Tina Arena – Don’t Ask

Tina Arena released the brilliant ‘Don’t Ask’ CD from 1994. It was an album that would resonate throughout Australia for the next two years, and generate success nationwide.

Written by: gdmonline

ARTIST: Tina Arena
ALBUM: Don’t Ask
LABEL: Columbia
SERIAL: 477886 2
YEAR: 1994
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Australia

LINEUP: Tina Arena – vocals, background vocals

Musicians: David Tyson – keyboard, hammond organ, background vocals * Jai Winding – piano, keyboard * Claude Gaudette – piano * Tim Pierce – acoustic guitar, guitar * Bob Mann – guitar * Rick Price – acoustic guitar, background vocals * John Pierce – bass * Pat Mastelotto – percussion, drums * Carlos Vega – drums * Peter Asher, Matt Lang – percussion * Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick – cello * Peter Kent – violin * Raven Kane, Robert Parde, The Waters Family, Marilyn Martin – background vocals

TRACK LISTING: 01 Chains * 02 Heaven Help My Heart * 03 Sorrento Moon * 04 Wasn’t It Good * 05 Message * 06 Love Is The Answer * 07 Greatest Gift * 08 Thats The Way A Woman Feels * 09 Be A Man * 10 Standing Up

WEBLINKS: Site Link

Background

If you were living in Australia during the 80’s, chances are you would’ve seen a very young Tina Arena coming across your TV screens on various talent shows for kids. A child prodigy of sorts, the Melbourne based singer was blessed with a powerful voice, but by the time she hit her late teen years and ventured into a professional singing situation, Australian audiences found it difficult to take her seriously, given her career as a child singer.

Looking for a new audience, Tina Arena released her pop-rock debut ‘Strong As Steel’ during 1990. The album did moderately well, and featured the Diane Warren penned title track. Still unconvinced as to her profile, Arena polished up her performance ever further with the brilliant ‘Don’t Ask’ CD from 1994. An album would resonate throughout Australia for the next two years, and generate success nationwide. The album featured a mature set of songs, solid production from David Tyson (The Arrows, Jude Cole), and a stellar lineup of mostly Los Angeles based studio musicians.

The Songs

The first three songs on this album were huge hits. ‘Chains’ was an intense and at times dark affair, opening up brightly on the chorus. The following ‘Heaven Help My Heart’ was a gorgeous track with Rick Price accompanying on backing vocals. Even better was the acoustic-flamenco flavoured ‘Sorrento Moon’, with a subtle layer of synthesizer in the undercurrent. Beautiful stuff.

The ballad ‘Wasn’t It Good’ is a bit melodramatic, heart breaking even. ‘Message’ is played with a little bit of an urban backdrop, the chorus ‘I’ve just got to get a message to you’ sounds like the communication links are down. ‘Love Is The Answer’ is a fun time romp with a sing along quality added to it.

‘Greatest Gift’ is a slow burn ballad with a backing choir adding the gospel flavor. Keeping the pop-rock quotient intact is ‘That’s The Way A Woman Feels’, a breezy number with a feelgood factor, for women at least. ‘Be A Man’ and ‘Standing Up’ finish up the album, good tracks but the best ones had come before.

In Summary

‘Don’t Ask’ became the best selling album in Australia during 1995 going 10x Platinum for Tina Arena, and doing very well else around the world. It was ARIA’s number one album of the year back home in Australia. There was an international version of the album which included an extra track: ‘Show Me Heaven’, which was co-written by Lone Justice‘s Maria McKee.

Tina would go on to release 1997’s ‘In Deep’ produced by Foreigner‘s Mick Jones. Since then she has released a handful of albums both in English and in French, where she alternates between living in Melbourne and Paris.

Video

Chains