In keeping with the title,
Shirley Bassey's follow-up to her 1970 hit LP
Something does indeed present a bit of a change of direction. In fact, it's a step back to her MOR dates of the mid-'60s; the album includes no recent rock standards, and the arrangements focus on full-orchestra symphonic pop with fewer nods to the contemporary scene. Though it didn't chart quite as high as its predecessor, it did make the Top Ten while her version of "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" hit the Top 40 in Britain. Most of the album is given over to large scale, dramatic pop songs -- "It's Impossible," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Until It's Time to Go" -- best treated by a full-throated vocalist like
Bassey. It's not quite as raucous or adventurous as
Something, but it must've been an easier album to digest for
Bassey fans from way back. ~ John Bush