Making A Good Thing Better review
By Fred Crafts of the Register-Guard
Olivia Newton-John has come in from the country on “Making a Good Thing Better” and is walking more in the middle of the road than ever before.
A song stylist from Australia via England who accidently wandered into country music with “Let Me Be There,” Newton-Jchn seems intent on gaining a much wider audience. This polished, easy-listening release (MCA MCA-2280) should accomplish this goal.
The album is in a relaxed groove throughout, with Newton-John’s limited but seductive vocal range dis-played appropriately over a lush string orchestra arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard and Peter Myers on solid, Top 40-styled songs.
Newton-John is in fine form on this album. She finds an easy gait as she smoothly works her way through 10 charming, country-flavored tunes about such familiar themes as sad or lost love. Although she dashes off a spirited version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of ‘Fire,” most of the songs here are tranquil ballads or mid-tempo numbers which are enveloped by John Farrar’s stylish production.
Especially pleasing are such romantic ballads as “Making A Good Thing Better,” “Slow Dancing.” “Don’t Ask A Friend” and “If Love Is Real,” although the most satisfying work on the album is the gripping “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Webber and Rice’s rock-opera “Evita.” That selection alone is well worth the price of the album, as it demonstrates that Newton-John is a serious artist who is concerned about building a solid career rather than a string of hits.