Everybody reading this must be probably think that I’ve totally lost the plot here. Okay, I lost it many years ago but posting about an Olivia Newton John album, I must be totally bonkers. I mean she was the girl who played along side of John Travolta in “Grease.” We won’t go into some of the songs that were on that soundtrack. Even before “Grease,” ONJ was more of a country singer whose more mellower songs made the cross over into the rock charts. What I can say is that as a result of “Grease,” she wanted to shed her goody-two shoes image and so she went with a more rockier sound and “Totally Hot” was the result.
I’m not going to kid anyone into thinking this album is a total rock out, it’s not. In the rock stakes, Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar by far blow her away but I have to give her credit where it’s due, she tried. “Totally Hot” has both of my favourite ONJ songs of all time on it, “A Little More Love” and “Deeper Than the Night.” The first song does have some good rock guitar in it and of the two mentioned, it takes the number one spot. While I don’t shoot the devil horns in the air and start headbanging away to it, it is still a good song. The rest of the album is in my view more of an attempt at prog rock without the classy musicianship. Still, it is pretty good and that’s why after a long mull in the mind, I have decided to visit it here.
Track Listing:
1. Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting
2. Dancin’ Round and Round
3. Talk to Me
4. Deeper Than the Night
5. Borrowed Time
6. A Little More Love
7. Never Enough
8. Totally Hot
9. Boats Against the Current
10. Gimme Some Lovin’
Olivia Newton John
Olivia Newton John- vocals
Mike Botts, Ed Greene- drums
David McDaniels, David Hungate- bass
Jai Winding, David Foster- piano
John Farrar, Steve Lukather- drums
Michael Boddicker- synthesiser
Steve Modaio- trumpet
Marty Grebb- alto sax
Chuck Finley- trombone
Gerald Peterson- tenor sax
Lenny Castro- percussion
The other thing I like about this album is that before it, I thought Olivia Newton John was on the skinny side for my personal tastes. But she put on some weight as well for this album and was looking good for the leather shot on the album cover. The album itself is still a decent listen.
Next post: The Jam- Setting Sons
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