Alright, Laura Braniga. You have one more shot at making me a super fan. Make it happen...Or don't. Admittedly, the first thing I read about her 1987 entry, Touch, didn't set high expectations. It basically said that the album offered, "more ballads than usual." Ugh...
Basically, Touch is touted as Branigan's unsuccessful attempt to enter the adult contemporary world, leaving behind her previous pop roots. Though critics praised her vocals, and stated she had the range to certainly make the transition, overall, the album just wasn't the vehicle that was going to drive it.
Okay, so with expectations set way low, and a grueling sense of the ballads to come, let's get this one over and done with.
Despite being a ballad, and I say again, who opens an album with that kind of tune, Over Love isn't terrible. However, it's follow up, Shadow Of Love, didn't work for me. It was so slow, and way too long. I actually ended up skipping it midway.
Branigan flexes her sticky fingers to once again produce a cover heavy album, borrowing liberally from other artists. These include Jennifer Rush's Power Of Love, Ellie Warren's Shattered Glass, Hazell Dean's Whatever I Do, and Shirley Ellis's The Name Game. Most of these covers are done little to no justice in her hands. While Power Of Love is serviceable, in retrospect, Celine Dion's version is far superior. Whatever I Do was also okay in sections. I'm not a fan of the chorus, particularly how it sounds, but the rest of it was okay.
I'm not going to deny that Laura doesn't have a good voice. I just wish she had the songs to emphasize this. For example, Spirit Of Love, gives her the opportunity to provide a poppy track, which flexes her range from whispers to screaming, and everything in between. It's cut midway with a crunchy guitar solo, rounding out a great tune. She needs more like this.
At the end of the day, my goal was to complete my journey through Laura Branigan's 80's albums, and I've accomplished that. Did I come away a fan? No more than I was before. I like a handful of her songs, and I'm good with that. It is disappointing to find out that she was nothing more than a glorified cover artist, but I suppose if that's what it is, there's nothing more to be done about it.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS November 7, 1981 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS November 7, 1987 |
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