Dion

In 1975, Phil Spector assigned himself the task of producing Dion as a kick-off to his new contract with Warner Brothers. The sometimes stormy sessions yielded one of the most authentic representations of the Wall of Sound in the producer's entire oeuvre, Born to Be With You. Ironically, either out of personal insecurity or a dispute with Dion's management, Spector chose to never release it in the United States. Spector employed a huge army of musicians in his biggest production since George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, including many members of his old studio coterie, the Wrecking Crew. It resulted in a potent, if pungent, effort by Dion. Spector's massive productions provide a fine backdrop to Dion's powerful voice. The album has a hypnotic quality, awash with echo and reverb. The best tracks are the repetitive but catchy title track, "Born to Be With You"; "In and Out of the Shadows"; and an infectious rocker, "Good Lovin' Man." An additional highlight is the inclusion of "Your Own Backyard," a single originally released in 1969. It's a countrified, Kris Kristofferson-style tale of Dion's heroin addiction. The song is poignant, personal, and probably one of the better songs ever written on the subject. Another '70s-era Dion LP contained on the CD, Streetheart, is a decidedly colder and more consciously commercial affair. Producers Steve Barri and Michael Omartian chose to employ a production style that is both highly mechanical and dated, using the full trick-bag of keyboard and guitar processing effects available in the mid-'70s. It sounds as though the producers were trying to pitch Dion as an adult contemporary artist, but merely wound up casting the singer in a sea of mediocrity. It doesn't help matters that the songwriting is not impressive, including compositions by Dion himself. The high point is Dion's duet with Phil Everly on "Queen of '59," in which the pair sound like a New York-meets-Kentucky Everly Brothers. It's one of the better songs on the album, along with the Foundations-like "You Showed Me What Love Is" and the upbeat "Lover Boy Supreme." ~ Mary Grady, All Music Guide