Happy 30th Anniversary to Tina Arena’s second studio album Strong As Steel, originally released October 22, 1990 (and re-released with a modified track listing in 1996).
There is something truly awe-inspiring about child stars who avoid the well-trodden path of the post-fame come-down that usually consists of a cocktail of drugs, alcohol and regret. Owing to the inability to cope with acquiring fame at such a young age and the lack of support for a child thrust into an adult world, put to work for all to consume, that elusive dream of fame and fortune for so many children can just as easily become a nightmare of the worst kind. One such former child star who not only successfully avoided this curse, but has gone on to become one of Australia’s most important musical figures, is the indomitable Tina Arena.
Born in Melbourne to Sicilian immigrant parents, it would only be a few short years after her birth that the multilingual Arena would be discovered. Another alumnus of Australia’s all-singing, all-dancing kids variety show Young Talent Time, Arena was recruited to the show at the tender age of just eight years old. Affectionately known as “Tiny Tina” due to her size and age, Arena was not just broadcasted to our television sets every week, her innocence coupled with incredible vocals for a child so young endeared Australian audiences in a way that has remained until this very day.
Strong As Steel is officially Arena’s second album (her debut was with fellow YTT cast member, John Bowles titled Tiny Tina and Little John), but for many, this album was her break away from the wholesome child she portrayed for so long, in turn becoming her “unofficial” debut.
The album itself also underwent a change with the original edition now nearly impossible to find. The 1990 release had a total of thirteen tracks, five that have crossed over to the 1996 release, with the other tracks being completely different. Some have said that a number of the tracks on the original version were too unpolished and it was decided that the album’s re-release in 1996 would focus more on showcasing Arena’s powerhouse vocals along with a more refined track listing. Both versions are good and are more reflective of where Arena was at the time, rather than a need for a more mature or sophisticated look.
One of the biggest differences between the two versions would have to be the songwriting and production. The first version saw Ross Inglis write or co-write nine of the thirteen tracks, whereas on the latter version, Arena gets co-writing credits on four of the album’s ten tracks. That said, Inglis penned the album’s first two singles, “I Need Your Body” and “The Machine’s Breaking Down.” Both songs are incredibly camp and pure pop reminiscent of the time (1990), all things that still see these two songs getting regular spins at many a seedy gay bar in the early hours of a Sunday morning.
The album’s third single and namesake, penned by the songwriting maestro Diane Warren, allows for a less produced sound to give way for Arena’s vocal power and clarity to take center stage. With a more adult contemporary feel to the song, it managed to bring a maturity and depth that the album’s two preceding singles lacked. The album’s fourth and final single, “Woman’s Work,” continues with an uptempo soft rock sound, allowing Arena to belt out some serious vocal work.
Perhaps the most beautiful track from this album is the cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).” Originally recorded by Wonder in 1972 for his album Talking Book, Arena, complete with gospel choir, went to a place that most of the remainder of the album would not dare tread. Anyone attempting to cover a Wonder song, let alone an incredibly soulful one at that, needs to have a sense of self in order to convey Wonder’s impeccable delivery and essence. Arena, all of 22 years of age at the time of recording this album, most certainly delivered on this track and should there be one takeaway from this album: this song is it. This was the precursor of what was to come for Arena and her varied and illustrious career.
The remaining songs on the original version are mostly fillers with the exception of “For The Sake Of Talking,” a slightly more experimental pop song, and that works fine. The aforementioned four singles that were released all charted quite well and two of those singles, although maybe embarrassing to Arena herself, have gone on to be cult classics for many on a night out.
Like it or leave it, the choice is completely yours. But one thing that can’t be overlooked is Arena’s incredible talent and sheer tenacity to create music, something she has been doing since she was a child. Strong As Steel may not have been the ideal adult debut for the now über chic chanteuse who commands audiences from Australia to France and everywhere in between, but like all good beginnings, this one started right, showcased the promise of a vocal force in the ascendant, and even got a much-warranted revamp a few years later.
Arena’s musicality is the stuff of legend in Australia and around the world, and Strong As Steel has most definitely earned its place amongst the broader pop music landscape, both at home and abroad.
LISTEN: