It's a Heartache album review

by Don Shewey


When "It's A Heartache" wafts out of the radio or the jukebox, Bonnie
Tyler's husky voice instantly commands attention, but when the song's
over, you go back to what you were doing.  Oddly enough, the same thing
happens with this album.  After the title track plays, your mind wanders,
because the gift turns out to be a gimmick.

Comparisons to Rod Stewart are laughable: short on interpretive
intelligence and emotional substance, Tyler's more like Lena Zavaroni.
She can make interesting sounds, but hasn't yet learned to use her voice
honestly.  Instead, she overdoes her rasp the way a bad actress stresses
every other word to indicate feeling.

Though much of the material here is unexceptional, "Baby Goodnight," lends
itself to the drama Tyler ought to be trying for, while "Heaven" begs for
an all-out country treatment instead of the nondescript pop arrangement
it receives.  Actually, Bonnie Tyler might do will in a country context if
the right producer could tap a store of sincerity as yet unheard.  The
culture shock may be too great, however, since the "Welsh Songbird" )her
unfortunate media tag) delivers Stevie Wonder's "Living In the City" with
the fugitive understanding of Abba doing "Spanish Harlem."