Interesting LTAL Review From 1997 Predicting the Album Will "Sink"

[Ashton]

This article was just too interesting.

 

Every dog derided as hopelessly uncool in one decade has its day somewhere down the line. Look at the entities that have blossomed under the light of recent reappraisal. Disco? Cool. The Bee Gees? Cool. Burt Bacharach? Cool. Kiss? Cool. Fleetwood Mac? Cool. Such belated iconography is invariably intended ironically but has the effect of bestowing a second life on artists originally overlooked, either because their careers were cursed by built-in obsolescence or because their saturation success caused them to be perceived as spineless servants to a vast, invisible, taste-free consensus.

 

So let's jump forward 15 years to a time when Celine Dion is considered cool. It will probably take until 2012 for society to have advanced to a point where a public expression of appreciation for Ms. Dion is not considered an elaborate put-on. In this atmosphere of tolerance, Celine Dion aficionados will be able to discuss her colossal lung power and how it belies her birdlike frame. They will raise glasses in a toast to the tenacity that saw the French-Canadian canary not only become phonetically fluent in English but also tame the unmanageable frizz with which she struggled during her tenure as a Québécois LeAnn Rimes. They will pay tribute to her unapologetic squareness, noting that while the likes of Janet Jackson, Madonna and Mariah Carey made strenuous attempts to keep their music contemporary and their lyrics confessional and libidinous, Ms. Dion remained untouched by time or trend. Her niche, they will conclude, was high drama; given a plaintive three-minute declaration of heartache, she was capable of delivering a soaring, showy performance. Ultimately, they will decide, she was the unfunkiest of divas. Then mention of her 1997 album, Let's Talk About Love (550 Music/Epic), will come up, and they'll fall silent. Because even in that mythical future when Celine Dion is considered cool, Let's Talk About Love will be thought of as her least cool album.

 

[ . . . ]

 

A sliver of redemption is found in the passable version of Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" and a perky piece of club pop, "Just a Little Bit of Love." But the only moment approaching Vintage Dion is the crushing ballad "My Heart Will Go On." Finally, all the components are in place: the ornate arrangement, the overblown orchestration, the thunderous drums and the chorus hysterical enough to allow Ms. Dion to crank up past Valkyrie level. The song turns out to be the closing theme from James Cameron's Titanic . Fitting, because, even to the Celine Dion cheerleaders in 2012, Let's Talk About Love is going to go down like that ill-fated vessel.

 

He talked like she was going to have been dead and gone for 50 years by 2012.

 

http://www.observer.com/node/39952

[Celine_fanatic]

weird and hilarious lol

[Sofie]

Good that he was absolutely wrong, sink is the last thing LTAL did Edited July 2, 2010 at 06:03 PM by Sofie

[Matias]

hahaha one of the most selling albums in history...hahahah sinking? yeah right

[Javito]

Well, obviously he failed with his prediction, but, LTAL is not a cool album? Of course it isn't It's not "cool" music today (and even then it wasn't).

 

But other of her albums like ANDHC, TC could have been "cool" with the proper promotion? Of course

[Claudette]

Javito, what exactly is ''cool''?

[Javito]

Javito, what exactly is ''cool''?

 

I guess some sort of style in a song that is radio friendly, prone to match the taste of a general audience or public In that album, I think the only songs that were "cool" were THLAL and Just A Little Bit Of Love. The rest of the album was very classic, oriented to an adult/middle age audience and adult contemporary radios. If fact I think this album is Céline's most classic album in her english discography. That doesn't mean its not good or that I don't like it, because its her best selling album in her career. But of course the Titanic song helped, and at no point they conceived this album to be played in radios, thus its not what in an unbiased point of view people would call a "cool" album.

 

Of course, after this, everyone can have their own opinion of what music is cool for them and what is not

Edited July 2, 2010 at 06:40 PM by Javito

[volleyceline]

In order for a song to be considered "cool" it has to be filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex. Just because LTAL was a classy album, filled with wonderful pieces, that not all low-lives can handle, doesn't mean they have to insult it. It's a wonderful album, one of Celine's best I must say.

[Javito]

In order for a song to be considered "cool" it has to be filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex. Just because LTAL was a classy album, filled with wonderful pieces, that not all low-lives can handle, doesn't mean they have to insult it. It's a wonderful album, one of Celine's best I must say.

 

Hey hey, cool doesn't mean to include crap music! Céline's A New Day Has Come tried to be cool and it worked, its one of her most radio friendly albums she has (perhaps the most)!

 

Also she was "cool" with IDAN in One Heart, and that album has great "cool" songs like Naked, Faith and Reveal Do you think those songs are crap?

 

And with Taking Chances, she tried to be "cool" again, to be "on the edge" again, but she failed not because the album wasn't cool, but because she didn't believe herself being cool and either the record company did any efforts to support that album. Which is great IMO

[fan2celinedion]

In order for a song to be considered "cool" it has to be filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex. Just because LTAL was a classy album, filled with wonderful pieces, that not all low-lives can handle, doesn't mean they have to insult it. It's a wonderful album, one of Celine's best I must say.

 

Hey hey, cool doesn't mean to include crap music! Céline's A New Day Has Come tried to be cool and it worked, its one of her most radio friendly albums she has (perhaps the most)!

 

Also she was "cool" with IDAN in One Heart, and that album has great "cool" songs like Naked, Faith and Reveal Do you think those songs are crap?

 

And with Taking Chances, she tried to be "cool" again, to be "on the edge" again, but she failed not because the album wasn't cool, but because she didn't believe herself being cool and either the record company did any efforts to support that album. Which is great IMO

I agree! That's always like that with some fans here!

"cool music": crap Celine's music: great!

For me "One heart" is a cool album! Is this album "filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex"?

Edited July 2, 2010 at 07:30 PM by fan2celinedion

[lindsey22]

Javito, what exactly is ''cool''?

 

I guess some sort of style in a song that is radio friendly, prone to match the taste of a general audience or public In that album, I think the only songs that were "cool" were THLAL and Just A Little Bit Of Love. The rest of the album was very classic, oriented to an adult/middle age audience and adult contemporary radios. If fact I think this album is Céline's most classic album in her english discography. That doesn't mean its not good or that I don't like it, because its her best selling album in her career. But of course the Titanic song helped, and at no point they conceived this album to be played in radios, thus its not what in an unbiased point of view people would call a "cool" album.

 

Of course, after this, everyone can have their own opinion of what music is cool for them and what is not

great answer Javito

Edited July 2, 2010 at 07:36 PM by lindsey22

[celine-rc]

Good that he was absolutely wrong, sink is the last thing LTAL did

 

You're right, Sofie. I mean, it's only of her best-sellings albums. It did everything but sink.

[lindsey22]

Good that he was absolutely wrong, sink is the last thing LTAL did

 

You're right, Sofie. I mean, it's only of her best-sellings albums. It did everything but sink.

they also said L.V. show would sink, but it didn't

Edited July 2, 2010 at 07:38 PM by lindsey22

[Claudette]

''Cool'' has a different meaning to different people, so while you may think that LTAL was not a ''cool'' album, others might. ''Cool'' has nothing to do with age or what is radio friendly or not.

 

P.S. In my opinion, TC was a very cool album, while I think OH was not.

[fan2celinedion]

Yes "a song for you, alone, a world to believe in..." are cooler than "Naked, reveal..."

[Ashton]

Excuse me, that review was from 1997, right when Titanic was about to release, not 1999.

[Claudette]

Yes "a song for you, alone, a world to believe in..." are cooler than "Naked, reveal..."

 

Again, ''cool'' has a different meaning to different people.

[fan2celinedion]

Yes "a song for you, alone, a world to believe in..." are cooler than "Naked, reveal..."

 

Again, ''cool'' has a different meaning to different people.

What does cool mean to you

[Javito]

Excuse me, that review was from 1997, right when Titanic was about to release, not 1999.

 

Again, like I said, MHWGO song helped a lot that album to sell huge copies I don't mean to say that if that song wasn't included in that album, LTAL wouldn't have sold what have sold today (or yes, who knows), but what I say is that many people bought that album because they asked for the woman who sang "the Titanic song". Either her album or the soundtrack or the single

 

As Céline has said many times, she owes so much to that song in her career

[volleyceline]

In order for a song to be considered "cool" it has to be filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex. Just because LTAL was a classy album, filled with wonderful pieces, that not all low-lives can handle, doesn't mean they have to insult it. It's a wonderful album, one of Celine's best I must say.

 

Hey hey, cool doesn't mean to include crap music! Céline's A New Day Has Come tried to be cool and it worked, its one of her most radio friendly albums she has (perhaps the most)!

 

Also she was "cool" with IDAN in One Heart, and that album has great "cool" songs like Naked, Faith and Reveal Do you think those songs are crap?

 

And with Taking Chances, she tried to be "cool" again, to be "on the edge" again, but she failed not because the album wasn't cool, but because she didn't believe herself being cool and either the record company did any efforts to support that album. Which is great IMO

I agree! That's always like that with some fans here!

"cool music": crap Celine's music: great!

For me "One heart" is a cool album! Is this album "filled with senseless crap, something to do with money and quite frankly, sex"?

 

True.

 

No, I don't think those songs are crap, I meant the status quot. I was talking about recent times. Those songs were from many years ago!!

 

How dare you say I think Celine's songs are crap!!!!

 

Excuse me while I go cry in the corner!!

 

 

Lol

[RockstarCelineDion]

there was a SEMI-trashy song on this LTAL album = Treat her like a lady; which in my opinion is the lowest point of the CD; it's actually a failed copycat of her song "Make You Happy" on the FIY album...

[ladylindsey]

what goes around comes around! owwww! I love that song!

[lindsey22]

there was a SEMI-trashy song on this LTAL album = Treat her like a lady; which in my opinion is the lowest point of the CD; it's actually a failed copycat of her song "Make You Happy" on the FIY album...

what? a failed attempt ? its not a copy. THLAL is dance hall and MYH is pop.

[Davey84]

there was a SEMI-trashy song on this LTAL album = Treat her like a lady; which in my opinion is the lowest point of the CD; it's actually a failed copycat of her song "Make You Happy" on the FIY album...

 

LOL I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Make you Happy!! IMO it should have been part of the tour and even a single!

 

THLAL I dunno... I kinda like it, but the Metro Club Mix is AWESOME!!! they should have put that on the album!

[CelineDionFan710]

amazing ever

[PatrickDion22]

I don't understand this journalist's mentality, though. The article was written in Decemebr 1997, when it was already announced by Sony Music that LTAL was the most "anticipated" album of the year, with nearly 11 million pre-orders, worldwide. So, even if no one else bought the album (which we all know is impossible), it would have still been a huge seller. In addition, the album was released on November 18th, and debuted at #2 in the US.....over a week before the article was even written. Not only that, the album stayed at #2 for six weeks, until it reached #1 on January 17, 1998.

 

....I don't know. I guess we can all just agree that this journalist is either a total moron, or hadn't heard of the name 'Celine Dion' until the time he began writing the article, which is utter bull, too.

[Javito]

I don't understand this journalist's mentality, though. The article was written in Decemebr 1997, when it was already announced by Sony Music that LTAL was the most "anticipated" album of the year, with nearly 11 million pre-orders, worldwide. So, even if no one else bought the album (which we all know is impossible), it would have still been a huge seller. In addition, the album was released on November 18th, and debuted at #2 in the US.....over a week before the article was even written. Not only that, the album stayed at #2 for six weeks, until it reached #1 on January 17, 1998.

 

....I don't know. I guess we can all just agree that this journalist is either a total moron, or hadn't heard of the name 'Celine Dion' until the time he began writing the article, which is utter bull, too.

 

Maybe he even didn't listen the CD

[I Love You]

Good that he was absolutely wrong, sink is the last thing LTAL did

 

 

I totally agree with you, its an amazing album.

[gafsa]

:sofunny: :sofunny: :sofunny:

[Javier_Natalio]

I totally get what the writer meant. It was a bad album. Come on...I hate you then I love you? Tell him? Immortality? Even MHWGO hasn't got much to make it special if it weren't because it will be forever engraved in our brains 'cause it was such a huge hit (exclusively bc of a movie).

What is cool is undefinable really, but sappy kitch music can always make a comeback and be popular again, hence the Bee Gees example. According to the writer Celine would be revived as a nostalgic artist in 2012 and be considered "cool" only half seriously. Now if Celine was to see a huge success in 2012 still remains to be seen. But if it does happen, this guy's predictions would only be half true. True because of so many people not knowing she even released anything since 1999 or not even knowing she's alive (regardeless of a moderate hit reasuring us of exactly that), and false because of the enormous success she has enjoyed all through the past decade.