Customer Reviews

Bette

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Bette Midler's new album, "Bette" doesn't break any new ground musically, but it does give Bette's fans more of why we love her; Smart and catchy tunes, old and new, delivered with the style and panache we expect from the Divine Miss M.

The highlights of this album include Bette's remake of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach's "God Give Me Strength". Like Tina Turner, Nancy Wilson and Annie Lennox, Bette can take someone else's song (Costello's take on this song is full of power and passion)and masterfully turn it into her own. You feel the pain and angst of love gone awry in her singing.

Also, the catchy do-wop feel to "Nobody Else but You",which is the theme to Bette's new sitcom, is fun and frothy; the sly and silly "In These Shoes" is another Divine romp in the style of former Midler comic gems like "I'm Beautiful" and "I Look Good"; and "Bless You, Child" is an interesting paradox of stoic and reaffirming lyrics set against a electronic dance background.

The production for most of this album is steered by Don Was of Was Not! Was fame. Was has produced records for the like of Bonnie Raitt and the B-52's. Also Midler's longtime collaborator, Marc Shaiman, helps in the producing of this album. Interesting of note is that Madonna's famous backup girls, Nikki Harris and Donna DeLory, do some vocal work on "Bette". Hmmmm....Would they be killer Harlettes or what!

Word has it that songs from "Bette" the album will be featured this season on "Bette" the sitcom. Here's hoping radio picks up some of these great songs for their airplay!

Sweet and somber, sassy and sexy, "Bette" will not disappoint Midler's legion of loyal fans, and if you've never bought a Bette Midler album...shame on you...catch up and get this one!

Bette is back with a new CD and her first network TV show on CBS to boot! Again, the Divine Miss M presents a great selection of familiar and not-so-familiar material. The CD opens with the wonderful "That's How Heartaches Are Made", a hidden classic of the 1960s recorded by Baby Washington, Dusty Springfield and the Marvelettes among others. She also tackles Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO", the Manhattans' "Shining Star" and the Temptations' "Just My Imagination." The latter with less success than the others (check out "Just My Imagination" sung by Gwennyth Paltrow and Babyface on the new "Duets" Soundtrack CD). She does go for a bit of camp on "In These Shoes" with a latin beat that is just a bit too close to Santana's "Supernatural." However, she does really shine on "Moses",(with a nice island/calypso beat and wonderful horns); the ballads "Color of Roses" and "When Your Life Was Low"; the bluesy "God Give Me Strength" and the theme for her TV Show "Nobody Else But You." The real sleeper here may be the hypnotic dance track "Bless You Child."

"Bette" is a much more focused collection than "Bathhouse Betty." There's some really terrific material included here. The outstanding tracks are "In These Shoes', an irresistible Latin number which is Bette's tongue-in-cheek contribution to the current 'Latin craze'. Patti Griffith's "Moses' also has a Latin tinge, with perhaps a bit of Paul Simon thrown in for good measure. One of the best things she's recorded in years. Both excellent choices, and arranged and performed beautifully.

She includes some nice Philly Soul covers in "Just My Imagination' 'Shining Star" and "Love TKO." "Nobody Else But You," the theme song of her new TV show. this one was written by Bette and her accompanist Marc Shaiman. Very catchy and upbeat-reminiscent of "Friends" with a Laura Nyro influence.

The Standout ballad is 'When your life Was Low". a perfect song for Bette-beautiful melody, with a nice bitter twist to the lyrics. Much more interesting than the material what the record companies have been foisting on her since "Beaches'

All in all, "Bette' contains some of the best things she's ever committed to record, and it all feels like material that she actually LIKES, instead of what Warner Brothers thinks will get played on radio. Don Was does a great job of capturing her talent. Highly recommended...

Bette Midler has done it again. She has created a nearly perfect pop album that relfects her maturity and wisdom, all the while showcasing her incredible talent. On the eve of her sitcom debut, Bette unleashes a new album full of wonder, beauty, and love. These songs are steeped in love and emotion, while all the while still being as playful as Bette has ever been. Most striking of these tracks is the cover of the Burt Bacharach/Elvis Costello gem "God Give Me Strength" (from the motion picture "Grace of My Heart) Her performance on this tune is genuinely heartbreaking. And the theme for her new series, entitled "Nobody Else but You", a kicky romp, gives Bette a chance to try out her chops as a writer. All of the material included on the album suits Bette like a well-tailored evening gown. Here's hoping that Bette continues on this glorious musical path right into our hearts.

Bette Midler is a wonderful talent and this album proves that (as if it hadn't already been proven!). She has a wonderful ear for great material and that also is shown on this great album. Tackling Teddy Pendergrass' LOVE TKO is no easy feat and the Divine Miss M doesn't disappoint, offering a compassionate take on a fabulous song.

Having heard Lalah Hathaway and Joe Sample's version of "When Your Life Was Low" and loving the song as I do, I was interested in how Bette would approach the song which is steeped in jazz vocal. Her voice is amazing on this song and it makes you long for a sugar-free radio wave that would send this tune through stereo speakers everywhere.

This album offers great songs and a Bette Midler that is in excellent voice and at her interpretive best. How wonderful it is for us to have Bette on TV, in the movies and in our CD players. She is truly one of the greatest talents we have, and as I said earlier, this album proves that!

The leap from bawdy bathhouse performer to mainstream sitcomstar is not as wide as it seems. Homosexual characters are now stock in many tvshows and Bette Midler has famously calmed down. One thing has always been consistent with Bette - the quality of her albums. She has quietly and regularly issued one album after another chock full of cannily selected songs, and her singing has become more buttery and honest with each release. From "The Divine Miss M" and the underrated "Songs for the New Depression" to the recent "Bathhouse Betty" and wonderful "Bette of Roses," eclecticism is the modus operandi for a Bette Midler LP. "Bette" is no exception. If anything, these covers of songs made famous by Teddy Pendergrass ("Love TKO"), The Manhattans ("Shining Star"), The Temptations ("Just My Imagination") and Baby Washington/Dusty Springfield ("That's How Heartaches Are Made") are among Bette's creamiest performances ever. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach's "God Gives Me Strength" is a compelling vehicle for Bette's theatrical emotionalism as well as a great song, and the rousing "Nobody But You" harkens back to her old Barry Manilow theme song, "Friends," in its "la-la-la" refrain. The disco number, "Bless You Child," is exuberant and exciting, and will surely pack dance floors in remixed form from West Hollywood to Gotham. In a parallel universe, Bette Midler would be performing these songs in an intimate boite like the now-defunct Rainbow and Stars. Up close and personal, with Manhattan glittering in the background, Bette has become the premier cabaret chanteuse for the millenium. You gotta get it, yo...just another Bette TKO...

Bette Midler returned in 2000 to release BETTE, her newest album to coincide with the debut of her short lived television series. The album opens with a cover of Baby Washington's "That's How Heartaches Are Made", and Bette sounds stunning as ever! Then is the latin tinged "In These Shoes" with just enough camp to classify as campy Bette. Then another stunning cover, this time of Elvis Costello's "God Give Me Strength", an album highlight. Other covers include a cover of the Temptations "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)", "Love TKO", "When Your Life Was Low", Patty Griffin's "Moses" and "Shining Star", all done masterfully. The first single was the bouncy and bubbly "Nobody Else But You", which was also the theme for her TV series. The second single was "In These Shoes" which was a mega hit on Billboard's club charts. She even does a dance song in "Bless You Child". Overall an interesting collection and Bette has never sounded better!

A lot of middle of the road pop tunes ("That's How Heartaches Are Made", "Color Of Roses", "When Your Life Was Low"), a couple of slightly overpowering pop tunes ("God Give Me Strength"), a couple of acceptable remakes of familiar songs ("Just My Imagination", "Shining Star", and "Moses" - the original "Moses" by Patty Griffin is haunting, painful, and heartbreaking), one Whitney Houston/Madonna sounding dance club number ("Bless You Child") and one funny, cheeky, classic Bette song ("In These Shoes": "He said lets make love on a mountain top/Under the stars on a big hard rock/I said, In these shoes?/What is this, the Peace Corps? ") make up this passable and underwhelming disc.

This was not one of Bette Midler's more successful albums, but it has it's charms and it remains one of my favorites from her collection. It was released in October 2000, coinciding with the short lived CBS sitcom she starred in. The first single was the bubbly and uptempo "Nobody Else But You", which was also the sitcom's theme song. "In These Shoes", a fun campy song in the same vein as "I'm Beautiful", was the second single, and a hit on the Billboard dance charts.

If anything, this album proves that Bette Midler is a talented singer, and interpreter of song. The obvious standout is "God Give Me Strength", a powerful ballad, written by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello. Beautiful. Patty Griffin's "Moses" is another highlight, a fun tongue in cheek song that Bette does so well. She also covers Baby Washington's "That's How Heartaches Are Made", The Manhattan's "Shining Star", Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO", and The Temptations "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)". She does them all fabulously!

"Bless You Child" shows that Bette can compete with the contemporaries, with a nice dance song. On "Color of Roses" and "When Your Life Was Low", she shows her restraint, letting the beauty of the songs shine through. The album featured a few producers, including Don Was, Rick Nowles, and Marc Shaiman. Overall, it's a very nice Bette Midler album, with some truly memorable tunes.

This album has an oldies sound, as quite a few songs are covers of oldies. Midler's cover of the Temptation's Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) flows SO much better than the original and showcases Midler's amazing voice. Love TKO is definitely one of the best songs Midler has ever recorded. The bluesy sound and Midler's low tone will get stuck in your head and never grow old. The song is flawless in every aspect. God Give Me Strength and Color of Roses are the Bette Midler ballads of the album. Moses and Nobody Else But You (from her sitcom Bette) are the light pop numbers you'll be tapping your feet too. Another high point of this album is the dance tune Bless You Child. Think of Cher's Believe, but with actual Midler vocals, not some machine pulling half of it off. The other dance tune is the latin In These Shoes. Like other Midler remixes, this song was a top 10 hit on the dance charts. The song is an excellent, slightly comic latin number that will have you dancing. BUY IT!!!! If you love this Bette album, you'll love these other Bette albums: The Divine Miss M, Broken Blossom, Some People's Lives, Beaches soundtrack, Bathhouse Betty, Bette of Roses. Support Bette Midler! Buy the album here! Don't buy from an auction or download the songs for free!