“Eyes Don't Lie” is a full-length album by Donny Osmond, issued in 1990 on Capitol Records. One of the 80's most unlikely comebacks was that of Donny Osmond, who must have been really annoyed to hear the same kind of pop he and his brothers pioneered in the 70's being re-popularized by the likes of George Michael and the New Kids On The Block.
This album might not be one of his best or what fans remember from his childhood career, but it is worth a listen. His voice doesn't fail. After fading away through most of the '80s, Osmond reappeared in 1989. He soon began touring and recording again. “Eyes Don't Lie” did land him a Top 40 hit with the song "My Love Is a Fire." It was a tiny foretelling of what was still to come for the childhood music star who had grown up. Two years later he won the starring role in the Broadway show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A soundtrack he did for the musical went quadruple-platinum, proving that Donny Osmond hadn't been forgotten nor had he lost his talents, and that some things didn't change with the passing of time. While "Eyes Don't Lie" also sounds very much of its time, it is certainly no embarrassment. The first single, "My Love is a Fire," has a Princely-pulse and dance-floor chants, giving those new kids a show of how to do it. Even more impressive was how Donny got to control a great deal of this album, as he co-wrote eight of the ten songs here. Of these, the ballad "Love Will Survive" is the song that most deserved to become a hit. The peppy "Take Another Try," which cheekily samples "One Bad Apple" was also a lost shot at a hot. Sadly, once the comeback novelty has become old news, radio went back to treating Donny's new songs as old news. The thing is, this album has held up as well as many albums from the period. Donny's voice is still supple and rich, belying his three decades of music making. The album featured three singles: "My Love Is A Fire, "Sure Lookin' and "Love Will Survive".
This album might not be one of his best or what fans remember from his childhood career, but it is worth a listen. His voice doesn't fail. After fading away through most of the '80s, Osmond reappeared in 1989. He soon began touring and recording again. “Eyes Don't Lie” did land him a Top 40 hit with the song "My Love Is a Fire." It was a tiny foretelling of what was still to come for the childhood music star who had grown up. Two years later he won the starring role in the Broadway show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A soundtrack he did for the musical went quadruple-platinum, proving that Donny Osmond hadn't been forgotten nor had he lost his talents, and that some things didn't change with the passing of time. While "Eyes Don't Lie" also sounds very much of its time, it is certainly no embarrassment. The first single, "My Love is a Fire," has a Princely-pulse and dance-floor chants, giving those new kids a show of how to do it. Even more impressive was how Donny got to control a great deal of this album, as he co-wrote eight of the ten songs here. Of these, the ballad "Love Will Survive" is the song that most deserved to become a hit. The peppy "Take Another Try," which cheekily samples "One Bad Apple" was also a lost shot at a hot. Sadly, once the comeback novelty has become old news, radio went back to treating Donny's new songs as old news. The thing is, this album has held up as well as many albums from the period. Donny's voice is still supple and rich, belying his three decades of music making. The album featured three singles: "My Love Is A Fire, "Sure Lookin' and "Love Will Survive".
Track listing
01. "My Love is a Fire" (Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) - 4:28
02. "Eyes Don't Lie" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) - 4:24
03. "Love Will Survive" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) - 5:27
04. "Sure Lookin'" (Donny Osmond, David Gamson, Tony LeMans) - 4:22
05. "Private Affair" (Diane Warren) - 3:49
06. "Take Another Try (At Love)" (Donny Osmond, David Gamson, Tony LeMans) - 4:27
07. "Make It Last Forever" (Donny Osmond, Mark Holding, Mark Mancina) - 5:25
08. "Never Too Late For Love" (Donny Osmond, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers) - 5:26
09. "Just Between You and Me" (Donny Osmond, Hitchings, Hewett) - 3:46
10. "Before It's Too Late" (Donny Osmond, Oliver Leiber, David Gamson) - 5:18
Credits
Vocals, Backing - Donny Osmond
Backing Vocals – Evan Rogers, Jenny Douglas, Audrey Wheeler, Debra Cooper, Porter Carroll, Sharon Bryant, Tony LeMans, Vaneese Thomas, Billy T. Scott, Jamiliah Muhammed, Shelly Peiken, Jeff Pescetto, Renee Geyer
Saxophone – Dave Koz
Bass – John Nevin
Electric Guitar, Keyboards – Carl Sturken
Horns – Dan Higgins, Gary Grant, Jerry Hey, Larry Williams
Keyboards, Drum Programming – David Gamson
Drums, Percussion – Joe Franco
Keyboards – Rich Tancredi
Bass – Cornelius Mims
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Turntables – DJ Aladdin
Guitar – Paul Jackson, Jr.
Guitar – Al Pitrelli
Keyboards – Dave LeBolt
Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals – Rory James Collen
Drum Programming – Oliver Leiber
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
Arranged By [Strings] – Jeremy Lubbock
Engineer, Mixed By – Ray Bardani, Ryan Dorn
Engineer [Assistant] – Dan Hetzel, Tom Yezzi
Engineer [Assistant] – Ed Murphy
Executive Producer – Donny Osmond
Producer(s) - Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers, David Gamson, Ric Wake, Donny Osmond
Notes
Genre: Pop, Soft Rock, Funk
Length: 46:53
Label: Capitol Records
© 1990
No comments:
Post a Comment