Know your info before you review...
Paul E. Thompson | 04/19/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To the other person who reviewd this... do your research. Crystal Kay is fluent in English (she's also a U.S. citizen) and Japanese, and she did not write the lyrics for Can't be Stopped~TIL THE SUN COMES UP~, so that's why the lyrics may seem choppy. That's not Crystal's fault.
This is not a good album to be introduced to if you want to start listening to Crystal. Her second (637-always & forever-) and third (almost seventeen) Japanese albums would probably be a better choice (if you can get your hands on them). They have more styles to choose from: pop, dance, folk, acoustic rock, R&B, hip-hop, etc.
Anyway, here's a better review of NATURAL.
01. Can't be Stopped~TIL THE SUN COMES UP~
This version is available on the Japanese single for the original Can't be Stopped. The lyrics are pretty shallow and feel rushed, but the production team (OCTOPUSSY) manage to save the song with a great sugar shine dance beat appropriate of Europop. It's a fun song. And Crystal's voice does not sound bad here at all.
02. Boyfriend~What Makes Me Fall in Love~
This is originally a Gladys Knight song (Do You Know What Makes Me Fall In Love?), but it was remixed, given Japanese lyrics, and put on Crystal's third Japanese album, almost seventeen. This English version takes the lyrics from Gladys' version (and yes, the original songwriters are credited so don't call Crystal a thief), and the melody is derived from the single mix of Boyfriend-part II- (released after almost seventeen). But I will say that Crystal's remake is far better than the original, which just didn't match Gladys' age or style.
03. Time After Time
Everyone knows this song, and is probably tired of all the covers. Luckily, Crystal's cover is a few years older and better than most of the others out there (m-flo's LISA's version sucks). Her youthful voice shines on an '80s classic.
04. Make Me Whole
Another cover. Amel Larrieux wrote this. It's a gorgeous ballad with beautiful (spiritual) lyrics about love. Crystal's vocals come through even if they're not as good as Amel's.
05. Good Morning Sue
A very short Yoko Kanno (of Maaya Sakamoto and anime fame) song from Crystal's third single, Komichi no Hana. The melody is simple, and the lyrics are as well. Feels more like an interlude.
06. Love of A Lifetime
The girl group Honeyz performed this originally. It's a good love song with a slightly more mature feel to it when compared to Honeyz's version.
07. I'M NOT ALONE
The Japanese version (on 4REAL) is better, but this one isn't awful. It's a radio friendly, pop-R&B ballad that can get a little repetitive in this chorus. Still a great song.
08. Couldn't Care Less
Unsure if this a Crystal original, but No Angels and Shawn Desman feature it on their albums, too. Good lyrics, vocals and composition.
09. OVER THE RAINBOW
Blah cover. Skip it. No one should cover this.
10. FLY AWAY
This is the coupling track on Crystal's debut single Eternal Memories. It sounds like a kid's song, but it's good. Inspirational lyrics, and it gets stuck in your head.
11. Liberty
Wow, a lot of covers. This one was originally by Masayuki Suzuki, and was in English. Not bad, but not the best here.
12. No More Blue Christmas
Natalie Cole did the original, and her voice is really different from Kay's. Nice song that Crystal performed for Christmas in Japan almost two years ago. It's a good background song for the holidays."
