Olivia Newton-John: Come On Over + Clearly Love (Japanese Pressing) CD Track Listing

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Olivia Newton-John Come On Over + Clearly Love (Japanese Pressing) (1975)
Come On Over + Clearly Love (Japanese Pressing)\nOlivia Newton-John\n1986 MCA Records, Inc.\n\n''Come On Over'' LP Originally Released March 1976\n''Clearly Love'' LP Originally Released September 1975\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Clearly Love) Nine beautiful photos accompany the lyrics -- Olivia with horses, Olivia in the hay, Olivia with a doggy; following up the phenomenal success of Have You Never Been Mellow was pretty elementary -- Newton-John ruled the Top 40, adult contemporary, and country charts at this point in time. From the end of 1975 to early 1976, Clearly Love generated a Top 20 and two Top 30 hits: "Something Better to Do" and "Let It Shine" b/w "He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother," respectively. They both topped the adult contemporary charts while the flip of "Let It Shine," a rare female-vocalist cover of "He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother," also garnered radio and sales action. The choices for cover songs on this album are strange indeed: an unnecessary "Summertime Blues" which adds nothing to Eddie Cochran's song of hot-weather angst and the interesting remake of the Hollies' hit "He Ain't Heavy," with its big country-ballad ending to what started as a lilting love song. The gems here are what sound like Olivia Newton-John bread-and-butter staples -- "Slow Down Jackson," which is as bubbly and beautiful as "Have You Never Been Mellow"; "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying"; the stunning title track "Clearly Love"; along with, of course, the hits. "Let It Shine" has lots of country twang -- John Farrar's impeccable production was pretty much automatic after all their previous success. "Something Better to Do" might not be among her biggest hits, but the class and style the Newton-John/Farrar team brought to the table -- a prime example being this title -- was very well-crafted pop and set the stage for the movie soundtracks down the road, which would bring her back to chart dominance. The transition from the Linda Ronstadt soft rock of "Summertime Blues" to the harmonica-laden "Just a Lot of Folk (The Marshmallow Song)" had Newton-John covering all the bases. Very pleasant, inoffensive, and able to put the listener in a good mood, Clearly Love is a nice addition to Newton-John's collection. -- Joe Viglione \n\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Come On Over) Olivia Newton John's Come on Over is country tunes, folk ballads, and more. Her own arrangement and adaptation of the traditional "Greensleeves" is exquisite, haunting, and shows Newton-John is more than just a pretty face. Her hit catalog was already nine songs deep, and "Come on Over" was the tenth of close to 30 visits to the Top 40 in a 14-year period. Fred Rose's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and a cover of Dolly Parton's classic "Jolene" open and shut side one with the country side of things while the Diane Berglund/Jim Phillips composition "Pony Ride" is more of a piano ballad, nicely bridging the Western music with the song which would go to the top of the adult contemporary charts, the brilliant title track written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. "Come on Over" came right on the heels of one of the Bee Gees' most brilliant compositions, "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)," charting just three months prior to "Come on Over." What this record becomes is a textbook on the separation between what is good and what is great. The album is quality stuff through and through, but even a good reading of a Beatles classic like "The Long and Winding Road" pales next to the majesty of John Farrar's simple production and Olivia's direct and heart-wrenching vocal on the title track. It is so moving that every other performance becomes a supporting act to the main attraction. It is also the only song that charted on the Top 40 from this consistent and entertaining project. "It'll Be Me" is the next best thing to "Come on Over," a Hank Marvin/John Farrar composition showing Newton-John's relationship to Cliff Richard's Shadows, drummer Brian Bennett providing the backbeat. Cliff Richard had his biggest U.S. success up to this point in time with "Devil Woman" as this record was charting simultaneously. It would be four years until Olivia and Cliff's duet "Suddenly," from the Xanadu soundtrack, made its splash. "Don't Throw It All Away" and "Who Are You Now?" are beautiful middle of the road performances here, and Farrar's production is really understated and sadly underrated. His grasp of the pop format is major league and worthy of note. Farrar's "Small Talk and Pride" and Harlan Collins' "Wrap Me in Your Arms" are elegant and perfect in their construction. Olivia Newton-John was a superstar before Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and as beautiful as those pop divas can sing, it is John Farrar's understanding of his artist which makes these albums by Olivia so heartfelt and magical. "Come on Over" is a tremendous song on a very good album. More than just the Bee Gees meets the Shadows featuring Olivia Newton-John, Come on Over is a true pop classic. -- Joe Viglione\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Come On Over)\nA Highwater mark in Olivia's fantastic recordings, September 24, 2006 \nBy Christopher Todd Durnil (Chicago, IL United States)\n\nThis is, perhaps, Olivia's greatest vocal album. Coming off a string of country-oriented recordings, to which Olivia struck gold with "Let Me Be There," "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)," "I Honestly Love You," "Please Mr. Please," and "Let It Shine," Olivia and producer John Farrar decided to toss aside the airy vocals that Olivia had been harshly criticized for (Listen to "Have You Never Been Mellow?") and record with an orchestra, vocals full front. The results are breathtaking. The powerful first single, a cover of the Bee Gees classic "Come On Over" (taken from their masterpiece "Main Course") had Olivia front and center in a confrontational tone, and her stirring vocals sailed up to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts (Olivia was the #1 female AC artist of the 70's), and landed top-20 on the pop charts. The album is filled with several songs that could have easily become huge hits, but Olivia was broiled in controversy at the time with the American country music genre (many major stars did not approve of this Aussie coming in and taking awards from such county queens as Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Donna Fargo), so Olivia quickly went to Nashville and recorded a speedy follow-up ("Don't Stop Believin'"), leaving "Come On Over" in the dust. Too bad, because it truly signalled a change in her music and represents the best of her early albums. \n\nHighlights include the pleading Dolly Parton cover "Jolene" (released as a single worldwide, yet not in America), the beautiful "Pony Ride," the rocking "It'll Be Me, Babe," the haunting "Who Are You Now?." Even more impressive is Olivia's stunning arrangement of the centurys-old "Greensleeves," and her beguiling take on the Beatles' classic "The Long and Winding Road," which is perhaps one of the greatest covers of a Beatles song ever. Any one of them could have been huge hits. All are amazing in their breadth. \n\nFor anyone wanting a great glimpse of pre-Grease Olivia, this is the place to start. An amazing album! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Come On Over)\nOlivia comes good in time., August 31, 2007 \nBy bobby morrow "Bobby Morrow" (United Kingdom)\n\nWhen 'Come On Over' was released in the spring of 1976, Olivia Newton-John was struggling to keep up the momentum of earlier hits such as 'Have You Never Been Mellow' and 'I Honestly Love You'. Releasing 2 albums a year had meant quality control had suffered and perhaps Olivia was becoming over-familiar. \n\nThe title track was the lead single, in fact I believe it was the only UK and US release from this set. It's a cover of a Bee Gees track (from their 1975 album 'Main Course') and is one of the highlights of this album. However, as lovely as it is, it's not really strong enough to sell an album big time. It made #23 in the US charts which is OK, but it's not a song that is really remembered by Olivia. \n\nThis album, produced again by John Farrar, continues the theme of her previous long-players, a few covers mixed with a couple of originals by Farrar and other writers. \n\nThe opening track, 'Jolene' is excellent. Totally different to Dolly Parton's original, Olivia really lets fly with this and the song is possibly the high point of the whole album. Olivia's take on 'Greensleeves' is ill-advised as is her version of 'The Long And Winding Road' which is over 4 minutes of Olivia whinging and simpering, though, to her credit, she does manage not to nod off... \n\nOne of the main flaws, if that's the word, of this album is that it's very ballad heavy. I remember being quite disappointed with it when I first purchased it. Even I, as young as I was then, could see few hits on it. \n\nGary Benson's minor UK hit, 'Don't Throw It All Away' is another goodie and Farrar's 'Small Talk And Pride' stands out too. Olivia gets a little funky on 'It'll Be Me' though I've never been over fond of the song. \n\nThe good thing about 'Come On Over' is that 31 years later, I've really come to appreciate it. The production is beautiful and Olivia was rarely in better voice. Her next album, 'Don't Stop Believin' saw her record in Nashville for the first time and is a more varied collction than this but 'Come On Over' more than holds it's own as one of Olivia's better albums of the 70's. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Come On Over)\nTepid middle-of-the-road from a fine vocalist, April 1, 2003 \nBy Chris "Glitterama" (Sydney, Australia)\n\nTake that subject line as you will. It is neither offensive, nor congratulatory. 'Come On Over' came during a period in Olivia's career where she was churning out records faster than a large African nation produces children. Her music is predominantly called 'country', but I often feel that this was an incorrect tag Olivia got stuck with. Despite a few residing melodies or a twangy guitar here and there, Olivia's music around this period is more easy-listening light pop than anything else.\nHowever, my personal bias against the term 'country' aside. 'Come On Over' was her first album of 1976, following two in 1975 (namely 'Clearly Love' and 'Have You Been Mellow'). By the end of the ensuing year she would have released two more studio albums and a greatest hits compilation. It has to be said that 'Come On Over' is not really the pick of the litter. Like many artists at the time, 'Come On Over' contains a few blindingly good songs and the rest becomes average filler. Of course with Olivia's freakishly perfect voice wrapped around the melodies, this 'filler' sounds remarkably good - but still. Filler is filler.\n\nThe album opens with a bang via Dolly Parton's thigh-slappin' country rocker 'Jolene'. Olivia's version is infinitely better than Dolly's, with a multitude of ear-piercingly high vocals and fantastic treatment of the lyrics. It is actually one of Olivia's best known tunes down here in Australia, for what reason I am not sure but there you go. Useless fact of the day. Track 2 is 'Pony Ride', one of the most atmospheric and beautiful ballads of Olivia's entire catalogue. I would go so far as to say it is the best vocal performance she ever gave, but with so many songs to choose from I fear I'd be doing some other gem too big an injustice. The third track on the disc is the Bee Gees penned title track, a beautiful song which Olivia still says is one of her favourite songs and often performs it acoustically on tour. A real chance to show off the pipes here, this is Olivia at her mid-tempo best. 'Who Are You Now' is a gorgeous Olivia ballad which epitomises why she was so successful in the seventies, she does a fine job of the Beatles' 'Long And Winding Road', and 'It'll Be Me' at least injects a bit of late-night uptempo jazz into the mix.\n\nUnfortunately you also have have pointless covers of the bluegrass 'Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain' and 'Greensleeves' and a handful of middling ballads. Most Olivia fans will admit that she has done a lot of better songs than half the tunes included on this album.\n\n'Come On Over' is not a bad album, but it is not a particularly memorable one. Luckily the price here at Amazon is so ridiculously low it won't break the bank balance too much, but if you are new to Olivia or just beginning to collect her back catalogue there are far better choices out there. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Clearly Love)\nA brilliant album from 1975, April 6, 2003 \nBy P D Harris "Pete the music and horse racing fan" (Leicester England)\nLike other albums from Olivia around that time, Clearly love is full of top quality pop country music, although not everybody thought that back then. Perhaps to convince people that she really was a country girl, the pictures in the booklet show Olivia in a rural setting, usually in the company of a horse or a dog.\nThe set opens with the wistful Something better to do, which sets the standard for what follows. There are several other great ballads, including Lovers (a Mickey Newbury song) and Slow down Jackson. Let it shine, a bright, upbeat song, was the main single. There are also excellent covers of He ain't heavy he's my brother (Hollies), Summertime blues (Eddie Cochran) and He's my rock (I don't know the original artist, but it was later recorded by George Jones as She's my rock).\n\nWhile this album does not contain any of Olivia's really big hits, it is a really lovely album that all fans of Olivia's early music will treasure. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Clearly Love)\nOLIVIA SETTLES HER BOOTS IN COUNTRY, November 10, 1998 \nBy Lawrence J. Nona (Kankakee, IL)\nDetermined to show the naysayers she did earn the Grammy for country music, Olivia Newton-John releases "Clearly Love". Debuting "Let it Shine" on John Denver's Christmas show using a farm as a backdrop strengthened her country appearance. The mixture of "Summertime Blues", "He's My Rock" with ballads "Just A Lot of Folk", "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" gives fans of country as well as folk music entertainment even today: 23 years after it's release." Special Note::The original vinyl album has wonderfully printed lyrics and great collage of Olivia down on the farm! This is a RARE CD to find!! \n\n\nHalf.com N/A\n
This country cd contains 23 tracks and runs 73min 30sec.
Freedb: 45113817

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