The Collector's Series, Vol. 1

Performer: Celine Dion
Artist: Barbra Streisand; Andrea Bocelli; David Foster; Carole King; Sheila E.; Luis Conte; Michael Landau
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel includes: Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli (vocals); Michael Landau (acoustic & electric guitars); Walter Afanasieff (acoustic guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, bass, programming); Ramon Stagnaro (acoustic guitar); Philip Palmer, Michael Thompson, Robbie Macintosh (guitar); Rick Kahn (strings); David Boruff (saxophone); Carole King (piano); Richard Cottle (Fender Rhodes piano); Wix (keyboards, bass); Dan Shea (keyboards, programming); David Foster (keyboards); Nathan East, Trevor Barry, Jay Anderson, Paul Bushnell (bass); Andy Duncan (drums, percussion); Vinnie Colaiuta, Mike Baird, Ian Thomas, Steve Ferrone (drums); Sheila E., Paulinho DaCosta, Luis Conte (percussion); Christopher Neil (background vocals). Producers include: David Foster, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Christopher Neil, Humberto Gatica, Billy Pace. Engineers include: Simon Hurrell, Chris Brooke, Dana Jon Chappelle. Personnel: Celine Dion (vocals, background vocals); Michael Thompson (guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar); Rick Nowels (guitar, keyboards); Esbj�rn �hrwall, Dann Huff, Denys Lable, Patrice Tison, Basil Leroux, Neil Jason, Phil Palmer, Robbie McIntosh (guitar); Michael Landau (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Walter Afanasieff (acoustic guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, Synclavier, drum programming); Dean Parks (acoustic guitar); Steve Farris (electric guitar, cavaquinho); Chieli Minucci (nylon-string guitar); Russ Cantor, Davida Johnson, Gary Gertzweig, Edward Green, Pamela Thompkins, Harry Scorzo, Pamela Gates, Betty Moor, Francine Walsh, Israel Baker, Bruce Dukov, Ralph Morrison, Ronald Clark (violin); Jorge Moraga, Margot MacLaine, Michael Nowak, Marilyn Baker, David Stenske (viola); Sylvain Beuf, Rev. Dave Boruff, Christophe Negre (saxophone); Antoine Russo, Christian Martinez (trumpet); Denis Deloup (trombone); Arnaud Dunoyer de Segonzac, Carole King (piano); Richard Cottle (Fender Rhodes piano); Max Martin (keyboards, programming, background vocals); Dan Shea, Kristian Lundin (keyboards, programming); Steve Skinner (keyboards, drum programming); Jamie Muhoberac, Rich Tancredi, Shane Keister, Wix , David Foster (keyboards); Ren Klyce (Synclavier, programming); Eric Benzi, Serge Perathoner (Synclavier); Andy Duncan, Billy Pace (drums, percussion); John "J.R." Robinson , Claude Salmieri, Chistopher Deschamps, Jimmy Bralower, Mike Baird, Omar Hakim, Ian Thomas, Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Curt Bisquera (cymbals, hi-hat); Luis Conte, Paulinho Da Costa, Sheila E., Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Gary Cirimelli, John Beverly Jones, Rick Hahn (programming); Chris Garcia, Pete Lorimer, Charles Clouser (drum programming); Leah Haywood, Christopher Neil, Claytoven Richardson, Konesha Owens, Nana Hedin, Harrel Kuk, Beckie Bell, Marina Albert, Rita Quintero, Yvone Jones, Olga Chirino, Jeanie Tracy, Maria Vidal, Marie Claire D'Ubaldo, Andreas Carlsson, Angie Chirino, Skyler Jett, Sue Ann Carwell, Carole Fredericks, Leslie Ellis (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Chris Brooke; Rob Murphy; Glen Marchese; Dave Reitzas; Humberto Gatica; Kristian Lundin; Manu Guiot; Max Martin; Steve MacMillan. Recording information: Air Studios, London, England; CA; Chartmaker Studios, L.A., CA; Cheiron Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Cocoa-Butt Studios; Cove City Sound Studios, Long Island, NY; Crescent Moon Recording; Mad Hatter Studios, L.A., CA.Mandeville Studios, L.A.,; Masterphonics, Nashvillke; Mega Studios, Paris, France; Ocean Eay Recording, L.A., CA; Paradise Sounds; Paramount Studios, L.A; Studio Morin Heights, Moren Heights, Quebec, Canada; The Dram Factory; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; Track Record Studios, L., A., CA; Wally World Studios, S.F., CA; West Side Studios, London, England; Westlake Audio, L.A., CA. Photographer: Andre Rau. Arrangers: Rick Wake; Rich Tancredi; David Foster; Walter Afanasieff. The title of The Collector's Series, Vol. 1 makes the compilation seem as if it's filled with Celine Dion rarities, but that's not entirely true. There are some oddities here, such as "The Power of the Dream" from the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics, but the album is really a way to fill gaps left by Dion's hits collection, All the Way: A Decade of Song -- the many duets, French and Spanish songs, and previously unheard in the U.S. tracks are here to pad out the running time. As such, it's a real hodgepodge, with singles like "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and "Falling Into You" overshadowing the rest of the album. Perhaps casual fans will want this as a way of getting the glaring omissions from the hits collection, but it has too many inconsequential obscurities to make it easy listening for them. So, it does wind up being more for the collectors -- but even they will probably wonder why it couldn't be nothing but rarities, which would have served them better. A real mixed bag, then. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Let's make one thing clear from the outset. No, the ubiquitous theme from TITANIC is not on this disc. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, its more important to note that the selections contained on this compilation number among the Canadian songbird's finest performances. Not only are these some of the golden moments from one of pop music's most celebrated vocalists, but there's a wealth of songwriting firepower at work here as well, as the likes of Carole King, Babyface, David Foster, and teen pop maestro Max Martin are among the composers whose work is interpeted by the incomparable Celine Dion. Ultimately, THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES VOL. 1 works equally well as thumbnail career summary and as an effective case for Ms. Dion's iconhood.

Celine Dion's ascent from stardom in her native Canada to the upper echelons of international pop divadom is one of the 1990s major success stories. Blessed with a formidable set of pipes and a preference for heart-in-the-throat ballads, the precociously talented Dion initially won over American listeners in 1991, 10 years after her French-language debut, with the title track from Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. From then on, Dion became a music-biz phenomenon, with platinum record sales, sold-out concerts, and across-the-board appeal rivaling her idol, Barbra Streisand.

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