Customer Reviews

Making a Good Thing Better

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being a die hard fan, I bought this album when it was first released. At first, I thought it was a bit slow, and it is a slow album, but Olivia's vocals are spectacular on this album. After a while, I found that this was a great piece for winding down. If I'm feeling a little melancholy, it's still my first choice to play. Like so many, IF LOVE IS REAL and DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA are probably my favorite songs on MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER. Both songs are hauntingly beautiful. Listen, listen again and enjoy.

I can never get enough of this album. Slush, smooth, emotive and powerful all at the same time. The title track, "Making A Good Thing Better" has a rousing tinge of carousel and "feel-good sunshine" to it. The other songs like "Sad Songs" and "You Won't See Me Cry" then throws you off balance with it's deep and painful dive into what heartbreaks and betrayal are all about, BUT this time with a powerful twist that leaves you actually gripping with sympathy for the "victims" in the songs. "Don't Ask A Friend" examines the sensitivity of putting friendship on the line. If you really want to feel truly alive and experience the "blues" done in contemporary style at its best, GET this CD!!! If you love ballads and don't like this album, I'll personally refund you. It's that GOOD.

I grew up on Olivia Newton-John's music and have loved her through all genres. This album was her last of country pop before GREASE and the ultimate transition with TOTALLY HOT. Olivia is an artist with such versatility. Her voice is so pure, filled with emotion and has an angelic quality. This album was still considered the country/pop style though the country part had lessened a lot to leave some quality pop.

The title track MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER has always been one of my guilty pleasures in music. It is such a fun, uptempo feel good song that it always fills me with pure joy. And Olivia's vocals radiate through the whole thing. Pure magic for me and sets off what I consider one of her best ever albums. There are other truly catchy pop songs like SAD SONGS and YOU WON'T SEE ME CRY. Most of the other tracks are ballads and they follow a purpose of exploring the depths of relationships and all emotions involved. COOLIN DOWN, SO EASY TO BEGIN and DON'T ASK A FRIEND are among the best. Olivia tackles these ballads with all her heart and soul and the result is amazing. The songs that are kind of filler here are the country tinged tracks like SLOW DANCING and RING OF FIRE. Olivia does use her vocals to perfection on RING OF FIRE.

At the time of this cd DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA from EVITA was being tackled by every female performer. It is a tough task for it is a deathbed song fromt the climax of a Broadway hit. Olivia definitely tackles it well and it proves an asset to the cd. You get another side of her vocals. She tones down the angelic quality to her voice and sings very strong with conviction and heartfelt emotion. Olivia Newton-John is so immensely talented and to see the class and artistry she has brought to so many genres is amazing. And this cd, to me, is one of her very best. Highly recommended. It is remastered for amazing sound quality.

When I first saw this CD, I was surprised that there was anything of Olivia's catalog left. Since MCA foolishly pulled most of her original albums from print, there's hardly anything left. The first time I heard the album I was disappointed, in fact I had to listen to the album in sections. "Making A Good Thing Better" is a good song, but not nearly as enjoyable as "If You Love Me", or "Let Me Be There". Her versions of "Ring Of Fire", and "Sad Songs" are well performed. I also find "You Won't See Me Cry", and "It's So Easy To Begin", with their breathy arrangements are enjoyable. "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" is a masterpiece. Olivia's vocals are fantastic, the orchestration is powerful, and the song is majestic. Unfortunately, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" is one of the few worth while songs on the record. "Slow Dancing" takes some getting used to, but it is alright after being played a few times. "Cooling Down" is awful. For one thing it's too slow, and drags down an already slow album. With better arrangements, and a more uptempo melody it could work, but as is it doesn't belong here. "It's So Easy To Begin" could also be a bit faster, but is a better piece. "I Think I'll Say Good-bye" pales in comparison to songs like "Jolene", "Country Girl", and even "Ring Of Fire", though an uptempo song is a nice break. "Don't Ask A Friend" is a good song, written by Olivia but it is too far down the sequence on an album like this to get a fair listening. The same thing for "If Love Is Real". MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER is too dull and formulatic to rank among Olivia Newton-John's top albums. "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", "Ring Of Fire", "You Won't See Me Cry", and the title track make the album worth having. Still, I would much rather own HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW, IF YOU LOVE ME, or LET ME BE THERE.

When most Olivia Newton-John fans are asked about this album, their response in unanimous.

'Umm. The cover is really pretty'.

And indeed it is. In fact it's probably not out of order to say that 'Making A Good Thing Better', Olivia's 9th studio album, boasts the nicest cover art of her career. That flowing blonde hair and so-seventies-it-hurts fringe with the flick around her shoulders, the cute-but-flirty flower tucked behind her left ear, the piercing blue eyes, and of course those freakishly white teeth - it doesn't take a genius to work out why John Travolta said that in the seventies every man on the planet was in love with her. Critics as well as fans noted this, Robin Smith in his review of the LP for Record Mirror said 'the pictures on the cover are almost worth the price of the album alone!' Unfortunately, focusing on the cover art doesn't give this album the dues it deserves.

I, like most of Olivia's fans it would seem going from the reviews listed below, initally wasn't too impressed with the album. It is quite slow, and compared to the burning eclecticism of her next album ('Totally Hot'), certainly has more of a 'mellow' effect on the listener. That's not to discount its merit though, because on closer inspection the album is probably a lot closer to 'Totally Hot' than you'd first think. Comprised mostly of pop ballads and silky mid-tempos, 'Making A Good Thing Better' epitomises the gorgeous American feel of the late seventies. Although the effect of the growing disco phase hadn't fully registered with Olivia yet, at least half of this record is exactly what most seventies disco divas were putting out as their B-sides, or songs Studio 54 was playing for the 'slow dance' sections of their evening fiascos.

The album builds on and succeeds in reaching the sound that her last record, 'Don't Stop Believin'', was aiming for but never quite achieved: a dreamy, often ethereal sound which compliments Olivia's singing style perfectly. Her voice is divine with, for the most part, her own multi-tracked backing vocals - sublime! The title track as Robin Smith put it is 'an average song turned into a specialty, her voice sounding like twelve vestal virgins'. The final track in the Grand Mellow Trio (the other two being 'Have You Never Been Mellow' and 'Don't Stop Believin''), except slightly more aggressive with a pop / gospel feel going on. Definitely one of her most underrated singles, just piercing the US and Australian Top 100. One can't help but feel that the gorgeous 'Slow Dancing' was the intentional pre-cursor to 'Totally Hot's 'Dancin' 'Round And 'Round', whilst 'Coolin' Down' as one US rock review said uses the 'tearful quality in her voice' to best effect.

These three gems come spliced between two songs which create a rather jarring effect on the first 'side' (yes, I still love the old LP!) of this record. Her cover of 'Ring Of Fire' was not the best choice of song to record - in fact, next to 'I'll Bet You A Kangaroo', it's probably one of the worst songs of her early career - and 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' is spine-tinglingly beautiful but is distracting on the album to say the least. The second side is a much smoother ride than the first, opening with the single-that-should-have-been, 'Sad Songs'. A catchy uptempo melody, this remains one of her best tunes of the seventies. So well-received was the tune that it actually warranted a single release in Japan, whereas the poor performance of the record and the title track ended the album's chart career elsewhere. 'You Won't See Me Cry', 'So Easy To Begin', and the critically-acclaimed 'If Love Is Real' make for a fantastic selection of seventies-sounding ballads which should rate a lot higher with fans in Olivia's back category. 'I Think I'll Say Goodbye' recalls the more country-esque tunes of Olivia's earlier career, whilst 'Don't Ask A Friend' is a self-penned mid-tempo with a lot of electric guitar and some interesting lyrical ideas from Olivia ('I'm your lonely hearts club friend'). Of course the best was yet to come from Olivia in terms of songwriting, but it was great to hear her try her hand at it in this comparitively early stage of her career.

This album has got a lashing from both fans and the record-buying public at the time it seems, charting at the rather dismal #34 in the US and becoming her first US album not to go gold. One can only speculate, but there is no doubt in my mind that over-exposure played a defining role. In the space of two years she released three studio albums as well as a 'Greatest Hits' record. 'Excessive' is probably too kind a word!! Add to the fact that as wonderful as this record is, it's not the cutting-edge sound Olivia needed. Her career had been stable, for want of a better word, for the past three years, and she needed 'Grease' and its subsequent 'sex-up' to progress to a new, more exciting period of her career.

'Making A Good Thing Better' remains a joy from start to finish, minus a couple of temporary aberrations which make it slightly less cohesive than it should have been. In essence, it's not far away from 'Dancin 'Round And 'Round' or the 'Boats Against The Current' on her next record, and my only concern for the album is the fact that so many people don't seem willing to give it a chance.

If you would listen to the words of the songs,you just might understand Olivia.She has been through alot in her lifetime.So just sit back and listen to the messages in the songs.She is the greatest singer of all time!Making a good thing better is one of the best!ENJOY!

People, people, people just listen to yourselves and give Olivia's 1977 release a chance. It shot straight to #34 on the U.S. album chart. At first, I didn't like all the songs but the standouts were Making A Good Thing Better; If Love Is Real; Don't Cry For Me Argenina; the up-beat Ring of Fire; the romantic Slow Dancing; Sad Songs; and the country-esque, quick-paced I Think I'll Say Goodbye. There is also a touch of Making A Good Thing Better in "Totally Hot's" tracks such as; Dancin' 'Round and 'Round, Never Enough, Borrowed Time, and Boats Against The Current.

I can never get enough of this album. Slush, smooth, emotive and powerful all at the same time. The title track, "Making A Good Thing Better" has a rousing tinge of carousel and "feel-good sunshine" to it. The other songs like "Sad Songs" and "You Won't See Me Cry" then throws you off balance with it's deep and painful dive into what heartbreaks and betrayal are all about, BUT this time with a powerful twist that leaves you actually gripping with sympathy for the "victims" in the songs. "Don't Ask A Friend" examines the sensitivity of putting friendship on the line. If you really want to feel truly alive and experience the "blues" done in contemporary style at its best, GET this CD! If you love ballads and don't like this album, I'll personally refund you. It's that GOOD.

The songs on this album are perfect for olivia's angelic voice. So many times, you see artists not living up to their full potential because of their poor choices in style of music, but Olivia is the absolute queen of ballads and this album is a perfect example of that. Yes, it is a slow, rather melancholy album and probably should not be the first livvy cd you buy because it makes her singing look more one dimensional than it actually is, but for any livvy fan who was first drawn to her beautiful voice, this is a must have. Slow Dancin' is the best version of that song I have ever heard and though there might be a few too many covers of other artists' songs considering she was already an established star and probably should have been doing more original work, this woman probably does the best job of any artist I have ever seen of covering other artists. This is a romantic album from start to finish. The title song is not my favorite, but is certainly a song anyone who has ever been in a relationship can relate to. Slow dancin makes me well want to slow dance with that special someone. As previously mentioned, that song is better than the original. Ring Of Fire is slightly out of place as it has an up-tempo country beat wedged in between songs that are soft rock, but it's a good interpretation. Don't Cry For Me Argentina will make you cry, it is such a beautiful rendition. Sad Songs is a great song, probably the best on the album, the epitome of soft rock in the 70's. You won't see me cry is another classic cover. So easy to begin is another one that all of us can relate to about the dynamics of a relationship and has that classic, breathy olivia sound. Olivia goes back to her country roots with I think I'll say goodbye. Don't ask a friend was written by olivia and shows her growing maturity at this time. It is a very interesting song, unlike anything I have ever heard before, but an excellent early composition by her. If Love Is Real is just beautiful. It sounds like it was written for Olivia and I can't imagine any other artist singing it. It is just perfect for her voice. I can't say enough about that song. I just love it. So yes, the whole album is ballads which would be a valid complaint if they weren't all sung by Olivia who is at top form with ballads and can make you feel a love song in your soul like no one else can. This is a beautiful album. Don't make it your intro to Olivia, but definitely get it if you know her stuff relatively well.

Since I am a diehard Olivia fan (and have been for over 20 years) I can find no fault with this album. Also, having seen her perform "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in concert, I must say that it is one of her most beautiful pieces of work of all time. The album overall showcases her exceptionally clear and heavenly vocal talent and as any truly devoted Olivia fan like myself will tell you, you can NEVER go wrong with any of her work! The cover of the album is also breathtaking--she is such a beautiful woman and looks just as lovely at 51 (I saw her twice on her summer tour in August, 1999)!