Tina Arena - Songs of Love & Loss

2007 release, the sixth studio album from Australian singer-songwriter Tina Arena. Songs Of Love & Loss is Arena's first full length English language record in six years and also her first album with EMI. Recorded in London in 2007 with a full string orchestra conducted by Simon Hale, the album is made up primarily of classic covers with one new song ('Until') and a reworking of 'Woman' from Arena's previous album, Just Me. 12 tracks including fabulous versions of 'The Look Of Love', 'I Only Want To Be With You', 'Love Hangover', 'The Windmills Of Your Mind' and many others. Album Description

TINA ARENA "SONGS OF LOVE & LOSS"

Tina Arena has been one of my favourite artists for years now, her voice is exceptionally brilliant, it's so powerful and clear, because of this, it doesn't matter in the slightest whether she does her own material or whether she does covers.

On "Songs Of Love & Loss" (which was originally going to be an album of Dusty Springfield songs) she covers some of her favourite songs by some of her favourite female artists and (due to her record label wanting her to cover it) R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts." Tina's kept most of the songs on here close to the original versions, "Love Hangover" and "I Only Want To Be With You" being the exceptions, "Love Hangover" is almost like a completely different song (for the better) and "I Only Want To Be With You" has been slowed down which makes the song sound very sad. "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," "So Far Away," "The Windmills Of Your Mind" and "Until" are defintely the best songs on the album and all show Tina's very powerful voice off to a fine art. Her version of Kate Bush's "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" has surpassed the original in my opinion, as has her version of Lulu's "To Sir With Love" and "Do You Know Where You're Going To" by Diana Ross.

I just find that like Susanna Hoffs, Tina Arena's voice sounds perfect singing either original material or cover versions. The album does not disappoint in any way at all, I'm looking forward to "Songs Of Love & Loss Vol. 2" :) July 16, 2008

Better than expected!

So, i'm a huge Tina fan and went to both Melbourne concerts recently, supporting this album. When i heard about this Deluxe Edition, there was no doubt i would buy it. I read that the bonus disc featured 5 live records of classic Tina songs, newly/freshly orchestrated. Thinking back to the concert, i remember that the added strings on some tracks didn't do much for the original, and some didn't even have strings. Now after listening to the bonus disc, i was wrong. The songs were totally different to what i had experienced on the night (perhaps she only performed these versions just for the recording at another show). They do sound fresh and are beautifully recorded. The strings do enhance the originals. Tina's voice as always is fantastic. My only criticism is that i would have wanted more strings. I would almost want them to take over the song completely. But they are fantastic. So if you're thinking of buying this, don't hesitate. If you haven't already got the standard edition of the album...you're crazy! It's an exceptional listen! April 25, 2008

Another artist covers Dusty Springfield songs 5

This album is very well done, nice strings. Tina covers 5 songs on this album previously recorded by Dusty Springfield, My favorite track Dusty's upbeat song from 1963 I Only Want To Be With You is slowed down here by Tina and I have to admit that this is the best rendering of this song since the original. My only drawback with the album is she sings To Sir With Love, I have never liked this song and still don't. This album is very worthy of the 5 stars I gave it.

February 17, 2008

Grand Voice

Tina Arena has such a brilliant and beautiful voice. I have been a huge fan of hers since her debut CD. I am usually pretty weary of a CD of covers but, she pulls it off adding her own twist and turn to each and every song. She could sing anything with her big voice and it would be great.

Since the CD is called: `Songs Of Love And Loss' as you can guess all the songs are slow ballads. Not that that is a bad thing by any means. She handpicked a group of great songs to cover and they are all done brilliantly. Every song on here is superb but the song I could listen to over and over again is "Everybody Hurts". What a great job! Her voice is stunning on here that just commands you and pulls you in.

This CD is for anyone: a long time fan or someone who is just looking for a great voice to listen to.

~~~JAC 08'
February 6, 2008

The Voice of the Century

I almost passed on this CD because of the sound samples which I thought weren't very good. But I'm glad I didn't. This is an amazing collection of songs. I won't bother giving you the song by song rundown since other reviewers have covered them quite well. But I will say that the production of the CD is also simply amazing. The sound quality is so crystal clear and undistorted that I thought I was listening to one of my SACD's.

It's no secret to Tina Arena fans that she has, to a great part, "moved on" from making pop records. It has been something like 6 years since her last english language CD. In the interim she has released a few CD's in french, and she has moved from the studio to the stage starring in musicals like Chicago. I am, however, a non-french speaking fan who does also own her french CD's, and I often wonder where, since she is Sicilian, are the Italian language CD's (move over, Laura Pausini).

But as this CD played I thought of the 15 years I have been been in love with her voice (the silk in her voice just turns me to Jello). I realized that it really doesn't matter if her CD's are in english or french, or if they are made up of cover songs or gut wrenching originals about her life. Because the star here is actually her voice and what she can do with it. She truly does have, in my humble opinion, the voice of the century.

Buy this CD. It has been in my player since I bought it. And I am about to push play again. February 1, 2008

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