Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
There's a feeling you get when you put on an Anne Murray record, and--apologies in advance to all you anti-sentimentalists--it's best summarized by the vocal legend herself in the classic tune "I Just Fall in Love Again." You can't help yourself; you fall in love. Those who've been listening along swollen-heartedly since the 1970s know the feeling well, and those who are about to discover Murray via this duets album and its handful of younger-skewing songs--the Nelly Furtado team-up on "Daydream Believer" especially--are going to have a hard time not submitting. It's the tenderness that hooks you: Murray's deep, confident voice manages to be maternal without being claustrophobic, an effect magnified here by expert vocal partners like Carole King, Emmylou Harris, and Olivia Newton John. The few left-field choices--Indigo Girls, k.d. lang, a ghostly appearance by Dusty Springfield--aren't hard-left enough to muck up the mood. And the song selection doesn't strike a false note either: "Cotton Jenny" sounds as right on an Anne Murray CD as "You Needed Me." Which means that if you have a soft spot for Murray at all, even one that's not quite as cushy as it used to be, you should prepare to be sucked in. It happens every time, as the song goes. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews: Read 57 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Sigh...so pretty. January 16, 2008
39 out of 48 found this review helpful

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Anne Murray. Her voice is so warm and comforting. I've always loved the intelligence, independence, and strength she conveys even (especially?) when the songs are about heartbreak and loneliness. On this new CD, her duet partners express their respect and admiration for Anne through their excellent performances (with one exception) as well as their quotes in the liner notes (a couple of the artists are not quoted).

No two reviews will have the same favorite, and mine is no doubt somewhat subjective: I am thrilled to hear my former Emory University schoolmates--Indigo Girls!--sing with Anne on "A Little Good News." I imagine this will be the first time many Anne fans will have heard the wondrous harmonies of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, and I strongly recommend their entire catalog. Fans of the song will notice that Diane Sawyer has replaced Bryant Gumbel in the lyrics, and that Ireland has been replaced by Gaza. Sadly, this song will probably be just as timely in another (damn has it been) 25 years as it was in 1983 and is today.

Another personal favorite of mine has always been "Time Don't Run Out on Me". While I'm thrilled Carole King is on board to sing this with Anne (Ms. King co-wrote it with ex-husband Gerry Goffin), I wish the ladies hadn't slowed the tempo down for their version. The original kinda rocked! I still can't believe it didn't make the pop chart back in the day. (Let it go, Jeff. Just let go of it already.)

All the performances are beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard k.d. lang turn in a performance that isn't flawless. No exception here ("A Love Song"). Shania Twain does a great job with Ms. Murray on the immortal "You Needed Me." I imagine it would have been easy to screw up such a standard. They don't! The one song here that actually was a duet the first time around ("Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", with Dave Loggins) is done here with Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth. The song is even sweeter this way than when it was a romantic duet. Aww... It was nice to hear Jann Arden ("Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye") after so long. Someone will need this reminder: Ms. Arden's big U.S. hit was "Insensitive." Pop radio played to death, then never gave anything else from her so much as a spin. (Again. Let it go, he tells himself...) And "Snowbird" is about as far from Andrew Lloyd Webber as Sarah Brightman is likely to get--unless you are familiar with "(I Lost My Heart To A) Starship Trooper". Ms. L-W does brilliantly. I especially enjoyed the liner notes for that one.

I can't not mention Olivia Newton-John, because I love her. "Cotton Jenny" is not my pot o' tea but it's so nice to hear these two icons singing together. Speaking of icons, and getting back to the exception noted above (you thought I forgot about that didn't you), a word about Dusty Springfield. I remember Ms. Springfield's version of "I Just Fall in Love Again" from her criminally-ignored LP "Living Without Your Love" (now available on CD, by the way). This posthumous duet was recorded with "the blessing of the Springfield family and estate". I'm happy that Anne Murray respected Dusty enough to have included her on this CD, but naturally sad that Dusty is no longer with us to have actively participated in the creation of the song as a duet.

I was tempted to make some mischief over this being a ladies-only project. No doubt much of this CD will appeal to the "cult following" I was blissfully unaware of until reading the entry for Ms. M in the 1983 version of "The Rolling Stone Record Guide." But for me, ineligible for that segment of the pop audience, guys' voices would just mess up the pretty. I'm keeping this CD out for a while; like Anne Murray's other LPs & CDs, it's a tonic for troubled times.

3 out of 5 stars

Anne's Coming Out? January 15, 2008
32 out of 50 found this review helpful

A long-time fan of Anne Murray's (much to the bemusement of friends), I find this album somewhat of a curiosity. While the voices of Anne's partners generally mesh well with hers, it is odd that most of the songs are love duets between women. Hey, don't get me wrong, I believe you should live your life and be happy, but I do find some of the material simply doesn't work well with two women. Additionally, the arrangements lack freshness or any hint of surprise; songs adhere pretty much to their original style. I wish Ms. Murray would have produced an album of original tunes instead of this.

3 out of 5 stars

Good to See her Back...But VERY Boring Production... January 16, 2008
29 out of 34 found this review helpful

Its Good to see Anne Murray recording again...the voice sounds great,but the production is boring...Sorry Phil. I worked with Phil back in 95' on the Robert Lamm cd "Life Is good in my Neighborhood"...i thought he was washed up back then...Its a shame she didn't opt for some New Blood for the arranging and producing of this album...otherwise I do enjoy hearing her with KD Lang...No male Duets? thats not right...but oh well i guess I'll take what i can get.Either way i do enjoy hearing her singing...even if i cringe at the song arrangements...very Bland and typical.

EG

2 out of 5 stars

I like Anne, but this is stale January 17, 2008
22 out of 31 found this review helpful

I can remember the days when Anne Murray albums would often surprise us with quirky, fresh arrangements. Remember her reggae-and-soul-tinged take on "Dream Lover"? The exotic, country-Asian fusion of "Sing High, Sing Low"? (Well, that one tanked on the U.S. charts, so it may be unfamiliar to most.) Now, with "Duets," Anne serves up some remarkably one-dimensional tracks. Pleasant stuff, but all too safe and, frankly, rather stale and boring. For me, this album is a disappointment.

5 out of 5 stars

A Masterpiece January 15, 2008
16 out of 27 found this review helpful

This album was released in Canada in November, 2007. It's been selling quite well here. 'Croonin' has been my favorite Murray album since it's release, but this one has knocked it down a notch. I'm not sure who choses duet partners (if it's the artist or the label) but regardless, they've made a great choice here from the late Dusty Springfield to Shania Twain to Martina McBride etc etc. The greatest contrast is 'You Needed Me' with Shania. I believe this is Anne's 35th album and it's truly a great one. Some nice one on one liner notes with k d lang conspicuously absent. This disc sounds better every time you listen to it. Enjoy!

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