Customer Reviews
Quality stuff
I was never a huge Olivia Newton John fan and came across this CD by accident. . . honestly I was expecting it to be typical of her other music. . . pop and shallow. It really is a beautiful recording. . . universal and positive in its tone. Highly recommended.
GRACE AND GRATITUDE: Zen Astaticism
So it's hard to compare it to Olivia's other albums of pop/rock, country/folk, easy listening. GRACE AND GRATITUDE is many things--but "dynamic," "riveting" and "electrifying" do not describe it.
Here we have music that is not only reflective and placating but almost crafted for a coma-like catatonia. Artistically and creatively it doesn't quite compete to her other CD's. It is, however, a nice one to do yoga to, a nice one to fall asleep to, a nice one to watch the "birds on a chain" with.
While the musical arc of STRONGER THAN BEFORE balanced a lot of things--strength and sentimentality, vocal presence with instrument orchestration, philosophy and melody--GRACE AND GRATITUDE is a little under-the-bar. First of all, most of the lyrics here are highly generalized and simplified. They provide only an outline of feeling and not the type of emotional kaleidoscope I had hoped for. Often the more personal a composer/lyricist becomes, the more universally it affects others. Too many of the titles on G & G read like bumper stickers: "You Can Do It (If You Put Your Mind To It)," "You Go Girl," "Onward and Upward, My Son. " They fall into some sort of cliche, platitudes, reflection without reason.
There is a tendency to err on the the vapid, vacuous side here: the ethereal taken to a Zen summit perhaps but also to a certain void, Astaticism, dullness. You may find lightning or spaceships way up in the stratosphere; on GRACE AND GRATITUDE you stay throughout pretty much on the same plane of uncertainty, wispy woefulness and airy analysis.
The liner notes indicate that the album was inspired by her love for Patrick. But doesn't she feel any anger toward him? When people are "abandoned," whether intentionally or not, there typically is anger, not just sorrow. So I kind of think one of the many phases of wounding and recovery has been left out here. I kept wanting at least one tune that was more like "Hate of Magnitude" (instead of "Grace and Gratitude"). Does Olivia feel OBLIGATED not to have human emotions or something?
Some of you are probably going to point out that G & G is not intented to be a poetic or commercial triumph. It is designed as a tool for people who are healing from illness, going to a sauna, getting a massage. And the album works well enough for these purposes.
Amy Sky's tunes are soothing and comforting, and the muscial orchestration here is quite commendable. The listener can tell a lot of time and effort was taken to provide a deep, spiritual tonality to the piece with lovely piano playing, harmonious flutes, etc. Olivia Newton-John's voice is also superbly produced by Sky (who is herself obviously a skilled performer).
Newton-John has perhaps never sounded better. She is well-known for a light, lilting, quavering high voice. But here, to match the deep-breathing feel of the set, her mouthpiece is not only pitched low for the songs but also has a lower timbre. She is making use of the diaphragmatic technique--and it is relaxing, warm, welcoming. While retaining her trademark purity, this device adds a certain resonance, precision and power, especially on high notes. She is not wobbly and wavering. I would again give credit to Amy Sky for this--who, it appears, prefers for Olivia to perform this way. The song "Winter Angel" (from the B-side of "The Rumour") was co-written by Sky, and Newton-John has a similar style of singing there.
The CD is not without its charm. The title cut is really well-sculpted. "I Will Lift Up My Eyes" is a little haunting, and I find myself singing along to "The Power of Now. " In addition, the prayer "Instrument of Peace" is cleverly given a new life here. But I'm still left longing for a little more substance. We have been given the glossy architecture of a cathedral here, but there must be so much more going on inside Olivia's heart right now that could have been utilized. .
G-d bless this woman for the gift of this cd!
I suffer with stomach problems, and my long drive to work has been challenging and anxiety provoking. Something told me to buy this cd one day, and it has truly saved my commute. The day I first played this album I was feeling sorry for myself, and struggling to cope. The songs were so uplifting that I soon forgot my anxiety, and realized what a blessing my life truly is. Everyone has their own challenges to meet, and this truly spiritual work has helped me to deal with mine. I especially appreciated the multicultural approach she took, as I am Jewish and often spiritual works leave me feeling left out. Olivia has shown that spirituality is universal and everyone will feel uplifted with this cd. Bless you, and thank you, Olivia, from the bottom of my heart for saving me every day on my long commute. I am strengthened and restored, and I hope you will continue to make more albums like this one that has touched so many people's hearts and souls.
. You can see a complete list of all Olivia Newton-John discography, or go back to the Olivia Newton-John tabs
|
