Almost every song on the CD is an absolute winner. This is because 1980 represented the peak of artistic talent in both the team of Olivia Newtown-John and John Farrar (her songwriter) and Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra (known as, of course, ELO.) In fact, one song, "Suddenly", is a major smash hit, but nearly all of the other songs have merit.
"Magic" and "Suspended In Time" are classic examples of just how silky Newton-John's voice can be, while "I'm Alive" and "The Fall" are the best that ELO has to offer: brassy synth anthems that we've come to expect from Mr. Lynne. "All Over The World" might have been hampered by the reputation of the film, because it's every bit as much a party song as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" is. "Xanadu" is the lone song to meld Newton-John and ELO, which is to be expected as the "climax song", but it doesn't match the heights of the aforementioned songs, and borders on kitschy.
"Dancin'" is a song that SHOULDN'T work, but does - mixing a 40's Big Band with 80's Glam Rock. Even without the memory of how the scene played out in the movie (Gene Kelly and the artist had their opinions of how Xanadu should be, and slowly their ideas merged.) I guess that answers the question of what you get when you mix Big Band with Glam: you get a 70's Roller Disco.
The one song that SHOULD work, but DOESN'T is the duet between Newton-John and Kelly in "Whenever You're Away From Me". The two have zero chemistry, and their voices neither complement nor play off one other. It also has the serious mistake of being a serious song in a midst of playful ones. It didn't work in the film, and it definitely doesn't work here.
As for the movie, it's bad - and painfully obvious that they wrote the script to tie the songs together. The plot of Gene Kelly and a album cover artist bound by one of Jupiter's Muses to build a roller disco circus called Xanadu? Yeah, sure. We know the songs came far ahead of the script. And it did its purpose - I saw the movie once when I was 10, and bought the album, and bought the CD. Just don't expect me to buy the DVD, too.
"Magic" and "Suspended In Time" are classic examples of just how silky Newton-John's voice can be, while "I'm Alive" and "The Fall" are the best that ELO has to offer: brassy synth anthems that we've come to expect from Mr. Lynne. "All Over The World" might have been hampered by the reputation of the film, because it's every bit as much a party song as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" is. "Xanadu" is the lone song to meld Newton-John and ELO, which is to be expected as the "climax song", but it doesn't match the heights of the aforementioned songs, and borders on kitschy.
"Dancin'" is a song that SHOULDN'T work, but does - mixing a 40's Big Band with 80's Glam Rock. Even without the memory of how the scene played out in the movie (Gene Kelly and the artist had their opinions of how Xanadu should be, and slowly their ideas merged.) I guess that answers the question of what you get when you mix Big Band with Glam: you get a 70's Roller Disco.
The one song that SHOULD work, but DOESN'T is the duet between Newton-John and Kelly in "Whenever You're Away From Me". The two have zero chemistry, and their voices neither complement nor play off one other. It also has the serious mistake of being a serious song in a midst of playful ones. It didn't work in the film, and it definitely doesn't work here.
As for the movie, it's bad - and painfully obvious that they wrote the script to tie the songs together. The plot of Gene Kelly and a album cover artist bound by one of Jupiter's Muses to build a roller disco circus called Xanadu? Yeah, sure. We know the songs came far ahead of the script. And it did its purpose - I saw the movie once when I was 10, and bought the album, and bought the CD. Just don't expect me to buy the DVD, too.