Heart of Stone

by

Cher

Edit

Cher followed up the success of her self-titled 1987 album with Heart of Stone, whose first two singles did better on the charts. She had retained the same production team-if it ain't broke... But the followup benefits from having better arrangements and instrumentations, while embodying a musical style now sadly long gone.

Instead of merely writing this song, Diane Warren puts on her producer's hat with Guy Roche. "If I Could Turn Back Time," whose strident rhythms with the same synth and fiery guitar from her previous album, made it to #3 on the charts and a week atop the Adult Contemporary charts. With a host of backing vocalists, including Desmond Child, Robin Beck, and Maria Vidal, plus guitar from Steve Lukather, who'd contributed on "I Found Someone," this couldn't fail and it didn't. However, with the video aboard a US aircraft carrier with an ever-so revealing outfit, the song might as well have been called "If I Could Show My Behind." What's also revealing and tried and true are some things I have experienced: "Pride's like a knife it can cut deep inside/words are like weapons they wound sometimes." Words have hurt me too much at times, so I know.

The second single, the power ballad written by Diane Warren and Desmond Child, "Just Like Jesse James," challenging a ladykiller and trying to drop him off the swaggering macho cloud he's floating on, indeed has lyrics with the aura of a Western showdown. This #8 hit also features backing vocals by Child, Warren, and Brenda Russell ("Get Here," "Piano In The Dark"). Another winning song.

Bolton and Warren co-write, with the former producing and arranging "You Wouldn't Know Love," which is straight 80's synth-laced music complete with its host of backing vocals. His production and songwriting on "Still In Love With You" and "Starting Over," the latter co-written with Journey's Jonathan Cain embodies the same style.

Her cover of Desmond Child's reflective "Love On A Rooftop," produced by Asher, also on percussion, was not the first time I'd heard it, as Ronnie Spector had done her version two years earlier on Unfinished Business, which makes at least three versions, including Child's own, which came out in 1991. This has more of a crunch to it, airy keyboard-wise and guitar-wise, the latter courtesy of the Heartbreakers' Waddy Wachtel. A strong single-worthy rendition, though the more low-key version by Spector fits me more. Asher also produced the duet between her and Peter Cetera, "After All," which was from the movie Chances Are. A #6 hit, this spent 4 weeks atop the AC charts, and is a classic 80's type pop ballad, and something Chicago probably'd have no problem doing around their 17 or 18 albums. Wachtel also does guitar here as well. Another favourite here.

The other Child-produced songs, "Emotional Fire" has the raging power to be on a Bon Jovi album, with harmonic chorus as strong as on BJ's "Living On A Prayer." Speaking of which, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora help co-write "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore." A rhetoric question posed here is: "There's a lonely world around me/I get sucked in by the tide/I said, hey, love ain't no crime/so why is everybody so afraid to cross that line." I found out the hard way. This is the song Kane Roberts later did in 1991.

A successor to Cher's 87 album, this is evidence enough that Cher had that second wind going for her. I mean, three Top Ten singles, one of them Top 5, and the #20 title track, not bad. Cher would repeat the formula for one more album before going on another hiatus, and redefining herself in 1998 with oontsa oontsa music with Believe.

This is where to go if you're looking the best Geffen era Cher album. Containing four hit singles, including arguably the best and most underrated song (and video) of her career, "Heart Of Stone". Intelligent, timeless lyrics and a wonderful, heartfelt vocal performance. The video adds a politcal stance to the lyrics. I would have to believe that although this song wasn't a massive hit single (#20 on Billboard's pop chart), Cher herself would agree that this song is one of her finest musical moments. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the album is bogged down by faux arena rock filler falling somewhere between Bon Jovi and Michael Bolton, both of whom collaborate on the album. Don't let the other reviews fool you, this one's definitely a product of it's time. The obvious highlight is Diane Warren's "If I Could Turn Back Time", a deserved smash single (even though it was supported by one of the worst, most embarrasing videos of the era). "Just Like Jesse James" is passable mock western. Not quite up to par with Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive" (it's obvious influence) but light years better than Poison's dopey "Every Rose Has It's Thorn". The other hit single, "After All" with Peter Cetera, was tacked on at the end the album to boost sales. It had already been released as a single the prior year off of the "Chances Are" soundtrack. In retrospect, this album might have benefited from more Peter Asher produced tracks and better material, but it still rates as Cher best Geffen album. Sidenote: The superior remix of "Heart Of Stone" with the gospel choir backing her up is available on several of her hits collections, the original version here has studio vocalists backing her up.