Destiny [Import]

Chaka Khan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B00004RKEB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,727 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rockin' Chaka, March 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Destiny (Audio CD)

"Destiny" was Chaka Khan's answer to Tina Turner's successes with 'Private Dancer', but Chaka wasn't able to connect with the listeners in the same way with her brand of Pop Rock. After all, Chaka was well know for her funkier tunes like 'Ain't Nobody', 'I Feel For You', etc. What would make her think she'd be able to capture the rock audience with songs like 'Watching The World' and 'So Close' which each have their share of crunch guitars?

On "Destiny" Khan's voice was strong as ever, and in some cases it was overly husky on tracks like 'Otherside of the World', but it somehow managed to get buried deep in the mix. Possibly for good reasons.

Khan's executive producer, Arif Mardin, was very creative with his use of various instrumental textures and mixes on 'Destiny. Sonically, 'Coltrane Dreams' was a stretch, considering most instruments in the song were samples of Chaka's own voice.

The best cuts for Khan's longtime fans would have to be the funky rave 'Tight Fit', with its warmer, jazzier feel, and the lead track 'Love of a Lifetime', a quirky funk/dance tune with lots of magic dust and swirling synths dancing around Chaka's voice.

Neither Chaka's best or worst work. "Destiny" was an attempt made for mass commercial appeal. Emotional punch, typically associated with Khan's work, is somewhat lost or exaggerated depending on the track. Creatively the collaborative effort with her longtime producer Arif Mardin had to have been a lot of fun. Grade C+.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Fit, June 17, 2000

By 

"kitbradley" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Destiny (Audio CD)

Still riding high from the 1984-85 international success of "I Feel For You", Chaka Khan decides to step out on a limb and release "Destiny" in 1986. Although not as sucessful as the previous album, this is a great CD.The first single, "Love Of A Lifetime" marks the beginning of what would turn out to be a long musical relationship with producer David Gamson.What makes this CD stand out from the others is that this marks the first time Khan is allowed to fully explore Rock music. Cleverly belting out gems like "So Close", "Who's It Gonna Be", "My Destiny" and "Watching the World", Khan proves that Tina Turner is not the only Soul diva capable of belting out Rock n' Roll tunes.Also on this CD you will find the sweltering second single, "Tight Fit" and an alternate version of "The Other Side of the World", which originally appeared on the "White Night" soundtrack a year prior.The silly and ridiculous "Earth To Mickey", written by Cameo's Charlie Singleton, seems a bit out of place on a Chaka album. Khan's great vocal performance manages to salvage the song and keeps it from being a total disaster.Sadly, this CD marks the exit of Arif Mardin as Chaka's executive producer.Although higly underrated and overlooked, this CD is a classic and if you like or love Chaka Khan, you have to add this one to your collection. This is a winner!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed, but still Chaka + Scritti = BRILLIANCE, June 6, 2006

By 

G. Mitchell "greggmitch" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Destiny (Audio CD)

Sure this album is a bit uneven and betrays some overkill production that sounds a tad MTV-rock-pop 80s (like the Phil Collins-helmed Watching the World), but most of the tracks on DESTINY showcase the main event: Chaka's full-bodied, full-throttle vocals that, once again, sing notes that aren't even in the book. The highlight, of course, is the intricate, stop/start synth-pop-funk of LOVE OF A LIFETIME, penned and produced by GREEN GARTSIDE/SCRITTI POLITTI - in fact, when you listen to this amazing pop single, you a) wish it had been the big radio hit it deserved to be and b) you can hear it as a Scritti song that would sound akin to Cupid & Psyche 85 - but other cuts from the album are close seconds, like the quirky 80s dance of EARTH TO MICKEY and the late-night jam TIGHT FIT, which features an impossibly sexy delivery by Ms. Khan. OOP in the US (typical), pick this up if you can find it - it's a worthy addition to your Chaka complete CD collection! Don't forget COLTRANE DREAMS, an entire groove build around clever samples of Chaka's vocal instrument.