More Prowess Than Passion for Dion; Not So for Metallica

Were there any lingering doubts about Dion’s quest for world domination, this 15-track album should dispel them. The production and songwriting credits read like a who’s who of mainstream pop bards and boardsmen, from George Martin and Carole King to David Foster and Carol Bayer Sager. One song is the love theme from “The Titanic,” and there are duets with the reigning prima donnas of both the pop world (Barbra Streisand) and opera (Luciano Pavarotti). At 29, Dion clearly has the resume and the chops required to meet such giants on her own turf.

Unfortunately, that turf remains strictly in the middle of the road. Dion’s voice is without question a technical marvel, but her delivery lacks the personality and the intuitive sense of drama that are a diva’s stock in trade. On the super-schmaltzy “Tell Him,” the power and clarity of her voice rival Streisand’s, but in terms of emoting, the elder singer leaves her in the dust. Elsewhere, Dion generally adheres to her usual formula of bloodless brilliance, so that the feisty, reggae-laced “Treat Her Like a Lady” is just as dazzling as the pining, pathos-ridden “My Heart Will Go On”--and no more convincing. With all her talent and ambition, Dion may reasonably expect to move mountains, but she has yet to prove adept at moving hearts.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good), four stars (excellent).

*

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips