Olivia Newton-John. Yay or Nay?

It could be Paul too, i read something about that storing. My mistake.

 

I wouldn't care about it.

Not that I think that reviews (as opposed to more in-depth LitCrit style analyses) are very useful period nowadays--because we can all check out whatever we want for ourselves for free at the click of a button, but back in the days when that wasn't possible, it always seemed like a strange idea to have someone review an artist's discography when the music is not the sort of thing the reviewer normally cares for. That's not really useful to anyone. People who don't like that sort of music already know they're not going to like that sort of music. Reviews had more utility when they served as a buying guide for people who had some affinity for the style of music in question, or some affinity for the artist in question.

I remember Rolling Stone record guides having some entries where they basically trashed an artist's entire oeuvre, where the reviewer handling that artist clearly wasn't into that sort of music. That always seemed ridiculous. It always seemed comparable to me to having a reporter cover, say, a baseball game, where the reporter hates baseball and has zero appreciation for it as a sport. What sort of insight are they going to give to people who love baseball?

 

Well said i agree with every word you said, that's exactly what I thought of the person who wrote the reviews about Olivia Newton-John, he is a fan of Simple Minds himself and that is of course a completely different music genre than Olivia and it was also a differend time when music was just simple and easy listen.

I agree with you too, you're not going to send a reporter to a baseball game and he doesn't like it, those are useless reviews to me. I shouldn't care too much about it either, but as a fan you do that very quickly

 

Every day, I wake up with a song in my head. I don't know if it's something I heard in a dream or just something that pops into my head first thing in the morning, but it's different almost every day. This morning's song was "If We Try." I haven't played that song in a while so I don't know why it was the one that was in my head, but I've been singing it all day.

Just thought I'd share. This way, I'm not the only one humming it.

 

Lovely song from a great album. The best sounding version is on 48 Original Tracks.

 

What a delightful piece of ear candy. Olivia's vocal floats above the airy production like a butterfly. I see that this gem of a song was written by one of my favorite songwriters, Don McLean, who of course is well known for writing American Pie, And I Love You So, and Vincent (Starry, Starry Night). I am going to have to pull out that stupendous 48 Original Tracks collection that Bobby mentions above. The sound and mastering on that collection is fantastic.

 

It’s a great sounding CD.

And of course Olivia covers Don’s Winterwood on it too.

 

Yes equally as good as 'If we try' song cover.

 

Just saw this thread. I love ONJ. I bought the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know the summer of 1974, and loved it on first play and have been a fan ever since. That album, Have You Never Been Mellow and Physical are three perfect pop albums in my opinion. Great vocals, great material, great production. She has a distinctive voice that I supremely admire and enjoy. I have followed her through Gaia, Warm & Tender and a few recent projects. A much beloved artist.

 

RS lost credibility with me when that first book was published. I was just flipping through it again recently and that same disgust welled up in me. When I was young I thought those critics were smart and knew something I did not. As I got older and I hope wiser I realized they are paid for their opinions, which is what their critiques are. Opinions. They are no more valid than ours.

 

I changed my vote to "yay."
Actually, I find now - after, yes, watching Grease again this past night and totally loving it (thank God that Marie Osmond turned down the part of Sandy),
that I'm enjoying some of her songs a good deal thanks to you tube. Let Me Be There is wonderful. I Honestly Love You is another one. Absolutely beautiful. That voice is wonderful.
But I'm finding stuff hit and miss depending on the styles and production.
It seems I maybe will only like some of her early stuff? I don't know. (I don't like "Let's Get Physical," which - aside from some fine Grease songs - like Hopelessly Devoted To You [which I didn't know was remixed on my Blu-ray til today] - was all I knew)
I didn't even know she was the one who had the original hit with Let Me Be There, I couldn't place who did it that I'd heard but it was Elvis. Many years ago, I remembered.
Listening now to the If You Love Me, Let Me Know album.
I love some of her stuff and think she was one of the most unbelievably beautiful women ever when younger.
I'm trying to see what's good and what's not (to me) - a lot to wade through.......

Edit: Wow, "The River's Too Wide" is a beautiful song.

 

Glad you finally came around.

 

I prefer Olivia's earlier stuff also...

 

Thank you!

(wow that was an incredibly beautiful version of God Only Knows I just heard - as in, I like it much better than the original.)

 

It sounds like you’ll be happier with the 1971-77 years.

 

Yeah I think so too.
Right now I'm listening to the If Not For You album for the first time - I heard the title track before, today, but not the rest.

 

That’s actually a really good album.

 

Very nice. I agree that the 70s stuff is superior on average. But the 80s albums have some good songs. When you get up to it, do give the Physical album a chance. Many folks are long since over the title track, but the rest of the album is really solid.

Welcome to the Cult, er, Family!

 

Thank you!
Yes I plan to give what I can hear - just streaming for now - a chance.
I'm surprised it took me all these years to realize what an incredibly beautiful voice she has.
But better late than never I suppose!

 

Yay. Loved ONJ
Although I was born in 2003 my parents let me listen to old music since the 70s (youngest on this thread maybe?), discovered Olivia by her album Have You Ever Been Mellow
I even have this picture of Olivia in 1976 as a desktop background

By the way, is this thread still active?

 

Hello and welcome.

A 19 year old Olivia fan must be unusual these days.

If you want to join in the recent talk, this thread is more up to date.

Olivia Newton-John Appreciation Thread.