Search - Olivia Newton-John :: Making a Good Thing Better

Beautiful songs sung by a beautiful voice-perfect

Becky Livingston | Highlands Ranch, CO United States | 05/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The songs on this album are perfect for olivia's angelic voice. So many times, you see artists not living up to their full potential because of their poor choices in style of music, but Olivia is the absolute queen of ballads and this album is a perfect example of that. Yes, it is a slow, rather melancholy album and probably should not be the first livvy cd you buy because it makes her singing look more one dimensional than it actually is, but for any livvy fan who was first drawn to her beautiful voice, this is a must have. Slow Dancin' is the best version of that song I have ever heard and though there might be a few too many covers of other artists' songs considering she was already an established star and probably should have been doing more original work, this woman probably does the best job of any artist I have ever seen of covering other artists. This is a romantic album from start to finish. The title song is not my favorite, but is certainly a song anyone who has ever been in a relationship can relate to. Slow dancin makes me well want to slow dance with that special someone. As previously mentioned, that song is better than the original. Ring Of Fire is slightly out of place as it has an up-tempo country beat wedged in between songs that are soft rock, but it's a good interpretation. Don't Cry For Me Argentina will make you cry, it is such a beautiful rendition. Sad Songs is a great song, probably the best on the album, the epitome of soft rock in the 70's. You won't see me cry is another classic cover. So easy to begin is another one that all of us can relate to about the dynamics of a relationship and has that classic, breathy olivia sound. Olivia goes back to her country roots with I think I'll say goodbye. Don't ask a friend was written by olivia and shows her growing maturity at this time. It is a very interesting song, unlike anything I have ever heard before, but an excellent early composition by her. If Love Is Real is just beautiful. It sounds like it was written for Olivia and I can't imagine any other artist singing it. It is just perfect for her voice. I can't say enough about that song. I just love it. So yes, the whole album is ballads which would be a valid complaint if they weren't all sung by Olivia who is at top form with ballads and can make you feel a love song in your soul like no one else can. This is a beautiful album. Don't make it your intro to Olivia, but definitely get it if you know her stuff relatively well."

A must for Olivia fans

barry | Boston, MA United States | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up on Olivia Newton-John's music and have loved her through all genres. This album was her last of country pop before GREASE and the ultimate transition with TOTALLY HOT. Olivia is an artist with such versatility. Her voice is so pure, filled with emotion and has an angelic quality. This album was still considered the country/pop style though the country part had lessened a lot to leave some quality pop.



The title track MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER has always been one of my guilty pleasures in music. It is such a fun, uptempo feel good song that it always fills me with pure joy. And Olivia's vocals radiate through the whole thing. Pure magic for me and sets off what I consider one of her best ever albums. There are other truly catchy pop songs like SAD SONGS and YOU WON'T SEE ME CRY. Most of the other tracks are ballads and they follow a purpose of exploring the depths of relationships and all emotions involved. COOLIN DOWN, SO EASY TO BEGIN and DON'T ASK A FRIEND are among the best. Olivia tackles these ballads with all her heart and soul and the result is amazing. The songs that are kind of filler here are the country tinged tracks like SLOW DANCING and RING OF FIRE. Olivia does use her vocals to perfection on RING OF FIRE.



At the time of this cd DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA from EVITA was being tackled by every female performer. It is a tough task for it is a deathbed song fromt the climax of a Broadway hit. Olivia definitely tackles it well and it proves an asset to the cd. You get another side of her vocals. She tones down the angelic quality to her voice and sings very strong with conviction and heartfelt emotion. Olivia Newton-John is so immensely talented and to see the class and artistry she has brought to so many genres is amazing. And this cd, to me, is one of her very best. Highly recommended. It is remastered for amazing sound quality."