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Belinda

Belinda Carlisle - Belinda Audio CD

A fair review of the Belinda Carlisle "Belinda" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Belinda Carlisle reviews here, or go back to the Belinda Carlisle tabs.

Band: Belinda Carlisle
Title: Belinda
Rating:

Release Date: 2003-02-24
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Mad About You 2: I Need a Disguise 3: Since You've Gone 4: Feel the Magic 5: I Never Wanted a Rich Man 6: Band of Gold 7: Gotta Get to You 8: From the Heart 9: Shot in the Dark 10: Stuff and Nonsense 11: Mad About You [Extended Version][*] 12: Band of Gold [Extended Mix][*] - Belinda Carlisle, Freda Payne 13: Band of Gold [Dub Mix][*] - Belinda Carlisle, Freda Payne 14: Band of Gold [Single Mix][*] - Belinda Carlisle, Freda Payne

80's fun INDEEDY!
Mad About You, I Need a Disguise and Band of Gold with the incredible Freda Payne are just a few chestnuts you will find on this collection. Belinda's first albumn was bright fun in the sunnier days of the 80's! Hook filled throughout, you can't help to hear the songs in your head long after you turn off the CD. Classic pop like this doesn't get any better. And the remixes tagged on to the end are great as well. Made me remember going to record store and seeing Belinda in that Red frilly dress with the gold frame around her as I purchased the 12"inch single. Memories indeed.

A fantastic debut from a gifted vocalist

What her fans got, however, was a much slicker, more mature and more diverse package than they expected. When Belinda Carlisle left the Go-Go's and started to work on her own solo career, music fans all over the world knew that she wouldn't trade on the formula that had made her former band so famous : uplifting, carefree pop-rock songs, with a punky attitude. Songs like "Mad about you" (whose intro sounds exactly like the Go-Go's "This old feeling", by the way !), "I feel the magic", "Gotta get to you", "Shot in the dark" and "I need a disguise" did fall into the more predictable category of what was expected of Carlisle at the time; and not surprisingly, she handled them exceptionnally well, especially the uplifting and spirited "I feel the magic". However, there was much more to this album; the attentive listener will admit that the real showstoppers on this album are its ballads. From the heartbreaking "Since you've gone" right to the beautiful and serene "Stuff and nonsense" (the latter possibly featuring Belinda's most expressive vocals ever), the slower-paced numbers proved that Carlisle was a gifted pop vocalist. A mid-tempo number like "I never wanted a rich man", with its lovely melody and fine vocal harmonies, is also one of the album's many highlights. Perhaps it's because nobody expected her to perform that kind of material, but it worked magic - and it still does, twenty years later.

The album had much success in North America and was certified gold; "Mad About You" became a top 5 smash single, and "I feel the magic" and "Band of gold" were released afterwards (with considerably less impact on the charts). Of course, Belinda hit the jackpot with the meatier, harder-edged sound of "Belinda"'s follow-up (the worldwide smash "Heaven on earth", another gem worth checking out); but "Belinda" is a fantastic debut nonetheless, proving that she had grown into a credible artist.

It is worth mentionning that this long-awaited reissue features a few bonus tracks (and unfortunately, a different cover than the original release); the extended remix of "Mad About You" is fine, and it's nice to hear the single version of "Band of gold" (this time performed as a duet with the original performer of the song, Freda Payne); however, the two additional mixes of "Band of gold" are just not worth it, especially given the single's poor performance on the charts. Completists will be happy about their inclusion, though - but the rest of the album stands just as fine on its own.

A disappointing CD from a great singer.
Well, Band of Gold is pretty decent, but the rest is pure filler. I guess there's a reason Belinda Carlisle doesn't sing any songs from this CD live anymore except Mad About You- that's the only great song on the CD. It's incredible to see how much Belinda changed after this album. She left the record label that released this CD and then recorded Heaven on Earth and Runaway Horses, both superior albums with a plethora of catchy dance hits and beautiful ballads. This CD is for die-hard fans only!.

Nice Remaster, Giddy 80's Fun
But this is a very enjoyable disc, finally available with a solid remaster. Okay, the squatty cover photo is not at all flattering (the original cover sported a leggy pose showing off Belinda's newly svelte physique), and the songs & production definitely remain a product of the mid-80's. Despite early skeptics ("Belinda Carlisle as a SOLO artist?") it's no wonder this album was a hit. Belinda's physical makeover was the best of the entire decade (America luuuuuvs a good make-over!) and "Mad About You" was a perfect summer song with a stylish video. Although the album's worthy second single "I Feel the Magic" failed to repeat the chart success of the first, this newly fabulous California girl had already proven her point. And her biggest successes would follow with her next disc "Heaven on Earth. " Still I wonder if the melodramatic "Since You've Gone" might've been a better choice as the album's second single; sometimes a ballad is a good way to follow a danceable hit. Anyway, the remaster of "Belinda" sounds great, emphasizing 60's and Motown influences while showcasing Carlisle's improved vocal skills. The clarity of the sound and the bounciness of the songs make it hard not to bop along, even when things get a little slight. Belinda's tiny, chipper voice won't make anyone forget Freda Payne's original "Band of Gold" especially when Freda guest-stars on the extended mix, blowing poor Belinda away, but it's a great song that always begged for an up-tempo treatment. The extended version of "Mad About You" is a real treat for fans, of course. Sadly, this reissue misses a golden opportunity to include the single remix of "I Feel the Magic," which brought Charlotte Caffey's sprightly piano work to the forefront with Belinda's ebullient vocals. The piano is buried on the album version, robbing the song of some of its pop energy. And it would've been nice to get one of Belinda's hard-to-find soundtrack songs added here, maybe "In My Wildest Dreams" from Mannequin or "Dancing In the City" from Burglar. Complaints aside, this is a very welcomed reissue. Good clean summer fun. Highly recommended.

This is the only bad Belinda Carlisle CD!
The only good songs are Mad About You, Gotta Get to You, and I Feel the Magic, and fortunately, these three songs are available on Her Greatest Hits CD, so this album isn't essential for Belinda fans. I'm a huge Belinda Carlisle fan, but this CD is just not good. The songs aren't catchy, the production is weak, and the material simply doesn't fit Belinda. Every other Belinda CD is worth getting, but this one is the bottom of the barrel.

You can see a complete list of all Belinda Carlisle discography, or go back to the Belinda Carlisle tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.