Disco de Lionel Richie: “Dancing on the Ceiling [Remaster]”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Personnel: Lionel Richie (vocals, arranger, keyboards, programming); Narada Michael Walden (arranger, drums, programming); Carlos Rios (acoustic & electric guitars, synthesizer); Tim May, Eric Clapton, David Cochrane, Vernon "Ice" Black, Steve Lukather (guitar); John Barnes (piano, Synclavier, programming); Greg Phillinganes (keyboards, Mini-Moog synthesizer, synthsizer, programming); Michael Lang, Neil Larson (keyboards); Michael Boddicker, Preston Glass, Corey Lerios (synthesizer); Neil Steubenhaus, Nathan East, Joseph Chemay, Abraham Laboriel, Randy Jackson (bass); John Robinson, Paul Leim (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Sheila E (percussion); Alabama, Alfie Silas, Marva King (background vocals). Producers: Lionel Richie, James Anthony Carmichael, Narada Michael Walden. Recorded at Oceanway, Hollywood, California; Motown, San Rafael, California; Music Mill, Nashville, Tennessee; Bear Creek Studios, Woodenville, Washington in 1986. Originally released on Motown (6158). Includes liner notes by Steven Ivory. This is part of Motown's "Classic Albums" series. Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston might have gotten more press in 1986 than Lionel Richie, but DANCING ON THE CEILING was every bit as commercially successful as CONTROL and Houston's self-titled debut. Spawning a remarkable five Top 20 singles, including the sprightly title track and the number one ballad "Say You Say Me" (the biggest hit of Richie's entire career), DANCING ON THE CEILING was the capper of Richie's most successful period. (Richie took an extended hiatus from music after this, not releasing a full album of original material for nearly ten years.) Richie's nearest comparison during this period was Phil Collins, who was just as ubiquitous on the airwaves with a similar brand of adult contemporary pop. But where Collins' records now sound dated because of their trendy reverb-heavy production, Richie was a canny producer/arranger in the grand Motown tradition, and so there's a timeless quality to tunes like "Ballerina Girl" that keeps them fresh.

This album is Lionel Richie's third solo and was a best-seller like its two predecessors,Richie's '82 self-titled debut and '83's CAN'T SLOW DOWN. On this CD,there are 5 bonus tracks following track 8 which is SAY YOU SAY ME. One of them is an outtake(track 9 which didn't appear on the original 1986 release) and the other four are alternate versions of some songs from the original track line-up. The title track really rocks. SE LA,DEEP RIVER WOMAN and BALLERINA GIRL are cool. LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL is a smooth groove. SAY YOU SAY ME is from the 1985 Columbia film WHITE NIGHTS. That song was released as a single and made its radio debut in November 1985(it first appeared on the WN soundtrack). The other songs are good. After this album,Richie stayed out the studio for six years due to financial troubles and an on-the-rocks marriage that would end in divorce.

Yeah! It's true: Lionel reached higher standards in his solo career than in the time when he played with his Commodores. It's amazing how Dancing On The Ceiling (3rd solo album) came across in 1986: I can remember how Say You, Say Me was a huge Christmas-hit (no. 1) in our country back in 1985. That was the first single. The album: promised as a decent follow-up of Can't Slow Down, came a few months later, having Dancing On The Ceiling as it's launch-pad. Big thanks to Robert (my school-mate) who gave me a tape with the original album on it. The other singles were Love Will Conquel All (duet with Cynthia Weill) and Se La. Many people think Can't Slow Down as Lionel's best (2nd solo album) album, but this record is maybe not his most commercial one, but it has a high standard sound. A thing that I miss on Can't Slow Down, although the songs are equally good. Specially now it's remastered. It has dance songs (Dancing On The Ceiling, Se La , Don't Stop, Nighttrain), real ballads (Ballerina Girl, Deep River Woman) and much more. What I really like in this newly remastered one, is the fact that the 4 twelve inches were included: Dancing On The Ceiling, Se La, Don't Stop & Love Will Conquer All. I searched for 15 years for them on CD: NOW I have.

I'm a fan of Lionel Ritchie, I've always liked his music especially his fast paced uptempo style. Thats why I purchased Dancing On The Ceiling.

The sound quality of this cd is excellent and enjoyable to me personally. I'm glad to incorporate this cd into my musical library.

Leonard Frazier

Back in the day when popular music wasn't as polarized as it currently is, Lionel Ritchie ruled the airwaves as a man that could sing it all: pop, R & B, funk, and a little country. That is no more evident than in this 1986 release, the follow-up to his monstrously successful, Grammy-winning "Can't Slow Down".

Although "Dancing" did not sell as prolifically as its predecessor or garner as much acclaim, it is still a noteworthy achievement. No less than six songs (the title cut, "Se La", "Ballerina Girl", "Deep River Woman", "Love Will Conquer All", and "Say You, Say Me") were major chart-makers and the rest successfully complement the album.

The 8:07 "Don't Stop" is no-holds-barred funk wonder, featuring wonderful percussion work from the legendary Paulinho Da Costa and woman by the name of Sheila E.