Customer Reviews

Dancing on the Ceiling

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tracked this CD from hearing Deep River Woman on the radio one night and trying to figure out if it was Alabama or Lionel Richie. A thrilling song. Through Amazon.com and the review there, I learned it is both. What magnificent harmony -- sends chills -- and such emotion in the lyrics about dedication to your mate. Great song for dancers.

Back in the day when popular music wasn't as polarized as it currently is, Lionel Ritchie ruled the airwaves as a man that could sing it all: pop, R & B, funk, and a little country. That is no more evident than in this 1986 release, the follow-up to his monstrously successful, Grammy-winning "Can't Slow Down".

Although "Dancing" did not sell as prolifically as its predecessor or garner as much acclaim, it is still a noteworthy achievement. No less than six songs (the title cut, "Se La", "Ballerina Girl", "Deep River Woman", "Love Will Conquer All", and "Say You, Say Me") were major chart-makers and the rest successfully complement the album.

The 8:07 "Don't Stop" is no-holds-barred funk wonder, featuring wonderful percussion work from the legendary Paulinho Da Costa and woman by the name of Sheila E.

Even after all this time, I listen to this album, and I love it. The songs are beautiful and remind me of a great time. Ballerina Girl, Dancing on the Ceiling, Deep River Woman, Love will Conquer all, those are great, everlasting songs. I love this album.

Lionel Richie is brilliant!! Both at the lyrical and musical aspects of his music. This album shows his awesome creativity and has so many great tunes. He is king of pop in the 80's and now and forever. OOH WHAT A FEELING....WHEN WE'RE DANCING ON THE CEILING!!! Rock on Lionel.

Excellent. It's music like this that puts to shame the dull, uninspiring, and depressing music of the 90's. I did not give this 5 stars because I felt that a couple of songs were a little too off-beat for my tastes. Overall, this was a solid piece of work. I would buy this CD just for the title track- I can't stop listening to it!

Coming four years after his major breakthrough with Can't Slow Down Lionel was again prepared to take the music world by storm in much the same fasion. Now that the 80's was a ways into itself the same sense of commercial ambition so common and almost essential during the earlier part of the decade was beginning to go on the wane but there was still plenty of energy left with Lionel to make it work. Even though this album is slicker both in terms of music and production it actually has a higher degree of musical breadth to it as well. None of the songs here actually have a singular style as a matter of fact,even some of the ballads. The title track that begins the album is definately a strong uptempo 80's dance-pop song even though it lacks much R&B/funk focus outside Lionel's vocal delivery. Very interesting especially for the mid 80's is the 8 minute+ electro funk jam "Don't Stop" in the middle of the album,the first time in his solo career he focused on a similar style of uptempo music one would find him doing with The Commodores earlier on. "Sela" is actually something of an anomylous tune in light of how much Lionel had embraced pop commercialism in his solo career;an errily chorded 80's reggae type number with a rather more socially conscious lyrical bent and also somewhat surprizingly it was a hit too. The heavily melodic "Ballerina Girl" and the countrified "Deep River Woman" are the most obviosly ballad type songs on the album and actually aren't among it's stronger cuts considering it's what he was fast becomming noted for. Same with the rather bland pop/rock styled "Tonight Will Be Alright". Again as with the varying tempoed but overplayed "Say You,Say Me";these are songs so obviously designed for radio play it became easy to forget Lionel was still capable of delivering a consistant album of depth and character. That leaves "Love Will Conquer All",another great and melodic midtempo R&B/funk groove and another deserved hit. It would be a very long time after this before Lionel Richie released any new albums to the point when he did return he was actually in danger of being somewhat forgotton. All the same he didn't quite suffer too much from the same dating effect Michael Jackson contended with following up his breakthrough success in the 80's and this emmerges as one of the two strongest albums from the prime of his solo years.

i always loved the song say you say me i love the track night train smooth alligator thats one of my favorites and ballorina girl lionel was the man back in the 1980s

lionel richie is one of the most brilliant musicians in the universe. he kills and destroys all previous attempts at pop hits with this album. dancing on the ceiling is far and away the single greatest achievement in musical history. if you only have one copy of this album, it's not enough.