Average Rating: 
Rating: - Me buying a Celine album? Who would have thought
Ok I have to admit, there's a whole lot more to Celine than Titanic. And was I ever surprised.You gotta hand it to her. the woman never used her skin to sell albums, but only pure, raw determination with her voice. That's commendable. She's the last of the "real singers" in our generation. She really has the discipline of the old school, and the smarts of the new school of pop artists. That's what you think of when you think of Celine Dion. The voice. I really heard her songs for the first time and I have a new respect for her. I didn't know her songs were so incredible. The huge thunderous voice in a size 1 dress. Isn't that a paradox? :)But she knows when to go understated too, like in "I'm Your Angel". That song is pure genious. I liked the Shanis Twain hook-up in "If Walls Could Talk" and "Live", the english version of the musical, Notre Dame. I loved all her 7 new songs, especially That's the Way it Is. It's almost like two albums in one.- greatest hits plus a whole other 7 new songs.That was generous of her.
Rating:  - A nice record, but not "All The Way."
As we look back in the 1990s, Celine Dion is a great singer whose voice is definitely touched by God. A great greatest hits album with some of her best songs. Songs like "Beauty And The Beast," "My Heart Will Go On," "Love Can Move Mountains," and who couldforget her first #1 hit "The Power Of Love." It's like looking at a scrapbook of hitsongs. Her new songs are not to bad. I just wish she wouldgroove a little more like herlead-off single "That's The Way It Is." Her new version of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is pleasing to my ears, and her virtual duet with Frank Sinatra on the title cut is somewhat a change of pace fromher usual Pop/AC fare. I'm disappointed about some songs that didn't make the record, like her very first hit "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," "Water From The Moon," 'Think Twice," or "Tell Him" (her duet with Barbra Streisand).Now if she had released it asa 2 CD set, then let's talk about it further.
Rating:  - Actually, it's more like 4-1/2 stars
Of course, as a Celine fan, I love this collection. The hits they've selected are fabulous and the new songs are great. But I often wonder why they don't have other hits on here like her first English hit "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and her rafter-rattling rendition of "All By Myself". Oh well, I guess there weren't too many complaints, since this collection sold over six million in the US and over 17 million worldwide. My song-by-song reviews: 1. The Power of Love (5/5). This one's such a powerful song, and Celine delivers it passionately and emotionally. Some may find that she belts too much in this song, but I find it great to listen to. 2. If You Asked Me To (4.5/5). This is a great song, too. I love how Celine starts out sounding so vulnerable and ends up sounding very powerful, like that someone who's finally found their true love. 3. Beauty and the Beast (5/5). I LOVE THIS SONG! Celine and Peabo Bryson do a wonderful job on it and the lyrics are wonderful. A very "Disney-sounding" ballad that will still be heard years from now. I especially like the instrumental part in the middle. 4. Because You Loved Me (5/5). One of the two songs that got me hooked on Celine. Some may find this a gooey, maudlin tune, but I love it. Celine delivers it very well and it's one of her best. 5. It's All Coming Back To Me Now (5/5). This is the one that really got me hooked on Celine Dion. It sounds so huge and so epic, and those are the kinds of songs that I like, more like opera than pop. Celine delivers her very best performance ever in this song. Check out the killer video too! 6. Love Can Move Mountains (3/5). While this is a good song, very upbeat and perky, it's not really one of my favorites. 7. To Love You More (5/5). In my opinion, this is THE very best song on the album. It's a very different-sounding kind of song with the wonderful violin and instrumentation, and the lyrics are top-notch. Celine gives a powerful, wonderful performance. 8. My Heart Will Go On (4/5). Ah, here it is, the unversally loved (or despised, take your pick) song. While it's very good (very powerful, emotional and sad to an extent), I don't agree with the EXTREMELY massive amount of attention it got. Celine has done better ballads, and while it was great to see her on TV all the time, for THIS song? Just my opinion. 9. I'm Your Angel (5/5). Celine Dion and R. Kelly = a wonderful song. I love the lyrics, and hearing Celine vibe like an R&B artist was refreshing to hear. 10. That's The Way It Is (4/5). The only hit off of this album. While it was a refreshing change of pace to hear Celine doing something sounding upbeat and young for a change, hearing Celine Dion sing a Max Martin song just sounds kind of...oxymoronic. 11. If Walls Could Talk (5/5). HERE'S a change of pace that suits Celine just fine. This sexy pop/country number, composed by "Mutt" Lange (aka Mr. Shania Twain), is very sensual and lovely. I also like how Celine doesn't really reach for the big notes in this one, she sounds more human here. 12. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (4.5/5). Celine does a very good job singing this classic ballad, and you can feel the emotion in her singing here. 13. All The Way (3.5/5). Here's one that most people probably wanted to hear, the duet with the late, great Frank Sinatra. While it's nice to hear, it just comes off as a little eerie. 14. Then You Look At Me (4.5/5). From the composer and writers of "My Heart Will Go On" comes the sequel to that song. In my opinion, it's better than MHWGO. The orchestration is a little better, as are the lyrics and of course Celine delivers a BLOWING-AWAY vocal performance. 15. I Want You To Need Me (5/5). Written by Diane Warren and produced by rock-producer Matt Serletic (sp?), this ballad sounds very raw, powerful and rock-like, something like Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing". Celine has said that this is a difficult song to sing because it's very high. Of course, that's right up her alley, and she pulls it off incredibly well. 16. Live - Ah, the final track on the album and listening to it, you can almost sense that Celine was singing about her then-upcoming retirement, and it has a wistfullness and sadness to it that comes across very strongly. THAT'S good singing. I just can't sign off without mentioning the immature, mean-spirited and badly spelled reviews that have come from Mariah Carey fans. I have two words for these reviewers: GROW UP!
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