Sheena Easton

Always one to glide with vocal ease from style to style, Easton followed the mellow acoustical setting of 1999's Home with Fabulous, a set celebrating the energy and spirit of the disco era. Of the ten tracks comprising Fabulous, eight are remakes -- ranging from Frankie Valli's 1967 hit "Can't Take My Eyes off You" to Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald's 1986 R&B ballad "On My Own." Here, both tunes are reconfigured for the dancefloor with impressive results. A mellow house track is the foundation for "On My Own," a duet between Easton and album producer Terry Ronald; and "Can't Take My Eyes off You" is given an appropriately retro-savvy, dance-pop arrangement. Easton pulls off the oft-covered "Never Can Say Goodbye" and Donna Summer's "Love Is in Control" with less success, however. The excessive production of these tracks is partly to blame, but Easton doesn't employ the required gusto in either performance to overshadow it -- in contrast to her usual spunk. Still, there are more than a handful of moments remaining to savor, among them the album's two ballads: a breezy interpretation of Deniece Williams' "That's What Friends Are For" and the original "You Never Gave Me a Chance." All in all, Fabulous achieves its goal of serving as a spirited party album, and ranks among the pop diva's most consistent efforts -- if not totally living up to its boastful title. True, her voice is a little older. But it's still much stronger than a lot of her contemporaries'. [The Japanese release adds two bonus tracks: "I Need You Lovin'" and a remix of "Can't Take My Eyes off You"] ~ Justin M. Kantor, All Music Guide