Donna Summer: Crayons - A Quickie Review

[Cdnbob]

I picked up a copy of Donna Summer's new CD "Crayons" this weekend and gave it a listen last night. Having now heard the cd that quite a few have been talking about, I wanted to put my 2 cents worth in. I think the last Donna Summer album I bought was "This Time I Know It's For Real" album she did with producers Stock Aiken and Waterman. I wasn't sure what to expect from this new album except for what my fellow DM posters had said about it. I put the cd in the player and had a listen and about 30 minutes or so later I'd had enough.

While overall its a good album, its very typical of today's dance music. Donna's voice seems to be overlayered on just about every track, plus its been digitally treated on every track too. Quite often I found the background singers and the instruments drowned out her voice. This was a bit annoying cause I really wanted to hear her voice, but when the voice did get a chance to shine, I found it had been treated with special effects and the sort. Donna can sing, so I was a bit frustrated that the producers just didn't let her do that instead of layering it over and over and over again. This is Donna. The lady with the powerhouse voice. Not some talentless bimbo like Jessica Simpson or the likes.

While I'm not sure who wrote what on each track - lyrics and/or music - I'm sorry to say that I found some of the lyrics to be rather inane and juvenile. If Donna wrote the lyrics, you would think a 59 year old woman would come up with something a little more substantial. I wasn't expecting a dissertation on the effects of radiation on food, but I expected lyrics that were a bit more substantial than the lightweight majority on this record.

The album is very much a contemporary dance music album - all of the tracks are firmly rooted in what's heard on the charts today. Tracks reminded me of things that Missy Elliott or Gwen Stefani have released.

While I have heard that several people did not like the numerous styles of music that Donna experiments with on this CD, I found it was a benefit. There was dance, pop, rap, reggae and ballads. A nice mix of styles.

My favorite tracks have to be "Stamp Your Feet, I'm A Fire, Crayons, Mr. Music" and "Drivin Down Brazil". Sadly, I hate the two ballads and feel both of these could be excised from the cd. I think both of these suffer from what I've always thought of Donna Summer ballads. Its not a musical style she does well. A lot of her ballads are rather hit and miss.

Overall I liked the cd, but I think I'll be selective on what tracks will be getting repeated plays. (I've added "I'm A Fire" to my Live365 station playlist.) I'd give the cd a 7 out of 10.

[PierreConstantin]

I agree with you, 100%. I thought exactly the same when I heard the cd. Nevertheless, «It's Only Love» is a good song but it's not available on all pressings (what an annoying habit! what's the point with all the different versions of a cd?).

[PierreConstantin]

An interesting review of the album posted WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008:
Disco Delivery

[EricHG23]

haha I attended the Vancouver concert with Tommy, the person who reviewed it and runs DIsco Delivery. I basically agreed with his review at the time, and after the concert we discussed how to our surprise the album has actually improved since we first got it. I knwo for me I thought i might play it less when the novelty wore off and I was just so excited for new Donan Summer material, but time spent with the album (and hearing much of it live) has made me realize how very good most of it is.

But I do have a copy with It's Only Love--prob the best song, ironically, for me. Shocking it's not on all releases.

The majority of her writing is the lyrics. Donna's always been a so so lyricist IMHO--I sorta find her naive lyrics charming but they definetly aren't sophisticated and I agree some of them let down the songs on Crayons.

However I think ehr voice was processed far less than you think (and ieven in the disco days her voice was often processed with echo, etc). Most of the backup vocals are her own as well.

I did appreciate Be Myself Again much more after hearing it live--it was never a fave of mine. That said I loved nearly all of DOnna's 70s ballads--I know many don't.

[kdavid13]

What I've always loved about Donna Summer is the fact that she was always more than just another artist doing disco music.

Having been involved with her own music since the beginning ; I've always enjoyed Donna's lyrics.The fact that she was a 1/3 of a winning combination was a feat in itself.

So many of her contemporaries were mere puppets and had little to say about what their albums would sound like.

Donna was a star,a glamourous sex goddess and Casablanca gave her the royal treatment.But I loved reading about the fact that she wanted to hang around Kenny Loggins to write a song or that she learned to play the piano because she was pissed that Bruce didn't feel like playing when she was ready to be creative [both events were brought up in a special Record World magazine that came out in May of 1979 - to celebrate the release of Bad Girls].That brief interview focused a lot on Donna's new world in California and the fact that she was buzzing with creativity.People were gonna respect her for more than her stellar set of pipes.

What I love about Donna's lyrics is that she rarely writes as Donna,the woman.She will soak up whatever's around her and put herself in other people's shoes and then write about their tales...be it a man,a waitress,a hooker or a young girl. And that makes her interesting and unpredictable in my book.The way she will use her voice,her experiences,her mood of the moment and try to make every song different makes her amazing.

Crayons is a joyous affair...a shot in the arm and you can also feel Donna's excitement and creativity leap out whenever the songs come to life.

I applaud the fact that after 17 years ; she did an album that was all over the map.Good for her ; we as fans knew that she could sing anything.

I have always loved Donna's ballads...Sometimes like butterflies,On my honor,Fascination,There will always be a you,Sweet romance,Can't we just sit down and talk it over,Heaven's just a whisper away,Whispering waves,Be myself again...are just a few of my favorites.

I certainly hope Crayons is a new beginning...

[PierreConstantin]

Originally Posted by kdavid13

I have always loved Donna's ballads...Sometimes like butterflies,On my honor,Fascination,There will always be a you...

Excellent ballads, yes, specially Fascination, one of the best tracks of a so-so album.

A question reagrading Sometimes like butterflies: I have this song only as Love is in control 7"'s B-side (and a cover by Dusty Springfield, from 1985 I think); is it available elsewhere?

[kdavid13]

Originally Posted by Pierre Declercq

Excellent ballads, yes, specially Fascination, one of the best tracks of a so-so album.

A question reagrading Sometimes like butterflies: I have this song only as Love is in control 7"'s B-side (and a cover by Dusty Springfield, from 1985 I think); is it available elsewhere?

The song is available on CD but curiously enough it is only to be found on Canadian artist MARK TARA's 2006 album called Different love.

CD Baby: MARK TARA: Different Love

Mark Tara - Different Love

Mark Tara - Different Love - Music is Here!!

[PierreConstantin]

Thank you kdavid13

[EricHG23]

Originally Posted by Pierre Declercq

Excellent ballads, yes, specially Fascination, one of the best tracks of a so-so album.

A question reagrading Sometimes like butterflies: I have this song only as Love is in control 7"'s B-side (and a cover by Dusty Springfield, from 1985 I think); is it available elsewhere?

Don't get me wrong, I love Donna's lyrics too but she does have a distinctive style (the lack of rhyme in Once Upon a Time being an example)--another example is This Time I kNow It's For Real--the chorus is typical Stock Aitken Waterman image wise, the verses "refering to signs, etc" is VERY VERY Donna Summer (similar to I Do Believe I Fell In Love from the largely awful She Works Hard album--love that song, Tokyo and the title song)

Fascination (a song she didn't help write) is gorgeous and very underated--stunning synth work from Faltermeyer on that too. But even in the 70s--many disco fans dislike the "ballad sides" of OUAT and Bad Girls but I love them.

[Marcio**]

Donna Summer was in Otawwa:
The one pure disco song is the pounding, synthesized "I'm A Fire".



The queen of disco is back, and she's ready to defend her much-maligned music