My Friends & Me
Dionne Warwick
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| Total: 13 Songs |
Album Review
My Friends & Me, Dionne Warwick's collection of duets that revisit her classic recordings, benefits from her many talented friends in the music industry, but most of all from a family member. Her son Damon Elliott has worked with his mother for close to ten years, when he's not producing for contemporary hitmakers Pink, Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Kelis, and Mya. Elliott's production for this record is engaging and charming, right up to the minute digitally on the rhythm end, but with plenty of space within the tracks to echo the airy productions of Warwick's long-time producer, Burt Bacharach. Also, Elliott kept most of these versions piano-based and added a tight backing chorus that is virtually necessary for anyone familiar with the original "Walk on By" or "Anyone Who Had a Heart." Dionne Warwick's voice, however, hasn't aged as well as her contemporaries, and the record often resembles a tribute album whose subject only stops by occasionally. (More often than not, the guests are featured more than Warwick herself.) The only track with radical changes is "The Windows of the World," which is presented with no less than four vocal guests (Angie Stone, Chanté Moore, Deborah Cox, Da Brat) and in a version that allows Da Brat to rap on the state of the world between the lines of the verses. Elsewhere, highlights come with Cyndi Lauper's quiet, pleading version of "Message to Michael," Kelis' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and Wynonna Judd's surprisingly smoky "Anyone Who Had a Heart."
Customer Reviews
Living Legend and her Friends deserve Better
With all these mega stars you would expect superior production values. Unfortunately, it sounds like most of these songbirds are singing to bad karaoke tracks. Simply dreadful. The best vocal delivery here, Olivia Newton-John on "Wishin' and Hoping" is wasted on such a bad track. All of the ladies sound fine, but why not spend a little money on a good orchestra or on professional studio musicians? You would think it was recorded by amateurs in someone's basement. Too Bad, so sad.
With a Little Help From Her Friends
It's too bad that what was Dionne's long time pet project comes at a time when she's not at her best vocally. Sure the songs are familiar but why listen to remakes when you can listen to the orignals when Dionne was at her best. It's clear on some of these tracks that Dionne vocal power has diminished most noticeably by the restrained vocal performances by Gladys Knight and Reba McEntire who sound like they're holding back in order to not overshadow Dionne. The remake of "Then Came You" is downright embarrasing. There are some stand out here including, "Wishin' and Hopin'" with Olivia Newton-John and "Do you Know the Way to San Jose," with the late Celia Cruz.
Wishin' and Hopin'
Warwick revisits some of her oldies on this collection, but interestingly enough, the best track is Wishin' and Hopin', a "duet" with Olivia Newton-John on which Dionne only makes what amounts to a cameo vocal appearance.
Biography
Born: December 12, 1940 in East Orange, NJ
Genre: Pop
Years Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s
Top Albums and Songs By Dionne Warwick
- $9.99
- Genres: R&B/Soul, Music, Rock, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary R&B, Soul
- Released: Nov 07, 2006
- ℗ 2006 Concord Music Group, Inc.
