Celine Dion - My Love: Essential Collection - out Oct. 27-28

[my chicken is infected]

Original Title: "Celine Dion's new album, Taking Chances, out Nov. 13"

You can hear all the songs at the CDTAKINGCHANCES YouTube channel.

I think my favorites are Eyes On Me, Shadow Of Love, Surprise Surprise, This Time, and Fade Away. My least favorite has to be That's Just The Woman In Me thanks to Celine's bad Janis impersonation.

So, thoughts?

[musicradio77]

I looked forward to get her new album. Celine Dion is still the best, but I love her so much. I have a lot of Celine Dion CD's, but I might get her new CD "Taking Chances" for Christmas.

[my chicken is infected]

I got it today. Loves it! Her voice is amazing on most of the songs, although a couple have some vocals I could do without, like her Janis Joplin impersonation on That's Just The Woman In Me.

I'm not feeling Sony's new cardboard CD packaging though.

[my chicken is infected]

Celine will be releasing a new hits collection on October 27 and 28 titled My Love: Essential Collection. It'll be released as one and two disc sets, with multiple tracklistings all over the world. More info can be found on it here. The 2-CD version will be called My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection.

Here are the covers for the two releases.





Here are the North American tracklistings.

1-CD version:
1. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (Robert White Johnson, Taylor Rhodes) – 4:33
2. "Beauty and the Beast" (with Peabo Bryson) (Alan Menken, Howard Ashman) – 4:04
3. "If You Asked Me To" (Diane Warren) – 3:55
4. "The Power of Love" (Gunther Mende, Candy DeRouge, Jennifer Rush, Mary Susan Applegate) – 4:49
5. "My Love" (live from the Taking Chances Tour) (Linda Perry) – 5:04
6. "Because You Loved Me" (Warren) – 4:35
7. "The Power of the Dream" (Linda Thompson, David Foster, Babyface) – 4:30
8. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Jim Steinman) – 7:37
9. "All by Myself" (Eric Carmen, Sergei Rachmaninoff) – 4:00
10. "My Heart Will Go On" (James Horner, Will Jennings) – 4:41
11. "I'm Your Angel" (with R. Kelly) (R. Kelly) – 5:31
12. "That's the Way It Is" (Kristian Lundin, Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson) – 4:03
13. "A New Day Has Come" (Aldo Nova, Stephan Moccio) – 4:23
14. "I'm Alive" (Lundin, Carlsson) – 3:30
15. "I Drove All Night" (Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly) – 4:00
16. "Taking Chances" (Kara DioGuardi, Dave Stewart) – 4:07
17. "There Comes a Time" (Jörgen Elofsson, Elizabeth Rodrigues) – 4:03 (previously unreleased)

2-CD version:
Disc 1:
1. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (Johnson, Rhodes) – 4:33
2. "Beauty and the Beast" (with Peabo Bryson) (Menken, Ashman) – 4:04
3. "If You Asked Me To" (Warren) – 3:55
4. "Love Can Move Mountains" (Warren) – 4:01
5. "My Love" (live from the Taking Chances Tour) (Perry) – 5:04
6. "The Power of Love" (Mende, DeRouge, Rush, Applegate) – 4:49
7. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" (Jean-Jacques Goldman) – 4:14
8. "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Jerry Wexler, Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 3:40
9. "Because You Loved Me" (Warren) – 4:35
10. "The Power of the Dream" (Thompson, Foster, Babyface) – 4:30
11. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Steinman) – 7:37
12. "All by Myself" (Carmen, Rachmaninoff) – 4:00
13. "River Deep, Mountain High" (Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) – 4:10

Disc 2:
1. "Tell Him" (with Barbra Streisand) (Thompson, Afanasieff, Foster) – 4:51
2. "My Heart Will Go On" (Horner, Jennings) – 4:41
3. "To Love You More" (Foster, Junior Miles) – 4:42
4. "I'm Your Angel" (with R. Kelly) (Kelly) – 5:31
5. "The Prayer" (with Andrea Bocelli) (Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, Tony Renis) – 4:29
6. "That's the Way It Is" (Lundin, Martin, Carlsson) – 4:03
7. "A New Day Has Come" (Nova, Moccio) – 4:23
8. "I'm Alive" (Lundin, Carlsson) – 3:30
9. "I Drove All Night" (Steinberg, Kelly) – 4:00
10. "Taking Chances" (DioGuardi, Stewart) – 4:07
11. "There Comes a Time" (Elofsson, Rodrigues) – 4:03 (previously unreleased)
12. "Dance with My Father" (Luther Vandross, Richard Marx) – 4:38
13. "I Knew I Loved You" (Ennio Morricone, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) – 4:31

It's nice to see they've decided to use the full 7:37 version of It's All Coming Back To Me Now. Original tracklistings had the horrific radio edit that was used on All The Way: A Decade Of Song. Unfortunately, it looks like they're still using the radio edits of The Power Of Love (Which omits some singing at the end and half of the second verse.) and To Love You More. (Which omits half her singing at the end and all of the violin solo.) But IACBTMN suffered the most, but not this time.

I AM hocked off over Europe's longer tracklisting for the 2-CD set and the fact that they get ten more songs than we do. Don't think Americans will care about some of these tracks, eh?

Disc 1:
1. "My Heart Will Go On" (Horner, Jennings) – 4:41
2. "Think Twice" (Hill, Sinfield) – 4:48
3. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Steinman) – 5:31
4. "A New Day Has Come" (Nova, Moccio) – 4:23
5. "My Love" (live from the Taking Chances Tour) (Perry) – 5:04
6. "Taking Chances" (DioGuardi, Stewart) – 4:07
7. "That's the Way It Is" (Lundin, Martin, Carlsson) – 4:03
8. "The Power of Love" (Mende, DeRouge, Rush, Applegate) – 4:49
9. "Because You Loved Me" (Warren) – 4:35
10. "Tell Him" (with Barbra Streisand) (Thompson, Afanasieff, Foster) – 4:51
11. "Falling into You" (Steinberg, Nowels, D'Ubaldo) – 4:18
12. "I Drove All Night" (Steinberg, Kelly) – 4:00
13. "I'm Alive" (Lundin, Carlsson) – 3:30
14. "All by Myself" (Carmen, Rachmaninoff) – 4:00
15. "Alone" (Steinberg, Kelly) – 3:23
16. "Immortality" (featuring the Bee Gees) (B. Gibb, R. Gibb, M. Gibb) – 4:12
17. "Beauty and the Beast" (with Peabo Bryson) (Menken, Ashman) – 4:04
18. "There Comes a Time" (Elofsson, Rodrigues) – 4:03 (previously unreleased)

Disc 2:
1. "River Deep, Mountain High" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich) – 4:10
2. "One Heart" (Shanks, DioGuardi) – 3:24
3. "I'm Your Angel" (with R. Kelly) (Kelly) – 5:31
4. "Only One Road" (Peter Zizzo) – 4:49
5. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" (Goldman) – 4:14
6. "You and I" (Nova, Jacques Duval) – 4:05
7. "To Love You More" (Foster, Miles) – 4:42
8. "Eyes on Me" (Lundin, Savan Kotecha, Delta Goodrem) – 3:53
9. "Have You Ever Been in Love" (Anders Bagge, Peer Astrom, Tom Nichols, Daryl Hall, Laila Bagge) – 4:08
10. "The Reason" (King, Mark Hudson, Greg Wells) – 5:01
11. "Seduces Me" (Dan Hill, John Sheard) – 3:46
12. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Ewan MacColl) – 4:09
13. "Dance with My Father" (Vandross, Marx) – 4:38
14. "Misled" (Jimmy Bralower, Zizzo) – 3:30
15. "Love Can Move Mountains" (Warren) – 4:01
16. "Call the Man" (Hill, Sinfield) – 6:08
17. "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)" (Robert Lange) – 5:19
18. "The Prayer" (with Andrea Bocelli) (Foster, Sager, Testa, Renis) – 4:29

[blackcauldron85]

That seems like a really good set! I wish that the 1-disc version had "Tell Him", though- I really like that song... This does seem better than "All the Way...A Decade of Song". If the 1-disc had "Tell Him" on it, it'd be a no-brainer to buy...I actually will probably get it, anyway.

[Mooky]

Wow! Great selection! Though I wish they used at least one or two songs from "Unison" on the European version

[my chicken is infected]

I just noticed that not even Where Does My Heart Beat Now is on the 2-CD general European version. It's on the 2-CD set being released in France though, but not the 1-CD.

Unison is definitely an underrated album. It's quite different from what people expect these days from Celine. Her latest album, Taking Chances, is also quite underrated. I know record sales are down all over the place, but an established artist like Celine shouldn't have had to struggle for months just to reach sales of 1 million in the US. Not to mention the album and its singles got practically NO promotion. Hell, they never even released a second single here. Oh wait, they did Alone, but again, with practically no promotion and no music video other than a "live" performance from the taping sessions of her CBS special, which, had it been done and aired sometime in November or December instead of February, could have helped the album immensely.

Oh well. Good luck next time, I guess.

I'm sure I'm getting the 2-CD version eventually. I'd actually like the European 2-CD version too, but I won't hold my breath. Sorry, I can't bring myself to pay $30-$40 for it.

[Mooky]

Unison is definitely an underrated album. It's quite different from what people expect these days from Celine.

I agree. It's definitely different (not necessarily better) from her '90s music, but that's what makes it good. I love that late '80s/early '90s pop-rock beat. I guess people are more used to her singing just ballads and that's why they respond so negatively to her trying out different types of music.

Her latest album, Taking Chances, is also quite underrated.

"Taking Chances" is amazing, most of the songs are great. But, like you said, it definitely needed more promotion. An actual music video for either "Eyes On Me" or "Alone" would have been great.

[my chicken is infected]

Frankly, people who think she's only ever done ballads have never listened to an entire album of hers. Unison, The Colour Of My Love, Falling Into You, and A New Day Has Come are great examples of her diversity. But there's still danceable tracks on all her albums. Those just have more of a balance.

Eyes On Me could have been a huge club hit in the States if they'd released it. Especially the remix with will.i.am that she did on her TV special. Shadow Of Love was also a wasted club hit opportunity, and Fade Away was just a wasted opportunity period. And while, IMO, her Alone can't touch Heart's, it holds its own. My Love is being released, but now it's to promote the new hits package.

Sometimes when I listen to Unison, I wonder what her career would have been had she stayed in the direction she was going. Would she have been even bigger than she was? Or would she be a forgotten relic of the early 90's and a one hit wonder by now? I'll tell you one thing, I think out of all the 1980's/1990's divas, she's been on more soundtracks than just about any of 'em. Nearly all of her English-language albums contain a song from a movie soundtrack:
Celine Dion - contains B&TB with Peabo Bryson
The Colour Of My Love - contains When I Fall In Love from the Sleepless In Seattle soundtrack
Falling Into You - contains Because You Loved Me from Up Close And Personal (That song actually didn't appear on the OST, and I think the single was given a limited release, although not nearly as limited as the US release of My Heart Will Go On, which they only made 665K singles for US release. Both limited releases were designed to push album sales. And they worked.)
Let's Talk About Love - contains My Heart Will Go On
These Are Special Times - The Prayer, albeit in a duet version with Andrea Bocelli not found in the movie or its soundtrack. (In fact, in many cases, the version on her CD and/or the soundtrack album is different from the version in the movie, such as My Heart Will Go On. A slightly shorter more pop version is found on all her albums, while the version that plays during the movie's ending credits is on the Titanic OST.)
All The Way - contains Then You Look At Me from Bicentennial Man, plus B&TB, MHWGO, and BYLM.
A New Day Has Come - contains I'm Alive, which was included on the Stuart Little 2 OST but wasn't written specifically for the movie.

[blackcauldron85]

You just mentioned "When I Fall In Love"- that's not even on the new CD!!! I <3 that song! Now I'm getting a little disappointed, lol.

[my chicken is infected]

I just noticed that. ARG.

I shouldn't really bother me as much. I have all but two of her English-language studio albums (The two I don't have, I don't really care to have anyway. ) and both of her English-language compilations, so I have almost every track on this compilation in CD quality. It's just the principle. Especially since the US 2-CD version is only 13 tracks per CD, instead of the more generous number of 18 per CD of the European version.

I'll still probably get this one though, just to have it.

[Mooky]

Frankly, people who think she's only ever done ballads have never listened to an entire album of hers. Unison, The Colour Of My Love, Falling Into You, and A New Day Has Come are great examples of her diversity.

Yeah, I think the only ballad-heavy albums of hers are her French albums (the only exception being "Dion chante Plamondon").

Sometimes when I listen to Unison, I wonder what her career would have been had she stayed in the direction she was going. Would she have been even bigger than she was? Or would she be a forgotten relic of the early 90's and a one hit wonder by now?

I think she would have gone Paula Abdul route. Paula started off good but then all her songs started resembling each other. I like how Celine managed to keep her style constistent throughout the years without becoming boring or repetitive.

I'll tell you one thing, I think out of all the 1980's/1990's divas, she's been on more soundtracks than just about any of 'em. Nearly all of her English-language albums contain a song from a movie soundtrack:
Celine Dion - contains B&TB with Peabo Bryson
The Colour Of My Love - contains When I Fall In Love from the Sleepless In Seattle soundtrack
Falling Into You - contains Because You Loved Me from Up Close And Personal (That song actually didn't appear on the OST, and I think the single was given a limited release, although not nearly as limited as the US release of My Heart Will Go On, which they only made 665K singles for US release. Both limited releases were designed to push album sales. And they worked.)
Let's Talk About Love - contains My Heart Will Go On
These Are Special Times - The Prayer, albeit in a duet version with Andrea Bocelli not found in the movie or its soundtrack. (In fact, in many cases, the version on her CD and/or the soundtrack album is different from the version in the movie, such as My Heart Will Go On. A slightly shorter more pop version is found on all her albums, while the version that plays during the movie's ending credits is on the Titanic OST.)
All The Way - contains Then You Look At Me from Bicentennial Man, plus B&TB, MHWGO, and BYLM.
A New Day Has Come - contains I'm Alive, which was included on the Stuart Little 2 OST but wasn't written specifically for the movie.

True.

I really admire Celine. What I really like about her is that she stayed true to herself and didn't resort to that whole sex/drinking/whole 180 change in personality just to stay in the spotlight, like some other singers of her generation did (Madonna, Mariah, Whitney - no offense to their fans, I like them too, just not as much as I like Celine).

[Widdi]

Je ne pouvais pas me soucier moins.

[Mooky]

Not a fan of Celine, I take it?

[my chicken is infected]

I'm definitely waiting for Whitney's comeback, I won't lie. I think with the right material, voice lessons, and everything, she could reclaim SOME of her former glory.

Actually her self-titled album is REALLY ballad heavy. And All The Way and Let's Talk About Love are too. But the rest are pretty much a nice balance.

[Widdi]

Not a fan of Celine, I take it?

I like some of her music, but I'm not a fan of box/greatest hits sets. Seems like a waste of money if you've already bought the albums containing the songs.

[Matt]

Since I am a music video guy, I would LOVE a DVD will all her music videos on it.
That would be so cool with this release! I doubt we will get that.

[AwallaceUNC]

I'll consider picking this up, though I'm not familiar with all the songs and between Falling Into You, the Titanic soundtrack, and a few iTunes purchases, I feel like I have a decent collection already.

Too bad "Je Lui Dirai" isn't included.

-Aaron

[my chicken is infected]

Since I am a music video guy, I would LOVE a DVD will all her music videos on it.
That would be so cool with this release! I doubt we will get that.

Unfortunately, all that's available to date is the All The Way: A Decade Of Song And Video DVD, which is very incomplete and really only replicates the tracklisting of All The Way, with the addition of the video for Misled. In addition, three of the tracks are live performances from her Live In Memphis VHS. While the video for Beauty and the Beast is available on the movie's DVD, and the official video for To Love You More is also a live performance, you kinda miss the actual video for Because You Loved Me, although due to the Memphis concert's unavailability, these performances are also a welcome inclusion. And then two performances - The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face and All The Way - are lifted from her All The Way CBS special. But many of her English-language videos are missing from the collection, and I'm not sure if they're going to be released in a widely released compilation any time soon. Here's a list of them.

(If There Was) Any Other Way (Two versions)
Where Does My Heart Beat Now (Two versions)
The Last To Know
Unison
Nothing Broken But My Heart
Water From The Moon
Did You Give Enough Love
When I Fall In Love (available on the 10th Anniversary Sleepless In Seattle DVD.)
Think Twice
Only One Road
Next Plane Out
Falling Into You
All By Myself
Tell Him
Immortality
A New Day Has Come (Released as DVD single)
I'm Alive (Released on the Stuart Little 2 DVD)
Goodbye's The Saddest Word
I Drove All Night
One Heart
Have You Ever Been In Love
You And I
Taking Chances
A World To Believe In

A New Day Has Come, I'm Alive, HYEBIL, and Goodbye's have been released on a recent Collector's Edition re-release of the ANDHC album. ANDHC, I'm Alive, IDAN, You And I, Taking Chances, and AWTBI are part of the All The Way DVD included in the Japan-only box set called Ultimate Box.

[Matt]

Since I am a music video guy, I would LOVE a DVD will all her music videos on it.
That would be so cool with this release! I doubt we will get that.

Unfortunately, all that's available to date is the All The Way: A Decade Of Song And Video DVD, which is very incomplete and really only replicates the tracklisting of All The Way, with the addition of the video for Misled. In addition, three of the tracks are live performances from her Live In Memphis VHS. While the video for Beauty and the Beast is available on the movie's DVD, and the official video for To Love You More is also a live performance, you kinda miss the actual video for Because You Loved Me, although due to the Memphis concert's unavailability, these performances are also a welcome inclusion. And then two performances - The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face and All The Way - are lifted from her All The Way CBS special. But many of her English-language videos are missing from the collection, and I'm not sure if they're going to be released in a widely released compilation any time soon. Here's a list of them.

(If There Was) Any Other Way (Two versions)
Where Does My Heart Beat Now (Two versions)
The Last To Know
Unison
Nothing Broken But My Heart
Water From The Moon
Did You Give Enough Love
When I Fall In Love (available on the 10th Anniversary Sleepless In Seattle DVD.)
Think Twice
Only One Road
Next Plane Out
Falling Into You
All By Myself
Tell Him
Immortality
A New Day Has Come (Released as DVD single)
I'm Alive (Released on the Stuart Little 2 DVD)
Goodbye's The Saddest Word
I Drove All Night
One Heart
Have You Ever Been In Love
You And I
Taking Chances
A World To Believe In

A New Day Has Come, I'm Alive, HYEBIL, and Goodbye's have been released on a recent Collector's Edition re-release of the ANDHC album. ANDHC, I'm Alive, IDAN, You And I, Taking Chances, and AWTBI are part of the All The Way DVD included in the Japan-only box set called Ultimate Box.

yeah, I got that DVD. I ordered it from Amazon, the orginal one.