Stronger Than Before

1o Tracks. Collector's Item. Product Description

Great CD

The title song is just fabulous - and the rest of the cd is quite good. Having nearly every CD by ONJ, I would rate this as her second best cd with some very solid music. November 9, 2007

Survivor Sentiment

Thank You Olivia. I find myself listening and thinking of all the wonderful people in my life. I have so much to be thankful for. Breast Cancer be damned!!!! I have shared this CD by gift to many friends also going through the struggle of BC. Perhaps it is my frame of reference but I find this CD very helpful and inspiring.
My favorite is the serenity prayer. It gets me every time. When I returned to work after treatment I listened to this CD on the way. When I was just about to work the song WHEN I NEEDED YOU would come on and I would think of my sons and how if I was no longer here they could speak with me via song and prayer.
Live!!!!!Stronger Than Before October 21, 2007

Oh Dear...

Another self-help groaner from 70's songbird Olivia Newton-John. Where's the sweet yet spunky pop chirper from days long past? I know the gal's walked a couple of rough miles, but an album of peppy songs might cheer us all up. When I look at my CD shelf, I put my hand on my cheek in dismay to see all the albums I'll never listen to again, starting with "Back With A Heart"-currently available on Amazon for a cent, to recent offerings like the drug-store only gospel item ("limited edition", gee I wonder why)and the item currently under inspection "Stronger Than Before". What on earth can be in store for fans next- chapters from Norman Vincent Peale set against a backdrop of whale cries? Just one more album like this, and I shall seriously reconsider my efforts to finance this gal's career. Buyer, beware. April 19, 2007

Stronger, maybe next time

First I applaud Olivia for always using her music to help, inspire and heal. I also believe that this album will find a place in the hearts of those who need it's uplifting message...even though I feel over all that it is not the absolute best it could have been. I, for some reason, get the feeling that "too many cooks spoil the soup" may have been one reason that there is really no uniformity to this set. Reading the liner notes it's true many hands were involved in putting this "vision" together...too many. "When You Believe" and "Serenity" are beautiful songs, they flow perfectly with the albums purpose. And then out of left field we get hit with "Phenomenal Woman" which is a disaster...regardless of the grand singing talent it was given. "Pass It On" should have been passed on, "That's All I Know For Sure" is for surely mediocre, and "When I Needed You" needed to be left off. This project would have been much more cohesive if the brilliant and talented Amy Sky had been at the helm of the entire producing, arranging and song writing process....just listen to "Under the Skin" and the title track. All in all Olivia gives each song her best, and Olivia's best is about the best there is. In closing if you LOVE Olivia, buy this album. Oh, and be sure you get your hands on her NEW album - "Grace and Gratitude" - its 5 stars all the way!! November 3, 2006

Stronger Than Before Is Indeed Stronger Than Before!

by Alan E.

I've always thought that John Farrar wrote these lyrics from "Don't Stop Believin'" about Olivia herself: "Your smile can open any door...You never chase your dreams/They find you." While other icons of pop-music stardom (such as Barbra Streisand) may have mouthpieces which are richer and more textured, Olivia Newton-John's purity and sweetness, in voice and personality alike, always made for a conquering, charismatic compound. One reviewer surmised he couldn't even tell you whether Olivia is a good singer. Her voice seemed to come wrapped up in so many other good qualities that you don't even notice. At her career peak, Olivia may have been a tad irritating to some in her enthusiastic cheerleading, but in more recent times her positive outlook has been strongly tested: professional lull, marriage breakup, breast cancer, disappearance of boyfriend. She emerges as a woman who is timelessly beautiful and very spirit-centered yet also one who has earned her stripes and endured suffering.

This dichotomy is well-reflected on STRONGER THAN BEFORE, a CD which blends Olivia's classic clearness with a newfound maturity and control. She is balanced and believable. This project of inspirational songs designed especially for people dealing with cancer or in other difficult situations is a most suitable outlet for Newton-John's clarity and calm. Whereas her previous outing, INDIGO: WOMEN OF SONG, had a few memorable moments, STRONGER THAN BEFORE is indeed stronger than before--across the board! INDIGO lost a little credibility whenever Newton-John strained a little too hard for torch-song toughness or wanted to duplicate a cover too nostalgically. "Loving You" lacked sexiness, "Send in the Clowns" needed more emotional wavering.

With spiritual enlightenment and recovery as the main themes, STRONGER THAN BEFORE utilizes material closest to Olivia Newton-John's heart at the same time it stretches her vocal acumen. The title jaunt, pleasant and pristine, is an anthem of continual self-discovery amid patches of rough water: "I've survived so many things/From broken hearts to shattered dreams/In every wall I found an open door." "When You Believe," a logical follow-up, centers on the power of numbers in healing and on Olivia's own apparent metamorphasis from good-girl next-door to a composed woman in her own right: "She knows how far I've come/How hard I've tried." On "Phenomenal Woman"--with uplifting lyrics by Dr. Maya Angelou--Olivia is joined by other legendary divas such as Patti LaBelle, and the result is a sensuous, proud and dignifying celebration of womanhood wherein LaBelle delivers passionate, primal screams of devotion and Olivia's diplomacy is well-grounded: "Now you understand just why my head's now bowed/I don't shout or jump about or have to talk real loud." And Olivia beomes even quieter when reciting "real loud."

"Under the Skin," dealing with virtual reality and transformation, is at once spiritual and surreal and deeply affecting: "Don't believe the mirror/'Cause mirrors sometimes lie." And it seems that here is a woman who has a love and acceptance of self great enough to pour outward into the lives of others who are affected by cancer surgery. The uptempo attempt, "Pass It On," borders on being sickly sweet but still manages to stay more or less on this side of the line. "That's All I Know for Sure," meanwhile, is a cute ditty about the memorable messages of life's circling journey (although this one could have used another verse, it ends abruptly). "When I Needed You" is an enjoyable supernatural odyssey wherein Olivia sounds ethereal yet earnest in her mission. It is a tad disappointing, however, that she hits none of her trademark stratospheric high notes at the end as this dreamy piece lends itself so well to it (there is only mechanical whistling). Yes, her notes may be lower, but even the new samba version of "Physical" from a few years back let her peal off a couple somewhere in orbit.

"Can I Trust Your Arms" is in contrast poignant and pointed. A haunting bass accompanies an urgent piano and an edgy, emotional vocal. This is one of my favorites of the set. It is searing and realistic in its pained portrait of the many conflicted levels of cancer confrontation--where do you go, what do you do, whom can you trust--and possibly more moving in the aftermath of her boyfriend Patrick's mysterious disappearance. The new version of "Don't Stop Believin'" is still charming but the bossa nova styling doesn't really work well with the lyrics (the original can't be topped, it seems). "Serenity," as updated and outlined by Amy Sky, is a stirring prayer and affirmation brought to twilight-esque actuality via Olivia's aura-like articulation.

Chong Lim's production values are honorable. He emphasizes Newton-John's uncorrupted vocalization and yet does not sentimentalize her sweetness either through overdone arrangements. This CD really captures the feelings of a tumultuous journey with all its euphoric highs and uncertain downs, and it certainly is Olivia's most impressive undertaking of the last decade. Highly recommended--especially as a gift for someone who is going through a very hard time.

I have to disagree with the reviewer who preferred her subsequent outing with Amy Sky, GRACE AND GRATITUDE. Here we have music that is not only reflective and placating but almost crafted for a coma-like catatonia. April 24, 2006

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