Emotion

Before I go into describing the album itself, let me first take the time to thank iTunes for this crisp new remaster. You see, this album had already been up on here (and Amazon) for nearly a decade, but its sound quality was horrible. Not only was it too faint, but there was a steady loud "hiss" permanently running through the background of the entire album which made it siund as though it were someone's old cassette played off an 8-track tape (in no way am I exaggerating or trying to be flip; I've collected music for decades, and this was literally what it sounded like). It was so sloppy that there were Youtube videos posted created by others who owned the original record which actually sounded far superior. I could only wait helplessly while hoping somebody cared enough to remaster it. Well finally, after all this time, the digital version of Samantha Sang's lovely debut album finally gets a good cleanup which at the same time preserves its soft, ethereal beauty with this fine Apple remaster, and not a moment too soon. Now whole new generations who most likely have only known Samantha as the vocalist who paired up with the Bee Gees on her hit "Emotion" can finally enjoy this wistfully lovely gem. Not surprisingly, the entire album was helped out by the Gibb brothers. A softly romantic album which starts off cheerfully with the lighthearted "You Keep Me Dancing" and then grows more and more seriously wistful as the album progesses, much in the same manner as Brian Wilson's masterpiece "Pet Sounds" does. By the time you reach "When Love Is Gone", you'll be completely submerged in a very special melancholy atmosphere which truly touches a nerve, which truly reflects a very particular emotion which has never before been addressed so specifically or so well. It all closes with a genuinely powerful finale that is a real showstopper that showcase's Sang's vocals the strongest, "The Love of A Woman". When she wails, "I believed in you!" by God the heavens and earth take notice. It's rare when an album's last track can be described as "breathtaking", but that's exactly what this is... and it used to always make me wistful as to what on earth had ever happened to Ms. Sang and if anyone would ever hear from her again. (When at age 20 I played the track for my aunt and expressed the same thing to her, she said with quiet respect and confidence, "She'll come back. She's too good to disappear." Now, in a sense, she has. In that sense, she'll now finally live on forever and this gorgeous album will never be forgotten again. There are a few albums out there which, once experienced, somehow change the world forever for the listener. This is one. [Note: So, iTunes, how about remastering and rereleasing her lighthearted follow up, "From Dance To Love"? ;) ]