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| Title: | "MY WAY" |
| Artist: | "USHER" |
| Label: | LaFace Records |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Francesca Garten |
| Rating: |  |
| He may be only eighteen, but with the release of his second album, "My
Way," Usher is prepared to reemerge onto the music scene he first took
by storm in 1994 when he released his debut, self-titled project. Back then,
this Chatanooga, TN native won the adulation of many fans young and old
alike with his soulful, sweet voice and intense performances. Now, three
years later, Usher is poised to create an equally powerful wave of excitement
among fans. Executive production credits of "My Way" is shared by LaFace Records co-presidents Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, and Atlanta super-producer and hit-maker Jermaine Dupri. But "Usher" decided to add his words to the record by co-writing six of the 10 tracks, and was granted creative control and personal input to the project as well. "This time around, I wanted people to know Usher," he states. "What we ended up writing and recording is about my life-about what I've dealt with, being a teenager who's going into manhood. It's my feelings." A word of warning to parents of younger children, however. "My Way" is stamped with a Parental Advisory and is not suitable for younger listeners, despite the tender age of the artist who recorded it. The album's first single is "You Make Me Wanna..." With a sweet and smooth track underscored with a strong bass line and soulful guitar, Usher demonstrates a variety of vocal ranges and deliveries that are both expressive and enjoyable. This is one of the better tracks on the album, the strong musical mood embellishing and carrying along the competent, but otherwise unexceptional, lyrics quite nicely. The next track, "Just Like Me," features artist "Lil' Kim," aka The Queen Bee, in a rap/vocal change off with "Usher" that combines a steady, pounding tempo with a catchy bass line. And if you're wondering which tracks on the album might be responsible for that Parental Advisory, it's a safe bet this one is a major contender. Composition-wise, this song serves as a converse to the first track - the lyrics are strong and dramatic, but the music is rather commonplace and cliche. It sounds like I've heard this one before. And heard it. And heard it. Following "Just Like Me" is the ballad "Nice and Slow;" and by this time, I don't mind saying that I'm getting rather tired of the word 'freaky' and its limited variations that seem to pop up repeatedly on this album. Nice use of vocal stylings; but once again, the music is rather non-descript and unremarkable. There's nothing catchy to make you remember this one more than two seconds after the start of the next selection. Which brings us to the song entitled "Slow Jam." This selection is, in fact, one of Babyface's first hits that was originally recorded by "Midnight Starr." Babyface added an additional bridge, then invited Arista recording artist Monica to perform alongside Usher in a sweet and lovely duet that is certainly one of the highlights of the album. The two artists complement each other well, and the listener benefits from the collaboration. The title track, "My Way," is a great change of pace from the two previous, slower tempo songs. An hypnotic bass drum/bass line combination mimics an erratic heartbeat that underscores tuneful hooks, smooth raps, and soulful vocals in a way that will have you going back to hear it again and again. The next selection, "Come Back," a dance track featuring "Jermaine Dupri's" raps, pales in comparison. It's simply not as interesting or diverse as the title track. And of the ballads that follow entitled "Bed Time" and "I Will," "Bed Time" is by far the lovelier of the two, once again teaming Usher with another female vocalist. This time, Arista recording artist Shanice Wilson lends her voice create a magically harmonious and melodic tune that is the essence of romance. This is probably my pick of the album, and I'm not even a sentimentalist at heart. Now, that's saying a lot for the power of this song. It's followed by "One Day You'll Be Mine" a mid-tempo groove that samples the Isley Brothers' "Footsteps," and by the extended version of "You Make Me Wanna..." which finishes off the album. All in all, despite its flaws, "My Way" is a good, strong effort that can be seen as a positive step forward in Usher's attempt to resume his career. It's a pity, however, that the content warrants the Parental Advisory warning. This seems to be an artist who can successfully reach a wide audience, but the inclusion of strong subject matter might well keep it out of the hands of scores of younger listeners - ironically the very audience who might most of all relate to Usher's coming-of-age experiences. |
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| Title: | "NEXT" |
| Artist: | "VANESSA WILLIAMS" |
| Label: | Mercury |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Marlene Taylor |
| Rating: |  |
| The first song on the album, "Who Were You Thinkin' Bout?"
has a sassy, yet smooth rhythm. "Happiness," is a song I feel
I could join in with everyone and clap to the beat. "And My Heart Goes"
is a song I can definitely relate to the lyrics in. This is one of my faves
on the album. "First Thing On Your Mind" reminds me of "Happiness," as do many of the other songs on the album. "Crazy 'Bout You" is another that seems to have the same sound as the previous two. "Lost Without You" does seem to change up a bit, but I can't quite figure out how. "Someone Like You" is a nice tune. Williams does achieve what I was waiting to hear -- something different than all the other songs. "The Easiest Thing;" "Surrender," which is full of Williams' hitting high and low notes; "Start Again;" "And If I Ever," a sweet love song; and "Oh How The Years Go By." Personally I wouldn't bother with this one. I felt as though I was listening to the same song over and over with different words. I don't think the few that appealed to me were enough to keep me interested. |
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| Title: | "LA-LA MEANS I LOVE YOU: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION" |
| Artist: | "THE DELFONICS" |
| Label: | Arista |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Marlene Taylor |
| Rating: |  |
R&B history's first supergroup of Philadelphia soul is finally being
recocognized on "La- La Means I Love You: The Definitive Collection."
From the time the "Delfonics" first arrived on the charts in 1968,
until their last chart entries in 1974, they produced a string of 20 chart
topping songs and left a legacy of of hits that make up this collection.
The 1970's hit "Didn't (I Blow Your Mind This Time) was their first
million-seller and eventually won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance Group.
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