in the chorus are very catchy indeed.

 

"Can't Fight The Feelin'" is sure to get your feet tapping, with rich, strong vocals, and both the chorus and verses are catchy! Then there's "Eyes On Me", which has an Indian feel, complete with sitar, and is yet another track that shows the diversity in Celine's voice. One surprising thing about this track is that is was co-written by, and features backing vocals by our own Delta Goodrem!!!

 

Speaking of songwriters, there are the obligatory Linda Perry tracks (singer of "What's Up?", and songwriter for "Get The Party Started", "Beautiful", and "What You Waiting For"), as well as tracks written by Aldo Nova (who has written for Celine before, as well as Bon Jovi. He was the guitarist on their early hit "Runaway") and even one co-written by former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody (he also co-wrote "Addicted" for Kelly Clarkson).

 

All in all, this album has to be one of the best albums Celine has released, and has become one of my favourite albums of 2007! Whether you're a big fan of Celine, or just like a couple of her songs, make sure you get this album, and I can promise you, it will become one of your most-listened-to albums in your collection!

 

"Taking Chances" is out now at all music stores. Celine is also touring Australia in March/April 2008. For more information, go to Celine Dion's Official website.

[Davey84]

Celine Dion Takes A Chance

 

Celine Dion has taken a chance with Taking Chances, her new ROCK album!

by Leigh May, Entertainment Editor-Music on 2007-12-06

 

All in all, this album has to be one of the best albums Celine has released, and has become one of my favourite albums of 2007! Whether you're a big fan of Celine, or just like a couple of her songs, make sure you get this album, and I can promise you, it will become one of your most-listened-to albums in your collection!

COOL!!!