"Loved Me Back To Life" Album | FAN Reviews

[Nmj]

HDYKTMP was such a surprise when I heard at the premiere. It's been one of my favorite songs for years and Celine does it justice.

Note, it's written by the folks who wrote 'I knew i loved you.' Another gem in her career.

 

Tho I do love the entire album alot in my opinion her best english album since 2002, "HDYKTMP" is the ONLY one off the album that gives me goosebumps. And what makes it even more amazing is I NEVER expected it!

[reamary]

Ok, now I think I have had enough listenings to give my first review. I have to say after the FIRST listening I felt like "ok this is not as good as Taking Chances was", but I guess this is an album that just took a few more listens for the songs to start growing on you. And maybe it was like that with TC as well, can't really remember cause it's been 6 years. And of course since there's like 15 brand new never heard songs, it takes at least a few listens before you can even remember which song was which, at the beginning. Anyway, enough with the babbling, here it goes!

 

Loved Me Back To Life - Love it. (This was the only song I had heard before the album release.) Definitely a perfect first single, and perfect as the opening title. I love everything about it. 10/10

 

Somebody Loves Somebody - This works as the second song of the album as much as LMBTL works as an opening. Very catchy indeed and makes you want to dance to it!! In my top 5 I think. 9/10

 

Incredible - One of my three favourites. There's nothing I don't like in this song. I love that it's a duet, and I think their voices go perfectly together. I love the kinda "scratchy" beginning, I love the piano (always love the piano! ) and the rhythm and EVERYTHING!! Would be a perfect Olympics song indeed! 10/10

 

Water And A Flame - Ok, I never really got the "fuss" around this song, and still I'm not really fond of it.. I don't like the whole Daniel Merryweather mess either as previously mentioned, and I don't know, just don't like the sound of this one. Been skipping it quite a few times.. Though, it might have potential to grow on me with time.. But anyway, at the moment my least favourite in the album. 6/10

 

Breakaway - Ooh, so beautiful. Love the melancholic melody, and love Céline's voice in this one. The beginning is beautiful, and everything gets even more beautiful (and somehow bittersweet) in the chorus. In my top 5, and I think this has major potential to become like a "super" favourite of mine at some point. 9/10

 

Save Your Soul - I love that the album has songs with different styles on it. Definitely like Save Your Soul a lot! Another one that makes you want to move your body. Catchy! 8/10

 

Didn't Know Love - Oh I really love this one too. Really beautiful, and it indeed reminds me of some of her earlier stuff, in the early 2000's or so. As someone else already mentioned it, a very "Celinish" song. 9/10

 

Thank You - Beautiful beautiful and beautiful. Such beautiful lyrics, and the melody is so soft and gentle. And everything feels so pure in this song. And I love the message of the song, thank you. Love everything about it!! In my top 5. 10/10

 

Overjoyed - I've actually been surprised of people not liking this song. I don't really see what's wrong with it. I mean, doesn't Stevie Wonder always sound a little "whiney" when he's singing? (No offense! ) I like the beginning, there's something Christmas like in it, and I like the rhythm too. Not my favourite song but still just ok. 7/10

 

Thankful - This also reminds me of some older song of Céline's, I just can't think of which one.. but I also think it's another very Célinish song on this album, and really shows off her voice! Maybe it kinda reminds me of her Falling Into You times. So yeah I love this song! Great melody, rhythm, her voice, and the little details here and there. 9/10

 

At Seventeen - The first time I heard this I thought I wouldn't really like it, but I do. It's sweet and soft and also a song that you can kinda dance to, I mean a slow dance. A very atmospheric! 8/10

 

Always Be Your Girl - Hmm, for some reason I don't have that much to say about this song. Other than yeah I like this too. Haven't really listened to the lyrics yet, so I can't comment on that, but nothing wrong with the melody at least. Not the best song of the album, but very much ok. 8/10

 

Unfinished Songs - The BEST song of the album!!! I love it so much!! The melody is so great, and the LYRICS..... :heart: And I think this song will always remind of my stay in Canada this fall. And yeah, works perfectly as a last song. My top 1. 10+/10

 

How Do You Keep The Music Playing - Don't really have any strong feelings for this song, positive or negative. So, I guess it's an ok song for me. But it's a song you might listen to when you just want to sit down and lay back and really just listen to the songs, and really hear them. 7/10

 

Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Well I love this too, I usually like these lullaby songs. I love that there are songs that you can listen to when you feel like relaxing and laying down and resting your head (and when you want to feel like a child again for a while ;D). This is a perfect song for that. Also, very suitable for an album that comes out right on time for winter and just before Christmas. Wouldn't work in a summer album. ;D 8/10

 

Overall I give the album at this point 9/10!!

Edited November 10, 2013 at 04:39 AM by reamary

[mike_z]

HDYKTMP: I don't love this song but it's the only tune where we get the flawless early 90s voice! and it really soothes my heart, it's a true gift to have it in this album!

It reminded me of her voice in "Just Walk Away", a song recorded 20 years ago wow!

[lyn]

LMBTL, 8/10: Terrific ear worm, great blend of deep bass and her soaring voice. As someone mentioned though, I definitely overplayed this. to my own detriment.

SLS, 7/10: Nice novel sound, nice beats. I like the gotye-esque staccato strings. But the chorus loses me.. too mass produced

Incredible, 4/10: Incredibly cheesy, sorry. And I think she drowns our his voice.

WAAF, 7/10: I love the lyrics, and her R&B style. I love the "look away" part. I thought it wasn't.. well-emoted enough though. Too peppy for what the song's about

Breakaway, 6/10: Sounds too formulaic

SYS, 7/10: I love the verses, but like SLS, chorus too mainstream

DKL, 9/10: My fav on the album. Subtle, nuanced, serene. Very meaningful lyrics as well, and she just pushes it over the edge, but not quite -- i like the control in that.

Thank you, 4/10: I quite like the verse melody, but in general, completely unmemorable for me. I skip it a lot. Too cheesy.

Overjoyed, 4/10: Nice new instrumentals, except for that weird water-dropping sound. But I just don't care for the oldies :x

Thankful, 4/10: Also completely unmemorable, too plain. I also keep thinking I'm about to hear "new dawn".

At seventeen, 7/10: Love the fresh instrumentals. But I mean, nothing new with this song

Always be your girl, 5/10: zz. Very sweet, heartwarming, but I'm obviously biased to the upbeat tunes.

Unfinished songs, 5/10: I quite like the arrangement, but it's just so. cheesy.

 

 

Wow I sound like I hated the album haha. And so terribly judgmental It's just that they're unique sounds for her, but in general really quite formulaic. Of course I can't expect that kind of originality from her cos she's not the songwriter. Even so, I still much prefer the choices she took on taking chances. I dunno. I just find I can't listen to this album too much -- half of it bores me immediately; the other half, after 5 listens. just MHO. Objectively it's a darn fine album, just not up my alley. (As I grow older I've also become a fan much more for her character than her music.)

[PuraVida]

Bring back Humberto Gatica. That's probably the first and last thing I would say about this album.

 

I would still rate a handful of Celine English releases over this album. However, I think the concept and approach was in the right direction, but the execution faltered.

[J-Man]

Finally, after months of waiting and avoiding every leak there was I got the album on Friday, so much better to wait for the CD version. Here's my initial impressions after a couple of days.

 

Standard Version

Loved Me Back to Life: 10/10 The best song for the opening of the album, it is so familiar to me now after months of listening to it, but I still love it every bit as much as the first time

 

Somebody Loves Somebody: 10/10 Fresh and exciting, Celine from the Unison album was singing this. Love the vinyl scratches at the begin and ending. Second single material

 

Incredible: 7/10 It reminds me of IYA, the song grew on me more towards the end, "sing outttttt" But it didn't wow me as much as I had expected. Not the radically fresh duet we may have thought it'd be.

 

Water And A Flame: 7/10 I hadn't wanted to like this as much, because of what happened. But it is a really beautiful jazzy performance from Celine and the strings are gorgeous. Her phrasing is a lot better than I had expected from the Couric interview.

 

Breakaway: 8/10 Beautiful, just beautiful. The way she sings "If I really want to change.." A very strong ballad song

 

Save Your Soul: 8/10 Meanwhile back in the night club.... Great beats, can't wait to hear the rap version.

 

Didn't Know Love: 9/10 God the beginning of this song.... I melted. Didn't know this was gonna be a goose bump maker.

 

Thank You: 6/10 Can't make my mind up about this one. It's a nice enough song that fans might enjoy on a personal level as they did with BYLM. (which I also don't get) . It kinda feels like it would work better at the end of the album, message wise.

 

Overjoyed: 5/10 The orchestration at the beginning is lovely, but then the song starts (they don't really go together i.m.o.) and I still can't get into it. The bird song (which was also in Stevie Wonders original) I don't like. I'd have preferred if they hadn't added this song to the album at all.

 

Thankful: 8/10 This is more like it, really lovely album track. Back to the vocal technique that was apparent at the start of the album. Not expected, love the entrance of the choir.

 

At Seventeen: 7/10 I find it impossible not to enjoy this song. It's such a great choice for Celine, (I always felt that they should play stills of her during her teenage years as they perform it in Vegas). But it works better stripped down. The orchestration doesn't match such a simple and personal song. And who taught her to pronounce "solitare"?

 

Always Be Your Girl: 7/10 What a beautiful tribute to RC. It's very sweet. Made me a bit weepy. Beautifully sung.

 

Unfinished Song: 6/10 Much better production as people have said, but still it isn't the strongest finisher. I'd have coped fine with this being put on the Song For Marion soundtrack instead. It's just another "You And I".

 

Deluxe Bonus Tracks

How Do You Keep The Music Playing: 6/10 I've heard this sung by so many people through the years that there is nothing really exciting for me in hearing Celine perform it. It's done well and all that, can't say anything against it it, but it will never be a favourite. I guess for people who haven't heard it before it is more exciting.

 

Lullaby: 7/10 Woe, this has really surprised me, I have heard it lots of times, but never quite like this, beautiful orchestration.

 

In Summary

Hang on, what happened to this album, it's become a very different beast compared to the first seven songs.... A very strong album that has a nice few singles in it, and deserves a lot of airplay. She is sounding amazing! I think the first half is stronger than the second. But overall one of her best English albums, and it's current!

 

Interestingly we start the album awaking from a coma and by the end she is singing us back to sleep!

 

In the standard version I would have pulled Overjoyed and added Lullaby.

 

The deluxe version needed to have at least one of the Loved Me Back To Life remixes and the Save Your Soul with rap added to it, because most people NEVER get to here Celine D'Club. Plus I would have added Open Arms.

 

Overall score: 8/10

 

​Would have been higher if the feel of the album didn't change so much half way through. And if the deluxe addition had been used more creatively.

[Jessyka]

I know it's a matter of taste, but it's hard for me to believe that some people don't like Water and a Flame.

[Javito]

Bring back Humberto Gatica. That's probably the first and last thing I would say about this album.

 

I would still rate a handful of Celine English releases over this album. However, I think the concept and approach was in the right direction, but the execution faltered.

 

I would really like to know what happened here, why Humberto left this boat. I could see he was not agreeing the direction Celine was taking with her show in 2011, and also he was vocal about the style of songs she needed for her next new album in an interview of 2010. I hope they didn't end with a break up because of lack of agreement between both parts.

[Katie]

I would really like to know what happened here, why Humberto left this boat. I could see he was not agreeing the direction Celine was taking with her show in 2011, and also he was vocal about the style of songs she needed for her next new album in an interview of 2010. I hope they didn't end with a break up because of lack of agreement between both parts.

 

Do u have that itw, plz

[Your_Su_Phu]

Bring back Humberto Gatica. That's probably the first and last thing I would say about this album.

 

 

Good riddance. His departure is probably why the album's production actually sounds updated (first half)

 

After the split, he came out and dissed Celine in a subtle way by comparing her to his new protege, and saying that she's not like Celine, she's an artist, she writes her own songs

 

[chocolatechip15]

Good riddance. His departure is probably why the album's production actually sounds updated (first half)

 

After the split, he came out and dissed Celine in a subtle way by comparing her to his new protege, and saying that she's not like Celine, she's an artist, she writes her own songs

 

 

I think you're thinking of Vito Luprano, not Humberto Gatica. He was working with a new singer, Kristina Maria. He mentioned that she writes her own songs, something Celine doesn't do, and said he's always wanted to work with a singer-songwriter. I don't think that's necessarily a diss at Celine. Vito was laid off by Sony during the recession, and I think he was trying to find a positive way to view the change in his career.

 

It was this article http://www.lapresse....stina-maria.php

Edited November 11, 2013 at 12:16 AM by chocolatechip15

[Katie]

I think you're thinking of Vito Luprano, not Humberto Gatica. He was working with a new singer, Kristina Maria. He mentioned that she writes her own songs, something Celine doesn't do, and said he's always wanted to work with a singer-songwriter. I don't think that's necessarily a diss at Celine. Vito was laid off by Sony during the recession, and I think he was trying to find a positive way to view the change in his career.

 

It was this article http://www.lapresse....stina-maria.php

 

 

Plus, he was interviewed last year about Celine and said nice things; Krisina Maria sung last year at NRJ12 Céline's special: We love CELINE

 

 

[Your_Su_Phu]

I think you're thinking of Vito Luprano, not Humberto Gatica. He was working with a new singer, Kristina Maria. He mentioned that she writes her own songs, something Celine doesn't do, and said he's always wanted to work with a singer-songwriter. I don't think that's necessarily a diss at Celine. Vito was laid off by Sony during the recession, and I think he was trying to find a positive way to view the change in his career.

 

It was this article http://www.lapresse....stina-maria.php

 

Thanks for clearing it up I remember who Humberto is now..

Edited November 11, 2013 at 01:18 AM by Your_Su_Phu

[celinefan1985]

LMBTL, 8/10: Terrific ear worm, great blend of deep bass and her soaring voice. As someone mentioned though, I definitely overplayed this. to my own detriment.

SLS, 7/10: Nice novel sound, nice beats. I like the gotye-esque staccato strings. But the chorus loses me.. too mass produced

Incredible, 4/10: Incredibly cheesy, sorry. And I think she drowns our his voice.

WAAF, 7/10: I love the lyrics, and her R&B style. I love the "look away" part. I thought it wasn't.. well-emoted enough though. Too peppy for what the song's about

Breakaway, 6/10: Sounds too formulaic

SYS, 7/10: I love the verses, but like SLS, chorus too mainstream

DKL, 9/10: My fav on the album. Subtle, nuanced, serene. Very meaningful lyrics as well, and she just pushes it over the edge, but not quite -- i like the control in that.

Thank you, 4/10: I quite like the verse melody, but in general, completely unmemorable for me. I skip it a lot. Too cheesy.

Overjoyed, 4/10: Nice new instrumentals, except for that weird water-dropping sound. But I just don't care for the oldies :x

Thankful, 4/10: Also completely unmemorable, too plain. I also keep thinking I'm about to hear "new dawn".

At seventeen, 7/10: Love the fresh instrumentals. But I mean, nothing new with this song

Always be your girl, 5/10: zz. Very sweet, heartwarming, but I'm obviously biased to the upbeat tunes.

Unfinished songs, 5/10: I quite like the arrangement, but it's just so. cheesy.

 

Girl you can say whatever you will but don't diss Ma Breakaway or I'll have to reach into my ipad and slap you

 

 

Wow I sound like I hated the album haha. And so terribly judgmental It's just that they're unique sounds for her, but in general really quite formulaic. Of course I can't expect that kind of originality from her cos she's not the songwriter. Even so, I still much prefer the choices she took on taking chances. I dunno. I just find I can't listen to this album too much -- half of it bores me immediately; the other half, after 5 listens. just MHO. Objectively it's a darn fine album, just not up my alley. (As I grow older I've also become a fan much more for her character than her music.)

[JCeline85]

I am at a popular club in denver and they just played an amazing remix of loved me back to life!!! I was so excited I fell over lol

[J081113]

What is hilarious is reading reviews on amazon....did some people even listen to the album? Lol!

[yoyoma]

Q: And yet, along with popularity comes the inevitable backlash. This is the point when many critics began writing negative, if not cruel things about you. How did you react to the press?

Dion: "There were certainly more negatives than positives. Honestly, I was not really affected, because Rene said, 'They can write what they want, but if we still sell out the shows, you know it's a good sign.' The only thing I cared about was to never disappoint the fans."

 

excerpt from http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/02/10/music-dion-dc-idUSN0948472220080210?pageNumber=1

[dominbil]

_{Have you heard Open arms ? ( Japan bonus track) Where can we hear it ?}

[celinefanonline]

_{Have you heard Open arms ? ( Japan bonus track) Where can we hear it ?}

Japanese version won't release until 4th Dec..... so no one has hear it yet....

[Shaun]

Ok so I've just finished listening to the album all the way through for the second time and here my intial thoughts:

 

Loved Me Back To Life - 10/10 - so good to finally hear the song direct from CD. Loved it when I first heard it from the Quebec concert and I still love it now. So modern, so fresh from Celine. Might be the last time we see a lead single like this from Celine so am really glad we got it. Thank you Sia for changing the direction of the album and by the way just how good does Celine sound here!!?

 

Somebody Loves Somebody - 10/10 - LOVE IT! When this leaked a month back I just about fell off my chair, it reminded me of how I felt the first time I heard "That's The Way It Is." Love the beat, love the chorus and I love the notes Celine hits towards the end of the song. Probably the first song I'll listen to from this album on impulse listening.

 

Incredible - 7/10 - I get it, they've wanted a duet with Ne-Yo since they worked together on "Taking Chances" but i'm not sure this is the best result they both could've came up with. Don't get me wrong it's a "nice" song but that's about it for me. Doesn't seem to go anywhere.

 

Water and a Flame - 9/10 - Damn it! DAMN IT!! I wanted to hate this after the Daniel MerryChristmas affair but it's brilliant! Celine sounds brilliant and I believe every word she sings here. Will be on repeat quite a lot I suspect and I actually hope to see her perform it in Paris.

 

Breakaway - 10/10 - Possibly THE star of the album for me. So unexpected and it pulls Celine's "power ballad" style right up to date and damn those notes in the last minute of the song!!! Love the melody, love the piano intro, love the bridge and I love that she slams it home during the last minute!

 

Save Your Soul - 6/10 - On my first few listens I'm not convinced. I know there's something there but I'll need quite a few listens of this one to fully get it I feel. It's almost like the "Treat Her Like A Lady" or "Make You Happy" of the album if you get what I mean.

 

Didn't Know Love - 7/10 - My Love mark 2. Nice song and I can see it being part of future concerts. An emotional performance from Celine using her "softer" voice and I like it.

 

Thank You - 8/10 - Love the short intro and then we're right into it. Again softer vocals from Celine early in the song, the verses are a bit meh but when we hit the chorus I realise I'll remember the song. Reminds me a lot of Faith.

 

Overjoyed - 3/10 - Sorry but what the HELL is this doing here? I thought I'd put "These Are Special Times" into my CD player instead when I heard the intro. And also, this is a Celine Dion album correct?! So I'd expect Celine to have the majority of the vocals not Stevie. Celine's voice doesn't really go anywhere is this meandering song. Boring and lost on this album.

 

Thankful - 8/10 - Again another one where i'm not really feeling the verses at the moment but i'm "Thankful" for the chorus because her voice just soars here and I remember the song because of it. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the last minute of the song, back to the 90's vocal operatics from Celine. Doubt she still has it? Listen to this!

 

At Seventeen - 1/10 - Yawn. Next.

 

Always Be Your Girl - 6/10 - Love the simple piano intro. Now this song confuses me a little bit, I'd expect my girlfriend or wife to say to me "I'll always be your girl" certainly never my mother! Aside from that, it's a nice song and Celine sounds good. It's album filler for me though.

 

Unfinished Songs - 5/10 - Much better than the movie version however that doesn't promote it to any more than decent album track for me. I like the message of the song but for a Diane Warren / Celine effort I expect better. Perhaps that's a bit unfair as it's a catchy little song but just my opinion.

 

How Do You Keep The Music Playing - 3/10 - Thank goodness this is only a bonus track. Celine sounds great but my goodness what a snoozefest.

 

Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) - 2/10 - Again, thank goodness it's only a bonus track, this would've been ideal for the "Miracle" album but has no place here i'm afraid.

 

Overall though, a strong album for me and probably the most "current" album Celine has had since "A New Day Has Come."

 

Hopefully it catches on around the world because if it doesn't they'll just revert to their tried and tested covers for future albums I fear.

 

By the way as a footnote I'm not impressed with the "deluxe" edition packaging. The booklet is cheap (Celine doesn't even thank her fans!) and putting the credits for tracks 14 & 15 behind the CD just screams cheap! Really they couldn't print one more page in the booklet for those details?

 

A solid 8/10 overall for me.

[Javito]

By the way as a footnote I'm not impressed with the "deluxe" edition packaging. The booklet is cheap (Celine doesn't even thank her fans!) and putting the credits for tracks 14 & 15 behind the CD just screams cheap! Really they couldn't print one more page in the booklet for those details?

 

I hated that so bad too!! The deluxe edition booklet is an exact copie of the standard edition, or even worse, because behind the CD in the standard edition there is a PHOTO and in the deluxe edition what we have? The credits of the two bonustracks and -surprise!- no lyrics in the booklet. This is just a scam! :sick: Even the standard edition includes a photo in that space, so this is really a rip-off. I thought they couldn't do worse after the TC deluxe edition, but yes, here they surpassed themselves

Edited November 11, 2013 at 09:11 PM by Javito

[Del]

It’s taken me a week I’ve finally taken the time to sit down and write a review of the album. I wrote the review after listening to only this album for nearly a week. My impressions now are somewhat different from hearing it for the first time where there were a lot of songs I wasn’t convinced it.

 

Loved Me Back To Life: When I heard it in Quebec I all but fell to the ground. Listening to it on the CD brought memories of Quebec and having it in high quality made me smile. Started the album on a high note.

 

Somebody Loves Somebody: From the first notes of the song to the first words she started singing I was smiling and enjoying the song, then the beat kicks in and then the chorus and I was completely in love. The song is simply amazing.

 

Incredible: I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this song. I had heard so many positive things about the song. To be honest at first listen I was wondering what the fuss was all about. The beat is great and I think their voices works great but it wasn’t as huge for me as what everyone made it to be. That being said after several listens the song has grown on me and I do enjoy it and am pleased it’s going to be the 2^nd single from the album.

 

Water And A Flame: I choose not to listen to the original version of the song prior to Celine’s version being released as I didn’t want to be comparing her version to someone else’s. I wanted to base my opinion based on her version. The song is ok, not my favorite and after the first 3 songs on the album this songs seemed out of place. However after listening to the song several times I am appreciating the song more and the style she is singing it in. For me it definitely has it’s place on the album.

 

Breakaway: For me this has got to be one of the most vulnerable vocal performances she’s given on an English album. Hearing the pain, hurt and vulnerability in her voice as she’s singing just goes through me and tears me apart just as I’m going through the pain she’s feeling. I think it has become one of my favorite, if not my favorite English song that she’s ever recorded.

 

Save Your Soul: At first listen I don’t like the song. There’s something about it that doesn’t cut it with me. The version with the rap is much better as it brings something to the song. I am warming up to the songs the more I listen to but it’s probably the song that’s taking me the longest to warm up to besides Overjoyed, but that is in itself a story.

 

Didn’t Know Love: It’s a nice song. Much better than the clip we first heard a few years ago, however it doesn’t do much for me.

 

Thank You: I like this song. I enjoy the meaning of the song and the beat that it has. I enjoy how soft her voice is in this song.

 

Overjoyed: Well… The album flows very nicely and when I get to this song I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall. It’s a lot better than I thought it would be however the song does nothing for me.

 

Thankful: It has a choir can it really get any better? I love it.

 

At Seventeen: I loved the Grammy’s performance, I loved it at her Vegas show and I love it now.

 

Always Be Your Girl: The song is cute. I love her voice despite some of the lyrics being cringe worthy.

 

Unfinished Songs: The song started and I said “Well what is this?” I enjoyed the movie version but I wasn’t over the moon about it as it sounded like something from past albums. I like what they did to the production for the album version. Adding the beat did wonders for the song. I’m very happy with the results.

 

How Do You Keep The MusicPlaying : Another song I wasn’t familiar to before I heard it in Vegas. I find that it’s great to have at the end of the album. After listening to the entire album you can just relax listening to this one. I find her voice relaxing in this song.

 

Lullabye: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the album version as I wasn’t much of a fan of the song when I heard it before. For me it’s a perfect way to end the album.

 

Overall: This is an album where Celine starts like a roaring lion or tiger and then tames down towards the end. I am very pleased with what she has presented to us and it will be an album I will listen to for a long time.

[Hilda]

Finally, after months of waiting and avoiding every leak there was I got the album on Friday, so much better to wait for the CD version. Here's my initial impressions after a couple of days.

 

Standard Version

Loved Me Back to Life: 10/10 The best song for the opening of the album, it is so familiar to me now after months of listening to it, but I still love it every bit as much as the first time

 

Somebody Loves Somebody: 10/10 Fresh and exciting, Celine from the Unison album was singing this. Love the vinyl scratches at the begin and ending. Second single material

 

Incredible: 7/10 It reminds me of IYA, the song grew on me more towards the end, "sing outttttt" But it didn't wow me as much as I had expected. Not the radically fresh duet we may have thought it'd be.

 

Water And A Flame: 7/10 I hadn't wanted to like this as much, because of what happened. But it is a really beautiful jazzy performance from Celine and the strings are gorgeous. Her phrasing is a lot better than I had expected from the Couric interview.

 

Breakaway: 8/10 Beautiful, just beautiful. The way she sings "If I really want to change.." A very strong ballad song

 

Save Your Soul: 8/10 Meanwhile back in the night club.... Great beats, can't wait to hear the rap version.

 

Didn't Know Love: 9/10 God the beginning of this song.... I melted. Didn't know this was gonna be a goose bump maker.

 

Thank You: 6/10 Can't make my mind up about this one. It's a nice enough song that fans might enjoy on a personal level as they did with BYLM. (which I also don't get) . It kinda feels like it would work better at the end of the album, message wise.

 

Overjoyed: 5/10 The orchestration at the beginning is lovely, but then the song starts (they don't really go together i.m.o.) and I still can't get into it. The bird song (which was also in Stevie Wonders original) I don't like. I'd have preferred if they hadn't added this song to the album at all.

 

Thankful: 8/10 This is more like it, really lovely album track. Back to the vocal technique that was apparent at the start of the album. Not expected, love the entrance of the choir.

 

At Seventeen: 7/10 I find it impossible not to enjoy this song. It's such a great choice for Celine, (I always felt that they should play stills of her during her teenage years as they perform it in Vegas). But it works better stripped down. The orchestration doesn't match such a simple and personal song. And who taught her to pronounce "solitare"?

 

Always Be Your Girl: 7/10 What a beautiful tribute to RC. It's very sweet. Made me a bit weepy. Beautifully sung.

 

Unfinished Song: 6/10 Much better production as people have said, but still it isn't the strongest finisher. I'd have coped fine with this being put on the Song For Marion soundtrack instead. It's just another "You And I".

 

Deluxe Bonus Tracks

How Do You Keep The Music Playing: 6/10 I've heard this sung by so many people through the years that there is nothing really exciting for me in hearing Celine perform it. It's done well and all that, can't say anything against it it, but it will never be a favourite. I guess for people who haven't heard it before it is more exciting.

 

Lullaby: 7/10 Woe, this has really surprised me, I have heard it lots of times, but never quite like this, beautiful orchestration.

 

In Summary

Hang on, what happened to this album, it's become a very different beast compared to the first seven songs.... A very strong album that has a nice few singles in it, and deserves a lot of airplay. She is sounding amazing! I think the first half is stronger than the second. But overall one of her best English albums, and it's current!

 

Interestingly we start the album awaking from a coma and by the end she is singing us back to sleep!

 

In the standard version I would have pulled Overjoyed and added Lullaby.

 

The deluxe version needed to have at least one of the Loved Me Back To Life remixes and the Save Your Soul with rap added to it, because most people NEVER get to here Celine D'Club. Plus I would have added Open Arms.

 

Overall score: 8/10

 

​Would have been higher if the feel of the album didn't change so much half way through. And if the deluxe addition had been used more creatively.

 

yay john - you have pretty much the same feeling as me towards every song on my 1st listen - and can i jsut say omg they sound so much more amazing now i have the cd quality!

 

and now after a week im fully loving it. i totally get what you mean about the verses of didnt know love - think its my fave over water and flame coz its not so try hard raspy.

 

and since my 1st review certain songs have grown on me LOADS and these are worth a mention, one of them being unfinished songs which i never thought id be humming it everywhere....it really gets you after a few listens...and then the other one is 'thank you' - very much the grower. I love it love it. oha nd also incredible is a massive grower. ....theyre all bloody growers ive never heard such an album from celine - im usually like addicted straight away...but i guess this is the sign of a better quality record to be honest.

 

Well this is the 1st time ive ever heard these bonus tracks by Celine or anyone haha and im pleasantly surprised...i really like them her voice is lush old school celine on them too. how do you keep the music playing reminds me of the gorgeousness of her voice on skies of L.A.

 

and lullabye - lovely - i think i have heard this before actually...she sings it beautifully tho...sounds like shes on stage at the colosseum. 10 x better than most of the nasel songs on her actual lullabye album (miracle)

 

im glad i have these songs in my life now (i was saving them as my buying the album treat)

[couldawouldashoulda]

I like to wait a few months to let an album sink in before I review it. Some songs take time to grow on me. Now, after having LMBTL for 2 months, I can say that this is my favorite Celine album since A New Day Has Come. And I enjoy it even more than I enjoyed that album. Every Celine Dion album has one or two songs, at least, that I skip and don't ever listen to. But there isn't a single track on here that I don't enjoy on some level.

 

Loved Me Back To Life - such an ear-worm of a song. When I first heard it, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. But I certainly couldn't get the chorus out of my head. When it was the only song I had to listen to, I thought it would never become a favorite of mine; however, I suspected that, as the opening of an album, I might come to enjoy it more. That has definitely been the case. It's the perfect track to open this album. Hasn't been a better one since It's All Coming Back To Me Now.

 

Somebody Loves Somebody - Fun, upbeat, helps save the album from all the ballads. Having it as the 2nd track, after LMBTL, is just what I'm in the mood for.

 

Incredible - This song took a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to grow on me. I couldn't stand it when I first heard it (and the second, and the third, and the twentieth). I felt like it was too same-y. They just kept repeating (Incredible, le, le, le, le, le) over and over and over again. But then, I gave up on how non-existant the lyrics were, and just got into the groove of the song. It's a nice break for me inbetween tracks 1-2 and the makes-me-pee-my-pants tracks 4-5.

 

Water and a Flame - By far, my favorite song on the album. The blues-y feel is so different from anything in Celine's english career that I can remember. I love the gravely voice. I love the lyrics, I love the melody, I love the production. And I love seeing her perform this live. If this goes into Vegas, I need to get back there ASAP.

 

Breakaway - What can I say? It's that big, bombastic Celine power ballad I needed to hear. I wish they had left it in the original key so the voice isn't as "chipmunk-y" but I won't complain. I'm so happy this song is on the album even if she'll never be able to re-create it live. I'll always have the track to listen to!

 

Save Your Soul - Ok, this is my 2nd least favorite song on the album but I can listen to it. Again, it has a good groove to it. IMO, the lyrics are a little silly "empty pillowcases????" but I don't skip it. Interesting enough, I heard the version from the vinyl with the rap and it actually helped make the song for me. I wish they had included that on the main release.

 

Didn't Know Love - a masterpiece. Eg White needs to come back and produce some more tracks for her in the future. This, and WAAF, I could listen to all day. A friend of mine, who isn't a Celine fan, said that this song sounded "indie" and that she loved it.

 

Thank You - another song that grew on me. I originally thought it was filler but, upon further listening, I found it to be a subdued track that I don't normally hear from Celine. A lot of joy and love in this song. It's never going to be a favorite but I enjoy it now much more than when I purchased LMBTL.

 

Overjoyed - I did not enjoy this song when I saw the Vegas show but I am so in love with this track! Even the birds don't bug me anymore. Again, I just like the groove of the song. I listen to this one over and over.

 

Thankful - Another classic Celine sound song. I love the lyrics to this "After chasing ghosts and fairy tales, I'm right where I belong." This song could have been written for me. I'll need to add this to my repertoire once the music is published. That bridge is totally weird though.

 

At Seventeen - I've always enjoyed this song. Loved it on TV. Loved it in Vegas. And I'm SO glad that she decided to record all 3 verses in full. The lyrics are so personal to the songwriter but so universal at the same time (well, I suppose the jocks and cheerleaders don't relate to it but the rest of us....)

 

Always Be Your Girl - My least favorite song. I don't really care for the lyrics or the melody. However, her vocals on this track are so beautiful that I don't skip it when it comes up.

 

Unfinished Songs - I've loved this song ever since the original version from the movie was leaked in early 2013. What a great way to end the album. Upbeat - just like Celine.

 

 

I tend to create playlists of her albums, as if they were a concert set list. Since this album will, more than likely, never get its own tour, I went ahead and made one for myself after Christmas was over. In case anyone is interested or wants to steal this for themselves, I'm sharing it. (There is nothing on it pre-1999 though)

 

1) Thankful

2) Faith (not the original but one of the mixes - I can't remember which one because I didn't label it that way in my iTunes)

3) Taking Chances

 

4) Didn't Know Love

5) Breakaway

6) That's The Way It Is

7) I'm Alive

8) Have You Ever Been In Love

9) Somebody Loves Somebody

10) At Seventeen

 

11) Overjoyed

12) If I Ruled The World

13) Incredible

 

14) I Drove All Night

15) Fade Away

16) Loved Me Back To Life

17) Unfinished Songs

 

18) Water And A Flame

[célinedionfan_16]

LMBTL is definitely one of my new favorite albums from Celine. I just hope she finds time to make a new album sooner than later! I'm not sure if another modern album or a traditional one with the ballads and big notes, etc. would be better..

[amelie]

LMBTL is definitely one of my new favorite albums from Celine. I just hope she finds time to make a new album sooner than later! I'm not sure if another modern album or a traditional one with the ballads and big notes, etc. would be better..

 

i'd say neither

[LukeD]

LMBTL is definitely one of my new favorite albums from Celine. I just hope she finds time to make a new album sooner than later! I'm not sure if another modern album or a traditional one with the ballads and big notes, etc. would be better..

In my opinion, Celine will go where sales go. LMBTL was built around songs Rihanna and Adele (The most popular singers of the past 3 years) would normally record. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. The second half of the album is what saves the album from lacking her signature. Whether we like it or not the songs 8-13 are the Celinish ones. So, I guess she will once again try to be current (she has been trying that since her self-titled album) but also include traditional, a bit old-fashioned songs that scream 'Celine Dion'. I also love this album and her best option is to release another one as soon as possible, even late 2014 would work. She needs to show people she is satisfied with the reception of LMBTL and that she is a force that goes on and on. If I could choose, I would pick modern songs and few traditional ones, but no covers. By the time she is bored of doing promotions for her albums, she can experiment with her sound and release albums for her fans alone and then we could get highly anticipated recordings such as a jazz or an acoustic record. Edited January 8, 2014 at 09:37 PM by LukeD

[Stuart2007]

I really liked couldawouldashoulda's playlist for the album.

 

This is how I would shuffle the tracks up.

 

1. Loved Me Back To Life

2. Somebody Loves Somebody

3. Didn't Know Love

4. Thank You

5. Breakaway

6. Overjoyed

7. Unfinished Songs

8. Save Your Soul

9. Incredible

10. Always Be Your Girl

11. Water And A Flame

12. At Seventeen

13. Thankful. ( always end an album on a high )

[Jeff Abbott]

In my opinion, Celine will go where sales go. LMBTL was built around songs Rihanna and Adele (The most popular singers of the past 3 years) would normally record. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. The second half of the album is what saves the album from lacking her signature. Whether we like it or not the songs 8-13 are the Celinish ones. So, I guess she will once again try to be current (she has been trying that since her self-titled album) but also include traditional, a bit old-fashioned songs that scream 'Celine Dion'. I also love this album and her best option is to release another one as soon as possible, even late 2014 would work. She needs to show people she is satisfied with the reception of LMBTL and that she is a force that goes on and on. If I could choose, I would pick modern songs and few traditional ones, but no covers. By the time she is bored of doing promotions for her albums, she can experiment with her sound and release albums for her fans alone and then we could get highly anticipated recordings such as a jazz or an acoustic record.

YES, 100% agreed with every single word, especially that part about late 2014.

[flutefreak]

Yes an acoustic album please, I've been waiting for this for ages!