Search - Jane Olivor :: Best Side of Goodbye

Fully orchestrated and dynamic love songs

dev1 | Baltimore | 03/19/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Praised by the critics and shunned by the public, The Best Side of Goodbye is a jewel in the cutout bin. A description of Jane Olivor that I once read stated, "a voice that could peel the paint off the walls." For a popular music songtress, Jane has powerful voice with excellent range. She steps up and down octaves effortlessly (To Love Again). She also changes her pitch from line to line, and sometimes several times within the same line (Manchild Lullaby). Her voice sounds "trained" - perhaps a bit too close to operatic perfection for a popular singer. Recording quality: For an original analog master, the Best Side CD is above average quality. Jane is close-miked. You can distinguish every detail including the sound of her lips touching (Weeping Willows, Cattails).The Best Side is a collection of fully orchestrated and dynamic love songs (Manchild Lullaby, A Long and Lasting Love, Don't Let Go Of Me, and The Best Side of Goodbye) as well as quieter material. The best side of The Best Side is the more sparse material (Golden Pony; Weeping Willows, Cattails; To Love Again). These underproduced compositions give Jane's splendid voice extra room to shine. My advice is to buy the paint before auditioning The Best Side of Goodbye."

The Best Side of Jane Olivor

Warren Mullin | Lenexa, Kansas United States | 04/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the solid fan base of Jane Olivor's voice and music were not as inticed by this release as her earlier gems, those who appreciate a more "mainstream" or "commercial" sound will probably find this album quite to their liking. The album was intentionally produced by various music industry standouts in that vein. Unfortunately, despite it having the highest Billboard chart position of any of her albums (#58), it was not what the bulk of her following expected of her. Randy Edelman's "Don't Let Go Of Me" is a perfect pop arrangement despite it's poor single performance (peaking at #108 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" chart), and Peter ["Do You Wanna Make Love - or do you just wanna fool around"] McCann's "Love This Time" is an absolute pop standout. Crystal Gayle later made "A Long And Lasting Love" a smash hit, but Jane's relatively unknown version outshines it. "The Greatest Love Of All" (first recorded by George Benson; both versions overshadowed by Whitney Houston's later smash) is a magnificent vehicle for Olivor's vocal interpretation. The title track is also one of Jane's standout cuts. The collection of material is well-rounded to fit it's purpose, and had it received the airplay attention it deserved, could easily have pushed Jane's career into a different direction - not that that would have been so necessarily desirable to her followers, but that it would have given Jane Olivor the platform and recognition she truly deserves. From the same time frame, the superb 1979 duet with Johnny Mathis "The Last Time I Felt Like This" (from the motion picture "Same Time Next Year") is unfortunately not present here - one has to look through the Mathis catalogue to obtain that one. But it is well worth it. Jane wraps around the melody line and lyric - as if her voice were a stringed instrument - like no other before or since."

The Best Side Of Jane Olivor

Reed | New Castle, PA | 11/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the late 70's, I worked in a record store during college. One evening,due either to divine inspiration or complete boredom, I decided to open and listen to an album by an unknown (to me) artist named Jane Olivor. I was immediately captivated by the unmistakable talent pouring out of the stereo. "The Best Side Of Goodbye" was released in 1980, and showcases Olivor's voice. The material is good, although not spectacular, and comes from a diverse group of songwriters. Highlights include songs "Don't Let Go Of Me," "Vagabond", and "A Long and Lasting Love," but she really shines on two heartbreakingly beautiful ballads: the title song, and "Love This Time" ("They say one lover loves the other more, the kind of love that you've been waiting for.")"The Best Side Of Goodbye" falls short of a 5 star recording, more due to the song selections than to the artist's ability. Plus, I can't help comparing this CD to that first lp, "Stay The Night." "Stay The Night" is a great album, and it's a shame that it's not available on CD as well."