Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Pleasant adult contemporary sound from the 70's. All very nice, but not much that is catchy enough to repeat often.
This wasn't bad, and I saved most of the tracks, but I was a little bored and not sure why this was put on the list?
I enjoyed the music, which reminds me of late seventies period Beach Boys. Vocally, I'm not so convinced. Dion sounded great on those early sixties records like 'The Wanderer' and 'Runaround Sue', but here he sounds a bit forced, like he's being forced to slow the tempo
It was just pleasant easy listening.
not bad tracks, mostly pretty catchy and i wasn't mad...! very spectorized of course... and the sound quality on a lot of them is Bad. also i think it could be shorter...
I think Dion was right, Phil Spector really did not do his best work on this one. It's cheesy and overwrought in some ways but I really do love Dion's voice.. it tugs at my heartstrings.. a very even 3 stars for this one. I really hope the superior Dion album is on this list (Runaround Sue, 1961)!
I don't know what to make of this. It feels like a lot of bands have ripped this sound off. Little obsessed with NYC though
Cantautor con buena voz, melodías un tanto simples, repertorio un tanto repetitivo, con algo de ritmo, no solo su voz cantada. Indiferente, aunque podría escucharse en cualquier momento
I can’t really make up my mind … make the woman love me” is sooooo good but there’s only a couple that I connected w the other songs I just don’t feel them
It was nice enough
yfirkeyrt og uppskrúfað. á köflum roðhænsnalegt. á skilið aðra yfirferð. 3,5
Born to Be with You - 7.5/10 Make the Woman Love Me - 7.5/10 Your Own Back Yard - 8/10 The Whole World in His Hands - 7.5/10 Only You Know - 7.5/10 New York City Song - 7.5/10 In and Out of the Shadows - 6.5/10 Good Lovin’ Man - 7.5/10 Baby Let’s Stick Together - 8.5/10 The Way You Do The Things You Do - 7/10 Runaway Man - 8/10 Queen of 1959 - 8/10 If I Can Get Just Through Tonight - 7.5/10 More to You - 7/10 You Showed Me What Love Is - 8/10 Hey My Love - 7/10 Oh the Night - 7/10 I’ll Give You All I’ve Got - 7.5/10 Lover Boy Suprême - 8.5/10 Streetheart - 8.5/10 TOTAL - 152/200
This album was solid in the fact that it felt pretty cohesive despite the variety in style on some of the tracks. There wasn’t anything majorly amazing that stood out to me on this one but I could see myself enjoying a few of the songs individually.
Very sweet and cool to hear his development. Lots of different sounds here.
It was okay, but it felt very overproduced and bland. All the enjoyably edges sanded off.
I was surprised, not so bad.
Classic doowop singer slows down and matures with awesome production.
Enjoyable easy listening. Nothing special but would listen again
Not bad
it’s alright tbf. bit simple, classic. nice even.
Pretty overproduced - trying to add some zhuzh to fairly lackluster songs (especially on the A side) but the B side has a little more life. Not sure how Primal Scream was influenced by this. It's okay, but not something I'd put on often. 3.4
I like this, it was calming and interesting, the sounds were refreshing and I enjoyed it. I feel like I've seen the cover of this album before but I don't know where, the Queen of 1959 is especially a great track from here
Quite a cool album, would listen again - got more up beat towards then end. Would listen again,.
I like his voice and on the production front Phil Spector absolutely KILLED it. All in all it was just kinda alright.
Definitely a departure from “Runaround Sue”! Kinda has that musicians-getting-old sound. Maybe it’s the strings and reverb. Can hear Spector in this big time.
Interesting! Had never dived into Dion.
Most of this is freaking boring. It should really be a 2, but I'm making it a low three because there were a couple songs I liked. Giving it a two when I liked some of it seems unfair, so it's basically getting a 2.5. My favourite song was Only You Know.
I am so torn between completely hating this album and actually enjoying listening thru. It’s really not terrible, not stand out either. Favorite song has to be “Your Own Backyard.”
Hmmm, this is an interesting one. I love some of his other stuff but hadn’t heard this album. It’s good, but nothing really grabbed me
Intriguing. Feels like a mix of Dylan and Billy Joel. Not a fan of the choir back vocals. 3 stars
Me when I didn't do anything this afternoon and should have been working on college essays for the past hour
Smooth
Meh.
Lähtötietojen perusteella en paljoa odottanut, mutta täähän oli yllättävän kiva. Rauhoittava meno.
Some decent easy listening. A little on the preachy side.
3.25
I think this was an otherwise OK album that was dragged down by its production. The tempo of most tracks feels sluggish, and the heavy reverb on all of the instruments makes it sound like the album is playing in the next round. That really creates a challenge in feeling close to the otherwise personal. The generally vague air of the lyrics also doesn’t do it any favors (make “the woman” love me, not a name). Spotify is packaging the album with Streetheart, which only serves to emphasize the production shortcomings of this record.
Pretty good. Some interesting songs. But also not very special
Blues, romantisch, lyrisch, bisschen repetitiv
This was not what I expected. Some parts were better than expected, and others were actually exactly what I was afraid of.
interesting
seems pretty good, probably needs a deeper dive than i’ve given it
Phil Spector's trademark style meets the bluesy stylings of Dion. I typically like Spector's production style, but I think it can be a little smothering here. The songs also last a little too long, feeling quite longer than they actually are. Favorite track: "Only You Know"
This is just kind of wild. I had not heard of Dion at all, and was shocked that this was their 14th album. Just seems nuts for something that far in to someone's creative output to be that well regarded without having so many other well regarded releases. I have obviously heard the song "Runaround Sue" a bunch of times, but had no idea who it was by, so seems even crazier to me that they had a hit like that in 1961 and then put something so different out so many years later. The Phil Spector sound is all over this, for or worse, at this point it just is what it is. Obviously a layered album in terms of production and it's decent enough, but it's not really for me. The quality of songs is there underneath all of it though. Certainly mixed reviews for sure.
You can tell the Spector touch is there, in fact it's difficult to see where he leaves off and Dion starts. Not bad for a Mid-70's LP but it's really not special.
Nice. Definitely better than the old Doo-Wop stuff. 3.5/5
It's a decent listen this.
He’s, umm, a little but ‘churchy’ isn’t he? Decent voice though.
Spotify has tried to get me to listen to this guy in my discover weekly playlist enough times that I don’t dislike this. 6/10
Apparently, this is the guy who made the song "The Wanderer" which is much better than anything on this album. The sound he has on this album is much more subdued compared to his earlier work which is more early '60s rock. It's not bad, but I don't find it very interesting to listen to. Most of this is slow songs which I'm not a fan of. I actually really like his voice, but the structure and cadence of the album aren't appealing to me. This is a low 3/5
Definitely hear the Phil Spector on here. It's... fine.
Didn’t do it for me
5.5/10 Rien de spécial worth remembering
Completely new artist for me, nothing seemed even vaguely familiar. Really enjoyed Born to be With You and added that into a rotation playlist of mine, and found myself enjoying the next few tracks too though a little less each After halfway it became a bit of a slog and I think whatever track 1 was would have been my favourite as it was a case of new skin bias Overall a decent listen but not one I’m likely to remember much about in a few weeks
Definitely got better the more I listened but it’s not usually my taste
It's really an album that makes you think differently about Dion. If they had released it when completed, he could have had a different career in the mid-70s. Looking at the cover even, it gives you that sense of a different type of person than when you think of Dion. He wanted to be thought of us as a more mature person than "The Wanderer." A couple of the songs I really enjoyed, like "Only You Know" and "New York Song". He last two songs did fall flat for me, "In and Out of the Shadows" and "Good Lovin' Man". It's too bad he couldn't have pursued this direction more. I think it could have been an interesting path for him. I just wish the songs were a bit better, and maybe that's the production from Spector? Dion's singing was heartfelt enough. Definitely bringing it to the songs. Just... wasn't enough for me.
Kinda boring imo
Old school crooner pop music but I kinda enjoyed it
3.3 - Exceptionally mediocre 1970’s AM lite rock devoid of any authenticity. There’s an anti-drugs song that sounds like it was written by Nancy Reagan (“Your Own Back Yard”) and a New York song makes that him sound like he’s never set foot in any of the five boroughs. But I will say that Phil Spector’s production is solid though it’s leagues below Abby Road. All in all, this record delivers a consistent acoustic guitar-driven pop sound, but it’s utterly forgettable.
Solid album. Nothing remarkable and nothing really stands out. It’s pretty good music though.
Back half was pretty solid with some really easy songs to listen to. Still confused on how this made the list though. What was influential or great about it? It wasn’t bad but it’s a musician after his era of fame doing some easy listening tunes. This is the type of music I would hear my Jersey aunts and uncles play on vacations which once again is not a bad thing but it’s another album leaving me wondering “how tf is this in a list of the 1001 most important albums ever?” Light 3 or high 2
Whatevaaaaaa
An album I was completely unaware of. I know Dion from Dion and the Belmonts, but his late solo album was completely new. I enjoyed quite a few of the songs.
Ik vond de eerste 8 / 9 nummers eigenlijk behoorlijk mooi! Daarna zakte het een beetje weg in een cliche Elton John-achtige plaat en daar hou ik niet van. Maar op basis van de eerste helft toch een 3.
Starts off not so good and then ends on a pretty good note. Got that signature Spector sound to it.
Here's an album that the artist didn't like the production of, the producer didn't want to release, and was met by indifference by fans and critics alike. Personally, I don't mind the Phil Spector doing country sound and it worked to this LP's advantage that Spotify combined the songs with songs from the next album, which make the "Born To Be With You" tracks sound better by comparison.
This is so close to being something I like more, but the country influences and the lack of any real oomph in most of the songs makes it where it is on my rating system. However, I don't understand the super low score; just seems like those of the generator don't like this style of music most of the time.
An out of fashion doo-wop singer dabbling in smack and a mental alcoholic Phil Spector team up to create this album. Songs are slow, plodding and dirges - but that shouldn't put you off. There's a certain something about this album - underdog spirit maybe - that keeps you rooting for it. You can see why it's a cult classic. Best Tracks: Born To Be With You; Your Own Back Yard; Only You Know
Chill
Nice pop album with some great standouts like ”New York City Song”
Apparently Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream cites this album as an influence, which explains a lot. Distinctly average; good voice (obviously) a few decent songs, dreadful production.
Enjoyed way more than I thought. Not doo op at all. Pretty modern wel produced sound
PREFS : Born to Be With You, Your Own Back Yard, In and Out of Shadows MOINS PREF : New-York City Song
Märklig platta. Haussad av diverse musiker och kritiker sen länge. Blandade känslor men den kanske växer.
Het doet af en toe wat Dylanesque en Beatlesque aan. Singer-songwriter muziek, maar wel aangekleed met die gekke Phil Spector producer sound, met rare toeters en bellen en ongewoon schelle drums soms. Muzikaal gezien zijn het toch maar wat zoete niemendalletjes, maar het is wel interessant om er kennis van te nemen. Ik moest misschien nog wel het meeste denken aan searching for sugarman.
An unlikely mix of country folk, gospel and RnB on an album that isn’t as bad as the cover suggests. The arrangements and production are interesting and the drumming sounds like it’s slightly off kilter and out of sync (almost drunk) creating a haziness that adds to the atmosphere which is already moody to begin with. ‘(He’s Got) The Whole World In His Hands’ is the prime example of this approach and my fave track on the record. You’ve never heard it like it’s presented here. ‘In And Out Of The Shadows’ and ‘Good Lovin’ Man’ are my other faves.
Like a lovely interesting nap. 3 stars.
Some good songs to be found on this record, but it's biggest draw is Phil Spector's sound which elevates the record from being a generic 70s rock album, to having production pedigree. In here, the engineering is an instrument in itself - which is true most times, but it is often taken for granted.
I enjoyed this more than I thought. Pretty simple, but also different. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Not a fan of the last song though.
A weird one this as the production is absolutely terrible. But it sort of works!
When opened the link I was like, ain’t no way I’m gonna listen to 80 minutes of this, but then I realized the album ends with the 8th track so I gave it a shot. It has its moments and I did not hated it
Riktigt bra. Titellåten bäst.
Rólegt áttundatugar softrock. Mér finnst Only you know vera ansi fínt lag, hitt líður meira inn um annað og út um hitt. Ekki slæmt samt.
Kinda mid but ok
I kept putting this off based on the reviews, but it’s not bad at all! I even really liked In and out of the Shadows. Next time I see his name pop up I’ll be more open minded!
I like Dion but this album didn't really appeal to me
Not bad. A little boring and generic maybe, but some good songs here with nice production. 3 stars.
Nice listen
Rien de mémorable
j'allais mettre 4 puis il y a eu la fin de l'album
Pop. R&B. Un poco aburrido.
Boring
you can really hear phil spectors touch on the album.
I know things were different in the 70s, but this guy looks like one of those serial killers that ended up on a dating show or something. Fuck, what an album cover haha. I'm guessing it'll be jazzy? Ok, it's not jazzy but it's hard to say what it is. Just has an "oldies" vibe. Vaguely country, vaguely soft rock, all fairly inoffensive. Apart from the recording quality, this could be 15 years older - pre-Beatles for sure. If it was German I'd just call it Schlager and be done. I caved and read Wikipedia to work it out - he's originally a 50s singer and these are all covers, so that makes a little more sense now. Phil Spector is involved; I know I'm meant to find him PROBLEMATIC but can't remember why. tbh I'm not very inclined to shit on this at all! Maybe it's the easy listening accessibility, maybe it's knowing the whole thing is only half an hour, maybe it's knowing the other reviews here are gonna object to it. But while it wasn't exactly mind-blowing, it also wasn't obnoxious or really pretending to be anything other than exactly what it is. No hints of ego, I guess. 3/5.
The writing is okay, extremely objectifying though, I did not enjoy how the women in this album aren't really acknowledged as people with voltion. The instrumentation feels aged too.
I guess I never knew Dion made it out of the doo-wop era. The folk genre suits him actually. New York City Song feels so tragic. I think an Elton John/Dion collab should have happened. The rest falls into easy listening. Clearly this album production elevates it above what I expected, but overall, it's a middling album.
A bit whiney at times but still a decent listen. Gets a bonus point for reminding me of the great 'Only You Know' rendition by the Arctic Monkeys
Some late state Dion produced with some late stage wall of sound and a great runtime!
What a fuckin' NERD This is the most middle of the road album I’ve ever heard. It’s so middle of the road, it should be titled “Dashed Yellow Lines”
Before you ask, this is not a Dion of the Celine variety. As far as I can tell, they’re unrelated. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: You Showed Me What Love Is, Streetheart This album what somewhat all over the place for me. Firstly, at 79 minutes long, it’s quite a lengthy album. The first five or so tracks didn’t do much for me, and I found it a little too evangelical for my tastes. I expected much of the same from the rest of the album, but it suddenly takes a turn and gets very good indeed! Around the halfway point, it begins to sound like a completely different album recorded in a different time which was a little jarring, but it certainly got a lot better as the album went on. Overall, I feel I can’t give this album too high of a score because the first few songs had really put me off to the point of almost discarding it entirely. If the first half of the album was axed, I’d likely be ranking this a lot higher.
Kind of like a love child of Van Morrison and Rodriguez. Mellow tunes, nice arrangements and decent lyrics. No particular standout tracks for me.
Good
It was fine.
A mostly love song album that goes on for quite a while. At 20 songs there’s no shortage of romantic topics covered. I felt like this was a white R&B album. Smooth, enjoyable, not that complex and a little poppy. Never really listened to this guy but he seems like a Walmart John Lennon. Overall thought it was okay. 6.5/10
This seemed very adult. Not in a bowm-chicka-bowm-bowm way but in an I gotta wear a suit and do my taxes kinda way.
Has some good songs in it but is very bloated, love his voice and the more simple songs with string instruments in them, but a tough listen all at once Fav songs Streetheart Born to be with you NYC song 6/10
better than expected
Dion is more known as a 50s and 60s doo wop singer and that's how know him - as lead singer for Dion and the Belmonts. In the 70s It seems he has re-positioned himself as a singer-songwriter and as such this album is pretty unremarkeable. I liked much of it but as pleasant background music; nothing really reached out and demanded my attention. Sorry Dion...3 stars
69 love songs for swinging lovers but actually good? Some actual quality mixed with some cornballesque stuff
This album was more interesting than I thought it would be. I wouldn't necessarily say that I enjoyed listening to it all that much because it's not a style of music that I find all that enjoyable (nor did Dion, for that matter), but the production is interesting. Phil Spector may be a god damned murderous psychopath, but he knew how to make a compelling sound. The themes of redemption that run through the album make it very interesting. A pop star who has been through hell and is now trying to make good on the other side is an interesting theme for an album. Dion's story and his perspective on it is worth listening to, if only just once 3/5
If Father John Misty and Steely Dan had a baby and raised him in a loving Christian household, this is the music I think he’d make.
Nothing offensive but nothing memorable either
Before today I'd never heard of Dion. He apparently got his start in music singing with a Doo Wop group called Dion and the Belmonts, before going off on his own, and exploring his sound a bit more. I enjoyed this album. It wasn't something amazing or groundbreaking, but it was a nice easy listening experience. I find that Dion sounds like Van Morrison, or Simon & Garfunkel. Just a nice, easy, 70's pop rock sound. The addition of sax was great! The Spotify link for this album is a double album (Born to Be With You/Streetheart), so it was a little longer listen than just the one album, but I didn't mind because it familiarized me with more of his work. The "Streetheart" side of the album was more upbeat and rockin' than the Born to Be With You side. All in all, a good listening experience today. Not phenomenal, but perfectly average. Favourite songs: Good Lovin' Man, The Way You Do The Things You Do, In and Out of the Shadows, New York City Song Least favourite song: (He's Got) The Whole World In His Hands 3/5
Not a bad album for background music, quite pleasant and with a few interesting moments. I really can't see it as any more than that and I have my doubts about if it really deserves being on this list. I quite liked Queen Of 1959 from the bonus tracks - with tracks like that on the actual album, this could have been a solid 4.
Very chill pop rock, might work well as background music
Decent album, nice runtime but ultimately nothing exciting or groundbreaking or even memorable to warrant more than a 3
Nicely bland and listenable. Can't say I'd listen again, but also can't say I didn't like it, on the whole. First half of the album is stronger than the second half.
I can definitely hear some of this in the recent Bobby Gillespie / Jenny Beth record. It’s not quite 3.5, but better than a 3. I probably won’t listen to it again but it was pleasant enough while it lasted.
Pretty good
It wasn’t awful but it folded intell was not my thing.
Would have preferred the other album
Old country quite nice.
Could Not get in to it. If Meh had an album....
It's great to hear another side of Dion, outside of his music with the Belmonts and his solo stuff from the 60s. The collaboration with Phil Spector is fitting for a vocalist like Dion, and when it works, the results are really lovely. There does seem to be a little stylistic tension though, between what you might expect in a Phil Spector-produced record and what I suspect is Dion's preference for more of a contemporary, singer-songwriter sound (see: "New York City Song"). The result is a somewhat uneven quality from song to song. Added to that, the album has a fairly slow moving pace and a bit of a dour mood overall. In the mid-70s, apparently that didn't play so well, but I think the album has actually aged remarkably well. It was really ahead of its time. Very high 3, not quite a 4. Fave Songs: Only You Know, In and Out of the Shadows, Born to Be with You, New York City Song
Alors là, c'est la cerise sur le gâteau. Comme vous le savez déjà, Robert n'a pas jugé nécessaire d'inclure Céline Dion dans sa liste pourrie. En revanche, Robert nous offre ici un superbe pied de nez, en incluant l'illustre inconnu Dion, homonyme de la chanteuse à succès que l'on connait tous. Robert ne perd décidément rien pour attendre, multipliant les farces ces dernières semaines.
Solid album, a bit depressing tho
high 3
Decent songs, bit middle of the road
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.
This has aged terribly in every regard. I don’t think I need to elaborate.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’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.
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).
2.5
It’s a day later and I have forgotten this album
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
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.
Too tinny. Boring. Very shallow.
Unmemorable. Not bad just mediocre in the worst way.
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
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 held little tou no appeal.
Extremely bland pop rock. Some catchy melodies here and there but nothing worth going out of your way to listen to.
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
Low key folk rock
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!
Described as "funeral music"...if you play this at my funeral, I will so haunt you !
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
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.
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.
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."
This made little to no impression on me. I guess it wasn’t terrible.
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
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 cup of tea. The music likely appeals to elder women looking for a strong male voice to serenade them before bedtime.
I did actually kinda like this it's a 2.8
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.
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
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
Kinda bland but probably someone's cup of tea.
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
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."
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.
(32/100)
Weichgespülte Langeweile.
It’s ok. Not what I expected.
Honestly, this one is doing nothing for me. Don't really got anything much else to say. It's kinda boring to me.
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.
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]
Meh. Uninspired to make it all the way through.
4/10
Way too mellow. This screams 70's so hard. Maybe if there was screaming, it'd be more interesting.
The production of this album coincides with his heroin addiction. Weak.
ni fu ni fa
Saccharin with an unsettling album cover
Didn't click with me and some of the lyrics made me feel a little uneasy
No thanks.
I thought this had 1 star written all over it. It's better than that I suppose, but still kinda meh.
Ok.
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
Dion stated, that the production made the record sound like funeral music.
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.
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
There’s a time and place for this album. It just wasn’t today with me.
Too long and ballady
Bis auf "Good Lovin Man" alles zum Einschlafen und unglaublich schnulzig
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.
The first song was ok then it just kept getting worse. So boring. 2/5
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!
man should’ve stopped after runaround sue.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
This sounds like Kenny G and Michael Bolton had a baby. That is not a complement.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Its cool but nothing life changing. Just good music from a good era
Dull lovey dovey nonsense.
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.
It’s ok. Just there. Nothing grabbing me.
ikke for mig
Ok background music but not interesting
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...
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", ⭐⭐
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
Meh.
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.
meh
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
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
🙄
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.
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
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.
Sometimes your bags of Thanksgiving cookies get crushed because they were packed underneath the luggage for some reason. You gotta learn to look at things differently, a handful of broken cookie pieces is just a full cookie from a different point of view. anyways....in the first song he talks about being born to love a little girl and in the second song he begs God to make an uninterested woman love him. "I know she needs me she just doesn't know" real sucker shit Dion.
Spotify also has the Born to be With You/Streetheart combination, and when it flips over you really notice the difference in tone. The "Born to be with you" side is slow and almost morose at times. Streetheart is upbeat pop. Is this all Phil's influence? Dion seems to think so.
I like Dion's older stuff, and I love the Spector Wall of Sound production on the songs that have it. But I just had a really hard time getting through this album. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, but I found it meh.
2 out of 5 I was expecting nothing, and I was surprised to be wrong. More 70s alternative than slow rock.
Well, I listened to the reissued version of this album on accident, and the reissue combines Born to Be With You with Dion's next album, Streetheart. My original review would have said the album improved toward the end, but that was because I preferred the jazz, pop sound of Streetheart over Born to Be With You's folk pop. For what it's worth, Streetheart was several years ahead of the smooth soul music of the eighties, and I found myself impressed. Since I'm only reviewing Born to Be With You, my review is less than favorable. The songs blended together and were bland. Dion didn't write most of the material either. Most of the songs seemed to be plucked directly from the sixties. I'm unsure why this album was included. It couldn't have been because a white man covered the African American spiritual "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands."
I have heard some of Dion's big 60s hits, so I was intrigued to hear what a late 70s Dion would sound like. The conclusion? Meh. It was just okay. From his 60s sound, "Runaround Sue" and others are iconic decade standouts. But the sound on this album doesn't really stand out from what others were doing at the time. This wasn't bad, but it was not outstanding, either. Probably about a 2.5 for me, but no desire to round up.
got 10 tracks into this, paused to do something, and just couldn't bring myself to restart. Mid-70s pop rock. yuck.
Meh
Música para pasarla en un velorio
Dull. Fillers everywhere.
He’s not a bad singer but this was boring
Wat krijg je als een album zo spannend is als een gerecht met de volgende ingrediënten: Water Bloem Thats it Want zo voelt dit album. Was dit groundbreaking toen het uitkwam? Ik kan het me eigenlijk gewoon niet voorstellen. Dit is beige, dit is achtergrond muziek, maar dan wel vrij saaie achtergrondmuziek. Overigens; waarschuwing JE HOEFT ALLEEN DE EERSTE 8 NUMMERS MAAR TE LUISTEREN! Zeer belangrijk, want dit album is gewoon niet zo boeiend. Denk dat het laatste nummer mn favoriet was, ook omdat ik er toen achter kwam dat ik niet meer van Dion hoefde te luisteren. Kan ik weer over naar de orde van de dag. FAVO: Good lovin man
Props to the reviewer that pointed out they combined this album with another that let me know how many tracks to actually listen to rather than mistaken my listen to two albums of this mid music.