Bonnie Tyler Album: “Simply Believe”

This is only the second Bonnie Tyler album I purchased. The first one was "Faster than the Speed of Night" which I thought was a fantastic set. On "Simply Believe" the French/English version of Total Eclipse of the Heart is a striking contrast to the original. Bonnie's voice seems to get a little more gravel with age but she does well with her duet counterpart Kareen Antonn. In fact on that one, I think Kareen steals the show. She counterparts again on "It's a heartache". After hearing those two duets I wondered how Kareen would have done in solo. She is fantastic. Nonetheless the entire album is well worth having and listening to over and over again. Bonnie is a rocker. "Simply Believe" and the 04 version of "Looking out for a Hero" are my absolute favorites but there is not a bad cut on the entire album. If you love Bonnie, don't hesitate. You'll love Simply Believe!

All Bonnie Tyler fans, this is the album you may have been waiting for! This is her best work, in my opinion, since NOTES FROM AMERICA (aka HIDE YOUR HEART) which dates back to 1988. I must say that the new songs, in addition to cover versions of Bonnie's older hits make this work something quite eclectic. Good slow songs with a rock edge, in addition to harder songs that are reminiscent of her earlier work of the 80s. All songs sound great though I am not a big fan of the covers of her former hits HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO, and HERE SHE COMES. I think that they lost their edge along the way based on the snippets I have had the opportunity to hear. The title track is the bomb! A rock/blues song that showcases Bonnie's voice marvelously. The covers with Kareen Antonn are very well done as well. Their voices "marry well" and the new arrangements for TOTAL ECLIPSE and IT'S A HEARTACHE are well done! The former is, thus far, the top selling record in France, and has earned platinum in Belgium as well, where the duet has taken those countries by storm. Definitely a must-have for the lady's admirers. You will not be disappointed.

By my putting this into my `pans' category, I'll probably be shot by other Bonnie Tyler fans. Not to say that there aren't high points on this disc -- there most certainly are (esp. her French duet covers of a couple of her old hits), but not enough to make this keep this release afloat for me. I've liked Bonnie for years, and was overwhelmed with her 2003 release, HEART & SOUL (also called HEARTSTRINGS in some countries), which still outshines this 2004 release.