While it's often described as a dramatic synth-pop departure, "Something to Talk About" is, at its heart, Anne Murray's most elegant and lush studio album. True, the arrangements reflect their 80s origins; but they generally represent the era at its understated best. The songs themselves are tuneful and tasteful. And Murray's singing was never more powerful - or more adventurous. You'll hear an abundance of crystal-clear high notes - and high points -- on this ambitious record.
The album's biggest hit, "Now and Forever (You and Me)" has a driving beat and the trademark sheen of producer David Foster in the days of Barbra Streisand's "Somewhere" and his string of Chicago hits.
"My Life's a Dance" and "On and On" stand as two of Murray's most beautiful ballads. With slightly different arrangements, they'd be at home on any of the excellent albums from her crossover heyday.
A couple of tracks do emphasize tempo and grit over melody, but they achieve greatness in other ways. "Heartaches," a Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover, proves just how well middle-of-the-road Murray could tackle full-tilt rock and roll. Compare this to the BTO original to understand what singers like Amy Grant mean when they celebrate Murray's gift of phrasing. There's even a U.K. dance hit on the album, "Who's Leaving Who." (Sadly, the hit version was sung by Hazell Dean two years later. Dean's overly perky version was produced by hi-NRG powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman. Murray's brooding version, produced by its co-writer, Jack White, builds a sense of eerie mystery that better suits the lyric.)
The album's overlooked treasures are the tracks produced by Keith Diamond, the man behind Billy Ocean's hits. His arrangements here show a similar cosmopolitan flair. The gently percussive "Reach for Me" -- all soaring synths and lilting vocals, should have been a hit in the vein of "Cherish" or "Fresh."
At the end of the day, Anne Murray just wasn't destined to play in Kool & the Gang's sandbox. Her legacy would be music of a simpler beauty. But I'm sure glad she ventured onto new turf for this brave and brilliantly orchestrated record -- which remains one of the best examples of high-quality 80s pop.
(Collector's note: Many non-album tracks from these sessions are worth seeking out, too. A fourth Keith Diamond song, "I Don't Wanna Spend Another Night Without You," is playful and quirky. Find it on the b-side of "Now & Forever." Surprisingly, a second track from high-profile producer David Foster didn't make the final cut. "Over You" later surfaced, remixed, on "The Best... So Far." Jack White's "Without You," which was probably benched this inning due to a melodic similarity to "Who's Leaving Who," showed up a year later on "Harmony." Two single remixes of "Who's Leaving Who" (a 7" and a 12") add a glistening guitar intro a la Bananarama's "Venus." The single version of "On and On" substitutes background vocals for synthesizers, making the song brighter and breezier -- but diluting its stark sense of loneliness. In Canada, "Heartaches" was released as a 12-inch dance single with standard-issue extended instrumental breaks.)
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