Celine Dion, and love-abhorrence

[winter]

There were three Celine Dion songs on the TV just now. Two French ("Je Ne Vous Oublie Pas" and that one with all the women in sequence) and "A New Day". I was struck by how different the French ones were from the English one.

I remember times (damn, was that really 8 years ago?) when saying I liked Celine Dion would get me crucified online, because with "My Heart Will Go On", she was everywhere. But I do like her, with one caveat: when she sings in French.

She has a sharp voice, and French softens it perfectly, but it's something else. All her French songs I've heard are simple, austere, acoustic, leaving her voice to take the front stage with some strings and a piano in the background. Even with a full orchestra in showtunes, she shines over the melody.

As a contrast, her English songs are terribly overproduced. Too flashy, too artificial, too much. About the only one I like is "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", but that's because Jim Steinman is... possibly not God, but only because it's the devil who's supposed to have the best tunes.

Mmm. Why, exactly, do I not only not have any Celine Dion French albums, but not even a single MP3? That will have to be rectified.

Comments

[atheva]

I'll give that a big "AMEN!"

[winter]

The "Celine sounds better in French" or the "need to get Celine CDs" part? ;)

[atheva]

Both! =)

[sleepykelvina.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Of the few CDs I have of hers, my favorite is the one French CD I've got, "S'il suffisait d'aimer." I don't understand a word of French, but it's pretty music and I like it.

[winter]

Ooh, they had this one in my last French class and we listened to it - I loved it :) I have the advantage that my (passive) French is quite decent, so I get the lyrics as well.