The remaster makes it clear that Newton-John’s longtime collaborator John Farrar is singing the song title through the vocoder! In all these years, I could never quite make out what the phrase was. “Carried Away” has a particularly distinct “reveal.”Īt 1:16 in, there is a phrase sung through a vocoder, which electronically alters the voice. In “Recovery”, a particular favorite of mine, there is a marimba I always noticed in the second verse and the bridges, but the new mix brings it out in other areas of the song, which makes the Caribbean element of the song “pop” even more!

“Silvery Rain” is particularly revelatory, with more going on in the bass line and electric guitar elements than previously heard. There are background vocals and harmonies I either barely or never noticed, but of course, have always been there, specifically in songs like “Falling”, “Love Make Me Strong” and the title track. Drum and bass lines have more intensity, and the ability to distinguish the separation between instruments is eye/ear opening. The sonic enhancement in the remaster is rich and full. The first of three discs contains a remastered version of the original album, which is a gold standard example producers of “revisited material” ought to use as a reference point.Īs a listener who was “there” in 1981, it feels as though I never really heard the album! Olivia Newton-John’s classic 1981 album Physical is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year, and an exceptional package has been put together to celebrate.

Olivia newton john physical