Olivia Newton-John

Physical

Olivia's "Physical" : The One That You Want

Review Score:

(10/10)
"Physical" is a solid state of the art pop album that found Newton-John at the pinnacle of her commerical stride. The collection contains an even mix of ballads and uptempto songs that appeal to the masses (it sold over 2 million copies.) The title track muscled it's way to #1 and with incredible stamina remained there an outstanding 10 weeks. It remains one of the most popular pop tunes of all time and the top single of the 1980's!

Produced by John Farrar (who wrote the majority of Livvy's hits), this collection opens with the pulsating beats of the electric track "Landslide," glides into "Stranger's Touch" which highlights Olivia's beguiling vocals. "Make A Move On Me" is a formulac, tongue in cheek, upbeat dance number that also ignited the pop charts(#5). This is followed by a ballad done in the classic Newton-John vein, "Falling." This segues beautifully into the upbeat and inspirational "Love Make Me Strong," in which the singer elicits a confident and self assured delivery. The title track simply rocks, with attitude! "Silvery Rain" serves as an environmental plea in which Olivia addresses the issues of pollution. It's a uptempto number with a message. "Carried Away" contains some lovely harmonies inspired by its writer, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. "Recovery" is the consummate breakup song. The album quietly concludes with Olivia's self-penned, heartfelt composition, "The Promise {The Dolphin Song},"

The album is accompanied with a full length collection of music videos that cover the entire album and includes several bonus tracks: ("A Little More Love," "Magic," "Hopelessly Devoted To You"). Olivia was the first recipient of a Grammy award for Best Video Performance in 1981. Filled with colorful sets and elaborate costumes, the video is the ultimate visual companion to the album.

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