All the Way: A Decade of Song

by Céline Dion

Overview

There's a reason Celine Dion's most famous hit comes from the most momentous film epic of our time. Grand statements and performances are what she does best. More than Whitney, Bette, Patti or any other modern vocalist, the northern queen of balladic boom invests her material with so much scope, reach, and power that every song becomes an incredible emotional outpouring. And when she turns her glow on us, the effect can be mesmerizing. "Don't give up on your faith/Love comes to those who believe it/And that's the way it is," she sings on "That's the Way It Is," the radiant Max Martin-produced first single from ALL THE WAY. Translation: I'm here to lift up you where you belong. In that vein, ALL THE WAY is a Celine dream. You get nine massive hits, such as "The Power of Love," "Because You Loved Me (Theme from Up Close and Personal)," "I'm Your Angel," and the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from Titanic)," plus seven brand new songs -- including an eerily powerful duet with the late Frank Sinatra, a revelatory version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and collaborations with Dianne Warren, Shania Twain producer John "Mutt" Lange, and the aforementioned Martin. Of course, each of these formidable figures knows that his or her duty is to stand back and let Dion do her thing, and so many of the productions are simply sonic white walls on which the diva extraordinaire paints her vision with magnificent gestures. And that's all she needs. The world of music rarely produces art this sweeping, and Dion's many fans will welcome this long, lush parade of hits and new performances with joy and enrapt awe. --Peter Rutter

Product Details

Release Date:	10/26/1999
Label:	Columbia Europe
UPC:	5099749609426
catalogNumber:	4960942
Rank:	6492

Tracks

1. The Power of Love
2. If You Asked Me To
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Because You Loved Me
5. It's All Coming Back to Me Now
6. Love Can Move Mountains
7. To Love You More
8. My Heart Will Go On
9. I'm Your Angel
10. That's the Way It Is
11. If Walls Could Talk
12. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
13. All the Way
14. Then You Look at Me
15. I Want You to Need Me
16. Live for the One I Love

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Céline Dion   Primary Artist,Vocals
Frank Sinatra   Track Performer
Peabo Bryson   Track Performer
Todd Rundgren   Background Vocals
David Foster   Keyboards,Background Vocals
Glen Burtnik   Background Vocals
Yvonne Gage   Background Vocals
Michael Thompson   Guitar,Electric Guitar
Jeanie Tracy   Background Vocals
Sue Ann Carwell   Background Vocals
Kasim Sulton   Background Vocals
Shania Twain   Background Vocals
Tawatha Agee   Background Vocals
Kenny Aronoff   Drums
Bashiri Johnson   Percussion
Roy Bittan   Piano,Piano (Grand)
Jeff Bova   Keyboards
Terry Bradford   Background Vocals
Jimmy Bralower   Percussion,Drums
Alex Brown   Background Vocals
Steve Buslowe   Bass
Lafayette Carthon   Keyboards,Background Vocals,Choir Conductor
Carl Carwell   Background Vocals
Luis Conte   Percussion
Rory Dodd   Background Vocals
Simon Franglen   Synthesizer,Keyboards,Synclavier
Humberto Gatica   Vocals
John Gilutin   Piano,Keyboards
Diva Gray   Background Vocals
Tony Hinnigan   Penny Whistle
Loris Holland   Keyboards,Hammond Organ,Background Vocals,Choir Conductor
Dann Huff   Guitar
Phillip Ingram   Background Vocals
Nancy Jackson   Background Vocals
Larry Jacobs   Background Vocals
Skyler Jett   Background Vocals
Ren Klyce   Sampling,Synclavier
Kofi   Background Vocals
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Background Vocals
Maxayn Lewis   Background Vocals
Paulette McWilliams   Background Vocals
Eddie Martinez   Guitar
Rob Mathes   Conductor
Jean McClain   Background Vocals
Jeffrey Morrow   Background Vocals
Dean Parks   Acoustic Guitar
Paul Peabody   Irish Fiddle
Joel Peskin   Oboe
Tim Pierce   Guitar
Anthony Ransom   Background Vocals
Claytoven Richardson   Background Vocals
John "J.R." Robinson   Drums
Guy Roche   Synthesizer
Johnny Rutledge   Background Vocals
Dan Shea   Drums,Keyboards
Steve Skinner   Keyboards
Fonzi Thornton   Background Vocals
Jeannie Tracey   Background Vocals
Rob Trow   Background Vocals
Eric Troyer   Background Vocals
Joan Walton   Background Vocals
Spencer Washington   Background Vocals
Wil Wheaton   Background Vocals
Cheryl Wilson   Background Vocals
Elisabeth Withers   Background Vocals
Terry Wood   Background Vocals
Robert Moe   Background Vocals
Michael Hart Thompson   Guitar,Electric Guitar
Lisa Lougheed   Background Vocals
Suzie Katayama   Conductor
Walter Afanasieff   Organ,Synthesizer,Acoustic Guitar,Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Hammond Organ,Synclavier,Synthesizer Bass,Synclavier Guitar
Leland Sklar   Bass
William Ross   Conductor
Stevie Robinson   Background Vocals
Nancey Jackson   Background Vocals
Max Martin   Keyboards,Background Vocals
Bridgette Bryant-Fiddmont   Background Vocals
Nana Hedin   Background Vocals
Esbjörn Öhrwall   Guitar
Tomas Lindberg   Bass
Taro Hakase   Violin
Alanna Capps   Background Vocals
Andreas Carlsson   Background Vocals
Ayuana George   Background Vocals
Konesha Owens   Background Vocals
Tsuneyoshi Saito   Synthesizer
Yoshinobu Takeshita   Bass
Leslie Ellis   Background Vocals
Robert Bowker   Background Vocals
Troy Bright   Background Vocals
Cathy Richardson   Background Vocals
Kristian Lundin   Keyboards
Leah Haywood   Background Vocals
Jacques Saugy   Guitar
Latasha Jordon   Background Vocals
Joel Peskins   Oboe
Robin Robinson   Background Vocals
Dennis Collins   Background Vocals

Technical Credits

Richard Meyer   Programming
Céline Dion   Liner Notes
Todd Rundgren   Arranger,Vocal Arrangements
Jennifer Rush   Composer
Jeremy Lubbock   String Arrangements
David Foster   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangements
Tony Black   Programming
Jim Steinman   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Track Arrangement
Sue Ann Carwell   Arranger,Vocal Arrangements
Riccardo Cocciante   Composer
Will Rogers   Assistant Vocal Engineer
James Horner   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Orchestration
R. Kelly   Arranger,Producer
Howard Ashman   Composer
Jon Avnet   Executive Producer
Roy Bittan   Arranger,Producer,Piano Arrangement
Jeff Bova   Arranger,Programming,Track Arrangement
Jimmy Bralower   Arranger,drum programming,Track Arrangement
Robbie Buchanan   Arranger
Bob Cadway   Engineer
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Carl Carwell   Arranger,Vocal Arrangements
Dana Jon Chappelle   Engineer
Felipe Elgueta   Programming,Producer,Engineer
Frank Filipetti   Engineer
Simon Franglen   Arranger,Producer,Engineer,Synclavier Programming
Humberto Gatica   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Claude Gaudette   Programming
David Gleeson   Engineer
Will Jennings   Composer
Ren Klyce   Programming,Synclavier Programming
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Producer
Mario Lucy   Engineer
Vito Luprano   Executive Producer
Patrick MacDougall   Engineer
Rob Mathes   Arranger,Orchestral Arrangements
Alan Menken   Composer
Dave Reitzas   Engineer
Steve Rinkoff   Producer,Engineer
Guy Roche   Arranger,Producer,Engineer
Olle Romo   Programming
Dan Shea   Programming,drum programming,Rhythm Programming,Sound Design
Steve Skinner   Engineer,drum programming
Rich Tancredi   Arranger
David Thoener   Engineer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Rick Wake   Arranger,Producer
Diane Warren   Composer
Frank Wolf   Engineer
John Doelp   Executive Producer
John Herman   Engineer,Engineering Consultant
Gunther Mende   Composer
Stephen George   Programming,Engineer
Walter Afanasieff   Arranger,Programming,Producer,drum programming,Orchestral Arrangements
Nancy Donald   Art Direction
Simon Rhodes   Engineer
William Ross   Arranger,String Arrangements,Orchestral Arrangements
Mark Dobson   Pro-Tools
Matt Serletic   Arranger,Producer,Orchestration
Jack Hersca   Assistant Vocal Engineer
Max Martin   Programming,Producer,Engineer
Candy Derouge   Composer
David Shackney   Engineer
Chris Brooke   Assistant Vocal Engineer
Ron Last   Assistant Vocal Engineer
Mary Susan Applegate   Composer
Andy Haller   Engineer
Kryzler & Kompany   Arranger
Yoshinobu Takeshita   Programming
Kristian Lundin   Programming,Producer,Engineer
David Ashton   Engineer
René Angélil   Producer
Michel Gallone   Assistant Vocal Engineer
Jon Newman   Packaging Manager
Stephen Saper   Author
Luc Plamondon   Composer
Jeff Taylor   Remixing
Junior Miles   Composer

Editorial Reviews

There aren't a lot of greatest-hits albums with seven new songs, which is exactly what All the Way: A Decade of Song is. There are just nine hits on this hits collection, and of those, only a handful -- "If You Asked Me To," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Power of Love," "Because You Loved Me," "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," and "My Heart Will Go On" -- were huge hits in the U.S. Her first American hit, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," isn't here, nor is her duet with Barbra Streisand, "Tell Him." Naturally, this means it's not a definitive collection, but rather an unsatisfying album that feels suspiciously like a piece of product. The best of the hits, like the Meat Loaf-ian epic "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and "My Heart Will Go On," are certainly among the best adult contemporary songs of the decade, and the new stuff would pale in comparison, even if it was very good -- which, by and large, it is not. Two numbers, the danceable "That's the Way it Is" and the pretty ballad "If Walls Could Talk," work, but the cover of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" falls flat and "All the Way," complete with old vocals from Sinatra, is a disaster. The remaining three aren't bad, but they're not particularly memorable, especially compared to the hits. And that's the problem with All the Way -- if it had been a straight hits collection, with "That's the Way it Is" and "If Walls Could Talk" added to the end, it would have been fine, but padding it with nearly a full album worth of new material hurts it.

All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine