Magazine Review: Maxim: June 2000

 

Maxim is a magazine created in 1999 to compete with Playboy, without the nudity. The June 2000 issue was its 30th issue, when the magazine was arguably at its height (and before it was sold off to the MAGA nutcase who currently owns and publishes it). The pictorials in this issue were centered on the women who starred in various WB shows, including Brittany Daniel, Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Katie Holmes, Paula Devicq, and Jessica Biel. Most of the actresses had a single pic and a short bio and in the cases of Daniel and Devicq, short interviews. The main pictorial featured Katherine Heigl, who was starring in her breakout role on the series Roswell. Hers had the most pictures (including an incredible sideboob shot) and included a more lengthy interview. The other notable pictorial and write-up (unrelated to the WB actresses) featured Angelina Jolie, who was in the midst of her wild days as a young adult. 

Some of the articles featured in this edition included one about New Mexico's most notorious serial killer, David Parker Ray, an interview with Dave Grohl, and the usual sex-themed articles in which women were interviewed about things such as penis size and their willingness to engage in various fantasy play during sex. There is also an article profiling various young millionaires and how they made their money, and another about the popular convertibles of the time. Some of the ads were quite hilarious. There were tons of cigarette ads, one for a smart grill, and one promoting the release of the movie Fight Club, available for VHS and DVD rental. Ultimately, you have to take Maxim for what it was (especially back then). It definitely was written to appeal to the frat boy crowd in their late teens and early 20s. Some of the material is definitely cringe-worthy 25-plus years later (as of this writing), but some of the more serious material in it holds up well. 

CD/Music Review: Ashanti: Chapter II

 

Chapter II is the 2003 sophomore album by Ashanti. It features 20 tracks total, but some are very short skits or interludes that run around a minute or less, give or take (similar to those on her first album). The album features three singles, the most successful of which is "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)," which peaked at number 2 on the US Top 100. Like her first album, this one mixes R&B, rap, funk, hip-hop, soul, and pop and includes more upbeat dance tracks and ballads. The CD liner unfolds into a poster of Ashanti on one side, and pictures, lyrics, production notes, and a thank-you message on the other. Ultimately, the album has a very similar style and sound to her debut album, which some may like and some may feel is too much of a carbon copy of her first album. Personally, I liked her first album a bit more than this one, but ultimately, if you enjoyed her debut album, you will probably like this one. 

CD/Music Review: Ashanti: Self-Titled Debut Album

 

This is Ashanti's self-titled debut album, released in 2002. Ashanti had been writing for other artists, penning hooks for various rap and hip-hop artists. The album contains 17 tracks, some of which are very short "skits" or interludes that last around a minute or less. The tracks are mostly dance/hip-hop, fused with a bit of pop or ballads. The three hit singles from the album are "Foolish" (which spent several weeks at the top of the US charts), "Happy" (which reached the top 10), and "Baby" (which peaked at number 15). Some tracks are collaborations with Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, and one a remix of Foolish, titled "Unfoolish" features The Notorious B.I.G., using a sample of one of his tracks. The album's total run time is just over an hour.

The CD liner includes several pictures of Ashanti, a track listing with production notes, a separate track listing with lyrics for each track, and a thank-you note. Ultimately, if you are a fan of late '90s/early 2000s R&B and hip-hop, you will probably like this album. While there is some rap on it, it is mostly an R&B album that showcases Ashanti's wonderful vocal talent and singing. Some of the tracks, especially the skits, have swearing in them, so you probably want to avoid playing some of the tracks around young kids. It is absolutely worth listening to, with several tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists.

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Freak of Nature

 

Freak of Nature, released in 2001, is the second studio album by Anastacia. Like her first album, this one blends sounds from different genres, blending funk, soul, pop, and R&B. The album consists of 13 tracks totaling just over 50 minutes. Most of the tracks are upbeat dance numbers, but on this album, she also includes more ballads. It was a good follow-up to her debut album, but it was not the same jump in quality that, for example, Adele had from her debut album, 19, to her second album, 21. 

The CD liner contains pictures, track listings (with production notes but no lyrics), and a thank-you message at the end. Ultimately, I would describe the album as good, but not great. I think part of the issue that Anastacia faced was that she came along at a time when the pop charts were dominated by people in their early 20s (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera), and she (despite looking much younger than her age) was in her mid-30s so putting out songs trying to compete with the "pop princesses" just did not work. I think the album would have been a bigger success if she had stuck with material geared toward the age group beyond the clubbing scene. That said, it is still worth checking out if you liked her first album.

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Not That Kind

 

Not That Kind is Anastacia's 2000 debut album, released after she gained notoriety on the late-1990s MTV talent show, The Cut. The album contains 13 tracks in all, including four singles: "I'm Outta Love" (the most successful and popular song on the album), the title track "Not That Kind," "Cowboys & Kisses," and "Made for Lovin' You." The songs on the album are quite eclectic in terms of sound. Some very much sound like late '90s/early '00s dance pop tracks (although slightly different from what younger stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were doing), Cowboys & Kisses is a mix of pop and country, and some are slower ballads. She has described her style as a mix of soul, pop, and rock, and that definitely describes the mix of genres on the album. 

The CD liner contains pictures of Anastacia, a listing of all the tracks with production notes (but no lyrics), and the requisite thank-yous. While Anastacia never broke out into superstardom, she has a very good voice and was one of the better lesser-known pop acts of that time. The album is absolutely worth listening to and has several songs worth of inclusion on one or more playlists.

Music/CD Review: The All-American Rejects: Move Along

 

Move Along is the 2005 studio album by the rock band The All-American Rejects. It is the band's second (and most successful) studio album. It consists of 12 tracks, including three singles that reached the top 15 on the Top 100 chart: Dirty Little Secret, Move Along, and It Ends Tonight. Move Along is (in my opinion) the best track on the album, but all of the songs are good; they have a nice mix of sound and are not carbon copies of each other. The album definitely sounds like an early-2000s rock-oriented pop album and will definitely bring you back to that era if you lived through it. The CD liner features production notes and pictures of the band members. It does not have a "traditional" track listing and lyrics. Instead, it has pictures of handwritten notes for each track, containing some of the lyrics for each song. Ultimately, the album very much feels stuck in its era. If you are a fan of early-2000s pop, especially the non-boy-band rock portion of the genre, you will probably like this. If so, it is worth listening to and includes several tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists.