The Things We Do For Love (2CD) (Hong Kong Version)

Keeping in line with Joanna's musical taste, the English side of Things We Do For Love features covers of songs from the 70s and the 80s. However, Joanna still had to balance her song choices with commercial favorites like Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (Disc 1, Track 1) and more eclectic works like Oingo Boingo's Stay (Disc 1, Track 7). The problem is that Joanna's somewhat low-toned voice and vibrato skills naturally add a sense of melancholy in her music, which makes her the wrong choice for cheery songs like Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and even Lemon Tree (Disc 1, Track 5). Bing Wang's arrangement, performed by a group of American musicians in a Los Angeles studio, brings a hip, modern vibe to these classics. However, Joanna's voice just doesn't quite fit comfortably in such pleasant-sounding music.

Joanna is a far better match for covers of songs like Cat Steven's Wild World (Disc 1, Track 4) and Steely Dan's Dirty Work (Disc 1, Track 6). Even her cover of 10cc's The Things We Do For Love (Disc 1, Track 3) completely leaves the original's dated 80s pop sound behind and comes up with something reminiscent of what a Fiona Apple cover might sound like.

If the English disc doesn't satisfy pop fans with some of its more alternative choices, the five-track Chinese-language cover disc, featuring songs picked from a list provided by Joanna's record company, will likely be their preferred disc. Bing Wang's arrangement for the blues-meets-bossa nova cover of Teresa Teng's Repayment (Disc 2, Track 1) is far superior to the original version, and Joanna's voice is even more fit for the song's enka-style composition than Teresa Teng.

The rest of the Chinese-language covers are simply reworked to fit Joanna's jazzy voice, with the new arrangements of Three People's Dinner (Disc 2, Track 3) and Wait All My Life (Disc 2, Track 4) being prime examples. Even though these songs don't add much new elements to the originals, the new arrangements give the songs much-needed modern makeovers that help young music fans discover these pop classics. Also, since the arrangements are made to fit Joanna's vocal style, her performance is easily the highlight of the Chinese cover disc.

Sometimes a rebel even in public appearances, Joanna will likely come up with new negative things to say about this album in the future. While it's important to keep up her reputation as a hip musician too cool to even crack a smile, Joanna shouldn't be ashamed of the music she has to make out of contractual obligation. She may have been forced to do cover songs for commercial pop fans, but Things We Do For Love shows that she is slowly finding ways to balance her own musical sensibility and what record buyers want to hear. Perhaps Joanna will someday find a type of commercial music she is content to make, or she will simply leave the Taiwan music scene when her contract expires. Either way, we should just be glad to have her around for now.