[.ca] Then & Now

Zzzzzzzzzzzz!:
I was also very disappointed with this CD. I felt that the songs were drawn out and sleepy. I was hoping for the original sound of "THEN" and didn't care for the "NOW". This one will rarely come out of my CD rack. Note: Do not operate heavy machinery while listening to this CD.

You CAN Teach an Old SONG New Tricks!:
I usually don't buy "greatest hits" recordings because either they are not the songs I thought were the greatest or I already had the songs on other CD's. But Mr. Johnson decides to go back into the studio and record new versions of some of his hits. With the delivery of his somewhat scratchy voice to the beautiful way he delivers a melody, this CD is like going to a live performance and having the artist perform all of the hits you love. Nine of these ten offerings are excellent! Whether it's the wonderful stories in the songs, or the way he turns the beat around in "That's That", or just the totally different approach he uses for "Whenever I Call You Friend", Michael Johnson has just proven you can teach an old song new tricks.

Nice Try:
I loved all of these songs when they originally came out. This "unplugged" version is nice as well.. but I think I was expecting more from this. Michael is so talented and has a great voice. I just recently saw him in concert and it made me miss listening to his music!

Fabulous!!:
This CD gave me goose bumps!. This music....this sound is exactly where I would expect Michael Johnson to be at this point in his life. Back in the 80's when he was on the radio a lot, I was in my 20's and the music was very top 40's in sound. Very slick and produced, full of beat and fun to listen to!. This CD on the other hand is a work of art. That's the difference here!. Michael's older and so am I. Listen to this version of "I'll always love you" or "bluer than Blue" and tell me differently!. It is simply astonishing to listen to!. For the first time I realise how great of a guitarist Michael is!. The old recordings hid this great talent with the drums and synth!. He has never been in finer voice as well. From a recording standpoint, this is one of the finest sounding CD's I have ever heard!. Great care was taken making this cd and the recording is simply impeccable. For those with the proper equipment, it is recorded in HDCD which produces the equivelent of 20 bit sound and this CD delivers all the benefits of the medium like I have never heard it before! This is a classic for all true fans! Enjoy!

A very pleasant surprise:
If you can get past the fact that these are not the original hit versions, you will find that this is a nice, mellow CD to listen to - just like I'd imagine going to see Michael live would be. The sound quality and the performance are both wonderful, with a "Mountain Stage" feel. The reworking of "Whenever I Call You Friend," with Alison Krauss from Union Station, is a revelation - I fell in love with the song all over again. If you find this one at a bargain price, which isn't hard to do, definitely give it a chance.

• Almost Like Being in Love
• Happier Days
• Whenever I Call You Friend - Michael Johnson, Alison Krauss
• This Night Won't Last Forever
• Moon Is Still over Her Shoulder
• That's That
• Bluer Than Blue
• Cryin' Shame
• Give Me Wings
• I'll Always Love You