In 1993, Celine Dion hit the big time with her album The Colour Of My Love. The album featured the massive breakthrough No.1 hit The Power Of Love, and the huge UK No.1 single Think Twice, which sold more than 1 million copies and spent a staggering 31 weeks on the chart. Expectations were high for Celine's follow-up album. Released in the spring of 1996, Falling Into You did not disappoint. The album has sold near to 30 million copies worldwide, and features some of the biggest songs of that particular decade. Celine Dion was now an international superstar, whose incredible vocal talents stunned the world. In comparison to her previous album, Falling Into You is somewhat more uptempo and joyous. The songs have more of a melody, and this works well for Celine.

Falling Into You opens with the fabulous hit single, "It's All Coming Back To Me Now.". The song peaked at No.3 in the UK in October 1996, and is one of Celine's most memorable compositions. The song runs for almost eight minutes, but it doesn't seem that long because once this powerful ballad gets going, you just fall back and enjoy every moment of it. "Because You Loved Me" was another big US No.1 for Celine in June 1996, while it peaked at No.5 in the UK. The song is the theme from the film Up Close And Personal, and it is literally perfect. The lyrical arrangements are beautifully crafted, and Celine's vocals are gorgeous - truly the voice of an angel. "Falling Into You," the album's title track, is another superb song. This mid-tempo classic has a soft touch to it, and a feeling of ambiguity and mysticism as it opens with African drums. The song simply sways with simplicity, and Celine's vocals are awesome once more. The song rises and falls in the middle when Celine sings, "Catch me, don't let me drop. Love me, don't ever stop." We are then treated to a sensual saxophone which really spices things up. Excellent. "Make You Happy" is perhaps the best up-tempo song on the album. Celine sings about making her lover happy in this happy pop number. All these silly pop bands that crave attention in today's music terms should take a listen to this - it's truly pop perfection.

"Seduces Me" is a staggering love ballad. Celine performs this classy song to her optimum best with vocal supremacy when she sings, "And if I should die tomorrow, I'd go down with a smile on my face." Great lyrics, even if she doesn't write them herself. "All By Myself" is...well, wow. This cover-version really does need no introduction. Celine sings for three minutes in a rather subdued tone about how she hates being all alone. Then the song rises, and Celine belts the song out from the bottom of her heart, practically smashing your CD speakers. Her voice is absolutely amazing, and I don't think I've ever heard anything so god-damn wonderful before in my life! Classic ballad. "Declaration Of Love" is another great pop song. This has a sort of old pop sound to it. It sounds very vintage with its (rather) corny vocal arrangements, but this is Celine Dion we're talking about and she can pull anything off. Celine's cover of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" is not quite as good as the original, but her vocals rival even those of Aretha, not quite pulling it off, but very close. "Dreamin' Of You" is definitely an album highlight. This is pure pop personified, but Celine does it so well. The music is so relaxing and chilled out, and the backing singers highlight this. The verses are co-ordinated well, and Celine's vocals are rather average. This isn't a bad thing, however, as this is the kind of song that one desires to relax to - not to be distracted by epic vocals.

"I Love You" is a great mid-tempo song. The song is more of a ballad, but it contains so many different musical styles that it makes it hard to decipher. Whatever it is, you're sure to love this wonderful love song. "If That's What It Takes" is not a very good song. This is basically a filler, but Celine's vocals save it from being terrible. "I Don't Know" is a spine-tingling chiller of a rock ballad. Celine's vocals echo, and you get the impression that she's singing it as she stands on the top of a mountain with the world at her feet. A saxophone and an electric guitar enhance the epic feel of this song. Definite highlight. "River Deep, Mountain High" is a good cover-version of Tina Turner's classic. This version is not as good, and Celine seems to try desperately to beat Tina in the vocal stakes. Besides this, the song has a modern feel to it, which is rather interesting. "Your Light" is a great pop song. This song is sung in a sort of country style, in which Celine's vocals seem forced to sounds traditionally American. Not bad, but not an album highlight. This album closes with "Call The Man" and "Fly." The former was the fifth and final single to released from the album in the UK, and it's not really one of my favourites. A bit too slow and moody. The latter is a short and sweet diamond in which Celine's vocals stay low and in a whispering tone. The song is about Celine's close relative, Karine, who died of Cystic Fibrosis.

OVERALL GRADE: 9/10

Falling Into You is a definite highlight album of the 1990's, and one of the biggest selling! There are only a few female albums of the 1990's that top Falling Into You in terms of sales, and these are Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill," Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack," Celine's own "Let's Talk About Love" and Shania Twain's mammoth "Come On Over." It's quite an achievement when thinking of what Celine Dion has achieved in the past decade. She is a 150-million-selling, Grammy-award winning international superstar, with the talent, the family, the wealth and the looks to add to this. She is truly one in a million, and Falling Into You is essential for all fans of ballads, and even just for those who are interested in very good music.

I bought this CD after hearing"Because you loved me,"by Diane Warren.A wonderfull song from the movie,"Up Close and Personal." (If you ever look at the Billboard charts,just check out how many songs are written by Diane,what a talent) When I First played the CD,and "Its all coming back to be now," came on, I was hooked.What a fantastic song by Meat Loafs producer Jim Steinman.I just hate to hear this song on the radio,they cut it terrible.(In my mind,I think this would have been a great opening number for Barbra Streisand to sing when she made her concert comeback in the early 90's.About leaving her fans,but returning where she left off,and its all coming back to her now.) If anyone thinks Celine can just sing Ballads,wait untill you hear "River Deep,Mountain High." This was Tina Turner's big hit,but Celine brings down the house with her version,and mentions Tina in the song. When you get to the last song, and "Fly" comes on, you will have tears in your eyes.My Mom died shortly before this record came out,and I think about her going to The Light. I have four Celine Dion records,but this one's the best.

I purchased this CD in 1996 when Celine's popularity was slowly rising. Despite the fact that over four years have elapsed, it still happens to be one of my most frequently listened-to CDs.

'Falling Into You' happens to be my all-time favorite song. This is largely attributed to its enchanting rythm and sweet, if somewhat sad, melody.

While the entire CD is very enjoyable, certain tracks are exceptionally good. They are:

1)It's all coming back to me now-This rather long song (over 7 mins long!) is an extremely powerful song which is truly emotion-packed.

2)Because you loved me-The OST of 'Up, Close and Personal' is different from most songs in the sense that it both the chorus and verses are of roughly the same tune. The repetition, suprisingly, effectively enhances this song.

4)Make You Happy-A cheerful and song which shows that Celine's voice is not limited to love ballads.

11)If That's What It Takes-Even though the original french version (Pour Que Tu Maimes Encore) is slightly better, Celine injects just as emotion in this song.

14)Fly-Strangely enough, this version is more, if not, as passionate, than the one found in Deux (Vole).

All in all, I strongly feel this CD outdoes all her others, the phenomenally-successful 'Let's Talk About Love' included.

This was the first Celine album that I ever brought, and IMO the best one she's ever done. A lot of other people think so, it's sold over 30 million copies worldwide and spun three hits.

1. It's All Coming Back To Me Now (5/5). The song that got me hooked. I saw the video on VH1 six years ago and it was absolutely breathtaking. Celine showcases her voice in this song like no other and the lyrics are great.

2. Because You Loved Me (5/5). The second-best on the album, this is a gorgeous mid-tempo song with uplifting lyrics and a great performance by Celine.

3. Falling Into You (4.5/5). A sensual, rhythmic song, the album's title track is great. The African drums in the background are haunting.

4. Make You Happy (5/5). The album's first real upbeat tune, this one is a winner, with it's reggae-like instrumentation and upbeat lyrics. Of course, Celine takes the song to another level with her vocals.

5. Seduces Me (5/5). Aaaaah, if you want a [nice], romantic song, this is the one for you. The lone strumming of the guitar in the background and Celine's low-key, sensual performance make this another winner.

6. All By Myself (4/5). If you wanna hear Celine take her voice WAY up there, listen to this remake of Eric Carmen's 1975 classic. It's wonderful. However, the live version is better, and if that were on here, it would be 5 stars.

7. Declaration of Love (4.5/5). A feel-good song if there ever was one, especially after the angst of "All By Myself". The positive lyrics and Celine's voice fit together like a glove.

8. Dreaming of You (5/5). Here begins the "big ballad three" section of the album. This song is gorgeous. The lyrics are powerfully written and the music produced lushly, and Celine sings it wonderfully.

9. I Love You (5/5). OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG!! Passionate lyrics, gorgeous, powerful music and Celine's impassioned delivery make this the #3 song on the album.

10. If That's What It Takes (5/5). An English version of Celine's big French-language hit "Por Que Tu M'aimes Encore", this song is a bit quieter than the other two, but it isn't any less lovely. The simple lyrics are great and Celine performs beautifully.

11. I Don't Know (4.5/5). This one is the translation of "Je Sais Pas", and a bit more direct translation than the preceding song. I really like this song.

12. River Deep, Mountain High (4/5). Does Celine do this one better than Tina Turner? Of course not. But she does a darn good job on this one anyway. This one ROCKS!!

13. Call The Man - (5/5). A truly beautiful song. The lyrics are emotional and heartfelt, while Celine turns in a vocal performance with shades of both vulnerability and strength in one instance. The choir adds a wall of sound that just adds to it all.

14. Fly (5/5). A real tear-jerker, this is the song dedicated to her niece, who died of cystic fibrosis. It is so emotional that I get a lump in my throat whenever I listen to it. This song is translated from "Vole".

TRACKS ON CANADIAN RELEASE THAT I HAVE

Natural Woman (4/5). While Celine does not do this better than Aretha Franklin (who could do it better, anyway?), she does a really good job with it.

Your Light (5/5). This is an upbeat gem that should have been on all releases. Celine sings very well on this one and the lyrics are great.

With "Falling Into You", Celine Dion has set a very high standard which proves very difficult to beat even by herself. "Let's Talk About Love" and "A New Day Has Come" albums came close, but did not quite match the variety and overall quality of this one. Unbiased listening to this pre-Titanic set of songs makes a music fan acknowledge Celine's superstar status.

The first six songs as such -- and also their sequence, presenting the singer in six different vocal environments following one another in the best possible way -- are hands down one of the coolest things to happen to pop in 1990's. It begins with the opening Jim Steinman's MeatLoaf-ish epic "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and ends with the cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself". In between, there is also the signature Diane Warren track "Because You Loved Me", the danceable "Make You Happy" and two of the best cuts here: the title track with haunting percussions and Celine's truly definitive interpretation and dramatic latin-tinged guitar ballad "Seduces Me".

Aldo Nova contributed two songs (and a third one on the international version of this CD), of which "I Love You" is interesting with its simple, plain beauty of songwriting and vocal treatment. The songbird also remade three of her tracks from 1995 French Album (D'Eux). Although the result here is okay, French language and original arrangements somehow work better for the French versions.

Another highlight of the set is the cover of Tina Turner's breakthrough "River Deep, Mountain High" which should convince all of Celine's ability to sing next to anything. And before this tour de force comes to a tender end with "Fly", African chants are featured in the power ballad "Call the Man". This tune also boasts the short but glorious acoustic guitar solo by Ottmar Liebert. A real treat.

The elaborate production is what basically makes this album sound so good. But the 1996 Album of the Year Grammy was by no means undeserved. One can just wish there were more albums like this -- at the same time commercial and honest work of art.