Born To Be With You

Underneath the spectacle of a top-dollar Broadway production exploding in slow-motion is a rather lovely collection of songs. I retract my initial review of “hey, this isn’t the cocaine I ordered!”

Phil Spector did a lot of weird shit in the '70s and I am here for much of it, this included. His spooky, overblown production places Dion halfway between Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond, with an undercurrent of drama, regret and redemption; you can hear why Lou Reed was a fan.

Just good ol fashioned folksy rock n' roll

das schlimmste Album des Buche, bisher

I will not include Dion's 1976 album Streetheart and the bonus track "Baby, Let's Stick Together" from the 2001 Ace Records CD reissue in this review. Okay, I have to ask - why is this album included in the 1001 Albums books? Seriously. Because I do understand that there is an underlying agenda to include at least one album from some of the more notable figures in music history to give at least a taste of what they were known for. I've seen it with the likes of Loretta Lynn, Al Green, Nina Simone, Merle Haggard, and other names on my album journey, and I reckon that Dion DiMucci fits that mold. He certainly made an impression as frontman of the doo-wop group The Belmonts before embarking on a hit-making solo career and diversifying his sound. But that said, why Born to Be with You in particular? For those who don't know, Born to Be with You is characterized by the troublesome recording sessions with Phil Spector on the production. To wit, Phil was a chore to work with at this point, heavily drinking on the job and threatening artists like Bruce Springsteen and Cher who came into the studio during sessions. It was not a pleasant experience, and I don't blame Dion for disowning this record, because it shows in the shoddy production. For most of the tracks, Phil's once-famous Wall of Sound production style became a problem, as the instrumentation surrounding Dion's voice is generally overblown. It can work in moments, like the slowed-down, spaced-out opening title track, the anthemic stomper "Only You Know", and the upbeat closing track "Good Lovin' Man". But for the sentimental pop-rock ballads like "Make the Woman Love Me" and "In and Out of the Shadows", the mix can be absolutely suffocating to the atmosphere. It gets to the point where the slapdash arrangement and vocal pickup on Dion for the cover of "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands" had me on the cusp of a migraine headache. It sucks to say that, because I think Dion has a decent singing voice. I can point to the two tracks that Dion co-wrote and Phil did not produce - "Your Own Back Yard" and "New York City Song" - and recognize the genuine talent that Dion injected into his downbeat, character-driven storytelling. I honestly wish the rest of the album were on the same level as these two. Honestly, I feel that it was a disservice to Dion that this was the album chosen to represent him in the books. A different album would have made for a better showcase, maybe Runaround Sue with its title track and "The Wanderer" as notable singles. Otherwise, cherry-pick your favorites and go from there.

4.4/5 - A little long on its own, but enjoyed it for the vast majority of its playtime. Solid album, generally very good all round although it just falls short of the bar for "listening to it again in my own time" (a 4.5 or above in my eyes is the bar for this)

I think I only made it through two whole songs and skipped the rest before they ended. I know that's probably against the rules of this list but I just wasn't in the mood for this

It would have been better if Phil Spector would have shot him

I really only knew Dion from his much earlier hits like “Run Around Sue”, so this was decent surprise. Definitely has that mid-70s sound and feel, and at times even reminded me a bit of Van Morrison and Jackson Brown. A good listen overall.

It was fine. Nothing great in my opinion but very listenable and interesting. Seemed like styles bounced around. 2.75

This dude has had quite the career. Wasn’t looking forward to it based on reviews but thought it was pretty good. 3.25/5

Day 76 without a hip-hop album. Definitely enjoyed this more than I expected to based on the cover art and the name of the artist. Was not familiar with Dion, but he fits in perfectly with the light rock aesthetic that is governing my middle 40s. A worthwhile listen.

Not bad

Boring

Good grief, what absolute sludge.

Oh. Assume there is a tragic back story I should know to this presumed born again recovering addict? Nevertheless the record is so reprehensibly dull it beggars belief. Including the slowest, least joyful version of whole world in his hands I have ever had the misfortune to hear. Awful, awful stuff. Begone foul Dion.

Count me among the many who were indifferent to this album, it would have been just fine staying on the shelf. I was born born born born born not needing to hear this.

Meh. Performative.

This sucks and even Dion knows it, so we clearly have another prank entry from the Curator. There’s an intriguing thing about the Wikipedia page. The second para states the album gained Widespread Acclaim in the 90s, and name-checks Bobby Gillespie as a fan, but the only professional review is from Allmusic (4stars, which is how they express contemptuous dismissal). I suspect Bobby Gillespie editing the page in a doomed effort to boost his boy Dion. Or BG is the actual maker of the work, at the prodigious age of 14?

First song and Phil Spector made it sound so outdated and overproduced. You can hear it throughout the album, which doesn't pair well with Dion's vocals.

Not with me, you didn't!

I remember playing hitster and being completely lost on any modern popular music, but the one time "The wanderer" started playing my girlfriend was in disbelief that I would know the artist name of something so old. Dion, I wonder what happened to that guy. I'm sure he didn't go on to make sappy boring music.

Dude has a decent voice, but this is such a corny ass album. Schmaltzy as hell.

Pretty good enjoyable

Horrible. Boring, over sentimental on every song. You would expect someone that looks as such a loser as in the cover at least learned to write good songs but the lyrics seemed to be written by a highschool boy that wants to write poetry. This album makes me wonder if finding new music is worth listening to music this bad.

It's like this dude walked in on the SNL band and starter singing. Lame and boring.

This type of word-focused rock never really hits for me. But, I'd never even heard of Dion, and that's kind of the point of this whole project. So that's good I guess.

It's well performed and not bad but also it's not good. 2.5 star

lento y algo aburrido, en un mal día podría llegar a ser un 2.8 pero tiene algunos momentos de lucidez y siempre buenops arreglos. favs "Only You Know" y el track extra "Runaway Man" 3.2

Usually, I’m OK with this kind of music, but I kind of hate this stuff. I think it’s his voice? Not really sure, but would not listen again.

I kinda rocked with it. I see how it’s pretty hated but it was ok to me

Didnt like, couldnt get through it

Very average. Some good. Some bad.

Well performed blandness.

Had no idea initially that this was the same Dion as “Runaround Sue.” Very different vibe, so it was interesting to explore how his music has changed over the years.

Not for me. Need more context for sure on why this record in particular is the best representation of his work

Easy listening, in a good way. Felt a little long by the end of it, but was great background music. Rating: 7/10 Favorite Song: New York Song

You'd have to have cloth ears to think this isn't a production marvel, Your Own Back Yard is a headscratcher though

Finding out that this record was disowned by the artist was really fun. He supposedly said that the production made it sound like "funeral music", which I think it is a bit extreme, but I do also think this is too slow and bland. The most remarkable aspect about the record is, funnily enough, Phil Spector's lush production, making the songs feel quite pleasant to the ears. Nonetheless, the great quality of the sound is not enough to safe the album from being this compilation of very boring and kind of corny at times baroque-pop, pop rock and blue-eyed soul tracks (those are the genres that are contributed to this album, as I find it a bit hard to describe it myself). So yes, quite the forgettable and dull record with at least a nice production that doesn't make it incredibly tedious to listen to.

This music was ok, but some of the love song lyrics were pretty self-centered and off-putting. I won't be returning to this.

Well, at least it wasn't Celine.

That was some bullshit right there. But much better than Mariah Carey’s bullshit.

This was better than I was expecting having looked at the cover art. Although anything with Phil Spector gives me an ick.

1,5

I enjoyed it in a background sort of way. No songs particularly stood out, but it was a capable album by a capable artist. It didn't move me, or speak to me artistically but it was mellow, easy listening for my workday.

This album is a vibe. I came into this fully expecting not to like it, especially hearing that he turned to christian music not long after this record. It was one of his last secular albums for a long time, but what a record it is. The songwriting is on-point here. Like, master class. It's chill but it's interesting, with a ton of variety in lyrical themes, as well as composition and influence. Great stuff.

Fairly uninspired. If the production's going to be so flat the vocals should make up for it. They don't. Fuckass album cover too. The first three tracks are snoozers. After that gets better, but I've heard a better version of all these songs made years before this record. Sounds like a meh soundtrack.

I almost really like him, but he is just too dramatic at times (Make the Woman Love Me). He also reminds me a lot of Neil Diamond, big sounds and big production songs with a voice that is good, but not amazing. All in all I liked it way more than I thought I would.

I enjoyed his dramatic delivery and the walls of sound created here (clearly Spector's style). I wasn't super hooked by anything, but it was a nice listen.

You can feel what year this came out. It just reeks of mid 70's adult music. I also didn't realize doo-wop guy did this. So that's a thing I know now. It's not a good album. I get the fun fact of a doo-wop guy reinventing himself to whatever this is, is a fun fact, but I didn't need to listen to this. It's just not that good. Even in historical context it's not worth it. It's a very dour funeral dirge album. I've had more fun at actual funerals than what I did listening to this. Now fun isn't the entire point of an album, I've listened to Ghostteen, but damn I'm not wanting to lay in a warm tub and open my veins today so this album is a bit of miss. That and it's just off, like the mix is kinda weird, maybe they were going for that, maybe it was the mid 70's and no one wanted to dump money into a recording of an aging doo-wop guy who obviously was suffering from depression. It was the 70's so I'm betting a lot of booze and cocaine was involved. Also I don't recall this becoming a thing in the 90's like I read. I was there in the 90's listened to a ton of music then as well. I'm glad it missed me then, and sad it caught me now.

It's not a bad album, but just doesn't move the needle for me. 3 stars or C-.

I'm impressed with the title track...but I'm a sucker for blue-eyed soul. This sounds a little bit like the closing of SNL...G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Band style. Phil Spector was a hell of a producer because this is pretty good. Apparently Dion loves drugs. Correction: loved drugs. This album is surprisingly good.

Never heard of this guy and my first impression of him is an album produced by Ph*l Sp*ctor, oh dear. Background music. The only interesting thing I discovered here is that Jarvis Cocker used Only You Know as an inspiration for Don't Let Him Waste Your Time 2/5

Many thanks to the user that noted Apple Music combined two records and only the first 8 were needed to review this record. You’ve saved me from having to listen to more of this dreck. Beginning to realise that Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound isn’t my vibe.

Enjoyment: 7/10 Replayability: 8/10 Cohesion: 7/10 Flow/Pacing: 8/10 Artistic Merit: 7/10 Weighted Average: 7.35/10 Review: I only knew of Dion from his doo-wop days with tracks like the Wanderer, but this album was a pleasant surprise. A generous collection of pop rock with sounds of soul that blend very nicely together. Liked Song(s): Born to Be with You, Make the Woman Love Me, Only You Know, In and out of the Shadows Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No

This is limp-wristed soft rock. It sucks. This is an album you spot in the used crates at the record store and now you understand why it's got the $1 sticker on it and it'll be sitting there for months. Opening track - sounds like Saturday Night Live finale, credits rolling and the guests and crew hugging good night. And the only lyrics I hear are "Little Girl" and "Baby" - cringe. Second track begging God to make the woman love him - geesh just ask God for the two-lane bridge to Hawaii already. Ooh I like me a good recovery song! 8 years sober here myself. I like this one - "Your Own Back Yard" World in His Hands - very lame Only You Know sounds like I need to calibrate the turntable Ugh -NYC song - bleh Good Lovin' man - more "Baby" and "Little girl" ugh Nothing good here. Waste of a spot on this list - again. Moving on. Next.

Not much to say here. The production is good because Phil Spector is producing, but the content is forgettable. Would be unlikely to revisit.

Over the years I’ve heard some praise for this album, but I never listened to it. I was excited to hear it, that excitement did not last. This is not a good album.

Not as terrible as other reviews would have you believe. Pretty basic mid-70s pop. Good background music.

Very drab in deed. Nothing much nice to say at all.

Never heard of him But love this. Got Phil Spector all over it, sounds like so much of the stuff I remember my dad playing when I was a kid. More like this please Favourite track: born to be with you

Sooo hard to listen to. Dragging and emotionally draining. I could only listen to a short bit of each song. Way too whiny for my taste.

Nothing special here

During the opening track I really thought I was gonna hate this one but it grew on me by the end. It’s still not an album I’m likely to go back to but it wasn’t a bad listen overall. Top Track - Only You Know. Mainly because Jarvis Cocker sampled it for the track Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time from his first solo album.

this album was a easy listen! Not memorable in any sense tho

It was fine, and I'm glad he was sober at this time, but... I miss the doo-wop

Enough has been said here on how terrible this album is. Lost, is the fact that NOBODY needs to hear ANY ARTIST'S 14th album. Never has a 14th album been worth anyone's time

Dude tries to look, sound, and be like mit 70s John Lennon, without having any chance to come even close. The music is not bad, but incredibly bland. Which is somehow worse.

Born to be shit.

This is a solid effort by a great American singer and songwriter. An album full of love songs some covers and some self penned. A very nice listen.

Another discovery for me, just average

2.6

Rom com music (derogatory)

5/9

This was a decent enough listen. It is missing a little something that would elevate it to the next level, but there's really nothing wrong with it.

He sounds an awful lot like Elton John. Perfectly enjoyable nostalgic sounding album.

Ugh this sucks.

No va

This is what happens when the man behind “Runaround Sue” swaps lust, danger and a cracking tune for born-again Christian nonsense and the atmosphere of a hostage situation in a church basement. Dion doesn’t so much depart from his old sound as drive it into the woods, shoot it and return clutching a Bible. Miserable, sanctimonious sludge from a man who once knew how to have fun.

Enjoyed this more than I expected to; the vibes are extremely chill and borderline boring at times but I think it just hit me in the right mood.

I had no knowledge of this guy or this album. It was hit and miss, but more hit than miss.

I did not investigate this before listening to it. I had zero idea except that of trepidation created by the cover photo. It was truly… awful. Really. A mess. But there were some decent? moments. Those were NOT the covers or treatments of classic songs btw. Your Own Backyard made me decide that I wasn’t, necessarily, giving this a 1. But man. Then Dion does He’s got the Whole World in His Hand, and not only is the pace horrifying, but the recording quality is so bad, I wanted to give negative stars. The album is far, far too long. And that would be true even if it were pretty good, which it isn’t. Idk. I have no idea why this is here? Who is Dion? Why did I need to hear him before I die? I needed something else today, obviously, because in my current mood the bad outweighs the good. 1 Boolean: False

there's just not enough drive in this for me to enjoy

nothing really stood out to me about this one

It's kind of a meh 70's album. The music isn't annoying but isn't stand-out either. Interesting to hear the cover of "The way you do the things you do" and learn that the original was actually by the Temptations.

This was almost sort of interesting as a showcase of what Phil Spector brought to his production. But, the fact that he was a murderer sort of negates any positives from that.

When it skews more earnest and bluesy (the opening track), or adds gospel flourishes (He's Got the Whole World in His Hands), this was a pleasant listen. I could strain and hear how Father John Misty or other contemporary folks/blues artists might have stolen a page from this book. But I'm not actually sure it's Dion's book specifically given the album mostly washes over you (in a not unpleasant way) without much really sticking.

Not necessarily bad, but wholly unimpressive. The production is nice and the album doesn’t do much of anything wrong, but only because it isn’t doing all that much in the first place.

Я не можу щось прям поганого сказати про цей альбом. Але жодна пісня якось не зачепила.

Щось таке незрозуміле. 2.5

not for me

the only word for this is lame

Real forgettable tunes, only distinguished by Phil Specter’s production which imparts some of the pleasure of early/mid-‘60s pop. Still, this throwback from 1975 is a pale imitation.

Meh.

I liked this more than I expected I would. Not very original or anything, but it definitely sounds pretty good! Favorites: Your Own Back Yard, In and out of the Shadows

Not super memorable but not unpleasant. It sounds good, Dion has a good voice, something something Phil Spector and so on. It's fine!

Very middle of the road 70s stuff. Not bad at all, just nothing overly exciting again. Decent background music though.

Adorable. It belongs as much in the 50s as it does the 70s. Not deep, but pleasurable. 2.5

3.5 only you know was definitely a stand out

Was ok for background music, not sure why everyone is such a critic here

It grew on me

Гучи Луи прада фенди Диор

My first time listening to Sonic Youth. Not my vibe with this one though I do appreciate the instrumentals

A nice little background album. None of the songs really stood out to me, but nor did they annoy me. A very solid three stars. Actually I did like New York City Song. You showed me what love is is kinda fun. I also liked lover boy supreme.

The spiritual cousin of Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies Man, both featuring the same curdled 70s Spector production and attendant struggle through the recording process. This is the nicer cousin but the songs aren't quite as strong. Nor does it have Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg singing backing vocals about boners. His vocals are fantastic though, especially on In and Out of the Shadows.

What a boring album.

Highly skipable.

This was fine, but felt quite generic

This feels like a very vanilla album. Some lonely love songs all with similar tempo and some decent singing. Note really standing out as noteworthy to me.

A hidden gem!

Been putting off playing this because he looks like such a HELMET on the artwork. Not as bad as I feared. Some cheesy ballads, a couple of tracks playing around the edges of rock n roll. Not sure why it is doubled up with another album on Spotify, thankfully I did my homework and didn’t play all 90 minutes.

Exceeded my low expectations

This bored me immensely. So many factors that didn't agree with me: - Terrible production, I mean it's a total mess - His voice is annoying after 2 songs - Instrumentation is a mess too No, this was not for me. Sorry Dion! (He's still alive and kicking and is apparently still performing, I shall not be attending)

This is slightly too much on the edge of easy listening for me. Actually haven't finished but I won't bore myself any more because I can already tell I don't like the style of this album.

2.5 It was fine

This felt like decent background music.

Pretty brutal. The only halfway decent song was a phil specterized cover of another decent song

In and Out of The Shadows was pretty good

Surprising album. Clearly not a masterpiece, but there's some honesty about it, that I really like.

Really not that special. Kind of a snooze if I'm being honest

Dion has written some of the greatest singles in Rock history. He hasnt crafted timeless albums. Here is no different. This is one of those albums where you go "Oh, that dude is absolutely the most talented industry songwriter in this crowded room" without following it up with "Man his album changed my life".

The album cover had me prepared for the worst, but I actually enjoyed this?

it was an album that played in the background without any impact

'On its completion in 1974, Dion effectively disowned the record, stating that the production made it sound like "funeral music"' Checks out. Works as background music, I guess.

Sounded like hit after hit but have no clue who was playing it. New name to me…kudos to Dion

Overblown and dated. There is a place for this but id hope not to be in the same planet

i'm back

Decent songs, bit middle of the road

Your Own Back Yard was an excellent song about sobriety. I can hear Billy Joel in his style. Overall- solid album with some real bangers.

Interesting for singer songwriter music, especially with the early doo-wop influences. Should note the app links to a combined double album on Spotify and not the much tighter 35 minute album.

1. Born To Be With You (★★★⯨☆) -La intro suena bien. 2. Make The Woman Love Me (★★⯨☆☆) -No es mi estilo, pero está bien hecha y editada. 3. Your Own Back Yard (★★★⯨☆) 4. (He's Got) The Whole World In His Hands (★★⯨☆☆) -Suena como un religioso teniendo una experiencia semi psicódelica... 5. Only You Know (★★★★★) -Fav 6. New York City Song (★★⯨☆☆) 7. In And Out Of The Shadows (★★★★☆) -Fav -Suena muy bien y tiene buena letra, pese a que no me termina de cerrar el "tono"... 8. Good Lovin' Man (★★★⯨☆) -En el fondo me suena a música de iglesia negra en una película estereotipada... -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,4) -Me resultó aceptable, aunque el estilo no me termina de cerrar, un poco gospel, otro romántico, meloso, pero tolerable y sinceramente suena muy bien en general y tiene buenas letras en al menos dos canciones pese a que no me termine de convencer el estilo, así que para mí es un 3.

I don’t know why it’s here. Wall of sound done better elsewhere, rather than a middle of the road singer.

Incredibly boring, could act as decent background music

Bit of a slog

👍

What is this shit, how did it get issued in 2001, and why is it on this list?

I was familiar with his early stuff - Runaround Sue, the Wanderer, etc. I had never heard this. I think the backstory on the album is more interesting than the music itself. Phil Spector being a madman drunk and shelving it. Dion rejecting it. I would watch the documentary on Netflix, I think.

2/5 - It was better than a 1. He has a good voice, but I'm just not interested.

Laid back 70s songs, a guilty pleasure or are these good decent songs? I liked it.

Very creepy in some songs. But not bad I guess? Idk how I rate this one properly.

This has aged terribly in every regard. I don’t think I need to elaborate.

I disagree with my groupmates in that I think this is a fine addition to the generator. I think it’s interesting to hear such a swerve away from the early doo-wop Belmonts stuff. That being said… just a fine listen and way too much Spector. The acoustic stuff is much better

A pleasantly inoffensive wall of turds. New York City Song is a nice little ditty

Oops, forgot to toast my white bread. The most interesting part is the involvement of Phil Spector, who is a world-class piece of shit.

I liked that more than I thought. Getting some extra background from other reviewers definitely helped my appreciation. It was fun to listen to Dion’s Doo Wop right after. Only You Know was my favorite. Rating: 2.7

Pleasant

Sweet voice. Easy listening. Sumptuous production.

For me, this album passed the time without much thought. It’s a solid piece of work, no obvious flaws, but no obvious USP either that makes Dion particularly remarkable. I do genuinely like his voice and his easy, charming presence, but wish there was some spicier songwriting!

Dion gets a solid 3 from me, absolutely pretty good in every way and never anything more

+ nooit van gehaard. Aangename verrassing

I've never heard of this artist but it seems that he has over 40 albums and dozens of top 40 hits. Probably escaped my radar because it's not the type of music I would choose to listen to. It was fine for what it was, but I would still never choose to put this on if it weren't randomly selected for me to do so. This style of music is just not for me.

PSA: due to streaming platforms doubling this with another album you only need to listen to track 8 “Good Loving Man” to hear this album, so don’t let the length out you off What should put you off is how mawkishly dull and insufferably awful even those 8 songs are. Don’t just skip the second half, skip it all.

I really enjoyed this. Feel good music

The most fine album I've listened to. Spector's production is pretty lame. At times there's Elton vibes, but then there' nothing other times. A very odd album that ultimately is very average.

No thanks. Like a poor man's Elton John - a completely forgettable slice of 70s singer/songwriter bollocks.

Best Song: Only you Know I love that Dion hated this album and thought it sounded like, "funeral music" yet the author said, "I like it and that's all that matters." This is another example of the author's lack of objectivity here. I'm sure they love this album but when the artist themselves don't like it, I think that maybe it shouldn't make the cut. Oh and it's great to see Phil Spector producing this during his alcoholic days, prior to his murdering days. Then, I didn't forget about the saxophone and its overabundance. 2/5.

Don't really get the hate. Sounds like pretty standard middle of the road 70's songwriting. While not outstanding in any way, hardly worthy of the universal loathing presented here.

Okay.

Great album, great songs, but just not good enough for 5 stars

This album has everything I dislike. Boring rhythms and instrumentation. Meaningless lyrics about a dude's baby/girl/woman. A not great singer. Forced cheesiness that just is not cute or funny. An hour+ runtime.

Well paint me beige and rock me softly! Dion reportedly called this album "funeral music," and after listening, it's not hard to understand why. There's clear craftsmanship here - the arrangements are lush albeit muddy, and the vocal delivery is fine - but the overall effect is one of lethargy, like wading through water. The tempo drags, the instrumentation sits comfortably in the background, and there's very little rhythmic push. That said, I appreciate the songwriting and the unique approach taken in the production. There is a haunting, underwater feeling, aided by some interesting phasing effects, but for someone who prefers energy and groove, it was a slight slog. It's beautiful in a sombre, static way, but it lacks the drive that makes it engaging for me. It's not bad; it's just incredibly still. If you're in the mood for something reflective and quiet, this is probably really good. But if you want movement and momentum, you'll find yourself left wanting. Fun fact: legendary guitarist Barney Kessel plays on this record too. 2/5.

Definitely in the correct, contemplative and sad mood for this album. Phil Spector making some weird choices made it a bit more interesting, too. Not for everyone. I especially liked the three-song run of Only You Know, New York City Song, and In and Out of the Shadows.

None of the Dion songs I know are on this album. It's getting a lot of crap reviews, and it's not as bad as those suggest. It's just dull. Good vocals and good moments, but every song meanders too much, too often, and every song loses me. But I don't think it's as bad as the average score here is making out. It's certainly not better than a 3.

Holy shit, if I wanted this much cheese I would eat pizza every single day. The doo-wop comes a decade late and a reverb unit short, and who the hell asked for lap steel AND a string section on the same record? Get this out of my sight.

Wow! This one grew on me. Was not expecting this from the cover.

By the time this album was released, Dion’s greatest hits from his rock ’n’ roll/doo-wop era (“The Wanderer”, “Runaround Sue”, “Ruby Baby”) were already 15 years in the past, and even Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound no longer had the same overwhelming impact in the mid-1970s as it had just a few years earlier. The album ‘Born to be With You’ didn’t capture the spirit of the times and, looking back, doesn’t really convince me either. The ageing rock ’n’ roller and the megalomaniacal producer didn’t create a bad album, but neither did they create a good one – or at least a solid one. Once you’ve listened to it, nothing sticks in your mind and, to be honest, you don’t really feel like listening to it a second time.

de het jo e meeega langi karriere gha de dude. erste song huere schön instrumentiert wow. cool. find alli songs bis jetz meega schön und er cha huuuere singe. only you know ischer am beeelte. huuuere schad ischs vomne mörder produziert??? he huere schön aber meeega a mir verbi. viaaa

hahaha hmm chli wenig infos uf wikipedia mal luege, er isch ja eig ide 50er und 60er vor allem erflogriich gsi? born to be with you isch na easy aber auchli langwilig? de 2. song gaht chli ine ähnlichi richtig aber gfalltmer besser...s würkt aber iwie chli alt für 1975? HAHAHA wiso tönter chli wie de ozzy bi the whole world in his hands au new york cuty song isch eig herzig aber ich finds eifach langwilig? ich cheggs iwie nöd ganz weiss nöd was es isch aber in and out of the shadows het bi mier chli klick gmacht good lovin' man het denn auno mega schöni bgvs aber jo iwie bin nöd so drus cho bi dem album, schlecht isches nöd gsi

I guess Dion disowned this album due to Phil Spector's dour production, and I see his point. The songs aren't bad, but there ain't much fun to be had here. (Maybe Leonard Cohen should have taken note: Spector would vandalize one of his albums two years later.) But it's grown on me, in an ennui-ish sort of way.

I don't like this. One star...

This was an interesting album, and the slow, methodic nature of the music did grow on me after a few songs, and I understand why certain bands would have found this album interesting and motivating in 1975. However, it was only partway to something that other bands and artists really turned into something special later.

The record is long and has many butifully composed songs. As a consequence, it may be a little tiring, but if you dig deep, you'll find something

🙂

Never had any thought that Dion ever did more music than the 50s-60s. He should've stayed there.

Rocketman did a better version of “he got the whole world (in his hands)”

For some reason, Apple Music has this as a double album. I’m glad I checked the Wikipedia as to not suffer for another half hour. I particularly enjoyed that both of the albums that they tried to pair together were total failures. Great list we got going on here.

Well, I didn't like it... and then I read that Phil Spector produced it.

Not essential. From this vantage point, a fair bit of the production sounds pretty dated/cliché. And weirdly somber. I never need to hear this version of “The Whole World in His Hands” (complete with a choir?!) again. Still, I liked, or at least appreciated, “Your Own Back Yard” and “Only You Know.” (I love a good, post-recovery redemption arc.) Dion’s voice remained pleasant enough. 2.5?

Me pregunté porque tenía tan mala calificación si al principio sonaba bien, pero después comenzó las cosa más simp e incel y mediocre, entonces entendí porque

If I hadn’t thought about quitting this list after 860 albums, I sure as hell do now.

Only on yt music as part of a double album, but the tracks are in the right order still. Never heard of Dion before, Spector produced apparently and he has a ton of albums. Came into this album sceptical but the title track has a great opener even if Dion's voice grates. That opener.is the best part of the whole album, though. Wish he hadn't put the sax away. You can definitely hear the Spectre production throughout this album. I also want to add that this album seems to be on the list specifically as an underrated Spector deep cut. But I could only find it as a double album with Streetheart. As soon as the Spector produced album finished, the next some "the way you do the things you do" was already more interesting than anything on Born to Be with You. So I guess what I am saying is, Spector is overrated.

Supertramp meets Elton John, played in slow motion as a joke. Quite enjoyed Runaway Man. Which is a shame, since that's not actually on this album, I'm now learning.

To be frank I would’ve much rather listened to his cheesy teenybopper stuff cause that’s a hell of a lot more catchy and interesting. And you know, that’s the stuff HES IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME FOR. Meh I’m being over dramatic it’s just mediocre.

An unexpected great listen. The mixing and vocals were very good, felt very variable in emotions. Some standouts of mine were Make the Woman Love Me, (He's Got) The World in His Hands, Runaway Man, and Hey My Love. 7.4/10

I didn’t care for this. Boring and bland and I disliked the vocal performance. I rounded up for Bonnie Raitt because so many reviews in this project seem harsher towards female than male performers, so I’m feeling mean and rounding down.

He really tries his hand at everything here. There is yacht rock, Paul Simon, beach boys. But he’s at his best in his doo-woo adjacent lane with tracks like “baby let’s stick together”. Ultimately, not bad! I didn’t know Dion had a career beyond “runaround Sue” which is a banger and gives him tons of street cred.

i can see someone picking this up used at a store the 90s and being like wow this doo wop dude made a pretty good adult album and playing it for a few friends who agree, but for me now i dont care. wasn't so bad to have to actively skip tracks but felt weirdly drained as i gently ignored this for its play time. i suspect the thousand albums writer picked this because primal scream cited it as an influence? no fave track because i really really didnt listen carefully at all

I expected to not enjoy this, but while it doesn't hit any real highs, it's a really even, nice listen.

Lots of guys want to be this guy but they’re not this guy

at first I was nooot feeling it, but then came NY city song and I changed my mind

I’m upset because I didn’t realize the album had been paired on Spotify with Streetheart which was released a year after Born to Be With You was released. I would have to go back and listen to the first 8 songs again to give this a fair review. Which I’m not doing because it’s just not worth it. I just remember the first songs were over produced by Spector and Dion sounds like he’s in a cave.

Far exceeded my expectations. Similar terrain and Ricky Nelsons late era Garden Party. The production is a little zany but Dion sounds great. Deserves to be heard. 3.5 stars.

I can see why, on its completion in 1974, Dion effectively disowned the record, stating that the production made it sound like "funeral music" (thank you wikipedia).

Lovely tunes if not heard, thx!

I liked it

Tenho a sensação de já ter escutado uns 15 álbuns iguais esse aqui no app

2.5

I always liked Dion’s voice in Dion and the Belmonts and had only heard his popular solo hit Abraham, Martin, and John before this album, but I liked this. Nothing stood out much individually, but it was a nice listen all the same.

It’s a day later and I have forgotten this album

3 out of 5. This was all right for a slow rock album.

Never really heard Dion before, great album.

Te odio Phil Spector, hasta un álbum penca le sale piola

This is pretty weird but not really in a good way.

Enkel og grei

Nothing about this seemed special. It was dated, boring, and generic.

I wasnt familiar with Dion going in. A nice collection of Singer/Songwriter ballads, including a few covers of popular songs. Some folk influence. Bordered on maudlin at some points, both otherwise enjoyable.

Never heard of this artist. but pretty cool he used to be in a doo-wop group before going solo. too Slow for me so far. Not for me.

A nice easy listening album - wholly unchallenging, perhaps borderline milquetoast. But Dion's voice is nice on the ears, and the production is nice. So yeah, it's fine.

First things first, Fuck Phil Spector that absolute monster. As for the music, meh. It’s fine. No desire to listen to anything else by Dion based off of what I heard. It’s palatable but mostly boring. 2/5

This is not as bad as the reviews suggest. It’s not good, mind, and it absolutely does not deserve a place on the list, but it’s fine sub-James Taylor-y noodling, with a couple of actively quite good tracks.

First sentence on Wikipedia: “Born to Be with You is the fourteenth solo studio album by Dion”. That’s a lot of records for someone I’ve never heard of. That’s when I knew this wouldn’t go well. There’s really nothing remarkable about this record - it’s not even remarkably bad enough to earn 1 star. If Phil Spector didn’t produce this, I don’t think we’d be talking about it at all. It’s bland AM Gold backed by a moderately sized wall of sound. They really tried to bring out the artillery for “Good Lovin’ Man” but it’s too little too late (and also, I don’t believe you). Kind of begrudgingly, I did add that song to my ‘Boat Rock Of Last Resort’ playlist because it fits so well. Also, was he ever investigated for soliciting a fifteen year old girl? Because the album art makes him look like he’s tried to solicit at least one fifteen year old girl.

How many sleeping pills you have added in it?

No.

Worst album ever. I can’t believe this horse shit is considered music.

Too whiny for my taste. Had to listen to deep purple afterwards to cleanse the pallet.

The sort of thing that gives 4th rate music a bad name.

Too tinny. Boring. Very shallow.

Unmemorable. Not bad just mediocre in the worst way.

The worst thing I think i can say about an album is it isn't memorable. Born to Be With You by Dion isn't memorable. I struggled to get through the album, not because any song was technically bad, but because it just didn't engage me on any level.

Dull, not sure why this is on the list

5/10 - cant remember one song but was pleasant in the background, maybe a tad too long

Pretty good

For a millisecond, I thought I had gotten a /Celine/ Dion record. Really wish I did, in hindsight. Would’ve at least not put me to sleep.

I'm glad this wasn't my first album on this list and instead is in the 100s. Unclear why this is on here at this time

Uninteresting, I've never heard of Dion and I'm not sure why it's on the list. There opening songs treat paedophilia and stalking as romantic.

couldn't get through the first 3 songs this guy is TOO DIVORCED for me

This was surprisingly nice. It was a discovery for me. I'll have to listen to him again to form a real idea about the guy but I hear the craft. When I saw how many songs the album has, I thought it was a double feature. Turns out the songs were short. I'm so used to 20 minute songs.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I don’t think I’ve heard of Dion before this.

Love,love, love

It’s ok but my major problem here is it’s not ground breaking ( even when accounting for the year of 1975) and I know of dozens of better albums than this that have been released that will not be in this list . I’d give it a 2 as an album but will score it a 1 as don’t think it’s worthy . The artist himself doesn’t even rate this release.

This held little tou no appeal.

This is the worst fucking shit I have ever heard and it's not even close.

Extremely bland pop rock. Some catchy melodies here and there but nothing worth going out of your way to listen to.

Wasn't familiar with Dion and their long discography so went in with fairly low expectations and was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one. Not normally my type of music but the more pop feel gives the folk rock style so much life.

pop music was scientifically perfected exactly twice: in Motown in the 1960s and Scandinavia in the 1990s. "Born To Be With You" sees brilliant producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector attempting to sneak a third one in between those two. the key word here is "attempting." there are a few interesting choices here and there but it largely ends up being both generic. the production also ends up smothering Dion, who is technically the headliner on this one. he only gets a chance to do his thing on two tracks, which, naturally, are the ones Spector did not produce. i can see myself coming back to it, if only for how odd it is.

Uma vibe cult pra essa lista. Curti bastante! O momento que escutava estudava e criava forças pra continuar, e esse disco foi um bom plano de fundo, achei muito cativante a forma que Dion canta, além da qualidade sonora desse álbum que teve algumas músicas que fiquei chocada por não serem famosas! Um cantor de Folk que casou muito bem com o Baroque Pop/ soft rock mais um pingados aí, teve ajuda de Phil Spector como produtor (não vou fingir que conheço pois era fama de tipo, décadas atrás) que complementou bem a situação que se encontrava Dion, uma luta contra vício e, Phil, isolado. Um disco melancólico e lento que não alavancou muito quando lançado, mas que merecia reconhecimento pois escutar o álbum inteiro tornou um momento favorito, bom e apreciável. As favoritas foram “Born to Be With You”, “The Way You Do the Things You Do” “Baby Let’s Stick Together” (MUITO BOA!!!), “You Showed Me What Love Is”, “Lover Boy Supreme” e “Streetheart”. Born To Be With You me fez pensar nas minhas faixas preferidas cantadas por uma cantora bem em alta hoje, que acho que combinaria muito bem a voz e estilo próprio que seria a Sabrina Carpenter, imagina? Mas voltando, que me trouxe a calma de esperar ansiosa por um filme na sala de cinema, ou de andar por New York em sua era de Hit que era os anos 90, e coisas do tipo. Curti!

This is fairly unremarkable singer songwriter fare, but is absolutely hamstrung by the production. I like Spectors production generally but this is soupy and unclear. The best songs are less cluttered but even then he can’t help himself and there’s unnecessary strings just taking the focus away. His voice is fine, but if I compare it to similar albums I’ve listened to in this project it doesn’t compare favourably

60’s

Low key folk rock

nice mix of bluesy jazzy type songs

3.5

Definitely a Phil Spector production. Large string arrangements and lots of sound on most of the tracks. The first two songs are good, and pulled me in. I do feel like it lost steam over the next few tracks though. I enjoyed the two songs that were acoustic with simple arrangements. Very good vocal performance throughout. Overall, pretty standard 70s soft rock/pop. Enjoyed but nothing too groundbreaking. 3/5.

Born to Be with You is another example of why I believe there should be a 10 year "waiting period" before an album appears in this book as a "must hear" group of songs. Born to Be with You was not met with acclaim until the 90's when it became an influential album for other artists. Magically, the album is now considered to be a "must listen" because history has shown it had value to music as a whole. Remember this as we get more mediocre newer albums listed as part of the 1001 albums we have to hear. There is probably an album out there that deserves to be on the list, but is not, due to impatience and the need to update the book. I can't really decide if this album did need to be in the book, but it was influential, and this would not be the first album that was merely influential that would appear in this book. Dion's sound is pretty much exactly what I expected it to be and I can see how he thought the sound of this one was a bit too clean for his tastes. My favorite songs: Born to Be with You Make the Woman Love Me New York City Song Good Lovin' Man Baby Let's Stick Together

his Phil Spector album. the thing with Phil Spector is that his style does not accommodate the singer at all. it is what it is, and the performer works into that or against it. Dion doesn't fit it that well, and thus this album is a bit dull and a bit stilted. myeh. deserves to be one of the 1001? prolly not. i cannot for the life of me understand why this got chosen over Runaround Sue. that one's significant!

Crooning to the max. 3-4

I'm stupid enough to have not put together that this is the same 'Dion' from the song 'The Wonderer'. Silly me. No wonder I liked this a lot. I thought this album went for WAY too long but then I realised the Spotify version is a double album, and the one listed here is only 8 tracks. Oopsies. Banger of an album.

don’t get the negative reviews tbh. was it a standout? no. but i honestly enjoyed it, good background vibes

I've done my time in the Wall of Sound trenches, of course. I've got half the Ronettes' discography memorized, I've got a well-loved copy of Back to Mono, honestly I even like that one Leonard Cohen album! But this is an example of it that you truly do not need to hear. Like, the sound is fine enough, but it's just an attempt to cover up uninspired performances by someone whose time is past (see also: Let It Be, Byrdmaniax).

Described as "funeral music"...if you play this at my funeral, I will so haunt you !

Got bored. Gave up.

Pretty standard 70's fare.

Boring. Very forgettable

This is two albums, the first ' born to be with you' I found flat and unremarkable. The second, ' sweetheart ' was better in comparison but still felt forgettable.

Kind of cheesy

Variadito también y muy de su época

This record looks like it wouldn’t have been out of place in my Mum and Dad’s record collection back in the 70’s and I would have always passed it by when I was looking through the vinyl collection cause it looks boring, and he has got a massive forehead! And you know what I would have been right to ignore it cause it is boring. Also thanks to the person who made the comment I only needed to listen to the first 8 tracks, that made it a bit easier.

Not sure why Dion’s Born To Be With You made The 1001 Must Hear List. Didn’t have any impact (that I can remember) when it came out, doesn’t hold up, and nothing close to a hit. He did have a couple of hits in the early sixties, but this album is an enigma on making the list. Please explain. (1.3**s) He was better with The Belmonts…

Dion puts a lot into this album from saxy folk, R&B, gospel, classical, slow rock, and some doo-wop to wrap it up. It's quite an eclectic mix and not too bad. Recordings must have been over a period of time cause some of the album sounds like it was recorded live or in a cheap studio while others are polished. "Your Own Back Yard" is a good ol' drunkard/druggie ballad and top track. Another decent one with "Only You Know." Gave this record a runback when finished since it was a shorty (careful of the Spotify double with Streetheart). Better 2nd round and giving it 2.39 stars.

Dion has such better material to offer than the slowed down ballads featured on Born To Be With You. I can understand why he distanced himself from this album and referred to it as "funeral music" as I agree with him. Not sure why this one would make the list as Phil Specter himself shelved the album upon completion because it was met with overall indifference. I for one much prefer the doo-wop sound that made Dion famous over the slowed down gospel-ish sound from this one. Give me The Wanderer, Dream Lover, Runaround Sue and more from that ilk over anything on Born To Be With You any day of the week. It's not the worst album on the list but overall a disappointing affair as I like Dion's other work more. This one should be skipped or replaced with a better album. 1.69 stars

Boring background music. If this is Phil Spector's Wall of Sound I dont want to hear it again.

I saw the super lame cover and read some of the bad reviews and was prepared to hate this but ended up really enjoying it. Obviously, the guy who sang “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer” and “Teenager in Love” knows his way around a pop song and that Phil Spector guy had a trick or two up his sleeve as well. The songs on this album had a weird sad seventies feel to them and were just the right mix of poppy and weird. I am glad to have heard this and Dion’s Wikipedia page is one of the most entertaining ones I’ve read in a while. Imagine avoiding getting the-day-the-music-die’ed because the cost of the flight was your unlucky number. Crazy.

The 14th album by a singer over his peak (I guess, I don't know anything else from him) and a producer over his peak. I struggled to remember what album I had yesterday. Nothing stood out

This is a pretty okay album. It's just easy listening, nothing interesting, but nothing bad. Still a bit boring for my taste.

Listened in the car. Another album that needs to come with the warning: "Do not listen while operating heavy machinery."

Not bad, not great, probably better without Spector’s production but we’ll never know.

This made little to no impression on me. I guess it wasn’t terrible.

Most of the album was probably a 3 for me, but Only You Know was good enough to pull the whole thing up to a 4

It was mediocre and saccharine and way too praisey for my taste.

kaia mara mezareba damateba

The majority of this album falls into a folk rock country ballad boredom black hole. Rarely is the Phil Spector touch good enough to warrant listening out for it.

Boring

Surprisingly good

This is terrible. The idea that supposedly talented people worked on this is proof that sometimes teams are weaker than their individual contributors. An all-around embarrassment of a record.

A middle of the road album with no standout tracks but still easy to listen to for the most part. Vocals were a bit annoying on some tracks.

It's an album of the time. It's fine.

very mellow

Oh yes, I'm dying to listen to a Dion album that was a flop, had no hits, and was released well after his relevancy!

Not my particular flavor of music, I did like the songs themselves.

I kind of feel like this album was simply the sum of its parts. The elements felt a bit disjointed, and didn’t always work together. I feel like Dion’s voice lays against the grain of the tracks, which was sometimes good sometimes confusing.

Fuck this book on god 0/ I dont care anymore 0.00%

Came into this knowing nothing, and was really impressed and surprised. Thought it was a great album - languid and mournful, and full of soul and feeling. Songwriting is strong, and the sound is fantastic. Great find.

I cant believe that one of the only positive review abouth this album (on the 10 first reviews) is fucking chat gpt written slop. Honestly, its quite fitting for this uninspired bland album to only receive praise from an unsentient robot. I get that the production of this album inspired a lot of other artist but it doesnt mean that the music is good. You dont need to hear this.

Not my cup of tea. The music likely appeals to elder women looking for a strong male voice to serenade them before bedtime.

This did very little for me, though it wasn't bad.

setting aside god forbid I experience a breakup

Even Mr. DiMucci himself despised this record. It's one long, monotonous drone, thanks in no small part to Phil Spector's production methods. The songs themselves are nothing special and come across as interminably sad. I'd like to hear Mr. Dimery's defense of this album's inclusion. I certainly hope that it's something better than, "Well... the guy from Primal Scream likes it, so..."

I enjoyed this

This isn’t really my vibe tbh. Fav song is ‘Only You Know’.

I did actually kinda like this it's a 2.8

It was nice, low 4

Eh. Nothing really stood out to me all that much

Not sure why this is on the list. I was able to tolerate the last track on the original album's content. Then the bonus album started belting out some good songs which had a bit of life to them.

Pretty good! Lots to do with alcoholism it seems.

im always mad sussed out by gospel made by white people. this is bad i actually hate it. weird ass lyrics and production thats doing way too much. i usually like brill building stuff or shit associated with phil spector but this is god awful.

Mostly just boring? Did enjoy "Only You Know" though

Albums rated a 1 are, in my opinion, purely unlistenable and have no redeeming qualities. Those would be records that have absolutely nothing on them which is worth coming back to, nothing that is even remotely interesting or unique, and are just unenjoyable to spend your time on. That's not this record. In fact, I think this record has a few moments that actually made me perk up from whatever I was doing and pay attention to the music. Which I can't say for an album I think is bad. But I'd say this record is close to a 1 for me. The whole thing, as a cohesive project is... boring, drab and dull. If someone were to take a nap and ask me which album I'd recommend for getting to sleep quick and easy, this is (so far) my #1 pick from the list. The musicianship is solid, the songs are definitely not bad, the instrumentation is smooth and sweet, but it could not keep my attention whatsoever. Maybe that says something about me, or maybe that says something about the album. For my sake, I hope it's the latter. 2/5.

Very easy listening and truly I can’t do 80 minutes of this it’s a little mind numbing sorry doo wop man

The man on the cover looks like a boring wanker which makes sense because this feels like an album for boring wankers

I have nothing bad or good to say about this. Don't know if that is a good or a bad thing (Except for the production sin of putting phaser/reverb on the master on some tracks from what I could guess). It is very Safe music that is like 50s and 60s music that been adapted to the 70s. For being famous for the iconic hit "The Wanderer" that can be heard in the fallout games and as a status quo cover, i really don't get why they included this album instead of that album...

Really surprised at all the hate on the reviews for this album. I found it to be a decent listen. It did start to sound the same after a while but overall it was good, chill, late 70’s singer/songwriter vibe album. (3)