Customer Reviews

Living Proof

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Cher out did herself this time. After "Believe", everyone expected a dance cd...but this one is amazing. It's the best dance CD ever produced...Cher has said "People have been listening to myvoice for like a hundred years"..."why cant i have fun with it?". She definetely...does with many, many tracks. The pitch machine used to define Believe was back at it and roaring this time. "Different Kind of Love Song" is so incredibally altered Cher as said "Its vocoded to death". But...that doesnt means it get old! The pitch machine makes every song inredibally easy to remember with solid beats and on-time voice alterations. If anyone but Cher had done this album it would go down as the greatest of all time. Unfortunetly, because people want Cher to die for some reason, they ignore her. It's sad that someone who the great Madonna models herself after can be ignored. Living Proof is the greatest album of Cher's career...which is tough to say about a diva with albums such as "Believe", "It's a Mans World", "Cher", "Heart of Stone", "Take Me Home", and "Half Breed". Cher said it herself..."at the end of the nuclear hollucost they'll be cocaroaches....and Cher"..."So i think that pretty much sums it up". Long live the great one...remember...Her Farewell tour hits...soon.

I love Cher's music and I'm not embarassed to say that. Her music is a bit campy at times but nothing wrong with a bit of camp value. I was not willing to wait until spring of 2002 for the US release of "Living Proof". I was happy to shell out the big bucks for her new album. Needless to say, the results were positive. "Living Proof" is ten times better than "Believe". The material she chose to record is far better than most of the songs off its predecessor. Although I do think Cher overdoes it on the vocoder sounds on this cd, I was able to forgive her for that since every song on this cd is a winner in my book. I immediately fell in love with "Alive Again" which is one of my favorite tracks off this cd. I was completely surprised when I heard Cher cover one of my favorite songs from another dance diva Amber. Cher does a swell job at "Love One Another". Unlike "Believe", "Living Proof" is a stronger dance album. The songs are tight and the material was just right for Cher. I love this album.

What are you waiting for? This is most certainly Cher's best and most remarkable album. Why? Well have you heard "Song For The Lonely"-the anthem that just won't stop? This album is so wonderful, Cher's voice soars like nothing else she has done before. Check out the amazing "When The Money's Gone", it is so perfect that you'll have to listen to it over and over again until your are dead tired. Clear the dance floor! "Different Kind Of Song" blasts through your speaker with super sonic vocoder energy. The hook is unreal, and "Alive Again" is a spiritual moment unlike anyother. The US includes the tracks "When You Walk Away" and let me tell you-so good. Much more upbeat then "You Take It All"(on the international pressing), and fits itself nicely into the overall atmosphere of the album. I believe that this is Cher's most thought provoking and fully put together album. There is a heavy spiritual vibe that runs through the ablum, take "Love One Another" for example. And obviously the afore mentioned "Song For The Lonely" is included. "The Music's No Good Without You" is one of my favorite Cher songs ever. Talk about fabulous. It is by no means a typical Cher song but proves that she is forever invincible. After months of waiting "Living Proof" is finally here, Cher is back.

Cher's new CD masters what "Believe" promised in 1998. Cher's singing is confident and powerful; and the songs are consistently excellent. This CD follows Cher's 2000 internet-only CD of self-penned tunes, "not.commercial," that Cher released on her own Isis label. For that CD, she lived in a castle in France and wrote some good songs like "The Fall" dedicated to Kurt Cobain and "Sisters of Mercy" that expressed her opinions on Catholic school. While we don't see any saucy lyrics as Cher's classic, "You're about as useless as Bob Dole's... arm," we do get the best commercial polish on "Living Proof."

"Song for the Lonely" is a hot rocker, timely in the wake of the World Trade Towers & Pentagon terrorist acts, "When heroes fall in love or war, they live forever." The drums fall hard on this comforting opener; and when Cher sings "It'll be all right," her vocals fly angelically. "A Different Kind of Love Song" is a cosmic rocker with a driving techno beat, "We have living proof there's some kind of light that flows through everything." "Alive Again" is a pulsating midtempo song of renewal, "I only want to learn to freeze the flame." Throbbing echo chamber vocals resound through the excellent "The Music's No Good Without You." One of my favorite tracks, #1 on my own personal top ten, is "Rain Rain," an addictive soulful track. Keyboards and hot rhythm guitar lace "Real Love," "Time after time, you're bringing me up when I'm down." "Love So High" has more soaring vocals on this throbbing rocker. "Body to Body Heart to Heart" is an amorous full-throated rocker where Cher uses a taste of Spanish guitar that she employed so prominently on one of my favorite songs from the "not.commercial" CD, the gorgeous ballad "Still." "I'll never love this way again," Cher sings passionately as the pace slows a tad on the beautiful "Love Is A Lonely Place Without You." "Love One Another" is great cosmic pop with pulsing rhythms, "Try to understand, open up your heart, a fist is just a hand, it can come apart." Keyboards wash defiantly on "When You Walk Away." The CD closes with Bruce Roberts' and Donna Weiss' "When the Money's Gone," a funky rocker that is so endearing. Cher's voice floats as she sings, "What a fine life I give to you."

"Living Proof" is musically excellent. Cher has fully moved into the genre. We sense the woman behind the production. She fashions some beautiful cosmic truths as well as just singing her heart out. This CD is a VERY good time! Enjoy!

What else can be said about the comeback-queen herself, Cher, that hasn't already been said? The last time we heard her, she was " believing in life after love ". Well, all of this believing has paid off with the follow-up record to her record-setting journey into dance music. It's entitled " Living Proof". The album starts off with the hit US single, "A Song For The Lonley", and gentley crosses to "A Different Kind of Love Song", ( if you loved the vocal effects with 'Believe', than you will adore this one). As a matter of fact, the vocal effects that made "Believe" a smash with all in this collection of soon-to-be-dance-anthems that will make you get up and shake what your mama gave you. Cher even does a great job of covering the Amber classic "Love One Another". And if you love the Latin feel, "Body To Body, Heart To Heart" will make you pull out the old sumbraro and make you do the Salsa! Cher ends the album with the song that will very soon become the anthem for husbands and wives everywhere, "When The Money's Gone". Every track on this incredible collection is very unique in every way possible. Cher proves to us that she is here for the long run, and this album is "living proof"

Cher has met many successes and criticisims since she arrived on the music scene in the mid 60's. She's recorded duets, pop, rock and disco. She is an award winning actress and basically a world wide icon! This CD is the latest addition to her long body of work. Following in the tradition of her most successfull recording of all, Believe. It contains 12 tracks and no duds! The more you listen to it, the more you like it. Almost better than Believe!

The first single, Music Is No Good Without You was released in Europe and is the least interesting of all the tracks. US remixes are in the works for eventual success here as well. Song For The Lonely, however, is the lead single in the US and is the #1 video! Alive Again is being relesed in Germany. Other stand outs include the remake of Amber's Love One Another, Real Love with its All For You (Janet Jackson sound alike) piano riff, the latin tinged Body To Body- Heart To Heart, A Different Kind Of Love Song and Rain Rain.

The only dissapointment is that I had to make my own CD with her bonus tracks from her from all her different releases! The Look is a latin flavored dance track only to be found on her Japanese CD. You Take It All is an awesome song that was unfortunately cut from the US version and replaced with Diane Warren's When You Walk Away (unavailable in Europe). Then there is the hot dance remix of her duet with Italy's Eros Ramazzotti called Piu Che Puoi. Maybe there will be a rare Indonesian Import with ALL 15 great tracks on 1 CD!!!!

Until then, enjoy any one or all of these versions of Cher. It's Living Proof that she will always be around!

Right off the bat, I have to say this CD is OUTSTANDING! Throughout the entire CD, Cher's voice simply shines over the energetic, creative, yet sometimes familiar beats and effects. It breaks my heart when I hear "Living Proof" is considered to be a failure. Why it's not selling nearly as much as it should be, I don't know. Why Warner Brothers won't get off thier ... and promote the CD, is beyond me. I do know that this CD is Cher at her very best! "Different Kind Of Love Song" is a perfect example of how powerful a voice can be, and yes I am saying Cher's voice is a power house. "Song For the Lonely" is a rock/dance anthem that was a refreshing tribute to 9/11. Yet, it was bypassed by radio. Well, that's radio's loss, if only they would have played the song more. Throughout my travels in Europe a month ago, I heard many club/dance songs. With "Living Proof" Cher brings Europe to the US. And believe me, that is a good thing! Many consider Cher to be old and overrated, but I can tell you, this 17 year old thinks Cher is an absolute marvel. "When the Money's Gone", I will still continue to support Cher. I just wish Americans would get their act together and support Cher and help her see that we "BELIEVE" in her. Everyone, please do yourself, Cher fans, and Cher a huge favor and buy "Living Proof." I promise you'll cherish it!

LIVING PROOF, had a hard act to follow. Cher's BELIEVE album was a success story upon which legends are born. But LIVING PROOF met and exceeded my expectations. Once again Cher has put together an album that is pure joy from start to finish. Upbeat and very danceable, each track is unique. I loved the guitar background for "Love So High" and "Body To Body, Heart To Heart". While "Song For The Lonely" and "A Different Kind Of Love Song" are probably the best recognized songs, I loved "The Music's No Good Without You", "Real Love" and "When You Walk Away" even more. Cher also does a wonderful remake of "When The Money's Gone." With back to back steller albums, being without money certainly will not be a concern for Cher. And while we make her rich, she enriches our lives in return with her music. Get on board and take the musical ride of your life. LIVING PROOF is your ticket to nirvana!

Cher's albums often play like Greatest Hits packages; only occasionally, as in 1975's Stars or 1995's It's a Man's World, has she attempted true cycles, both times with impressive results. I hope she'll follow up on her recently-stated intention to record another serious album; until then. . . . .we have Living Proof, which is, of her greatest hits-style albums, perhaps the greatest of all. Her voice sounds strong and true, any one of the songs on the album could be a hit single, and she sings with passion and commitment. Cher recharges and transforms the genre she helped launch in 1998 (ie "Believe") with her soaring, soulful vocals. Personal highs: Love is a lonely place without you, You take it all, The music's no good without you, Song for the lonely and Alive again.

Cher has no comparison! She seems to get better and better with each new song and album she puts out. These songs will definitely get you out of your seat and dancing. Cher certainly has a unique style, and voice, and as she matures she is not only still beautiful to look at, but her singing voice has never been better. This is one of her best albums she's recorded yet. These songs are about being lonely, losing love, and finding the courage to live on, and be strong. I enjoyed all of these new songs, but especially "Love One Another". A song that we should all heed due to recent tragic events that affected all of our lives.

The sound and quality of these songs is awesome. Cher is a true Diva of our lifetimes, and an inspiration to all of us to get out there and dance our hearts out and have some fun. Cher... "The Music's No Good Without You" and your "Living Proof" of that. Highly Recommended!