"Bette Midler has such a beautiful voice, anything she does is worth listening to. The instrumental side of it is a bit "fake" sounding to me, doesn't sound like a genuine band, has a studio-produced, exact, almost computerized sound to it. Overall, though, an excellent CD."
From a distance
Indy-girl | Birmingham, AL | 03/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love the song "From a Distance" It really speaks volumes about the overview of the world and how it really should be. It reminds you that God is watching us in everything we say and do. If only our world did look as great up close as it does from a distance!"
Bette Midler - Some People's Lives - Hot Deal
Verle Ketchum | Olympia, WA USA | 09/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bought this for my wife and one for her sister. They LOVE IT!! Thanks for doing a great job.
Music is clear, and CD cover is perfect!!"
Considering the matter of Bette Midler
Steven Haarala | Mandeville, LA USA | 01/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It is pretty much beyond dispute that Bette Midler is an extremely talented artist - a dynamic performer and skilled vocalist, one of the best. Up until the late 90's, I bought just about every one of her albums. Occasionally I had a few quibbles about her choice of material, but overall her efforts were successful. In my opinion, the albums that are most nearly perfect - the ones where the talent matches the material - are "Songs For The New Depression", "Broken Blossom" and this one. "New Depression" and "Broken Blossom" were released in the mid-70's; they represented to some extent a step from her early campy, performance-oriented material to more sophisticated and interpretive songs, both serious and comedic. "Some People's Lives" was released roughly 15 years later, when Bette had just re-established herself as an important pop presence due to the success of "Wind Beneath My Wings".
I remember how surprised I was when I first heard Bette singing, "GOD IS WATCHING US...from a distance". I said, what? But this was when she was making the transition from an "earthy mutha" to The Earth Mother. This song is, naturally, one of the main draws of the album, but by no means does it tell the whole story. There are other ballads, of course. The title song is a very affecting, beautifully sung mainstream ballad. Bette sings "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" with naivete, quite charming. Probably the best track is "Night And Day". It features vivid piano and strong percussion, and it has real power. It is truly an excellent example of adult contemporary pop at its best. The medley of "He Was Too Good To Me" and "Since You Stayed Here" is slightly on the dreary side for my taste, but well done for this type of song. Moving on to other material, "Miss Otis Regrets" is a return to the rowdy 40's style of Bette's classic "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". It tells the tale of a wronged and vengeful woman who will now be unable to lunch with anyone, anymore, ever. The rest of the tracks are all variations on the pop/rock music of the period. "One More Round" and "Moonlight Dancing" have lively tropical or "island" rhythms and accents. "The Girl Is On To You" and "The Gift Of Love" are pretty, melodic pop tunes. The former is sung very sweetly, and the latter, one of the best on the album, is about as sincere as you can get. "All Of A Sudden" is dance-pop fluff (which I happen to like). The sound on the CD is good throughout. The very pleasing result of all this is that Bette shows the full range she was capable of at the time, without going too "over the top" in either direction, dramatic or humorous."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
