It's a bit of a jolt to hear Olivia Newton-John sing about AIDS, single parenthood and a better environment. It's as if, now that she's forty and a first-time mother herself, she suddenly cares about the world. Just as surprisingly, she connects with rock producer Davitt Sigerson's unsweetened settings and delivers believable, unstrained conviction, whether she's championing a cause, romping through the title cut (co-written and coproduced by Elton John and James Newton Howard) or exposing a vein or two on David and David's "Walk Through Fire." For fifteen years, Olivia Newton-John has been one of pop music's prettiest faces; now she just wants a little respect, and with The Rumour she earns it. (RS 538)

ROB HOERBURGER