"Bette"
The new album featuring the 'Bette' theme song
"Nobody else but you,"
"Bless you child" and "Love TKO"
~ ~ ~
I absolutely "love" this album! We all have certain songs
that we "remember" - which touched our lives, at certain
points along the way. But for me, this particular album
will always be significant.
When Bette released this wonderful cd, I had just
left the one place, that I had called "home" for nearly
15 years. Unfortunately, I had reached a point where
'everything' was literally falling apart.
When a lucrative job that I had held for close to five years,
suddenly vanished as the company decided to close it's doors,
my life spiraled downward. Two unsuccessful jobs followed,
which left me "exhausted" "exasperated" and
"disillusioned" with everything.
My friends around me, were
of little help - often causing
there to be, even more "confusion." Everything was up for
"contention." No matter how hard I tried to "keep everything
together" and "do what was expected of me" - as I had
always done in the past, it just wasn't enough. Eventually,
I found myself at the end of the road. I couldn't go on.
I placed all of my things into storage, and agreed
to join a friend of mine who owned a concession business
- in which he travels to the assorted fairs and festivals,
in the "four" state region. I had known him for the
better part of ten years, having worked for him every
August when he arrived in Lincoln for our
annual State Fair.
Packing some things into my van, I grabbed my dog,
Samson - and we were on our way to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I remember feeling exceptionally "lost" upon my arrival.
Probably more so, because I had just left everything that I
had known for so many years. I remember thinking at
the time, I never would have dreamed that I'd ever
find myself "there."
In a way, it was a alright to get away from everything,
and to be traveling hundreds of miles, from place to
place. Scanning the landscape as we drove along, it was
always nice to be "outdoors." I recall looking to the
furthest point on the horizon, thinking that my "life"
was somewhere "out there."
While I was in Tulsa, Bette released her brand new cd,
and I honestly must have played it a hundred times or
more! Each of the songs contained a phrase, or a
thought which "resonated" with me on a deeply personal
level because of the "loneliness" that I was feeling, the
"heartache" . . . and the "disappointment" of what my life
had become.
~ ~ ~
"Color of Roses"
Life gives us magic
And life brings us tragedy
Everyone suffers some loss
Still we have faith in it
Childlike hope
There's a reason that outweighs the cost
~ ~ ~
Without a doubt the one line that seemed to say
it all, came from "Bless you child."
~ ~ ~
"Sometimes an ending is the best place to start!"
~ ~ ~
Even though "Love TKO" was centered around a romantic
relationship that was coming to an end, the essence of
the song spoke to me . . .
~ ~ ~
Lookin' back over my years
I guess I shed some tears
Told myself time and time again
This time I'm gonna win
But another fight
Things ain't right
I'm losing again
It takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again
~ ~ ~
"When your life was low"
Always remember my friend
The world will change again
And you may have to come back
Through everywhere you've been
When your life was low
You had nowhere to go
People turned their backs on you
And everybody said
That you were through
"To cross this sea of loneliness, part this red river of pain."
~ "Moses" ~
"God give me strength"
Now I have nothing, so God give me strength
'Cause I'm weak anyway
And if I'm strong, I might still break
And I don't have anything to share
That I won't throw away into the air
That song is sung out
This bell is rung out
He was the light that I'd bless
He took away my last chance of happiness
So God give me strength
God give me strength
We all have "many" journeys to follow, which will often
be troubling; where nothing is certain. But there is a "beacon
of light" . . . a "voice" that always renews my
For some reason, I was only able to find "one" review
for Bette's new cd . . .
Midler in fine form on "Bette"
When Bette Midler's
"The Divine Miss M"
hit the music
world 28 years ago, it made such an impression that the
title has followed the singer to this day.
Yet since then, Midler has been known more
an an entertainer than a recording artist.
And for good reason. While her live shows
never fail to charm, only a few tracks since the 'Divine Miss M' have measured up to Midler's effusive charisma. Part of the trouble might
have been that Midler's albums were recorded principally with session musicians; "Bette"
features the same musical ensemble the star
took on her 1999 Miss Millennium tour.
While superstar producer Don Was captures that
road-polished, intimate vibe while minimizing the
synthetic schmaltz.
Building on 1998's
back-to-roots album
"Bathhouse Betty,"
"Bette" concentrates on the fundamentals: strong songs played, sung and recorded
with class.
Considering how she makes them her own, it's remarkable
that Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello's deliciously
melodramatic "God give me strength" and Kirsty
MacColl's deadpan Latin delight "In these shoes" weren't
actually written for Midler. Mixed with these relatively
( but not obvious ) soul favorites: Baby Washington's
"That's how heartaches are made," Teddy Pendergrass's "Love
TKO," the Manhattan's indelible "Shining Star."
The nouveau-disco showpiece "Bless you child" and peppy
'Mary Tyler Moore - esque" theme "Nobody else but you"
( from Midler's new TV series ) round out what is her most
cohesively exuberant effort since that attention getting
1972 debut.