Favourite Olivia Newton-John Album Poll

I like the artwork of the original version (which I bought from Only Olivia, IIRC), but both editions are great. I thought of all Olivia's post-Back With A Heart albums, G&G was the one that should have reached a wider audience.

 

You make me laugh! I have a few. I feel the same way you do about her CD pressings in general; the MCA discs have a great warmth to them, but there is a clarity to the SHM-CD remastering that is hard to beat (even if the mastering is distinctly hotter). Luckily, John Farrar's production was so tasteful that most of his work with Olivia sounds great on CD. The MCA disc might have the edge for 'Totally Hot', but for 'Soul Kiss' I'd take the SHM mastering. The crisper sound of the latter works well with the synths and programmed drums.

The only MCA disc I am not overly fond of is 'If You Love Me, Let Me Know'. I know this is sacrilege as it is a precious album for many American fans, but the songs sound muted and quite hissy to my ears. It's not helped by the fact that the songs on the original UK 'Long Live Love' album have to rate as her most poorly mastered, a real contrast to the first two UK albums which are superb on nearly every CD pressing. The SHM mastering of 'Long Live Love' is by far the most superior, as it makes the best of the source material for repeated listens.


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I love it when people agree with me.

IYLMLMK doesn't sound great. The U.S. LMBT sounds like s**t too. And what's with that edit on If Not For You?!

Am pleased you think the SHM is best edition of LLL (not that there's been many). The album IS poorly mastered isn't it? I always noticed the distortion on Country Girl (on the LP and cassette too, I might add). There's less of it on the SHM CD, though.

Wish the Japanese remasters had stretched to the Aussie LMBT. Perhaps they could have sorted that hideous drop-out on the third verse of Rosewater!

 

I actually don't mind the US 'Let Me Be There' disc. My go-to for material from the first two UK albums though is always '48 Original Tracks' - what a stellar compilation.

Yes, something must have gone awry during the mastering of 'Long Live Love' because it's such a step down in quality from the first three albums (the first two, especially). The SHM mastering was a real step up from the 1990 Festival Records one, but it still has a sort of foggy sound as if there a piece of muslin over the microphones! It's a shame as it's an album that would benefit from better sound quality - might be easier to forgive the Eurovision castoffs!

I think you and I both hold a candle for the Aussie 'Let Me Be There'/UK 'Music Makes My Day'. The dropout on 'Rosewater' distresses me every time because it's such a lovely song (especially for an early self-penned number from dear Liv). I don't mind the 1998 Festival remaster otherwise - it's serviceable. It's clearly not regarded as one of her most important albums so again suffers from a lack of reissues that would really give it the love and care it deserves.


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The LLL LP must have been rush recorded and released. Music Makes My Day had come out here early in 1974 with LLL following about 4 months later! Perhaps they didn't give it the due time and care?!

The Rosewater drop-out isn't on my vinyl copy of MMMD, so whether is was due to the age of the tapes or negligence of the chaps who mastered it for CD at Festival... Rather like the note they clipped off the beginning of If We Try!

48 Original Tracks is one of the best ever ONJ comps. You can almost make a 'full' MMMD from it. Just missing Brotherly Love and the third verse of Rosewater!

 

Anyone who is looking for a great comp of Olivia's work between 1971-75 should go for the 1994 UK 2 CD '48 Original Tracks'. It contains her debut album in full and her next two are almost complete. This is one of the best mastered ONJ CDs I've ever heard. It's OOP now, but there may be cheap copies around.

Also contains 3 or 4 rare B-sides.

 

Soul Kiss was a huge disappointment after Physical-I strained to like the album but failed,even the duet with Carl Wilson fell flat.

 

I like to play Soul Kiss sometimes, but it doesn't come close to Physical and Totally Hot.

 

Nice to see the 'winning' 3 so far are my own personal favourites.
1. Totally Hot
2. Physical
3, Have You Never Been Mellow

Surprised The Rumour and Gaia didn't fare better...

 

I'm no expert but love her version of that magnificent song 'Boats Against the Current'. Off Totally Hot I think, and around 1978 she was certainly just that.

 

She did a fine job on 'Boats'.

 

Yes, nice to see "Totally Hot" at the top of that list. I am not surprised at the lower showing of the albums you mention, though. I think a lot of people followed Olivia´s career from the inception up until 1976-1977. She sort of lost impetus with "Making a Good Thing Better". Things started up again with "Grease" and "Totally Hot", and things were back to normal and even better than before. (To me, the music was certainly better.) By "Soul Kiss", most people lost interest. I remember hearing the title track on a European chart show, and remember feeling a bit surprised - pleasantly - that Olivia was still releasing singles. That is, until I heard the song... Not her strongest/most honest moment. I don´t blame her - I see what she was trying to do. But it didn´t ring true. From then on I didn´t follow her career all that much. I saw CDs being released, but I didn´t even consider buying them. Un til a few years back, when I suddenly realized that I could be missing out on a lot of great songs. I sampled some of them on the "Gold" compilation, and was not impressed by the later tracks. I have since bought most of these albums, but "The Rumour" had quite a few weak tracks, IMO, and I didn´t like the production all that much. I discovered that I have "Gaia" in my collection, but I have never played it. Seems like I have a lot of catching up to do.

 

My first exposure to the song was Olivia´s version, and I only later discovered that Eric Carmen wrote it, and had the original version. To be quite honest, I think I prefer Olivia´s version. Eric Carmen can often get too bombastic - Mr. Boombastic, I´m sure? - and he does tend towards overkill. Olivia has a more subtle approach, I feel. It´s a beautiful song, and hers is a beautiful version.

 

That's pretty much spot on.

Back With A Heart is a nice later album. Harks back to her mid-70's sound.

 

I agree. Good album. However, I don´t think the world needed another version of "I Honestly Love you", a song that I happen to love, especially since it was written by Peter Allen, and could be interpreted as a bit more than just another love song, but two versions? To quote the immortal Joan Sims: "Just the one, please."

 

I think the remake was done to remind people of her glory days, but it didn't work. She was promoting the re-release of Grease at the same time and seemed to be more focussed on the latter than her new album..

 

I think you´re right. And in one sense it worked - I remember a lot of people talked about the remake. So if that was the intention, it worked. Good on her. (And I was SO happy to be able to mention Joan Sims, however unrelated. A wonderful woman. Not unlike someone a bit younger and, in most people´s eyes, more glamourous.)

 

Are you able to pick your favourites yet, @Diablo Griffin?

 

1. Soul Kiss
2. The Rumour
3. Don't Stop Believin'
4. Making a Good Thing Better
5. Physical (it's growing on me)

As always, the list is subject to change (though Soul Kiss will always stay at #1 since I love how "80's" it sounds!)

 

I can't believe 'Totally Hot' isn't on this list. If you lived nearer, I'd give you a slap.

 

This one's actually growing on me too! For now it takes the #6 spot, and if you could believe it, I'm actually preferring it to Have You Never Been Mellow...
Then again, every ONJ album up to The Rumour is good IMO.

 

Yes, I agree, every album up to 'Soul Kiss' is good.

It's a surprise to me that 'Totally Hot' isn't a bigger hit with the newer fans. Usually on Olivia polls it's the favourite album by far. Perhaps buying the gorgeous SHM CD of it would help you love it more?

 

I just find Totally Hot to be a little bit lightweight compared to the more raunchy stuff on Physical and Soul Kiss. However, Gimme Some Lovin' is the best of the bunch in terms of Olivia's new style IMO, and it's definitely worth the price of admission. I'd probably get the SHM if it were cheaper, but since the most affordable eBay copy is $39.99 plus shipping, it's a no-go for the time being. Would you consider the Festival remaster to be a good balance between the MCA and SHM?

 

Totally Hot not only good obviously because of the songs, but the mastering is really great.

 

Considering you have 'Totally Hot' on the MCA twofer, I wouldn't bother with the Festival CD at all. The latter doesn't sound bad, but the MCA is superior. If it's the artwork/packaging you want, we're back to the SHM again...