Get your copy of Whitney Houston's new album, I Look to You
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Houston, We Haven't a Problem Anymore
By Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend"
I Look to You
Kelly Clarkson? Oh, how cute. Keri Hilson? Just adorable. Step aside. Jordin Sparks? Come back in a few years. Rihanna? Never in this lifetime.
After all this time, including seven years since 2002's uneven grab-bag "Just Whitney," the incomparable Whitney Houston shows up with her shining new studio album "I Look to You" and proves she has a talent that simply refuses to be written off.
It is true that Houston's voice is not the unstoppable instrument that it was 20 years ago. How many singers retain the full range, vibrato and ebullience of their youth into midlife? It is unfair to compare this fine vocalist, who tosses aside her younger chart rivals like nail clippings, to her 25-year-old self.
The plum list of top song writing talent on "I Look to You" - R. Kelly, Johnta Austin and Diane Warren being some of the most notable names - give Houston plush, state of the art material to wrap her signature voice around, and for the first time in eons she sounds maximally invested in savoring each syllable and absolutely delivering.
What makes "I Look for You" particularly remarkable is how well the self-conscious biographical thread the songwriters help Houston weave comes off seamlessly and without an ounce of pretense. Not only is this an unabashed comeback album, but Houston is ready to hit the clubs with her girlfriends, celebrate life and acknowledge her past missteps with a look to the future. This particularly informs the Alicia Keys-penned feel-good club thumper "Million Dollar Bill" and R. Kelly's soul-searching "Salute," both of which bookend the disc.
Houston's voice soars confidently with boundless joie de vivre. The kinetic "Nothin' But Love," which packs the nervous, unrelenting urgency of a ticking time bomb, is a particularly fine example. "There've been haters since this world's been goin' round" she confidently sings. "Why they take a dream and try to push it down? I ain't even tryin' to hold on to that now. I ain't got nothin' got nothin' but love for ya."
The songs rub against each other ideally. The emotionally manipulative yet achingly beautiful R. Kelly-penned titled track fits snugly between the warm island breeze of "Like I Never Left" featuring Akon (which is perhaps the most transparent example here of art imitating life) and the Stargate-produced velvety slow burn that is "Call You Tonight." The latter has the power to burn up the charts for months on end. Even the overly syrupy Diane Warren ballad "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" is an above-average selection, well-complemented by the mood of tracks that surround it.
She may not breathe new life into it, but Houston reminds that covering Leon Russell's unceasingly poignant classic "A Song for You" is worthwhile when the interpretive talent of the vocalist is sufficient. The choice to infect a portion of the song with hot dance beats (again, courtesy of Stargate) works surprisingly well. Other tracks, including the life-affirming "I Got You," which Houston co-penned, maintain the quality.
Whether "I Look to You" guzzles Grammys or falls off the charts in a matter of weeks, what really matters has already been accomplished - Houston has achieved a stunning, moving, entertaining return to form. She not only meets expectations but surpasses them.
Welcome home, Whitney. Please have a seat and stay awhile.
Get your copy today. I Look to You
I Look to You
Kelly Clarkson? Oh, how cute. Keri Hilson? Just adorable. Step aside. Jordin Sparks? Come back in a few years. Rihanna? Never in this lifetime.
After all this time, including seven years since 2002's uneven grab-bag "Just Whitney," the incomparable Whitney Houston shows up with her shining new studio album "I Look to You" and proves she has a talent that simply refuses to be written off.
It is true that Houston's voice is not the unstoppable instrument that it was 20 years ago. How many singers retain the full range, vibrato and ebullience of their youth into midlife? It is unfair to compare this fine vocalist, who tosses aside her younger chart rivals like nail clippings, to her 25-year-old self.
The plum list of top song writing talent on "I Look to You" - R. Kelly, Johnta Austin and Diane Warren being some of the most notable names - give Houston plush, state of the art material to wrap her signature voice around, and for the first time in eons she sounds maximally invested in savoring each syllable and absolutely delivering.
What makes "I Look for You" particularly remarkable is how well the self-conscious biographical thread the songwriters help Houston weave comes off seamlessly and without an ounce of pretense. Not only is this an unabashed comeback album, but Houston is ready to hit the clubs with her girlfriends, celebrate life and acknowledge her past missteps with a look to the future. This particularly informs the Alicia Keys-penned feel-good club thumper "Million Dollar Bill" and R. Kelly's soul-searching "Salute," both of which bookend the disc.
Houston's voice soars confidently with boundless joie de vivre. The kinetic "Nothin' But Love," which packs the nervous, unrelenting urgency of a ticking time bomb, is a particularly fine example. "There've been haters since this world's been goin' round" she confidently sings. "Why they take a dream and try to push it down? I ain't even tryin' to hold on to that now. I ain't got nothin' got nothin' but love for ya."
The songs rub against each other ideally. The emotionally manipulative yet achingly beautiful R. Kelly-penned titled track fits snugly between the warm island breeze of "Like I Never Left" featuring Akon (which is perhaps the most transparent example here of art imitating life) and the Stargate-produced velvety slow burn that is "Call You Tonight." The latter has the power to burn up the charts for months on end. Even the overly syrupy Diane Warren ballad "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" is an above-average selection, well-complemented by the mood of tracks that surround it.
She may not breathe new life into it, but Houston reminds that covering Leon Russell's unceasingly poignant classic "A Song for You" is worthwhile when the interpretive talent of the vocalist is sufficient. The choice to infect a portion of the song with hot dance beats (again, courtesy of Stargate) works surprisingly well. Other tracks, including the life-affirming "I Got You," which Houston co-penned, maintain the quality.
Whether "I Look to You" guzzles Grammys or falls off the charts in a matter of weeks, what really matters has already been accomplished - Houston has achieved a stunning, moving, entertaining return to form. She not only meets expectations but surpasses them.
Welcome home, Whitney. Please have a seat and stay awhile.
Get your copy today. I Look to You
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
If You're Not Looking For The Old, It'll Be Easy To Embrace The New
By J. Baker
If you're looking for the old Whitney when you get this CD, then you'll be disappointed. The range and caliber of her voice has inarguably deteriorated (I'm not going to speculate into all the debatable reasons why, but I'm sure a part of it has to do with age, vocal nodules, etc). As a result, the songs on this album seemed to have been chosen to fit with Whitney's new, much more limited voice. You won't find an I Will Always Love You or All the Man I Need song on this album. That's just not happening. At first listen, I was a little disappointed with many of the songs. But that was because I was comparing 40something Whitney to 20something Whitney, and I was expecting more ballads, even though few people nowadays even sing them. But on second listen, taking the album for what it was, not comparing her to who she was, but simply listening to the music, I realized this is an excellent album. So from this point in the review, I'll be talking about the songs on the album itself, not how Whitney of today compares with Whitney of yesteryear.
Of the two slow, ballad-like songs on the album only I Look To You is worth listening to. Though I love the message in I Didn't Know My Own Strength, it's a pretty mundane ballad and Whitney's voice is nearly monotonous throughout the entire song. No "wow" moments in there. It was great for getting her messge out, but I doubt you'll be putting it on repeat. On the other hand, her vocals in I Look To You are delivered much more soothingly, with much more impassioned vocals. It's also a very well-written song, R Kelly did a wonderful job on both lyrics and composition.
Most of the other songs pretty much fit with the trend of today's music: dance/club songs. Million Dllar Bill straddles the line between good and great. It may take some getting used to due to the 70s disco beat at the beginning, but when you get into the song it'll definitely have you "going left, right, up, down, got you spinning 'round and 'round."
"Nothing But love" has a great beat to it, and her vocals are excellent. You'll definitely be bumping this in the car. It's motivational, and the lyrics attack all the haters that we know have attacked Whitney. Definiely one of the best songs. Also at the top of the list: A Song For You. If only for the note she holds at the end. The song is one of the few that showcase her vocals. Maybe Whit decided to go all out because she's been singing it for so long. Who knows? But she's hitting some clear, high notes and holding some long vibrato notes. It's also got a great, fast, disco-type beat about a minute into it. And seriously, you gotta hear that note she holds at the end. It's like 20 seconds long. That's Whit for you.
My favorite song on the album is Call You Tonight. It's mid-tempo, has a smooth beat that'll have you swaying back and forth, trying to sing along with Whitney, but failing of course. It's also cross-generational. Not with the message of the lyrics, but with the flow of it. I'm 25 and played this for my married 51-year-old mother who listens to gospel music all the time and she loved it.
My mother did not, however, like some of the lyrics in Salute, which I really enjoyed. In particular, she had a problem with the line "you think your s*** don't stink, but it do." I'm not sure if it was the incorrect grammar, or the fact that Whitney said it but my mother replied upon hearing it, quote, "that doesn't sound right." I love it though. I think some of the lyrics are lazy(R.Kelly wrote it) but "Queen of the Night" Whitney sings it and you can tell she's feeling it. It sounds like a response to both her ex and the media.
There are other gems on this album, including Like I Never Left. But I heard that when it leaked last year, so it's pretty old to me now. But if you haven't heard it, it'll definitely be one of your favs. I could do without Akon singing on it though.
Worth It and For the Lovers are good, not great. They're both mid-tempo, she seems to do her best work on mid-tempo songs. For the Lovers sounds like a club dance song and will have you swinging yor hands, so maybe you shouldn't drive and listen to this one, might have an accident. Worth It is about, well...as Whitney sings "somebody's gonna make love to this song tonight." Great vocals in here too, and you can hear her easily shift from chest voice to head voice, a trait which she's known for.
I don't know how I feel about I Got You. It's got a smooth Jamaican-type vibe to it. It's not bad, but she's not really singing in it...just kinda talking and doing a hollow, calling out type thing. You may sway to it, but I'm glad it's at the end of the CD. I just wish it wasn't before Salute.
Overall, Whitney and Clive did a great job picking songs for this album. Only a few songs are lacking (as can be expected with any album), but all the great ones make up for it. The songs also mesh well with Whitney's voice, and brings her into the music industry of today without sacrificing her class.
If you're looking for the old Whitney when you get this CD, then you'll be disappointed. The range and caliber of her voice has inarguably deteriorated (I'm not going to speculate into all the debatable reasons why, but I'm sure a part of it has to do with age, vocal nodules, etc). As a result, the songs on this album seemed to have been chosen to fit with Whitney's new, much more limited voice. You won't find an I Will Always Love You or All the Man I Need song on this album. That's just not happening. At first listen, I was a little disappointed with many of the songs. But that was because I was comparing 40something Whitney to 20something Whitney, and I was expecting more ballads, even though few people nowadays even sing them. But on second listen, taking the album for what it was, not comparing her to who she was, but simply listening to the music, I realized this is an excellent album. So from this point in the review, I'll be talking about the songs on the album itself, not how Whitney of today compares with Whitney of yesteryear.
Of the two slow, ballad-like songs on the album only I Look To You is worth listening to. Though I love the message in I Didn't Know My Own Strength, it's a pretty mundane ballad and Whitney's voice is nearly monotonous throughout the entire song. No "wow" moments in there. It was great for getting her messge out, but I doubt you'll be putting it on repeat. On the other hand, her vocals in I Look To You are delivered much more soothingly, with much more impassioned vocals. It's also a very well-written song, R Kelly did a wonderful job on both lyrics and composition.
Most of the other songs pretty much fit with the trend of today's music: dance/club songs. Million Dllar Bill straddles the line between good and great. It may take some getting used to due to the 70s disco beat at the beginning, but when you get into the song it'll definitely have you "going left, right, up, down, got you spinning 'round and 'round."
"Nothing But love" has a great beat to it, and her vocals are excellent. You'll definitely be bumping this in the car. It's motivational, and the lyrics attack all the haters that we know have attacked Whitney. Definiely one of the best songs. Also at the top of the list: A Song For You. If only for the note she holds at the end. The song is one of the few that showcase her vocals. Maybe Whit decided to go all out because she's been singing it for so long. Who knows? But she's hitting some clear, high notes and holding some long vibrato notes. It's also got a great, fast, disco-type beat about a minute into it. And seriously, you gotta hear that note she holds at the end. It's like 20 seconds long. That's Whit for you.
My favorite song on the album is Call You Tonight. It's mid-tempo, has a smooth beat that'll have you swaying back and forth, trying to sing along with Whitney, but failing of course. It's also cross-generational. Not with the message of the lyrics, but with the flow of it. I'm 25 and played this for my married 51-year-old mother who listens to gospel music all the time and she loved it.
My mother did not, however, like some of the lyrics in Salute, which I really enjoyed. In particular, she had a problem with the line "you think your s*** don't stink, but it do." I'm not sure if it was the incorrect grammar, or the fact that Whitney said it but my mother replied upon hearing it, quote, "that doesn't sound right." I love it though. I think some of the lyrics are lazy(R.Kelly wrote it) but "Queen of the Night" Whitney sings it and you can tell she's feeling it. It sounds like a response to both her ex and the media.
There are other gems on this album, including Like I Never Left. But I heard that when it leaked last year, so it's pretty old to me now. But if you haven't heard it, it'll definitely be one of your favs. I could do without Akon singing on it though.
Worth It and For the Lovers are good, not great. They're both mid-tempo, she seems to do her best work on mid-tempo songs. For the Lovers sounds like a club dance song and will have you swinging yor hands, so maybe you shouldn't drive and listen to this one, might have an accident. Worth It is about, well...as Whitney sings "somebody's gonna make love to this song tonight." Great vocals in here too, and you can hear her easily shift from chest voice to head voice, a trait which she's known for.
I don't know how I feel about I Got You. It's got a smooth Jamaican-type vibe to it. It's not bad, but she's not really singing in it...just kinda talking and doing a hollow, calling out type thing. You may sway to it, but I'm glad it's at the end of the CD. I just wish it wasn't before Salute.
Overall, Whitney and Clive did a great job picking songs for this album. Only a few songs are lacking (as can be expected with any album), but all the great ones make up for it. The songs also mesh well with Whitney's voice, and brings her into the music industry of today without sacrificing her class.
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