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Jane Olivor
– Love Decides (Varese Records)
Released: November, 2000
I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought that, somewhere between 1984 and
2000, Jane Olivor had passed from the land of the living. I thought it a
great shame, since she offered the best female vocal alternative to an
increasingly over-produced Barbra Streisand. Imagine, then, my delight at
seeing a new CD in 2000, Love Decides, complete with brand new releases.
I practically tore open the CD and popped it into the player. The title
track is not first, but “Warm,” a beautifully simple ballad from one of
the warmest voices on the planet. I think this may be the best song on the
CD. I couldn’t wait to hear more.
After I listened to the entire CD several times, and wanting very much to
hold it as near and dear to my heart as some of her earlier albums – The
Best Side of Goodbye (1980) or Chasing Rainbows (1978) – I had to admit, I
felt a tad let down. Why, I wondered? Jane Olivor’s voice is still as rich
and haunting as ever. If it’s not her performance, and I don’t believe the
arrangements are the problem – producer Steve Abbaddo has engineered the
necessary translucent keyboard and string accompaniment -- it has to be
the song selection, and we all know (here I defer to Paula Abdul on
American Idol) that song selection is crucial.
There are some nice ballads, like “Love Decides,” “Night Song,” “I Had
This Man,” and my other favorite on this CD, “I Believe in You.” But by
nice, I don’t mean memorable, for the most part, or deep, or
well-developed. They’re not songs you want to know all the words to, or
that you find yourself singing in the shower or in the car on the way to
work Worst of all, they don’t show all the depth and range of Jane
Olivor’s inviting, velvet, and rangy voice, intact after her long hiatus.
“Colors of the Wind,” from the animated movie Pocahontas, may be an
improvement over Vanessa Williams’ version (also over-produced), but not a
song I need to hear recorded. She could have saved it for live
performances. As for the slightly up-tempo tunes, like “However Dark the
Night” and “Forget Me,” they fall into the same category as the “nice”
ballads. “In the Moment” is the best of these efforts. Truth is, much of
this CD simply made me want to get out all my old Jane Olivor records and
find a turntable.
Am I put off Ms. Olivor? Certainly not! I just ordered two previously
released CDs (No, I did not find a turntable), and I’m looking for her web
site, in case she may be coming to a stage near me. She’s back, and I, for
one, am ecstatic. I will giver Jane Olivor every chance she needs on as
many CDs as it takes to hit her stride of the late 70s once again.
Deb Marshall teaches high
school English, is an aspiring novelist, and lives with her two dog
children in Southern California. She divides her time between playing the
cello, reading, writing, and walking her furry beasts, a boxer named Homer
and a PBGV named Opus.
Three microphones (out of four)
- Deb Marshall
(04/02/05) |
