Upon this discovering Out Of My Hands, my first thought was, "Whoa, another Jennifer Rush CD I missed." The second thought was, "Hey! She covers songs by Queen and The Moody Blues. Now that I gotta hear!" If she was brimming with passion on her 1988 Passion album, she's got even more here, as "Tears In The Rain" is a return to the bombastic power ballads, crashing piano, organs and power vocals that made me shudder in awe upon hearing her sing. And no wonder, this song was written by Desmond Child and my favourite, Diane Warren. Apart from the inability to distinguish tears during a rainy day, it also helps to hide one's pain. "So as we're sayin' goodbye/guess I'll be cryin' in vain/cause you can't see tears in the rain."
Diane Warren and Jon Secada are two of three co-writers of the title track, which is punchy upbeat disco produced by some old hands, Ric Wake and arranged by him and yes, Rich Tancredi. This wouldn't be out of place now, given that recent Cher and Celine Dion songs have become commonplace oontsa-oontsa music, but it's pretty bouncy stuff for back then.
Another Child and Warren song, with another co-writer, Michael Bolton, and one can't lose with that combination even she was drinking Liquid Plumber. No, she doesn't on "In The Arms Of Love", where she promises to be the light in the dark, a shield from the storm, shelter from the rain, and to lift one above the madness and pain. Hearing these lines connected with me: "All your life no one's ever shown you/what it's really like to have someone hold you."
Jennifer Rush co-wrote "Fortress", which features a uptempo drum machine, airy synths, and a gospelish chorus. She uses metaphors and similes here, such as "I'll be a river and flow into you" or "I'll always receive you in this harbor you've found", which borders on trite. After hearing "When you wake up in the morning/and I'm smiling at you/Do you get the kind of feeling/like wild horses running through", I thought, "if it was Jennifer, heck yeah!"
In "Shocked", another upbeat Tancredi production, she uses more similes on describing love: "a crutch for the easily moved", "a record that's stuck in the same groove", "a painting that hangs on a museum rule", yet despite the clichés, she feels the shock of her senses reeling at the sight of a certain man.
Now that I think of it, I wonder if Sarah Brightman was inspired to cover Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever" after hearing Jennifer Rush and Brian May sing and produce this, as it's backed by an orchestra and features May's guitar. As for which version is better, it's a dead heat. The acid test is the way one sings "Touch my tears with your lips/touch my world with your fingertips." One of the best songs in a crown of gems, helped in its power bombast with the orchestra and her voice.
If the 80's style piano keyboards on the up-tempo ballad "Untouchable" are familiar, it's because they were done by Robbie Buchanan, who's worked with Laura Branigan and Glenn Frey, as well as countless others.
"Only Heaven Knows" sports operatic backing vocals that wouldn't be out of place on a Jim Steinman production. The keyboards and guitars of the song are by Peter Zizzo, who works with Ric Wake in production. "Crazy `Bout You": another slice of dance-techno. "Cry, Baby..." is a heartbreaker featuring a wailing guitar.
Jennifer Rush is one of the few artists whose operatic voice is appropriate for "Nights In White Satin." The same orchestra used in the Queen song and though the backing vocals don't have that ethereal angelic sound of Justin Hayward and company. The Spanish-like guitar and flutes add a nice touch per the original.
A return to the kind of music that was abandoned in Wings Of Desire. Desire this instead and get Out Of My Hands into your hands, and her voice will get into your heart. Not a filler track in sight, so, it's official-Jennifer Rush's best album yet.
This is one of the best bunch of songs I have heard.The words and the voice to sing them.Buy it you won`t be dissapointed. there are no duds on this CD
I haven't recently discovered Jennifer Rush. I recently purchased a copy of "Out of my hands" on ebay. It is incredible. Her voice is the most incredible instrument in pop music. I have not found one bad track on this collection. Jennifers version of Queens "Who wants to live forever" with special guest Brian May is to say the least Haunting. This album show cases Jennifer as a premiere talent in the music buisness today. She continues to create some of the greatest work I have ever heard. I look forward to collecting the rest of her work. This is a must for anyone who appreciates female vocalists with range, and emotion.
This CD is one of the best CD's you will ever hear. From
the moment you hear the first song "Tears in the Rain"
you will be hooked. "Out of My Hands" is a great dance song
and was written by Jon Secada. The next song "In the Arms of
Love" was written by Michael Bolton and the range of her voice
is awesome. You just can't describe the range of her voice she
is totally unique. The song "Fortress" is just to awesome to
describe. If you want to get into a new artist you will be glad
you discovered Jennifer Rush
I'm a fan of Jennifer Rush, have five of her CDs. Sorry to say, this is the worst of the bunch. The first track is excellent, as good as they come, but the rest of this CD is just so-so. If you're unfamiliar with Jennifer Rush and just want to try her out, get one of her other CDs instead. "Heart Over Mind", "Passion", and either of her self-titled CDs are all far better than this one.
