Track Listing

1. Free the People
2. Angel Eyes
3. Country Girl
4. Someday
5. God Only Knows
6. Loving You Ain't Easy
7. Home Ain't Home Anymore
8. Have Love, Will Travel
9. I Honestly Love You
10. Hands Across the Sea
11. River's Too Wide
12. Long Live Love

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35064 in Music
• Released on: 1998-10-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

Long forgotten...
Perhaps the most unusual Olivia album in the sense that most of the songs were not chosen by the artist/ record company. Long Live Love contains the songs which Olivia performed in the weeks running up to the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The British public then voted by post and decided that this album's title track should be the one Olivia performed in Brighton. There are some very fine songs here such as the haunting 'Angel Eyes,' 'Someday,' 'I love you, I honestly Love You' and what would have been a better Eurovision choice, 'Have Love Will Travel.' Because of its musical source, the style of this album is quite different from others at the time and well worth adding to any olivia collection. Long Live Olivia!

A bright and cheery album
The title track was Olivia’s song for Eurovision in 1974, which came fourth to Abba singing Waterloo. It may have been the turning point in Olivia’s career, as she concentrated much more on America and much less on Europe after that. I never thought that Long live love was one of Olivia’s best songs – and I don’t think Olivia was keen on it either – but it’s better than most Eurovision songs.

The rest of the album reflects the bright, cheery nature of Long live love, with plenty of up-tempo songs and a few ballads. The standout song is, of course, I honestly love you – it was a huge American pop hit. There is also a superb cover of God only knows, the Beach boys classic. Country girl is a song that really sums up where Olivia’s heart is – her music has taken many different directions since 1974 when this was recorded, but I sense that she’s really just a country girl at heart.

While this may not be Olivia’s strongest album, it is a high quality, joyous album, typical of her early years.

On a wet day, dry day, great to be alive day...
As Olivia Newton-John was recording this album, her career was just taking off in America. Had she known that superstardom was a matter of months away, I doubt she would have even considered the Eurovision Song Contest!

Her entry in the contest, the title track of this album, is a strange plodding affair that takes it's inspiration from the Salvation Army Band. It was chosen by the British public from 6 songs (all included here). Despite being totally out of sync with modern music at any time, ever, Long Live Love was a sizable UK hit and came 4th in Eurovision in the year Abba won with Waterloo.

Olivia has always been a bit ashamed of the song and it was never released in America where her initial success was in country music. Was it that bad? Well, not really. It's not a great song but it's quirky and fun, and Eurovision songs are meant to be a bit naff, aren't they?

But what of the rest of the album? It's a bit of a mixture, I'm afraid. A few sloppy, simpering ballads (Angel Eyes, Someday, the deathly I Honestly Love You) more 'romper-stompers' ala Long Live Love (Have Love Will Travel, Hands Across The Sea and The River's Too Wide) and a few genuinely lovely moments (Country Girl, Home Ain't Home Anymore and God Only Knows)

It's a terribly British '70's' album, quite unlike anything ONJ has recorded before or since, but it's just so darn charming, you've got to love it. Olivia's voice is beautiful here, sweet, pure and crystal clear. It really is a treat to listen to.

By the end of the 70's, Olivia was the biggest selling female singer in America and Long Live Love was but a distant memory. Still, it really is worth your time. It's not her best work, of course, but it's certainly better than anything she's recorded in the last 10 years! Give it a listen!