Customer Reviews

Lover in Me

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

 

 

I regret having traded in this c.d years ago at a used c.d. shop. But first, listen to the reasoning: It was the late 80's and pop, dance- R & B music was starting to lose it's shine and become stale; There was a multitude of Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Madonna commercialized wannabes. By no means was Sheena Easton a novice singer; She was in the music business with genuine talent long before Paula or Madonna. Also, The Lover in Me was right before the major hip-hop,alternative,grunge, techno, whatever movement. There were so many Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson clones that even a genuine artist like Easton would get lost in the shuffle ! I quickly grew tired of the Lover In Me (despite being an Angela Winbush and Prince fan). The right artist, song material, producers and writers were at hand (Winbush, Baby Face, and Prince)---It was just the wrong timing for some listeners who were already burnt out by the sugar flavored synthesized dance pop music of the 80's...

Is this c.d. worth 5 hills of beans ? In retrospect, YES---Especially when our brains, eyes, ears, are bombarded with the new trend of repetitive teeny bopper boy bands and sugar coated risque teen "divas" (loosely used term nowadays). It's artists like Sheena Easton who could probably show them how it's really done !

Songs like 101, Fire and Rain, No Deposit, No Return, and Cool were smoldering off of this project with intense atristry and sensuality !

Possessed of one of the more glorious voices in pop music during the '80s, Sheena Easton was coming off the disappointment of her underwhelming, though musically solid,DO YOU album(as well as lack of release in the states of her NO SOUND BUT A HEART project) when she signed with a new label and released what remains her creative benchmark, THE LOVER IN ME. Beautifully melding pop, R&B, funk, and adult contemporary, it remains her most musically diverse and fully realized project thirteen years later. L.A. and Babyface, in the middle of one of their most successful periods, produced half the album, chief among those tracks being the title cut, as well as 'Days Like This' and 'No Deposit,No Return'. Angela Winbush provides the utterly beautiful 'Without You', as well as one of Easton's most R&B-oriented tracks ever in 'Fire And Rain'. The standout though is the Prince-produced '101', a stunning pop-funk workout that exquisitely showcases Easton's vocal range and remains a creative watermark in her career--it should have been a huge hit. Unfortunately, her record label was MCA, which in case you don't know, ruins careers(see the equally career-maligned Belinda Carlisle and Pebbles for further proof). This should have been a massive crossover album, rather than the mild success it ended up being.

There are not too many white female singers that can pull of what Sheena Easton did with the "The Lover In Me" cd back in 1988. Even when L.A.Reid, Babyface were producing up and coming acts that year with Pebbles, Bobby Brown, and Karyn White, she was the first already established singer that the duo took on taking her career to another level expanding her vocals to the funky beats and groove of R&B and doing quite well on that chart for a white female established singer. In todays music you see this more common but let's give credit where credit is due for this multi talanted 2 time Grammy Award singer.

Give this album a try and listen to what a strong voice Ms. Easton has on a song like "101" and see why she is a true pop diva...

"The Lover in Me" was released in December of 1988, and for a minute there it looked as if the 2nd phase of Sheena Easton's career was going to bear fruit. It was a good idea that didn't really pan out.

In the last three years or so of the 1980s, "R&B" music was becoming less and less obscure, and was being thrust into the mainstream pop scene. After 7 generic pop albums, the final 2, of which, were poorly received, Sheena signed with a new label, in this case MCA, and sexed up her image and sound. "The Lover in Me" features that "new" R&B sound. Unfortunately, however, it was widely considered contrivance, as Sheena was merely jumping onto a bandwagon (which isn't her fault because she had NO control over her career at this point).

Contrivance or not, many of the songs are very glossy, exquisitely produced, and are a lot of fun. There were 4 singles: "The Lover in Me," "Days Like This," "101," (written by Prince) and "No Deposit, No Return." Sadly, "The Lover in Me" was the only hit, and it charted all the way up at #2 pop. "Days Like This" and "101" were hits on the R&B chart, but "No Deposit, No Return" was dead on arrival.

As usual, we get the standard Sheena Easton fare, from the danceable and catchy "If it's Meant to Last," to the adult-contemporary-friendly "Without You," to the tender ballads "Follow My Rainbow" and the sexy "Fire and Rain." Sex is a big key with this album. Sheena's vocals were always sleek and seductive, and this time the seductiveness is shoved right out front for all the world to witness (and if you look at the cover of the album you'll see exactly what I mean: the "hot" late 80s perm, the "hot" red dress, the "hot" red lips, the "hot" cleavage).

As usual, my favorite song is one of the singles that didn't chart very high, or in this case not at all, the Price-penned "101." This single song is everything Sheena had solidified throught the 1980s; it has a terrific, ominous beat; interesting, thoughtful, pondering lyrics; and, of course, Sheena's oustanding vocal, with sex thrown in for good measure. In this song, Sheena sings mostly in her lower-register, and this is something we don't hear very often.

Perhaps unfortunately, this album is NOT a reissue (because Sheena had signed with a different label, remember), so that means we don't get any bonus-previously-unreleased songs. It's interesting to wonder what else Sheena and the moneymakers at MCA might've come up with.

By the way, I mention a "2nd phase" in Sheena's career. This album was the first of that phase, and 1991's "What Comes Naturally" was the second.

This was one of my favorite albums when I was growing up. I will always be a fan of the mid to late 80's Urban Contemporary albums (beginning most likely with Jeffrey Osborne's 1986 "Emotional" and culminating with Lisa Stansfield 1990 "Affection") This was one that strangely flew under the radar. A lot of people think this is pop fluff or 80's crap, but I ask you, why is it still so soulful and interesting 18 years later?? I think this music is still very futile and seeringly good. Out-of-Print or not, this is stilla pretty easy one to find, and worth seeking out, as the entire CD is full of great songs. Here is my track by track of the album

1)No Deposit, No Return: This should have done the same if not better business that the upcoming title track. It had a lot more punch, grit and vocal power than "The Lover in Me," not to mention the keys played exquisitely with the synths and the funky background vocals. My first and favorite pick of this album.

2)The Lover In Me: The #2 pop, #3 R&B smash that was saturated on pop and urban radio summer 1988. A great tune, with flare and a sexy vocal. Like I said, not as strong as track 1, but just as noble an attempt. A lot of fun and extremely danceable.

3)Follow My Rainbow: Used so prominently thru Sheena's stint on Miami Vice. There she gave a very touching performance as Sonny Crocketts 7 week pregnant wife, and performed this one live on the show. It was a touching scene, made all the more heartbreaking when she is murdered after performing this gem of an 80's slow jam. A powerhouse ballad to be reckoned with, that has aged very gracefully

4)Without You: The slowest uptempo song on the record. Not really in the same league as the rest of the album, but a pretty song, kind of a cooldown nearing the end of the first half of the record. Cute song, with a nice soulful chorus.

5) If It's Meant To Last: The most poppy track on the whole record. Fun, really fast, but cute all the same, and all about what you should do if u really want it to last...love that is...

6)Days Like This: One of the more boring L.A. and Babyface tracks, this one incorporates a tinkly sounding wedding march, with a hard pap of a drum beat. There isn't really much wrong on this track besides that its a little cheeky, and boring.

7)One Love: The song with a guest appearance! This one features the Hot off A Hit band The Deele (remember the classic Two Occasions) shouting out a chant and singing backup to the scottish chanteuse. This one runs a little bit longer than it should, but its still a good song.

8) 101: That sneaky Prince. He takes credit for this immaculate production, then in the writing credits himself as Joey CoCo. This is one of Mr. Nelson's most beautiful compositions, and has a great meloncholy premise, mixed with dusky beats and amazing vocals. Pristine

9)Cool Love: Kind of like Prince's early attempt at Hip-Hop, a sweet Kooky love song, with some vocals done quietly by prince in the mix. Good one, used to be my fave, but good is still good!!

10)Fire and Rain: A beautiful quiet storm ballad, that should still be played today, a very pretty Angela Winbush production, she had skills back in the 80s, and made beautiful music with her now ex husband Ronald Isley...he left her for one of the members of So-So 2000 R&B Throwaways JS, but we won't go there, he left a genius and this is one of her masterpieces...still very breathtaking to this day

This album had the hit producers of the day, a great bunch of sexy pics to check out, and a track listing that was just undeniable...to some this is a throwaway, to me this is her best work since "For Your Eyes Only" and the first and only real 100% testament to how good Sheena is in the right setting. R&B was the best sound for her, and besides a few track with Prince, this is the only document left. Get this and cherish it for the classic it should have been!

Other reviewers may have dismissed this as being "dated" but what else can it be? It's from the 80's and it should sound like the decade. For me, music, with few exceptions, took a nosedive after the time period ended.

That said, the album at hand is a valiantly, if slightly unbalanced attempt at soul from a pop princess who earlier scored with "Morning Train" and the theme from the Bond film "For Your Eyes Only". It seems as though Easton after performing with Prince ("U Got the Look" from his "Sign O' The Times" album) decided that she needed a makeover.

Thus, "The Lover in Me" was born.

The title cut is typical dance pop while "Follow My Rainbow" is a decent ballad, allowing the single some emotional room that she rarely showed before. Other good tracks are "Days Like This", "No Deposit, No Return", "One Love" and "Fire and Rain".

Though she doesn't possess the vocal strength of fellow "blue-eyed soul chanteuses" like Taylor Dayne, Lisa Stansfield, or Teena Marie, Easton does a reasonably adequate job on this album.

And what more can one want when traveling down memory lane?

An outstanding album. Track by track, miss Easton shows us exactly what an underrated vocalist she is. "No Deposit.." is a driving, funky dance tune, whereas "The Lover In Me" is similar, but more pop. "Follow My Rainbow" is a classic Babyface ballad, then "Without You" is an excellent Angela Winbush upbeat ballad, followed by "If It's Meant To Last" which is definitely a shoulda-been hit. Just hear this once and try not to hum the tune. The second half begins with a really classic LA&Babyface tune, "Days Like This" which is then followed by probably the only weak track on the album, "One Love". It's OK, just a bit formulaic. Then come the two Prince tracks. "101" is easily a lost classic. The inventiveness with which Sheena sings the song is amazing. You can really feel her pining for her lover to come back. This is followed by "Cool Love", a great quirky Prince track, again allowing Sheena to really show us what she's made of. The concluding track is a great chill-out ballad called "Fire And Rain", again from the pen of Angela Winbush. All in all this album is a real lost classic.

I'm a pretty big Sheena Easton fan so this review may be a bit biased, but I'll let you decide.

1) No Deposit No Return - It starts off well with the beat reminiscent of Word Up by Cameo; it's catchy but a bit long and Sheena unfortunately screeches a bit too much (sorry Sheena!). The beat wins out though. 3.5 out of 5
2) The Lover In Me - Fantastic dance song! 5 out of 5
3) Follow My Rainbow - This song was first featured on Miami Vice when Sheena guest-starred for a few episodes. Great power ballad! 4 out of 5
4) Without You - The weakest song on the album. Starts slow and builds to become a mediocre midtempo dance song. 1 out of 5
5) If It's Meant To Last - Very fast generic dance song. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes, I skip over it. 2.5 out of 5
6) Days Like This - Midtempo R&B song. Doesn't grab you right away like the title song, but good. 3.5 out of 5
7) One Love - Very much like a Pebbles song (in a very good way). Very slinky and sassy with Sheena letting the vocals rip without screeching (see comments on first track). 4.5 out of 5
8) 101 - Love this song! Sheena sings a duet with herself (in a way) alternating between her lower register and upper register. Very seductive vocals and music. 5 out of 5
9) Cool Love - Eeee! I'm Very cool on this song (actually cold). Too cutesy Prince for me. 2 out of 5
10) Fire & Rain - Lovely song with restrained vocals! Slowly paced without being boring. 4.5 out of 5

Overall, I give the album 3.5 out of 5. They should reissue the album with the dance remix of the title song and the instrumental versions of the singles from the album (hint hint).

I Liked The Fact that La&BabyFace,Angela Winbush&Prince all made Contributions to this Project.but only a few songs still hold up.Lover in Me,Days Like This&101 are the cuts.But Her Vocals Are Watered way down from when she first came out.on this set she is running along with the Paula Abduls&Janet Jacksons,Karyn Whites instead of ahead.Catchy Material but most of it is Forgettable.Typical Mid too Late 80's.

During this time Sheena Easton was musically,and to hear some tell it romantically involved with Prince and much has been made of his connection to this particular album. Honestly this is not an entire Sheena Easton album produced by Prince. The majority of the production was handled by the than burgeoning team of LA Reid and Babyface. Throughout the 80's the very pop oriented Easton seemed to be possessed of a voice very well suited to soul,R&B and funk and most of her albums featured a few tunes here and there in that genre. This album marked the first time she set her sights on producing a full on R&B style recording. Throughout the album her thick,expressive voice could'nt be in finer form and all of the song choices are excellent. "No Deposit No Return",the title song,"If It's Meant To Last","Days Like This" and "One Love" all showcase funky R&B tracks blended with a rhythmic style in the very uptempo,bassy vein of Jam/Lewis style dance cuts of the period but again all of these songs,with one exception produced by Jellybean Johnson are all done by the LA/Babyface duo and it's very tailor fit to what Easton was going for. This tracks are great for an 80's funky dance party for sure but also feature some pretty reflective,romantic lyrics that make them good for casual listening as well. Three of the best contributions to this album come curteousy of Angela Wimbush. One is the urban soul groove of "Without You",the early new jack/hip-hop style beat of "Cool Love" and the excellent,jazzy Brit soul-like closing tune "Fire And Rain". "Follow The Rainbow" is the one ballad here and shows how powerful Easton can be on more of a soul type of slow groove than merely a heavily arranged pop ballad. And now to Prince. His one cut he produced here is "101",a strange errie kind of groove that's a little paranoid and dark sounding production wise considering his somewhat more vibrant,elaborate productions found on his own album of the period Lovesexy. For an album with so many cooks in the kitchen in terms of production all of the songs present themselves with a very cohesive flavor for such a pop focused recording. As such as actually emmerges as one of Sheena's strongest releases up to this point and,for her is a lot closer to being a genuine album as opposed to the common pop singles-plus-filler style.