Reviews (page 3 of 8)
This is a typical Phil Spector record and the main artist, of whom I didn't know much before this album was recommended, wasn't too happy with it. He called it "funeral music" because of the production. While I see where he's coming from, I think there are certain qualities to it. The opening track and many others are a bit schmalzy pop songs with big string arrangements, but the version of "(He's Got) The Whole World In His Hands" is refreshingly different from all the other versions out there. All in all a solid record, nothing special that needs to be on this list.
So, is this guy related to Celine at all or is there nothing there? No? Dion is this guy's first name? Oh, okay then. This album's alright. It's not mind-blowing at all, but I didn't hate it either. Is it perhaps a little basic and sappy even? Sure. But I don't know. I kinda sorta like this a bit. I would make a joke where I rhetorically ask who produced this album only to be horrified that it was convicted murderer Phil Spector, but I could tell that this was a Spector production just by the sound alone, so I never even doubted that this was his production for a second. Yeah, I got some real All Things Must Pass vibes from the production, which is not a bad thing. Phil Spector may have been a stinky doo-doo head who killed a woman, but the man knew how to produce music, that's all I'm saying. Of course, this album isn't nearly as good as All Things Must Pass for a variety of reasons, but the production isn't one of them. You know what is though? Dion not being as talented as George Harrison in any regard. Yeah, the album's fairly average for the most part. The songs of choice are decent. "Only You Know" is probably the best one here. Dion's singing isn't bad. The music is good, but it doesn't have any moments that really captured my attention. In fact, there wasn't really anything that captured my attention, positive or negative. Born to Be With You doesn't do anything majorly wrong, but it doesn't stand out in any way either. It's good, but not great. Solid 3/5.
This guys is not as great as he thinks he is. It's ok. If pretentious had a sound.
only Dion song i had listened prior to this was The Wanderer from 1961. i love that song! it's fantastic! that didn't mean i had high hopes for this album that came out over ten years after (Ten Years After reference???) that particular song, as i had no idea what 70s era Dion would sound like, but i was optimistic. i discovered i don't like it all that much. i think this was just overly sappy for me lol...every song sounded very much the same with lovey dovey lyrics and a lot of saxophone🎷🎷🎷 also i listen to anything i don't own physically on spotify, so i listened to Born To Be With You on there. turns out i'm stupid because on spotify it pairs this album with Dion's other album, Streetheart. it wasn't until after i listened to the hour+ long pairing of the two that i realized i wasted my time...and turns out i ended up liking Streetheart a bit more. so yeah Born To Be With You kind of sucks. favorite track: i guess the title track, Born to Be with You i thought was okay. after that my attention was gone
7 - GOOD
What was he yelling about? Lamest production ever from Phil ghoul specter
24/03/2026 I may regret the 4 stars, but it I remember rightly, it was a pleasant surprise. Spotify listeners: 2.7 million
Who the fuck is this guy and why should he belong here? This is one of the shittiest album on this project so far. It's difficult to conceive a more boring and useless collection of songs. As if that were not enough, Phil Spector here demonstrates that, on top of being a horrible human, he was also an awful producer and his "wall of sound" was pure bullshit.
First Listen; 1.5; Eeek. This is some milquetoast stuff. Singing isn't especially good, music is slow. I noticed the wall of sound effect while listening, and sure enough, most of the album was produced by Spector. And the production and sound is pretty rough in some parts. Favorite Track: Make the Woman Love Me
I liked New York City song but compared to what I’ve heard of Dion this albums much slower and definitely is no wanderer which is a freaking banger. It a terrible listen overall though.
Fucking dreadful. There's a strong case for this being the worst album I've had so far. Horrible, horrible dreary shite with absolutely no redeeming features. Only managed five tracks.
Kinda bland but probably someone's cup of tea.
i like dion! but maybe i only like doowop dion. runaround sue dion! the dion with a lust for life. this is more divorced dad dion. still, there's definitely some charm to it. favorite song is "In and out of the Shadows"
Rating: 3/10 Don't like it. I feel like this kind of music was done a lot better by other artists already 5-10 years before. First two tracks were fine enough, and Only You Know did grab my attention more than any other song, that one is a nice little tune. That cover was pretty shit
Pretty nice. Nice vocals, good vibe throughout 6.4/10
Cool discovery. I will be listening to this more. Proto-yacht rock? Pretty solid top to bottom.
This is a real mixed bag. It's like walking through a beautiful but kinda creepy, sound. Dion's voice and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound make this album sound super unique and a little haunting. Tracks like the title song and "Only You Know" have this ghostly, orchestral vibe that feels timeless, even though it came out in 75. But, on the flip side, it can be a real drag. I get why some people call it boring or sleepy. The production is so thick and the songs are slow, it feels like the music is drowning. Dion even called it funeral music and after hearing all that reverb it's hard to disagree. It's a piece of history for Spector fans, but for most people, it's more background music than anything else.
This is quite bland. Nothing is necessarily bad on here but there’s also nothing that drags me in at all.
Too much Phil Spector. I've yet to find a 70s Phil Spector album I've liked. He could even mar a Leonard Cohen album.
A commercial failure hated by the artist, producer, and audience? This is a particularly strange definition of "must-listen."
4.5🥸
Remarkably unremarkable.
Can we please not? Dion himself disavowed this record, why can't we respect that and not include it on a list of essential listens? The guy who wrote it hated it for goodness' sake. This is another case where I'm very glad I double checked - Spotify combines this with another album, giving a total runtime of 1 hour 20 minutes; where in reality only the first 8 tracks are part of the album. Dodged a bullet there. Look, it was fine... but I agree with Dion. Phil Spector's production work DID leave it feeling like funeral music. I'm giving this a 2, and I think Dion would agree.
qui titulo lindo T^T FAVS (top 3): make the woman love me, more to you (than meets the eye), hey my love menções honrosas: only you know, new york city song, in and out of the shadows, good lovin man, on the night gente é um bom album, é grande por ter muitas tracks e nao por cada track ser MUITO longa, eu curti é bem vibez, o finalzinho é a parte q eu mais gostei nota final: 3.5/5
Phil Spector 🪄 ✨
(32/100)
Weichgespülte Langeweile.
That was the sound of a washed up has been. Boring music of music.
A laborious slog, even at 30-ish minutes. Vanilla soft rock that's eternally an eighth of a beat too slow. I'd fall asleep to it, if it's navel gazing and pretentiousness didn't piss me off. 1,001 Albums to Listen to Before I Die? To know to never listen to this crap again? Is that the purpose of this entry? A tale of warning? Beware the boomers and their famous producers!! Ugh .. (1/5) Zero if I could.. can't wait for all the Bread and Gordon Lightfoot to pollute my algorithms for a week until I slowly purge it. Maybe some speed metal or some punk will clean it out, like a fast-acting Drano or something?
Before I die, though? You sure about that?? Because while this isn't the most gawd awful album I've ever heard or anything, it's far from memorable or seemingly influential. Just eight of the blandest and most forgettable soft rock tracks I've listened to since I don't know when. You're telling me that this guy has thirteen other solo albums, and this is the one? Because it feels like a compilation of Neil Diamond's lowest rung, least liked fillers. It's a 2/5 out of respect for Dion and the Belmonts.
"You've lost that lovin' feelin'/ Now it's gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh-oh-oh" Variety: 1 Adequacy: 2 Listenability: 1 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 2 = 1.4 rounded down to a 1 INTRO Looking at these albums has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Sometimes I'll wake up and see something like Hole or Stan Getz and be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes I'll see something like Morrisey or Soul II Soul and dread the next hour. This morning the rollercoaster has stopped mid-loop, and we're all hanging upside down waiting to be rescued. The only thing I can offer up as a reaction to seeing Dion in the queue ( Dion? Really? The "Wanderer" guy?!!) is sheer bafflement. Absolutely zero clue what to expect here. I think we here in the U.S. might sometimes get thrown for a loop by a list made my someone across the pond. It's completely understandable that some stuff hits at differently to people given the vagaries of time and circumstances, geographical location, local tastes, history, etc... But Dion? Frankie Valli had a weird 70s comeback run over here though, so... THE TRACKS Side One "Born to Be with You" - Not what I was expecting AT ALL. This is like some sort of weird thing where you get to 70s Beach Boys and are thrown by the disconnect between their popular material and what you are actually getting. The sleepy, soulful performance and the slow motion orchestral bits give the impression of floating underwater. This is more Lou Reed and less Doo-Wop. Though, to be fair there is some crossover between those two, so maybe this makes more sense than I think it does. "Make the Woman Love Me" - Schmaltzy early 70s pop fodder gets a bit of a lift from Dion's voice and the production, but not enough to make this anything special. Eric Carmen meets Van Morrison. "Your Own Back Yard" - Inoffensive, capable little country-tinged thing. Forgotten as soon as it was over. "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands" - Nothing much going on here aside form the crazy muffled production sound. Side two "Only You Know" - Another Lou Reed-ish number here. At least it starts that way. Then it takes a sharp turn down soft rock alley and we get lost in the maudlin slush. "New York City Song" - Huh? What's that? I think Spector must have recorded this one in an a open manhole. "In and Out of the Shadows" - More slow motion soul, but a poor imitation of the feel of that first track. "Good Lovin' Man" - Some real energy, bluesy guitar work and game for it background singers can't save this muddy sounding mess. I honestly searched around for alternate versions of this to make sure my laptop speakers just weren't flitching out on me, but no. I'm wondering if Spector's famous "Wall of Sound" by this point just meant he took the master tapes and let them soak in some dirty dishwater before running them over a couple times with a truck. Lo-fi I don't have issues with generally, but this is not the sort of thing suited for that approach in my opinion. HIGHLIGHTS - "Born to Be with You" - Dion's vocals are the loose stitching barely holding this thing together - The runtime LOWLIGHTS - "Make the Woman Love Me" - "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands" - "Only You Know" - "New York City Song" - The general production of this is very unappealing. FINAL THOUGHTS Poor Dion, looking like Warren Zevon's meek uncle on that cover. I still remain a bit baffled by this choice, but I can see it. Just. It was totally not what I expected, and based on some reading after, it apparently wasn't what Dion expected either. He didn't seem to happy with the outcome, and seems like this was largely a Phil Spector production with a lot of outside writers and would call it an album in search of a voice. Say what you will about the man, Spector at one time seemed to make inspired choices, and Dion I guess was one of them. But while I can appreciate the circumstances, and even be a bit impressed with how Mr. DiMucci handles himself here, it's still so full of that early to mid-70s soft rock feel that puts me in mind of Bread, Air Supply and that ilk. A touch more soulful because of Dion's strong vocals, but the atmosphere so undynamic that I felt more drained than relaxed by any of it. If I want a lushly orchestrated, odd take on pop balladry I'd much rather hunt down some Scott Walker. At least he's interesting. And this even fails as a Phil Spector project in my mind as a good portion of it sounded awfully mixed. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Born to Be with You" alone gets rescued from the burning dumpster but still doesn't make the playlist
My body was actively rejecting this album as I listened to it. I had to immediately put on my high energy playlist when it ended. I was quite surprised to see I had a "liked" song on my Spotify from this artist. It was "The Wanderer" from Dion and The Belmonts. Guess I enjoyed the Doo-wop / Rock and Roll era much more. Apparently Dion was not happy with this album and called it "funeral music." I agree. Let's just bury it and not speak of it again.
Noo
This was fine, had some moments that reminded me of songs I do like.
A little longer than it needed to be, but otherwise good
One of my favorite obscure discoveries of the past decade, "Only You Know" is one of the greatest songs I have ever heard, as this album is full of gut-wrenching emotion which goes perfect with the wall of sound production style. 5/5
It’s ok. Not what I expected.
I'd never heard of this dude before. Interesting discovery. The cover art had me anticipating schmaltz and possibly bombast - but in reality I found the whole thing to be relatively tasteful and understated.
høydepunkt: In Your Own Backyard, Only You Know
Honestly, this one is doing nothing for me. Don't really got anything much else to say. It's kinda boring to me.
Awwww yeah! Now this is an album. I've always had a soft spot for Dion (and the Belmonts). This is great. Not sure I can swing a 5, but the lower end of a 4.5 is where it's at. Let's. Go! Update: I just read some of y'alls reviews and you're certifiable. Wild stuff happening over there from some of you.
Very cool and soulful. Feels like this album must’ve been one of Father John Misty’s influences.
The picture does not match the music! What a good dose of soul, blues, and grit. Reminder to not judge a book by the cover.
Day786 - a fine album but it seems more like an album dion fans should listen to.
Bluesy old school music. Not bad.
Never heated him before, but nice mellow rock with nice singing and production
I dunno, this annoyed me, like its stuck between genres. Also the lead singer seeming a bit lost. I also have a hard time seperating these songs from one another in some cases. I had to leave the room for a minute and when I came back two songs later I had no idea.
Fine but definitely forgettable. Bumped up a star because I like “Only you know”. I guess I just don’t get the genius of Phil Spector as a producer.
Запись не зря дразнили похоронным маршем. Кажется, она повлияла на некоторые современные.
Intriguing album. Knew some of the earlier Doo Wop work by Dion so did not expect him on this vein. Overall, an interesting record. 7/10 [KEEP]
if the guy from primal scream likes it that's enough to convince me
kul vajbic nmp mora se unesem malo vise u slusanje ovih albuma
Meh. Uninspired to make it all the way through.
6/10
Born to be with you maybe but not me. 1/5 24/2/26
A little dated even for it's time, somewhat honky-tonk. But has gospel influence and has very good harmonies. I enjoyed this a lot.
I think it got recorded in half speed.
Not his best work but as old timey background music it's pretty good
They're decent songs, but to me it's just all a bit the same. Faves: Only You Know, In and out of the Shadows, Runaway Man
I think I liked it. But also I forgot to review it at the time and now I’ve already forgotten it. I think it reminded me a bit of Neil Diamond and Van Morrison but also more kind of funky at parts. I can’t be bothered to re-listen, it’s unlike me not to take notes but anyway. Fine but forgettable I guess!
A very mixed bag, but overhated for sure. Dion generally has a great voice, and this album is no exception. Unfortunately, infamous producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" technique is incredibly hit-or-miss; some songs mesh with the production quite nicely ("Only You Know" and the title track, for example), but it ends up suffocating other tracks and leaves them feeling cloying and annoying. And then there's two songs on here ("Your Own Back Yard" and "New York Song") that apparently weren't produced by Phil at all, which allows them to at least have their own personality. I'll probably never listen to this again, but I can't say I had an awful time with this. Standout Tracks: Your Own Back Yard, Only You Know, In and Out of Shadows Score: C-
Nice. Good.
I don’t see the point of this. A mid career album from a mid tier rocker. Ok the wanderer and runaround Sue is perhaps the greatest double A single of all time. (Certainly one of the greats anyway). But teenager in love isn’t Tuttle frutti or heartbreak hotel etc. He’s got the whole world in his hand sounds like a second rate Dylan parodist. The rest of it is pleasant but inessential I just can’t see why this is here.
Dearie, dearie me. It literally slumbered by as I was defrosting some meat for dinner tonight, I could see it out of the corner of my eye, rolling slowly past, going nowhere for no one. The record was looking for a reason to exist, ashamed to be played all these years later, knowing there were middle aged white blokes all over the world rolling their eyes at the mere thought. That someone thought that this was worthy of some consideration is in itself way more interesting than the music contained within. But remember deadbeats, the deeper we go, the higher we fly, the higher we fly the deeper we go so come on!
A commercial and critical misstep for Dion and Phil Spector was not really unexpected from either of them in 1975. This album has been rescued from the bargain bin of history by pretentious rock snob wankers who have declared this a "cult work of genius". Nice try, guys, but I ain't falling for your hipper-than-thou, gate-keeping, willful obscurantism. (Secretly, I can hear how elements have influenced some bands that name-check this record, like Primal Scream or Spiritualized, but they are allowed to be influenced by various things. What I hate are people who claim this as "a lost work of genius that you wouldn't know", which is just a form of one-upmanship. See also: Surf's Up, the works of Skip Spence, Gene Clark's solo albums, etc etc) This album is over-polished, soporific and dull. Not terrible, but it is also hard to believe this is the same man who sang 'The Wanderer' and 'Runaround Sue'. I would happily listen to those vital and exciting singles any day of the week.
4/10
This was really nothing me, in a good and bad way. I didn't love any song on here. But there was something about this album where I have feel like I have heard each song somewhere before (cover not withstanding) but the overall sound felt very familiar different than other 70s soft rock. I'm feeling generous so I'll give it a three since it was easy to listen to the album in spite of not liking any songs. Biggest Hit - Your Own Back Yard Biggest Miss - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands Pretty Good Too - Good LovIn Man
Not my thing
Way too mellow. This screams 70's so hard. Maybe if there was screaming, it'd be more interesting.
Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🤓🕯️🪮 Production: 🟫😑🆗 Music: ⏱️❓🤔 Rating: 🎷(🎷)/5
God what boring drivel
очень длинный альбом, не дослушала до конца, местами нудный меланхоличный, местами вайбовый
The production of this album coincides with his heroin addiction. Weak.
ni fu ni fa
3.13
Saccharin with an unsettling album cover
No idea what to expect here. Never heard of Dion. Cover doesn’t give me hope… but we’ll see… Well, the opening track isn’t too bad. Certainly better than the last couple of albums that have been suggested by this app. Problem I’m having with this album so far is if I don’t concentrate on it I forget it’s playing. Guess that says a lot… It’s not a bad album, just a little characterless and bland. Halfway through and pointless me continuing with this one. None of it is sinking in and unless I try and focus that it’s even playing it just disappears. Can’t even call it good background music, because you forget it’s even playing. Nothing “technically” wrong as it’s not awful - just very very bland. Despite not being horrendously bad it’s still getting a 1 from me because of it completely fails to make any impact and is entirely forgettable.
Didn't click with me and some of the lyrics made me feel a little uneasy
This just faded into the background.
Unexpectedly good
No thanks.
I thought this had 1 star written all over it. It's better than that I suppose, but still kinda meh.
Ok.
Geht so…
This album was not the best Dion album. Only a single song that I felt exemplified this talent.
Muy lindo :D
This was easy enough listening, with the genre of yearning that would be rolled out in a hallmark romcom - song titles erring on stalkerish and songs that I not find emotionally stirring as I imagine Dion wished I had. It did pick up at the very end though when they finally brought in some beats, and Lover Supreme has tipped this into a 3
Loverboy: Hits of 1975 ——— Definitional easy listening; completely inoffensive to the senses but too much sameness as the record went on. I really did love Lover Boy Supreme though and it’s probably the breakthrough track for me.
bring back albums that are less than one hour long! Edit: Ok sorry I’m taking that back because the album is lumped together with the follow up Streetheart on streaming, more than doubling the length (not Dion’s fault). Unfortunate because I enjoyed the first few songs from Streetheart more than anything from the actual album
A seriously melodramatic album featuring such hits like ‘god why don’t women like me’, ‘I’m a terrible alcoholic’ and the quite repetitive ‘he’s got the whole world in his hands’. Thought it was great.
Dion stated, that the production made the record sound like funeral music.
A bit of a nothing album
This album is 35 minutes long. On Spotify, Dion’s next album from a year later is appended to the end making one continuous 1 hr 20 album. Some sadist approved that. Fuck that guy, fuck Phil Spector and fuck Dion too.
Dion is a wonderful singer. The production and the arrangements are gorgeous here — very tasteful — but they feel primarily like canvases to lay his excellent vocal performances on. I bet Father John Misty likes this album. It has a similar vibe to some of his more dramatic songs. 3.5
Nice classic rock folky ballady songwriter sound. I've heard Dion several times in my life but never put the name to the songs. I enjoyed this one, but probably not super motivated for repeat listens. It just misses a little bit in the excitement department. Regardless, his voice is really a pleasure to listen to; very soulful and smooth and still hits the mark when he wants to bring up the volume and intensity. "Only You Know" is really a treat. I love how loose his vocals feel here, it's like he's in no rush to get to the end of the song. He knows it sounds good, and he's going to take his time.
I feel like I've heard every song on this album but I don't think I have... Sounds like something that was on rotation on late nights when mum and dad danced in the lounge room
When I started listening to 'Oldies' back in the early 80s, Dion was always one of my favorites and I was surprised to see this album pop up. Maybe not a 4, but close enough for me. Catchy tunes.
It was easy listening, but I don’t know why it was included on the 1001 albums I need to listen to. Just kinda meh, but listenable.
Kinda odd to see this on the list. Good for Dion getting clean though.
Not for me
I've no idea what it sounded like in 1975, but it doesn't sound good 50 years later.
A few of the songs felt like they were recorded off a radio with poor reception. I already didn't particularly enjoy this, but that definitely didn't improve the experience.
OK it's not terrible, but why is it here?
Om het bij Dion's eigen woorden te houden: "begrafenismuziek".
Ik zou het een 2.5 geven. Was best aan het debaten een 3 te geven, want ik vind het eigenlijk gewoon een heel prima album. Het is heel bloated for sure, maar het is best nice.
Wel easy on the ears maar ook saai
Mijn god.
Didn't expect to enjoy this one. It was great. Phil Spector is insane and maybe a little glazed, but he did some undeniably good stuff.
# Album Name: Born To Be With You # Artist: Dion # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Very mid tunes. Was alright. # Top Tunes: Only you know # Would I listen to it again? No
Terribly uninteresting.
Other than the awful version of “He’s got the Whole World In his Hands” it’s quite nice
Highlight: Only You Know
This album is like a guy going out on a first date with a girl and proclaiming that he loves her. She is immediately creeped out, and cuts the date short to leave. He pens and handwritten letter, and delivers it to her personally. She’s not home, so he puts it in the letterbox, then sits in his car for fifteen minutes, just in case she comes home.
Im not sure what else to say other than this album sucks. The first song waa a drag and somehow I found a way to get worse from there.
Nop
This is a vibe I really enjoy -- sort of doo-wop, sort of rock, sort of oldies. Thumbs up
There’s a time and place for this album. It just wasn’t today with me.
49. not my thing at all
This was boring as hell. Nothing special. The only Dion that deserves to be on this list is Celine. And guess what? SHE IS NOT ON THIS LIST!! A big fuck you to everyone who made this list.
Too long and ballady
Oh gosh, I thought Dion was a 50s band, famous for the Wanderer and Runaround Sue, actually it is, but I didn’t realise Dion was a person. A Grammy award winning singer songwriter no less. I am a singer songwriter’s target audience but although I like the New York Song I found this quite boring. Case in point – “ive got the whole world in my hands” which although is not one of my favourite songs, done well it is a glorious gospel number. This felt like a dirge. Apparently, the album wasn’t well received when it was released but people like Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream thought it was okay so that’s alright for the book’s compiler. Thank you not Bobby!
让心安静的好听
Bis auf "Good Lovin Man" alles zum Einschlafen und unglaublich schnulzig
Kein Hit, aber ok im Hintergrund.
Didn’t know Dion beyond Runaround Sue so this was flying blind. Overall it was just ok, the best for me was the cover of “the way you do the things you do”. Getting some Billy Joel vibes. Nothing really worth going back to.
Nice voice and tunes, nothing much out of the ordinary but still decent ?? Don't know what to say in particular... That's how average it felt lmao.
The first song was ok then it just kept getting worse. So boring. 2/5
Incredibly boring
I liked this. Overall pretty enjoyable. Nothing earth-shattering for me, but good.
I’m inclined to concur with Dion himself and distance myself from this durge.
Pleasant, but did nothing for me.
a bit more palatable than previous albums but wasn’t feeling it
His voice is nice enough but gosh its a bit drab and depressing. Wiki made it sound so good too!
when i saw that the run time was 1h18min, my expectations were a bit low but this album really surprised me. the songs complimented each other & nothing felt like it was out of place. lyrics & overall production were pretty good. my personal favourite was 'Runaway Man', but this album holds itself really well
Bored to be with you
приятный стиль а-ля Крозби и ко, надо будет потом ещё проверить. но сразу не готова высокие оценки)
198/1001 Dion - Born to Be With You Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I don't mind this at all, but it's far too long and nowhere near enough variation for me to keep me particularly interested.
An admirably strange and diverse record from a legacy artist. I have a friend of mine who’s a big Dion guy and I get it now. Second-degree Spector’s production touches are often cool and sometimes unwelcome. I guess Dion himself wasn’t pleased with this after it came out, but I think it’s a record to be proud of. Lots of guts and personality in his voice.
jkjkjjbk
Really dragged - not for me at all
This was an artist i'd never heard of before. I liked bits of it, but after a while everything sounded the same
Solider Sound der 70er ohne Auffälligkeiten.
starts so boring i thought i'd fall asleep but it's good!!!
man should’ve stopped after runaround sue.
not a do-wop album but an album with very mellow songs behind Phil Spector's produced "wall of sound". not sure how personal the songs were, but it seemed that they were. while not an album to blare in your car driving around. it has a vibe more of a Sunday morning, rainy day, album.
Not a bad listen! I enjoyed it. Very straightforward. No frills. A little cheesy with the clearly session musicians backing him up and probably writing the music, but nonetheless an enjoyable listen.
An above average listen. I was surprised to see it was released in 1975. When listening I thought it was much earlier
This album started really slow with every song sounding the same. Then half way through it got really good. Pleasantly surprised. If like a bunch of his older stuff.
I enjoyed this! I know Dion from the song "The Wanderer" so I was interested to hear his later work. I saved "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and "Runaway Man." Overall a fun ride!
Golden oldies radio vibes Bits of it were interesting in a kind of trippy hippy way Tomorrow I’m hoping to get an album that isn’t from the 70s
Not quite my tempo
It's quite bland. To me, the songs started sounding the same by the end of the album.
Meh. Boring but not annoying.
First song is about loving a little girl. The 70s. Ugh. Next song is about praying to a god to make a woman love him. At least this time it's a woman. Music is offensive enough, actually even good sometimes. The mostly mediocre streak continues. 2 Heard before? No Owned: Yes: 41/169(24%) Will I get No.
Amazing record, classic rock with so much character that just keeps suprising me and comes back everytime
Very easy listening, incredibly inoffensive. Pleasant enough to listen to tbh.
I hace tried like 4 times to just listen to the first song and i just can't. Literally falling asleep
First album I googled while listening because I needed to know if the production quality was supposed to be this bad (and whadayaknow, good 'ol phil himself produced it!). I love Dion and the Belmonts, this is not that.
Born to Be with You 2.8 Make the Woman Love Me 3 Your Own Back Yard 2.7 (He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands 2.8 Only You Know 3.1 New York City Song 3 In and Out of the Shadows 2.7 Good Lovin' Man 2.8 Score: 2.8625
Almost gave it a 3, but it just got boring. It was hard to get through even with some decent bits near the end.
Born to Be with You is an album that feels strangely adrift, caught between intimacy and indulgence without ever finding a satisfying balance. The production is thick and hazy to the point of inertia, wrapping Dion’s voice in a fog that smothers momentum rather than creating atmosphere. What should feel warm and devotional instead comes across as sluggish and oddly disconnected. The songs themselves are not without sincerity, but they are weighed down by arrangements that move at a crawl and rarely change shape. Melodies drift by without urgency, and tracks blur together into a low-energy sprawl that tests patience more than it rewards attention. Phil Spector’s production looms heavily here, but instead of drama or tension, it mostly delivers a sense of heaviness and drag. By the time it ends, Born to Be with You feels less like a bold artistic statement and more like an experiment that never quite worked. There is heart somewhere in the murk, but it is buried too deeply to make much impact.
Decent album. I enjoyed the couple listens I gave it. Wasn’t a fan of He’s Got the Whole World. That sound was a bit off. Spector gets a lot of criticism for his production and I could hear it on a few of these.
This album started off with a couple songs I really enjoyed, but kind of got worse after that and never went anywhere interesting. Not sure why this would be an album anyone has to waste time on before they die. 2.25 / 5
Absolutely forgettable
For sax lovers only.
I had never heard of this guy before, but it wasn’t bad.
I liked this album. He is a great song writer.
Not for me. Dion and Spector Managed to make an adult contemporary album that is morose and uninteresting. Kind of mind boggling really.
How does this guy have what must be a double album? Its like a less catchy Billy Joel or something
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The cover itself had me disinterested, but you can't judge a book (or a record) by its cover (unless it's Pushead, in which case, it's a safe bet).
Does not rock.
I enjoyed this album. I could definitely hear the influence of folk songs, but also the more upbeat sound of early rock and roll. This was my first time for listening to an album by this artist and I will listen again when I'm in an easy listening mood.
Every word is just an enlongated version screamed into the mic, and every song is the same. I try to find at least one good thing about every album, so the sound was well balanced. 1/5
wasn't sure what to expect, but i liked it overall. the mid-70s vibes are on 1000 here, feel like I need to go watch some Rhoda.
I really liked this one. He reminds me a lot of Billy Joel. Has a soft rock vibe to it; Just a dude that can sing well with some catchy tunes.
Čudan album, fora
Eh okay and forgettable 3/5
I was vaguely familiar with him before this but not much I really love the instrumentals this type of music is really beautiful to me and his voice is pleasant and fits the music I dont really have a favourite song in particular though I think they are all nice but nothing astounding just pretty music 4 stars 7.9/10
Es un disco agradable, no memorable. Producción marca Phil Spector.
I found out about Dion from an episode of the Cher Show that’s posted on YouTube. It was a sample of Dion & The Belmonts- I Wonder Why. I thoroughly enjoyed that song and consequently, I enjoyed this album!
6/10… yacht rock / 70s pop / *1975
Even Dion hated it and said it sounded like funeral music
2.5
Exhaustingly boring.
This was really just a whole lot of nothing. Nothing on here was bad but there were a few moments were the production did something interesting, however for the most part I was disinterested. I don't think we needed to listen to the 14th studio album from some guy who started in the 50's. This just seems like filler to me. High 2.
why so serious?
Too long and lacking standout songs.
Absolute garbage, way too long, no originality. Another one of those baffling picks for this list
Not great - didn’t grab me at all - couldn’t see what made this one of the albums in the top 1001 albums ever - will take a look at what others have said as I may just be missing something
No real standout track, felt like it never really got going, still ok to listen to.
Damn this guy loves his boo, huh? Big growth from a wanderer. I never fell in love but it was fun while it lasted. Enjoyed a lot of those upbeat summers with your girl tracks — “You Showed Me What Love Is,” “Hey My Love,” “Streetheart.”
This is pretty dreary stuff, and the only good thing is the album is quite short at 35 minutes. I really can't see why this collection of plodding songs is one that I must listen to.
Really really good easy listening. A warning: Spotify pairs it with another album, Streetheart. So be aware Born To Be Wuth You is only the first 8 tracks
A nice record but it does not have a any big hits. Still I enjoyed it.
- Never heard of Dion, unless this is either Celine or Dublin in disguise. - It's not. It's some nice, if a little schmaltzy pop-rock ballads. It's fine and perfectly listenable but I don't think it's going to change my life. - He knows his way around a melody. It feels a bit safe and unremarkable though.
Mysigt, men inte så mycket mer än det? Ibland funkar produktionen, ibland inte. De lugnare låtarna när hans röst får skina är bäst :)
This sounds like Kenny G and Michael Bolton had a baby. That is not a complement.
Really liked your own back yard
It's fine for like grocery store or elevator playlists but I wouldn't seek it out.
Not great, but not terrible. Reminds me a bit of John Lennon’s solo career. Not hard to listen to, but nothing worth returning to
Not as bad as a lot of the reviews were making it out to be... but still not something I'd play again
- Easy listening and not particularly annoying, but also bland. Zero memorable moments. - Heard the whole thing like 3 times and nothing really stood out.
Lennonesque in places. Middle of the road rock music. Not listened to it before.
This one is fine. I'll give it a low 3. Not my style.
A nice collection of songs that are absolutely ruined by the production. It will always baffle me why people were so obsessed with getting this guy to produce their records.
Not for me but some catchy tunes.
Was definitely not the worst thing I have listened to, but pretty boring
Born to Be With You - 3/5 Make the Woman Love Me - 1/5 Your Own Back Yard - 2/5 He's Got the Whole World in His Hands - 1/5 (sounds like it was recorded on a potato) Only You Know - 4/5 New York City Song - 3/5 In and Out of Shadows - 3/5 Good Lovin' Man - 3/5 Average score: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️
This is the kind of album that is interesting for this book and project. No one need this project to listen to Abbey Road, Rumours and Dark Side of the Moon, but I’ve never heard of this artist or album. Now on the other hand I’m curious why this specific one was chosen? It being an influence on other artists in the book may be a reason, but I share the sentiments of other listeners, it wasn’t particularly compelling for me to listen to.
Comfy for the background.
Surprising
Listened Before? N Not as terrible as I had assumed just by the description and the cover. Typical seventies easy-listeneing stuff. Not a standout but still some good songs here. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: (He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands
Meh, Only You Know is the only song I enjoyed.
Disco interessante, mas sem nenhum atrativo especial.
Offensively boring. I was giving it the benefit of the doubt until the whole world in his hands rolled around. One of the worst songs on the list so far what garbage.
I actually really liked this. Say what you like about Phil Spector, I love that goddam wall of sound!
Pleasant -
Why is this on the list? Dion has some great music in his catalog. This album is not special in any way. Hurts the list.
Prefer the second album packaged with it. Quite a Neil diamond vibe
This album seems to be very famous, but I hadn’t even heard of Dion before listening to it. As the record went on, the songs started to feel a bit too similar for me, and I found myself losing interest — it just wasn’t really my taste. That said, Runaway Man was one track I liked.
Just no thanks
dud
Confused. This is both kind of sad and boring. Serviceable playing and singing throughout but nothing particularly interesting at any point. I'm confused because people discuss Dion in revered tones. This is somewhere at a midpoint between The Beatles and Billy Joel (a continuum heretofore unexamined) but with none of the charms of either. I'm guessing this ended up on The List out of a sense of nostalgia. 2/5 Let me take a moment, since this album is boring, to correct an earlier mistake. I believe I recently described Nicky Hopkins as the man who nearly joined The Beatles but that was incorrect. The keys whiz who was co-credited on 'Get Back' was Billy Preston. I'm sure these are primarily notes to myself but, even in what amounts to a public journaling project, I'm going to try to keep my record straight. Anyway, go listen to Abbey Road instead. Have you heard of The Beatles? They were pretty good.
Some good songs here, but the cover of He’s Got the Whole World is kind of a jumpscare
A pretty boring album with the classic Phil Spector Wall of Sound production. Unmemorable, but not really bad.
I really contemplated rating this a 1. It wasn't offensive, just offered very little value.
Bit of a mixed bag, but overall not much reason to listen again.
To me, this is surprisingly good. I am completely caught off guard. I’m actually at a loss for words. I can’t describe what it sounds like really either. Like Bowie perhaps? Well done. Not “to the moon” great by any means. Choice cut: He’s got the whole world in his hands
Its cool but nothing life changing. Just good music from a good era
Dull lovey dovey nonsense.
the music was fine, but man that album cover set me up to expect the completely wrong style of music
Too easy listening for my taste
An unexpected one to crop up given that this isn't one of his early rock n roll key albums (like runaround she) this is later wall of sound syrupy crooning mid 70s with Phil Spector. The first track Born to be with You is worth a listen (incredible, I love songs where it takes over 1min 40 secs for the vocals to start a la sound and vision) whatever you do but elsewhere his voice doesn't quite have the rich depth to suit the setting, but it did warrant a few listens to try and get a grip of it. Not unpleasant but doesn't set the world on fire!
Solid addition to the 70s folk rock canon.
At its worst a bit dull, but at best you could see why it inspired Bruce Springsteen.
Nothing special 6.81/10 3/5
***An ok album, easy listening
Au milieu de ce bordel, il y a probablement de quoi extraire un album à 6/10. Mais là, on a juste le bordel chiant.
Lush production, definitely where Father John Misty would pull sounds/influence from. While not overwhelming in catchiness, there is something about it I want to return to
It’s ok. Just there. Nothing grabbing me.
ikke for mig
Dykkede ikke ind til den her med høje forventninger men havde faktisk en ret good time! Kan ikke helt forklare hvorfor jeg synes det virkede!
Actually quite nice? Sounded like Father John Misty as times - which is 50ish years later. What a 75 banger.
I listened to a fair amount of oldies when I was growing up in the late eighties and early nineties (shout-out to 98.7 K-LUV in FW), so I have some fond memories of hearing songs like Dion’s “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer” while sitting in the backseat of our 1987 Honda Accord. Other than those two songs though, I don’t think I’m familiar with anything else Dion sings. I see that Phil Spector produced this album, so I’m curious to see how the recording industry’s most notorious murderer melded with Dion’s sound. Born to Be with You was fine overall. Dion’s singing was good, and there were some really good arrangements on these eight songs. The raw emotion of Dion’s singing, paired with Phil Spector’s lavish production created a really interesting contrast. Sometimes, those production techniques worked really well, and elevated the album, and other times, those techniques created some head-scratching results. I thought this album was pretty even and cohesive, but towards the end, it started to wear on me, as I felt that these songs were doing the same thing musically and emotionally, but not doing it any better than the earlier songs on the album. Additionally, a couple of songs felt pretty long and somewhat repetitive. Overall, though, this was a pretty good seventies pop record. Some notes on some individual songs: The title track really threw me for a loop. When it first started, I thought this album was going to have a bit of a country sound to it, and then it shifted into that big and bold Phil Spector sound. I liked the saxophone playing, and the strings were really good too. The sound was beautiful overall, and I enjoyed the vocals. My only beef with this song is that over the course of nearly seven minutes, it didn’t really say much. The storytelling in the lyrics of “Your Own Backyard” was really great. The music was good too, but not as good as the first two songs. The strings on “The Whole World in His Hands” were great, but I really didn’t care for the echoing effect on the vocals. The overall sound was a bit too muddled for me, and it doesn’t fit the tone of the song in my opinion. However, the backing vocals were really great. “Only You Know” had a doo-wop touch to the lyrics and the vocals, but musically, you could definitely feel Phil Spector’s touch. It was really interesting to hear the raw emotion of the vocals and the elaborate production working together.
Ok background music but not interesting
Pretty good. Not really that into it though.
I got into this one
This is in many ways an extremely perplexing choice for the list - it's the only Dion album on there, and it's not from his "peak" era of fame as a 60s doo-wop artist, the Wikipedia page is remarkably slight and doesn't really give you a whole lot of context on the album, at least not enough to explain why it would be considered "essential" aside from stating that some other artists found it influential in later years. That being said, I found it to be a really beautiful album. This style of baroque pop is right up my alley, the production is gorgeous and while there are a couple of less-good tracks (I could have done without "He's Got the Whole World in his Hands") I definitely can see myself putting some of these songs into my regular rotation. I'm glad I was prompted to listen to it by this generator and I hope that Dion has come to appreciate his work here more than he initially did. Faves: Born To Be With You, New York City Song
Bland and overproduced
This was fairly mediocre, not a standout song on the album. But, it also wasn't offensive to the ears so just kind of meh. I do not see why I had to listen to this before I die...
Really enjoyed this. Love the Phil Spector 70s production. Sounds like George Harrison, but more focused on New York. Really cool.
Some mildly interesting tracks around the beginning, but it quickly descended into the 70's singer/songwriter nightmare fuel of my childhood, wholey unremarkable, I'm sure it warrants further perseverance but if I have to listen to this again I may smash up my hi-fi gear, up there with "tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree", ⭐⭐
he had a good voice but didn’t blow me away
This is probably the most mediocre album I've come across on this list so far. It wasn't terrible, but none of the songs seemed worth revisiting and it sounds like it came out about 15 years too late - I was shocked to see it was from the mid-70s and not 1960.
Too bad this wasn’t his first album. This album was dark and boring
Love Dion, I understand this album was originally released in England only, great to be able to listen to it now.
Spotify users: this album is paired with another album called Streetheart. You only have to listen to the first 8 songs (up to Good Lovin' Man) to finish this album. This was so laborious I'm so glad that it was only 8 songs. It was pleasant enough but so boring and unremarkable I wanted it to be over.
Meh.
eu não ironicamente prefiro receber uma pedrada na cabeça e entrar em coma a terminar de escutar isso aqui
esse é pra quem achava que o phil spector, além de péssima pessoa, era um bom produtor. esse aqui tá mal feito viu galera. ruim pra dar com pau
Dude has a good voice and great vocal skill - and I can hear his influence on voices in the ensuing years, voices I didn't much care for. So, this is good eork, but, for me, a real bore.
Dion! That's definitely a name. Mainly known for his early rock and roll singles before the British Invasion, Dion enjoyed an extensively lengthy career (still alive and making music today at 89!) and anyone that's continued a music career that long spanning across numerous genre movements, could have an album on a long list like this. I think my parents had this album on vinyl, but never ever talked about Dion. Maybe it was one of those albums that everyone had to get back in the day to play at parties, even if they didn't like the music. I'm not fully sure what I'm getting into, but 70s pop doesn't exactly inspire me to think I will enjoy it, but I can be wrong. It's a great sounding record, and not to discredit Dion as a singer or anything but it's definitely not the sort of music I seek out. I did like the psychedelic influence on the album, however mild it may be it is noticed. I like the self-titled track the most, but even as a Phish fan I thought it went on a bit too long (which was the norm of 70s pop music). 70s Pop and 80s pop are kind of night and day difference. Songs got shorter in the 80s and were much more driven by synthesizers. 70s pop was in the singer/songwriter and slower R&B thing until Disco and Punk movements told pop to get more energetic, leading to new wave/etc. I can understand why it's on the 1001+ list but aside from Fleetwood Mac, Cher, and maybe a good half dozen of all other 70s pop that predates disco, I'd put this one on the bubble of being replaced by something newer that'll be more influencial in the future, something like Brat or the inevitable Next Frank Ocean Album (trademark). At least it's not yacht rock.
It was decent
meh
VERY much a Spector production. I can see why Dion distanced himself from this album.
I just did not find this interesting
What I found interesting in Dion's biography was his membership in New York gangs as a teenager and the connection to the film "The Wanderers," which I recently saw again. I have roughly the same opinion of the album as he does. He distanced himself from it because it sounded like funeral music. A little too schmaltzy and oily. 2/5
UGH NO. JESUS NO. YUCKY. (I did listen to The Wanderer from his older stuff because it's in Fallout 4)
Sonically dated but a few good tracks. Doesn't sound like a Spector project for sure. Also shows that Goffin was always better with King.
Aldri hørt før. Dette synes jeg var ganske rævva, faktisk.
At least one song on here seems like it could have been inspiration for some of Counting Crows stuff. But I didn't get into this at all; would not choose to listen to again. 2.4/5
Not my thing. It wasn't bad but it was fairly boring. 2.25/5
Very much a curate's egg of an album here. Some strange production choices ensure that my friends and I sang a more joyous version of He's Got The Whole World In His Hands during our primary school assemblies and some of the other songs sound like they were recorded in a swimming pool! However, there are saving graces in the New York City Song, and the incredible Your Own Back Yard which has a beauty and an honesty that brings shivers to the spine and tears to the eyes.
I like his earlier stuff better
🙄
I was not that familiar with this artist - great set of well constructed songs with great songwriting and lyrics.
i did not need to hear his before i die
Not for me, but quite interesting.
I was not excited for this going into it, but was pleasantly surprised by the end. Though I'm a sucker for adult contemporary
nah
🥱
I was forewarned that this was Not Good, and those people were correct. Do the writers of the 1001 Albums books not know that Dion is responsible for Runaround Sue????
Phil Spector comes out of everyone to show just how middling adult contemporary music can be. bonus point because Dion himself does sound quite nice.
no redeeming values
1.5 - Bad
Fav: In And Out Of The Shadows Least Fav: (He’s Got) The Whole World In His Hands Always love it when an album is unexpectedly great :)
This is the sort of music that may have well been on the radio when i was younger but is so inoffensively dull it failed to register
This has such little impact on me, so I’m only able to say I don’t think I hated it?
We coincidentally got this album the day before Dion released a biography and tie-in album The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher. The longevity of some of the artists on this list is genuinely impressive - he released his first album with The Belmonts in 1959! I was pleased to learn that this had been packaged with another album on Amazon Music and so to be true to the Generator, I only had to listen to the first 8 tracks. The question then became, would this be enjoyable enough that I would keep going? No. Nice voice, mostly fairly dull songs (I liked Good Lovin' Man). 2/5
Boring
Ekki að fíla þetta
Sándið á þessu rosa áferðarfagurt en litlir hápunktar. Rennur ljúflega í gegn en er hálfgleymanleg.
Love Dion
I’d never heard of Dion or the album Born To Be With You before today, so I was looking forward to giving it a spin this morning. I found it to be a really easy and enjoyable listen — the kind of album you can put on, sit back, and let wash over you. I even ended up listening to Streetheart straight after, as it’s bundled with this album on Apple Music. While Born To Be With You doesn’t have any major standout tracks, it flows beautifully from start to finish. It’s produced by the vile Phil Spector — an unfortunate fact — but his signature “Wall of Sound” production style definitely adds to the record’s lush atmosphere. Dion’s voice really impressed me: soulful, reflective, and full of warmth. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one. Favourite track: Born To Be With You – a lovely, heartfelt song. Least favourite track: Make the Woman Love Me – a bit dated and slightly creepy. Album artwork: A fairly standard cover, nothing remarkable.
Pretty forgettable
When I initially glanced the cover I thought it was going to be Celine Dion, so this was more of a pleasant suprise than it might've been for others. He's got the whole world is dreadful though, and others (in and out of shadows) etc. Clocked Jarvis Cocker 'don't let him waste your time' tune borrowed from 'only you know'. Spector's layering technique does make for interesting listening even if the music isn't the best. Still sounds good today. Phil was good with his hands. Also, you're off the hook after "good lovin man", Apple Music has bolted Streetheart on the end. An hour twenty would've been too long.
#735. Really grasping at straws with this one trying to hit that 1001 number, weren't we? 2/5: eh
This album feels like a declaration of love, with both yearning, desperation and melancholy. I actually fell asleep to this, meaning it was soothing and calm.
Just 70s dentist waiting room soft rock dogshit. Everyone’s tastes are their own thing, but I just can’t imagine a world where this vanilla lame fest is “essential” to anything.