It Begins Again

It Begins Again is available from Amazon. Click here for the full track listing.

Originally released in 1978, It Begins Again was hailed as Dusty’s “comeback” album. Not that Dusty would have used this term herself, of course! It Begins Again is now released on CD for the first time and is widely available.

Dusty chose Roy Thomas Baker to produce the album. He had previously worked with bands such as Queen, The Cars, Journey and Foreigner. With Thomas Bakers production skills and Dusty’s musical antennae as fine-tuned as ever, the result was an album boasting a wide eclectic mix of material.

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The album opens with Turn Me Around, a song that contains one of most beautiful introductions ever recorded. A single piano and Dusty’s husky, vulnerable voice soaring and singing: “I know I’ve hurt you ... ” in such a way that she arrests your heart from the outset. As the drums kick in, the listener is pulled into the emotional angst of the track. A haunting and moving ballad with Dusty’s vocal clear and clean, restrained, then powerful, reflective and assertive in turn.

The mood changes with Checkmate, penned by Nona Hendryx (of Labelle fame). A passionate song of a tangled, frustrating and confusing relationship, Dusty’s vocal is powerful with a raw, almost gospel influenced rock edge. It’s amazed me that this track has never made it onto one of the recent compilation albums as Dusty takes her voice to new and exciting places on this number.

Dusty was always a fan of Martha And The Vandellas and on this album she covers their track A Love Like Yours. Dusty turns the track around and injects an up-tempo Motown edge to what was originally more of a ballad. The tables have now turned and Martha Reeves often sings this track in her concerts as a tribute to her friend Dusty.

This album contains many thought provoking numbers and Love Me By Name is one of these. Written by Lesley Gore, Dusty sings with a world-weary edge as she reveals the soul destroying effects of promiscuity and an inner longing for real and genuine love. It’s a song that will send shivers down your spine. Dusty’s heart-aching vocal, full of longing and hope, pain and regret will melt the hardest of hearts. One of her most emotional and powerful tracks, Dusty’s vocal soars the scale whilst containing nuance and vocal asides. A real Dusty classic.

Sandra, written by Barry Manilow, is another heart-rending ballad. Dusty sings as narrator, telling the story of a housewife trapped by monotony in suburbia. Sandra is a depressed and lonely housewife stuck in a role that is fast becoming a rut. Sandra reflects on what might have been and what it was in her life that bought her to this point in her life. Dusty injects such emotion and power into this track with its powerful vocal climax that it has constantly been voted Dusty fans favourite track of the 1970’s.

Hollywood Movie Girls is another favourite among Dusty fans. Dusty exposes the frustration and shallowness of the Los Angeles lifestyle – something that she herself found alienating. She sings of the endless screen tests, the games that people play to achieve and the predators on the scene. She sings of unfulfilled desires, broken dreams and the pain of seeking what for the majority is an unobtainable goal.

The musical genre turns again and Dusty bows out from the album with a thudding relentless slice of pure disco on the track That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You. Dusty uses her versatile voice to full effect as she soars the musical scale from the husky alto opening to its soprano climax.

It Begins Again is a polished album that showcases Dusty’s musical versatility and vocal ability. Packed with material that ranges from gentle ballads to powerful disco influenced material, thoughtful lyrics, brilliant vocal inflection and a feminist edge, it’s a must for all serious Dusty fans!