Customer Reviews

Dusty Definitely

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dusty Definitely was released in Britain about a year after the sublime Dusty in Memphis. It reached the lower reaches of the British charts and was not released at that time in the United States. The two albums are as stylistically removed from one another as if they were by two very different singers which is more evidence that Dusty is quite simply the best female singer to have come out of the British Isles. Dusty Definitely has been obscured by the deserved high praise lavished upon Dusty in Memphis, but Dusty Definitely is an astonishingly varied and accomplished set of songs in its own right: From the rousing Tamla-Motownish opener "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone", the clatteringly ear-splitting beat of "Love Power", the husky-toned "This Girl's In Love With You", the spine-tingling sadness of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" to the album's warm closer, the sultry "Second Time Around", Dusty Defintely is a maddeningly beautiful set. The CD includes four bonus tracks which perfectly fit the closing reflective mood of the album.
We know that this album - like all good Dusty Springfield albums - was made under very, very trying conditions - with more than some of those trying conditions attributable to Dusty's never-satisfied, exhausting perfectionism. Whatever the pain surrounding the making of Dusty Definitely, the end result more than justifies it.

This cd harkens back to the Dusty who could sing a ballad to break a heart.Her version of "The second time around" is haunting and beautiful.Her lush back-ups seem to place the lp in a lounge type of mood,contrary to her soul inspired outings.
Two other cuts stand out. The muted version of "I only wanna laugh",and her sultry pining "Mr. Dream Merchant". The added tracks are nice but this collection was perfect as it was. "I think it's gonna rain today " should be one of Randy Newmans' biggest compliments as a song-writer.Dusty's haunted ballad singing defines a new depth in her reading of this chestnut.
Bacharach's "This girls in love with you" is another positive,airy turn for the song-writer.Dusty is a singers' singer,and a romantic one,and that is a fact! This lp was one of the finest of her colorful career.
ROMANTIC! Bravo!

Originally released in time for Christmas 1968, this album doesn't contain any hit singles. That isn't really surprising, because in those days singles were often released separately. Everything changed in the seventies, when album sales became much more important and singles became a marketing tool to sell albums. Don't be deceived by the absence of any of those classic Dusty hits, because this is a great album that is generally overlooked by most people.

There are some songs here that should be instantly recognizable to fans of late sixties and early seventies pop music. Piece of my my heart, originally recorded by Erma Franklin but most famously covered by Janis Joplin, has been covered by plenty of other singers down the years including Bonnie Tyler and Faith Hill. Another oft-recorded song is the Bacharach / David classic, This girl's in love with you. Those are the two most famous songs here, but many of the other songs are also covers include I think it's gonna rain today (Randy Newman), Spooky (McCoys), Second time around (Sammy Cahn / Jimmy Van Heusen), I only wanna laugh (from an obscure Broadway musical), Who will take my place (originally a French song by Charles Aznavour), Morning (originally a Brazillian song) and an obscure Bacharach / David song (Another night). Ain't no sun since you've been gone (the opening track) and I can't give back the love I feel for you (another excellent track) are covers of Motown songs.

The overall sound of the album is typical of what one expected to hear from Dusty in the mid to late sixties, except that this album rocks a little harder than its predecessors. My faforite tracks? On an album of such a consistently high quality, it would be pointless to pick out favorites. I've seen several reviews of this album and I notice that where people pick out favorites, they differ widely in their choices. That's often a sign of a really solid album with no obvious weakness - and that's exactly what this is.

Dusty went on to much greater success with her Memphis album, but if you're a serious fan of Dusty's music, you'll love this album too.

This is Dusty's 1968 album DUSTY...DEFINATELY which is out of print, but it comes with some bonus tracks and in a remastered form. The bonus tracks include "Spooky", "The Colour of Your Eyes (Remix)", "Meditation (Remix)", and "No Stranger I Am (Remix)". The material on the album is what Dusty was singing at the time in her career, just soulful beautiful songs that touched the heart. The highlight of the album for me is her heartfelt rendition of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", I think she holds the most powerful version of this classic, Bette Midler following shortly with her version. There is another Bacharach/David composition in "Another Night", another highlight from the album. She also does her own rendition of "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart", a fine version indeed. Other highlights here include "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone", "This Girl's In Love With You", "Love Powere", "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" and "Second Time Around". Overall this is worth it for the fans of Dusty, whether a huge fan of a casual one, there is something here for everyone to like.

Like the other reviewers I believe this is a stone cold five star album. But other people's choices of stand out tracks are quite fascinating, and very different to mine. For me 'the colour of your eyes','no stranger am I' and 'i think it's gonna rain today' are the real killers and worth the price of admission alone. These are three of the most haunting and beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard and among Dusty's all-time best. 'No stranger am I' in particular makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Celestial, breathless banks of strings float like silver clouds in a moonlit sky. Her voice weaves breathlessly through, haunted and pure. An oboe takes up the melody, plaintive, simple in an atmosphere charged like the calm before a summer storm.

The soul and ballad standards like 'take another little piece of my heart' and this girl's in love with you are sung with feeling and energy - of course. But Dusty is only at half throttle emotionally on these numbers. 'I only wanna laugh' and 'Spooky' are pleasant listening, but compared to what she can achieve they are slight and kitsch.

The album's treasures also include the unexpected pleasures of 'aint no sun sice you've been gone' and 'love power'. Both crazily upbeat. The first in particular has such a powerful, soulful vocal performance that it lifts me out of my seat. 'There's a big black cloud hanging over my head ...' she half croons, half belts out, hopping along the downbeat in a voice mixing honey and raw power ' ... cloud of loneliness, I feel like I'm dead'.

This ranks alongside 'Dusty in Memphis' for me. In fact of all of her albums (and I have them all), this is the one I listen to most often. Partly, I think, because it has more variety than the Memphis album, sublime though that is. Buy it or borrow it or steal it - but hear it!

'Dusty....Definitely' is not an album you can sit and relax to, at least not until you get past track six ('Love Power'), by which time you will probably HAVE to sit down.
First up is the groovy rolling tempo of 'Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone', with a nod towards Motown, followed by the brilliantly provocative 'Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart', a screamingly defiant song delivered in exactly the right manner. 'Another Night' is a great song, but a little mysterious in places; nothing wrong with Dusty's vocals, but, what was happening with the percussions? The track seems to fade in and out in places making you think it's about to finish...when it isn't! It's not a bad track by any means; no need to adjust your stereo!
On the next two tracks 'Mr Dream Merchant' and 'I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You', Dusty has that haunting vulnerability back in her voice, something she did so well and added that extra touch to so many of her songs.
Don't be fooled into relaxing by the slow and easy start of 'Love Power', it's not too long before the drums kick in and will box you round the ears if you're not paying attention.
At last (gasp) we can get ready for the smoochy side starting with Bacharach/David's 'This Girl's In Love With You', one of my favourite Dusty songs. 'I Only Wanna Laugh', a big band song from the Broadway musical 'Jimmy' shows off her versatility wonderfully. Next is one of the most heartbreaking lyrics i've ever heard Dusty sing in the first sentence ;"tell me who, when my life is through", then later 'Who Will Take My Place', this is a Charles Aznavour song which certainly brought a tear to my eyes, it grabs you unexpectedly. We then have 'I Think It's Going To Rain Today', a stirring Randy Newman number that was a favourite with Dusty herself. The last track on the album proper (before we get to the bonuses) is the deliciously slushy 'Second Time Around', and as the record fades.....we get a rude awakening...the sound of breaking cutlery! This is not listed on the sleeve, but, Dusty recorded a very short piece called 'Breaking Glass(and other bits)'. Apparently, what happened was that somebody walked in to the recording studio holding a tea-tray and somehow the whole lot went flying, Dusty loved the sound so much, she decided to keep it on the album, there's no warning at all, so before you rush to the kitchen to see if the cat has got up on the draining-board, hold off for about 10 seconds! Classic. I loved it, if for no other reason than it gives an amusing insight into her whacky humour, and, how many other artists would dare to end (the original) an album with the crash, bang, wallop of breaking cutlery?!
There is an interesting section of bonus tracks, including the lovely 'Spooky', and two written by Dusty's close friend Norma Taneger; 'No Stranger Am I', and 'The Colour Of Your Eyes' (co-written with Molly Mckernan), both absolutely beautiful and what i can only descibe as haunting and tender.
'Dusty....Definitely' was released in November 1968, spent six weeks on the charts and mysteriously got no higher than number 30. In the NME polls in December Lulu scooped first place for both World Female Singer and British Female Singer, but, Dusty was hot on her heels with second place in both categories.

This is a great CD from Dusty Springfield. It was never commissioned in the US though. It's a nice pop album. Her cover of "Piece of My Heart" is excellent. "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" is a nice blue eyed soul kind of song. She does some great cover songs as usual, showing her skills as an interpreter. Some favorites include "Who (Will Take My Place)" and "This Girl's in Love with You". Her version of the classic ballad "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" is wonderful and my favorite track here, it sends chills up my spine! "Morning" is wonderful as well. In addition to the 12 original tracks, there are four bonus trakcs including a rare track called "Spooky" and remixes of "No Stranger", "Mediation" and "The Colour of Your Eyes". A wonderful Dusty album!

This is probably Dusty's loudest, most rocking album. The first track, with energetic drumming, sounds like Dusty backed by The Who. As with Dusty's other, pre-"Dusty in Memphis" albums, however, this one is inconsistent. From a song-writing point of view, it is a mixed bag. Dusty's vocals are great, as ever, but her albums were only ever as good as the arrangements. Most of them on this CD are good, though it was on her next album, "Dusty in Memphis," that it all came together. "Definitely" is better than Dusty's earlier Motownsesque albums, though not as good as "Dusty in Memphis." Thankfully, this CD contains the bonus track, "Spookie," which is one of the best records Dusty Springfield ever made. Why some of Dusty's albums are hard to find (this one and "Brand New Me") defies explanation.

I must say, Dusty can do absolutely, and I mean anything. Dusty's version of 'Ain't No Sunshine' is outstanding. Sounds very Beatles-ish, and kind of a surf-in song. I also love her covers of Dionne Warwick's 'This Girl's in Love with You' and 'Another Night'. It, in my opinion, is much better. She brings more emotion to it, as does everything she sings. Many don't know this, but Dusty was the first to sing 'I Think It's Gonna Rain Today,' way before Bette Midler did it in the 1980s film, "Beaches." And 'Love Power,' plus the bonus tracks. A recommendation for all Dusty fans.

This was Dusty Springfield's predecessor to her masterpiece, the Memphis-produced "Dusty in Memphis" produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin.
Without reaching the same heights as the sequel "Dusty Definitely" contains some of Springfield's finest performances.

This goes not least for the song that originally made me to notice her unique voice - Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" which was Dusty's contribution to the charity album "World Star Festival" - this must be the ultimate version of this fine number .

"Take Another Little Piece of My Heart" could easily fitted "Dusty in Memphis" - white soul at its very best.

Also on the album there are fine versions of Bacharach's "This Girl's in Love With You" and "Another Night ".

Special is also the track "Morning", which almost has a folkish feel.

When the album as a whole can not be considered as completely successful, it is because it is quite erratic in genre. The spread from pure soul to mainstream pop simply feels too wide.

Nevertheless the album definitely belongs among Springfield's most interesting.