Cher followed up the success of her self-titled 1987 album with Heart of Stone, whose first two singles did better on the charts. She had retained the same production team-if it ain't broke... But the followup benefits from having better arrangements and instrumentations, while embodying a musical style now sadly long gone.

Instead of merely writing this song, Diane Warren puts on her producer's hat with Guy Roche. "If I Could Turn Back Time," whose strident rhythms with the same synth and fiery guitar from her previous album, made it to #3 on the charts and a week atop the Adult Contemporary charts. With a host of backing vocalists, including Desmond Child, Robin Beck, and Maria Vidal, plus guitar from Steve Lukather, who'd contributed on "I Found Someone," this couldn't fail and it didn't. However, with the video aboard a US aircraft carrier with an ever-so revealing outfit, the song might as well have been called "If I Could Show My Behind." What's also revealing and tried and true are some things I have experienced: "Pride's like a knife it can cut deep inside/words are like weapons they wound sometimes." Words have hurt me too much at times, so I know.

The second single, the power ballad written by Diane Warren and Desmond Child, "Just Like Jesse James," challenging a ladykiller and trying to drop him off the swaggering macho cloud he's floating on, indeed has lyrics with the aura of a Western showdown. This #8 hit also features backing vocals by Child, Warren, and Brenda Russell ("Get Here," "Piano In The Dark"). Another winning song.

Bolton and Warren co-write, with the former producing and arranging "You Wouldn't Know Love," which is straight 80's synth-laced music complete with its host of backing vocals. His production and songwriting on "Still In Love With You" and "Starting Over," the latter co-written with Journey's Jonathan Cain embodies the same style.

Her cover of Desmond Child's reflective "Love On A Rooftop," produced by Asher, also on percussion, was not the first time I'd heard it, as Ronnie Spector had done her version two years earlier on Unfinished Business, which makes at least three versions, including Child's own, which came out in 1991. This has more of a crunch to it, airy keyboard-wise and guitar-wise, the latter courtesy of the Heartbreakers' Waddy Wachtel. A strong single-worthy rendition, though the more low-key version by Spector fits me more. Asher also produced the duet between her and Peter Cetera, "After All," which was from the movie Chances Are. A #6 hit, this spent 4 weeks atop the AC charts, and is a classic 80's type pop ballad, and something Chicago probably'd have no problem doing around their 17 or 18 albums. Wachtel also does guitar here as well. Another favourite here.

The other Child-produced songs, "Emotional Fire" has the raging power to be on a Bon Jovi album, with harmonic chorus as strong as on BJ's "Living On A Prayer." Speaking of which, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora help co-write "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore." A rhetoric question posed here is: "There's a lonely world around me/I get sucked in by the tide/I said, hey, love ain't no crime/so why is everybody so afraid to cross that line." I found out the hard way. This is the song Kane Roberts later did in 1991.

A successor to Cher's 87 album, this is evidence enough that Cher had that second wind going for her. I mean, three Top Ten singles, one of them Top 5, and the #20 title track, not bad. Cher would repeat the formula for one more album before going on another hiatus, and redefining herself in 1998 with oontsa oontsa music with Believe.

Heart Of Stone is my fave Cher album along with Living Proof. Some of the producers really bring this album to life, such as Desmond Child (a fave of mine) and Michael Bolton, but the thing that really makes this album shine is no other than Cher and her excellent vocals. All 12 tracks are absolutely fantastic, and there's even some classics like If I Could Turn Back Time (#3 in US) and Just Like Jesse James (#8), the country/western influenced song. Other awesome singles include the likes of After All (#6) and Heart Of Stone (#20), which made the album chart in the Top 10 in both the US and the UK. Heart Of Stone has currently gone 3x Platinum in the US.

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME

Turn Back Time is one of Cher's greatest hits, and none of you can deny that. This song is just a classic that will be remembered for years to come, even when it is already atleast 16 year old. This song is probably my fave on the whole album.

JUST LIKE JESSE JAMES

Another awesome effort, that is country/western-like. If none of you thought Cher could pull off western efforts, just listen to this!! It's one of her best!

YOU WOULDN'T KNOW LOVE

This song is one of the funnest on the album. I was left speechless when I first listened to it, and still am to this day.

HEART OF STONE

Cher really brings this Bucks Fizz recording to life. Awesome!

STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU

I'm sure everyone's felt this way some time in their life, or said these words to their one and only lover. She talks about that each time she finds somebody knew, she's still in love with her boyfriend that she found first, or with the one she loves the most. Brilliant lyrics, overall whopping song!

LOVE ON A ROOFTOP

Awesome ballad, though I find it may disturb some people or cause depression.

EMOTIONAL FIRE

Absolutely fabulous! One of the best songs on the album, as Cher belts out her powerful vocals!

ALL BECAUSE OF YOU

This is my third fave song on the album, my first being Turn Back Time and my second being the next track. Speaking of which...

DOES ANYBODY REALLY FALL IN LOVE ANYMORE?

The answer to that would be yes. But this song is absolutely great, I think that Cher puts alot of effort and emotion into the song, you can really tell by how great her voice is.

STARTING OVER

I love this song!! However, if I had to chose the weakest song on the album, this would get it.

KISS TO KISS

Absolutely fantastic. This is definately one of the albums best efforts, by far!

AFTER ALL

This ballad is so sweet, yet fantastic. Peter's vocals are OK, but Cher's vocals is the thing that really makes this song stand out.

Heart Of Stone is a brilliant effort. I recommend it totally to casual fans, die-hard fans, beginners or just people who like rock. This is classic rock Cher at her best!

I bought this as a tape when I was in first grade and lossed it a while back, so I decided to buy it on CD. I forgot how much I loved this album! All the songs are great and it includes some of her biggest hits like "If I Could Turn Back Time", "Just Like Jesse James" and "After All (theme from "Chances Are")" I also like "You Wouldn't Know love", "Love on a Rooftop" and "Heart of Stone." Her voice has really matured when this album came out. If you're a fan of Cher's 80's work or a fan of Cher in general then this is a great album to start out with. Also reccomended is her other best work of the 80's "Cher"

Cher's newest album, "Believe", is a great album, but "Heart Of Stone" really shows off some extremely well-written songs by Diane Warren. And leave it to Cher to breathe life into them. From "Just Like Jesse James" to "Heart of Stone" (a personal favorite) to "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?" (with Richie Sambora on guitar)... this is a must for any Cher fans!

This is without question Cher at her best. Far from the best voice I have ever heard, but still a show stopper with this CD. She can sing and she does it very well on all tracks of this CD. The songs flow from one to the other. The order of selection is excellent. Just Like Jess James, no just like Cher to come with a chart buster. Heart of Stone, no she has a heart of love that makes her sound.