Album Review: Celine Dion - Taking Chances

Celine Dion - Taking Chances

01 - Taking Chances - For some odd reason she doesn't sound like Celine to me on this track; she sounds like some ordinary run of the mill singer. That Celine-ness isn't there. It's a solid vocal performance, though, with your typical alternative rock instrumental. I don't think this song is strong enough to be the title track, but it is a nice track. Rating: 3/5

02 - Alone - Celine is definitely channeling her inner rock n' roll spirit. Everything about this song is right. The vocals are done just right, not overdone. The instrumental track is rock but not too rock to also appeal to her AC crowd. This is just a really solid track overall. Rating: 3.5/5

03 - Eyes On Me - Another solid track, and should probably be her next single. This song just right enough to appease her AC round and possible rack up a couple of spins on R&B, Rock, and pop radio. There's nothing groundbreaking here instrumentally or vocally, but she takes what could be a lackluster track and embraces it. Her delivery is what really saves this song from being a dud. On a lesser singer, this song would fall flat. Good job, Celine! Rating: 3.5/5

04 - My Love - I've now come to accept that the Celine of the early 90's is gone. She's doing more of a rock thing with her music now, slowly edging away from her pop roots and I applaud the courage to make the change. What she hasn't edged away from is her ability to interpret a lyric; she carefully caresses each word and makes you as the listener believe what she's singing. Vocally, it's solid; vulnerable and sensitive at time. Instrumentally, soft rock. Lyrically, it has been done before, but Celine makes it refreshing with her interpretation. Rating: 3.5/5

05 - Shadow Of Love - I just don't like these kinds of tracks instrumentally. It's that upbeat rock/alternative sound and I've never been able to stand that; it just does something to me that makes me hate it. Sorry you all, I just couldn't listen. Those tracks are literally unlistenable to me despite everything else. Call me musically immature, LOL. Rating: 2/5

06 - Surprise Surprise - Again, vocally that Celine-ness is not there. I thought it was another singer altogether singing this track. Vocally, she definitely delivers, especially toward the end. She brings her money notes for the most part. Lyrically, for Celine, it's new for me to hear from her, but I like it. It's kind of edgy and in your face. Instrumentally, it has a pulse that drives it to a peak which is also what makes this song all the more likeable. Rating: 3.5/5

07 - This Time - That Celine-ness is returning on this track. This track is beautiful. Lyrically, it's so bittersweet, "You call this love? But this time, your lies are not enough!" She delivers a solid vocal performance, and the background vocal of "bum, bum, bum, bum, bum" is so refreshing in this track--makes the track very contemplative. Good job, Celine! Rating: 4/5

08 - New Dawn - It's a nice, soulful rock infused ballad. In fact, I take that back; it's more country sounding than rock sounding. The quality of her voice is so beautiful on this song. The instrumental is something that's definitely been done before, but this song's saving grace is Celine's beautiful interpretation. I'm really loving this track: Rating: 4/5

09 - A Song For You - No, it's not that "A Song For You" although it's probably just as bittersweet and heartwrenching as Donnie Hathaway's. She sings this so softly and it's almost as if she's holding back tears while singing. The piano/strings only accompaniment really works for this song because it forces you to focus in on what she's singing and the raw emotion in her voice. Excellent! I haven't heard a lyric interpreted this well in a while! Rating: 4/5

10 - A World To Believe In - For some odd reason, the opening instrumental bars had me ready to sing, "They say we're young and we don't know, we won't find out until we grow." Those two songs actually bear no similiarities whatsoever aside from the fact taht they share a few of the same notes instrumentally. While Celine definitely delivers on this song vocally, instrumentally most of the songs are starting to sound the same. Rating: 3/5

11 - Can't Fight the Feelin' - I swear this isn't Celine singing. There's not a part of this in the beginning that sounds like Celine to me; in fact, it sounds remarkably like Anastacia in the beginning. While this is an uptempo rock-infused instrumental, the song really bored me. It's a filler track, in my humble opinion. It's just a tad "been there, done that" to me. It's almost a rock version of, "Love Can Move Mountains" especially at the end. Rating: 2.75/5

12 - I Got Nothin' Left - This track definitely sounds like it was altered on the computer. I'd really like to hear this as recorded--so I had to take it to my music editing program and put it back where I thought she actually sang it in the studio. It definitely reminds me of "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson instrumentally and in her vocal delivery, which is certainly not a bad thing. Good job, Celine. Rating: 3.75/5

13 - Right Next To The Right One - I really like the guitar only accompaniment used at the beginning then how it runs to a 70s inspired tempo and instrumentation. Vocally, it isn't groundbreaking, but her interpretation is key on this track and she does the writer mad justice. No big vocals, just Celine singing softly and vulnerably. Rating: 3/5

14 - Fade Away - Another big, uptempo rock track that has that "sound" that I tried to explain in track 5, "Shadow of Love." For me, it's just unlistenable, but someone else may love it. Rating: 2/5

15 - That's Just The Woman In Me - This is definitely a country inspired track and would do well on country radio. The raspiness in her voice on the chest voice notes is absolutely beautiful because it compliments the lyrical content. In fact, the overall raspiness she uses in this song is defintely needed! She has this Melissa Ethridge kinda raspiness going on, and I'm absolutely loving it. This is a Celine that you've never heard before. I love it! She took a chance vocally and it absolutely paid off! Rating: 4.5/5

16 - Skies of L.A. - Wow, she interprets the hell out of this song. Wow is all I can say. Rating: 5/5

17 - Map To My Heart - This the first big Celine ballad on the album and everything about it works--the big vocals, the big instrumentation, and the simple but effective arrangement. This is definitely a true favorite for me. Rating: 5/5

18 - The Reason I Go On - Another big rock ballad and it really works for her. This woman really knows how to live in her lyric and I truly admire that. The instrumentation is very sentimental, but the lyric has been done before. Celine just happens to bring something much different to this lyric than most singers have in the past with a simliar lyric. Rating: 3.75/5

Overall Album Review:

I must confess: I don't own a Celine album aside from her "Decade of Song" greatest hits album. Now, I've recently downloaded her entire back catalogue, but haven't had time to listen to it yet (heck, that's 58--yes, 58-- albums to listen to). This album portrays an entirely different Celine than the one on the greatest hits album. This is definitely not, "My Heart Will Go On" and "It's All Coming Back" Celine. This is the rock diva, with the tinge of rasp and grit in her voice and this genre really works for her. She defintely, well, is taking chances with this album and it pays off more than it falls flat. While much of the album sounds similiar instrumentally, it's her vocals and her way of caressing a lyric that saves the album and makes each song it's own entity.

Would I buy this album? Well, I'm not a rock/alternative kinda guy, so no; I'm just a casual listener of rock/alternative. But this is an overall solid effort and I'd honestly tell anyone who thoroughly enjoys this genre of music through and through to go pick it up.

Overall Album Rating: 3.90/5