Customer Reviews

Bathhouse Betty

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Divine Miss M's output has become increasingly slick over the years, and certainly BATHHOUSE BETTE offers one more Bette-Midler-Awash-In-Strings numbers than I care to hear. But while BATHHOUSE BETTE is in some respects predictable, it captures just enough of Midler's legendary fire and spontaneity to make it a solid release--and really the best over-all recording she has done in quite some time.

In truth, Midler really does such over-arranged material as "Song of Bernadette" and "My One True Friend" as well and often quite a bit better than most current recording artists--but what she does best, really, is simply be Bette Midler. And BATHHOUSE BETTE gives her a solid opportunity to do that in a host of songs that range from vintage to recent. The 1920s "Ukulele Lady" has tremendous period charm, and when she launches into the delicate "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" or the wild and woolly "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," you know you're getting Midler at her unfiltered best.

Along the way Midler also finds room for several of the eccentric numbers that she inevitably performs with such style--a wickedly funny reworking of the danceclub favorite "I'm Beautiful" drops into the mix like an alien from outer space, and the super-sly "Big Socks" finds her doing a narrow-eyed take off on the lyrically-weak, production-heavy likes of Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.

While this isn't really Bette at her flaming jets best, it's all a lot of fun, beautifully performed, lightly enjoyable, and just scrambled enough in content to occasionally throw you an amusing curve.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I dare you to listen to Ukelele Lady and not go looking for your grass-skirt! This is my favorite song on the cd.I'm Beautiful and One monkey dont stop no show are perfect examples of bathhouse bette at her best.

Bette Midler's 1998 album BATHHOUSE BETTY is truly a treat. After the undeserving lukewarm reception to her 1995 album BETTE OF ROSES, on this release we find Bette as diverse as ever, showcasing many musical styles she has represented throughout her career. This is one of the best albums of her career. The ballads are incredible, and there's some fun camp songs that Bette fans have come to love and expect from the Divine Miss M!

It opens with Leonard Cohen's "Song of Bernadette", a really nice ballad that is very inspiring. Next is the #1 club smash, "I'm Beautiful", a really fun campy song full of attitude and it sounds like it was written for Bette! She puts her stamp on it, and it's a classic. I really like the ballad "Lullaby In Blue", a really reflective piece about a woman who had to give up her daughter when she was on 17, and how she thinks of her all the time and remembers. "Ukelele Lady" is a nice nod to her Hawaiian heritage, another fun song.

She tears it up on the jazzy "I'm Hip". I really enjoy her version of Labelle's "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", its bluesy and smoltering. "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" is a nice jazzy uptempo song. "Boxing" is an interesting ballad. "Boxing" is a very interesting R&B/dance type song, very tongue in cheek, VERY Bette. "That's How Love Moves" is another beautiful ballad, but the winner to me is "My One True Friend", produced by David Foster. This song just gives me a lump in my throat every time I hear it, it's so beautiful and sad at the same time. She ends the album with the sardonic "Laughing Matters", but it's an interesting take on society.

Usually, when an album has a number of producers, it tends to sound uneven. Not the case with this album. There was a number of producers including David Foster, Arif Mardin, Chuckii Booker, Marc Shaiman, Ted Templeman, and Brock Walsh. This is a really good Bette album, I highly recommend it.

BATHHOUSE BETTY is a return to the ecclectic type of albums Bette made in the beginning of her career, though it's still not nearly as good as her 1972 debut album, THE DIVINE MISS M, which is still her best after nearly 30 years. It comes close at times, but there's still way too many Wind-Beneath-My-Wings-type ballads that drag it down. Her cover of "Song of Bernadette" doesn't even come close to Jennifer Warnes's beautiful, original recording. The only worthwhile ballad is her subtle reading of Ben Fold's "Boxing". The more upbeat songs are the real highlights here, and remind us how wonderful The Divine Miss M can be. "I'm Beautiful", "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" and "Big Socks" are all Bette in peak form. This may not be exactly the album us long-time fans have been waiting for, but it's better then her last studio album, BETTE OF ROSES, where Miss M was trying to be Celine Dion, or Mariah Carey, or one of them imitation divas. BATHHOUSE BETTY shows that Bette can still be the real thing.

I purchased this CD from this site and I wasn't disappointed! I've played the CD over and over! This CD covers the broad range of Ms. Midlers awesome talents. A few songs on this CD are as emotionally strong as "Wind Beneath my Wings" and "The Rose." If you admire these Bette Midler songs, you'll enjoy this CD!

Bette Midler's 1998 BATHHOUSE BETTY album is a unique selection of songs, that work extremely well together. This album should please all fans of her music, it incoporates her signature ballads, her adoration for campy songs, a bit of R&B, jazz, and a whole fusion of music. The album features an array of producers such as Arif Mardin, Ted Templemen, Chuckii Booker, David Foster, Marc Shaiman, and Brock Walsh. Also some big name songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Ben Folds, David Foster, Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager, etc. "I'm Beautiful" was a huge dance hit for Bette, it's very campy and fun. She does a great cover of Patti Labelle and the Bluebelle's "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", and another great cover of Big Maybelle's "One Monkey Don't Stop Now Show". Another song she does justice is Dave Frishberg's "I'm Hip". Fans of Midler's ballads will love "My One True Friend" which was feauted in the ONE TRUE THING motion picture. "Song of Bernadette" and "Lullaby In Blue" are remarkable songs that stand among her best songs. "That's How Love Moves" is a beautiful song as well. "Big Socks" is another campy fun song, drenched with heavy dance and hip hop beats with sexual lyrics. Overall BATHHOUSE BETTY is a celebration of Bette's music, and her larger than life persona, it shines through and shines bright.

This is Bette Midler at her most eclectic. Beautiful ballads like "Song of Bernadette" and "My One True Friend" to strange offerings like "I'm Beautiful" and "I'm Hip". My favourite though is the fun "Ukelele Lady" with its old-time fun. This album is a fun offering from Bette...some people though will not like it as shown by previous reviews, but if you enjoy albums with a unique array of songs I'm sure you will like this one too. The 12 page booket comes with all lyrics and a few photos.

i'm in agreement with those who wish ms. midler would stop trying to replicate her "wind beneath my wings"/"from a distance" success and just get back to entertaining. her soggy ballads like "song of bernadette" and "my one true friend" really must go. i'd rather see her recapture the pure joy found in her early recordings of "boogie woogie bugle boy" and more recently on "miss otis regrets." the more energetic tracks on this recording, particularly "one monkey don't stop no show" display a sassiness unsurpassed by other current recording artists. I also enjoyed the off-beat "boxing," an imaginary conversation between ali and cosell ("boxing's been good to me, howard...") it is in tackling this sort of material that ms. midler stands apart. Let's hope this cd is a step in right direction. (by the way, what was the deal with the elephant in the video for "my one true friend"?)

This is an very good showcase of Bette Midler's varied musical styles. On this CD are tunes that are reminiscent of recordings that span her impressive career. It's all here - lovely ballads (Boxing, Song of Bernadette, Lullaby in Blue), "fun" songs (Ukulele Lady, I'm Beautiful, I'm Hip), standards (Sold my Heart to the Junkman) and a few variations of the aforementioned thrown in for good measure. For those times when you aren't sure what music you want to hear - "Bathhouse Betty" is a great choice .

Bette has returned to what she is best at , taking you away from your everyday life and making you ride the scales of emotions. From laughing one minute to crying your heart out the next. All I can say is, that to miss this album would be missing out on one of her best in years. Definetly a plus to anyones CD collection!!!