review of Grace And Gratitude
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN Grace and Gratitude
She was iconic in the days before CDs and DVDs. Olivia Newton-John became known to millions when she starred opposite John Travolta as Sandy, the innocent-bobbysoxer-turned-leather-clad-temptress in the 1978 hit musical Grease. The Australian singer later popularized the headband and leg-warmer look after sporting them in her video for “Physical,” the biggest hit of the 1980s. Then, in 1992, Newton-John underwent breast cancer surgery and has since focused her energies on promoting cancer awareness and humanitarian issues, while releasing more spiritually themed recordings such as Gaia: One Woman’s Journey.
Cynics will find it easy to dismiss Newton-John’s latest CD as New Age nonsense. But Grace and Gratitude holds up as a well-crafted collection of tracks designed to promote healing. Produced by, and co-written with, Toronto’s Amy Sky, who worked with Newton-John on 2005’s Stronger Than Before, the album is composed of moving songs like “Pearls on a Chain” and the sensuous “To Be Wanted,” along with instrumental “interludes.”
While the lyrics to some of the songs, including “Learn to Love Yourself” and “The Power of Now,” read like self-help literature, Newton-John’s still-sweet voice rings true. Even when singing a cringe-worthy line like “Thank you for life” on the piano - and string-laden title track, it’s impossible to doubt her sincerity.
Newton-John says the album was inspired by her love for Patrick McDermott, her boyfriend who went missing following a fishing trip off the California coast in 2005. It’s an inspiration that clearly runs deep.