Because You Loved Me - Songs of Diane Warren

Johnny Mathis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 20, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DFSI
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,341 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mathis Shows The Power Sirens How To Sing, October 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Because You Loved Me - Songs of Diane Warren (Audio CD)

I had no earthly idea who Diane Warren was, so when I found out the song list I was like, oh, great. These are songs made famous by, among others, Celine Dion and Michael Bolton..two singers guaranteed to make me blow my chow!

I needn't have worried, though; Mathis takes these same songs and in his own QUIET way sets to work teaching these two how a song SHOULD be done.

"Because You Loved Me" is a very contemporary-sounding recording much like its successful and better predecessor, All About Love (1996). And to be honest, that synthesized sound puts me off a little. I believe Mathis sounds best when his voice is matched to real instruments, real violins, not a machine that tries to sound like them.

The song receiving the most airplay is "If You Asked Me To", and Mathis handles some major octave jumps with great skill. The surprise and joy is the re-engineered Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine hit "Live for Loving You"; it's been toned down a couple notches for the benefit of those of us over 35, but retains its Latin roots and is very danceable! I wish they would have made this either the first or the last track.

All in all, Mathis' vocal performances are very strong throughout, maybe a little high in a couple songs. I feel the mature Mathis voice works best in the lower registers. The arrangements work for the most part also; not too overdone, and there are some outstanding studio guitarists on this album. The worst songs in my opinion are the title song and "Set the Night to Music".

Someone who cherishes the sound and the orchestration of the teenage Mathis is going to be disappointed, but we've all got to grow up sometime. Mathis has gone way beyond "Chances Are" with his last two studio recordings, and it seems he's not looking back! Good for him.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprised!, December 16, 1999

By 

Michael P. Vimont (Norton, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Because You Loved Me - Songs of Diane Warren (Audio CD)

I'm not a raving Mathis fan although I do like his music. Stopping off at a CD outlet that allows you to preview CDs before you buy them, I put on the headphones just out of curiosity to see how Mathis sang Warren's songs. WOW, was I pleasantly suprised. After hearing Don't Take Away My Heaven (my favorite song on the CD) and By the Time This Night Is Over, I was hooked. This CD has become one of my favorites! For those who say that Mathis doesn't sing it as well as (fill in the blank); perhaps this is because it's not the way you first heard the song. Highly recommend for Mathis fans and nonfans alike.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised!, August 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Because You Loved Me - Songs of Diane Warren (Audio CD)

I wanted to get the song "Because You Loved Me". I knew Celine Dion did the song but wanted to hear Johnny Mathis. These songs are very good. I am wondering why I do not hear them on the radio.
I'm glad I bought the CD.