CD/Music Review: Paula Abdul: Head over Heels

 

Head Over Heels, released in 1995, is the third studio album from Paula Abdul. The album comprises 14 tracks, primarily falling within the dance-pop genre. This album was not as successful as Abdul's first two albums, but two of the three singles released from it, "Crazy Cool" and "My Love Is for Real," reached the Top 100. Only My Love Is for Real reached the Top 40, peaking at number 28. The CD liner includes the lyrics, writing, and production credits for each track, as well as a thank-you message from Abdul. Ultimately, the album is okay, but none of the tracks are as good as the biggest hits from the albums Forever Your Girl and Spellbound. That said, if you are a fan of Abdul or the dance-pop genre generally, this is worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Paula Abdul: Spellbound

 

Spellbound, released in 1991, was the second studio album by Paula Abdul, and the follow-up to her massively successful debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album includes 11 tracks in all. Many are still very much in the dance-pop genre of her first album; however, Abdul branched out into ballads on this one. The most successful ballad on the album (and the most popular track in general) was Rush Rush, which was one of two number one hits the album produced (the other being Promise of a New Day). Blowing Kisses in the Wind (another ballad on the album) cracked the top ten on the Billboard Top 100, and Vibeology (one of the dance tracks) was a minor hit. The CD liner includes the lyrics for all the songs, then the traditional artist thank you, writing, and production credits, etc. Ultimately, the album is enjoyable, especially if you like 80s and 90s pop.

CD/Music Review: Paula Abdul: Shut Up and Dance

 

Shut Up and Dance, released in 1990, is a 1990 album by Paula Abdul that remixes some of the tracks from her first studio album, Forever Your Girl, into club mixes. None of the mixes on this album are as good as the original tracks, and some of the tracks are definitely better than others. The CD liner just has the track listings and the information about who worked on each one. Ultimately, if you're a fan of the original album and enjoy dance remixes, this is worth listening to. If, however, you are more of a casual fan and rarely ever set foot in a dance club, then this will probably not be appealing.

CD/Music Review: Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl

 

Forever Your Girl was the 1988 debut album of Paula Abdul, who up to that point had been a backup singer and choreographer for artists like Janet Jackson and George Michael. The album contains 10 tracks, four of which (Straight Up, Forever Your Girl, Cold Hearted, and Opposites Attract) reached number one on the Top 100 chart. All the songs on the album are pop/dance numbers, and even the songs that did not become big hits are enjoyable. The CD liner contains the lyrics for all the tracks and a personal note from Abdul thanking various people. Ultimately, if you are a fan of 80s pop, especially dance-oriented songs, this is worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: 3LW: A Girl Can Mack

 

A Girl Can Mack, released in 2002, is the second studio album from the short-lived late 90s early 2000s girl group, 3LW, with group members Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Naturi Naughton. Their first album produced their one big hit, No More (Baby I'ma Do Right), but none of the songs on this album could match the popularity of that one. There are 12 regular tracks and two hidden tracks on the album. The only song on the album that became a moderate hit was the single I Do (Wanna Get Close to You), but all the songs on the album would be filler tracks on albums of more popular artists. By the time the album was released, Naughton had left the group, and they pretty much fizzled out of existence after that. The CD liner includes pictures of the group, the production information for the songs on the disc (but not the lyrics), and notes from the group's members. 

Ultimately, the album is a very cookie-cutter early 2000s R&B release. If you are a huge fan of the group, it is worth listening to, but otherwise, it is probably not one that would be in heavy rotation on most people's playlists. 

CD/Music Review: 3 Doors Down: Seventeen Days

 

Seventeen Days, released in 2005, is the third studio album by the group 3 Doors Down. This album has 12 tracks, most of which are around three minutes long. It only produced one hit, the single Let Me Go, which still did not peak as high on the Top 100 chart as their biggest hits. The album's sound was very similar to that of their prior albums, mixing harder and softer/pop-oriented songs. While it only had the one big hit, the album has a good mix of songs that probably should have been bigger hits, including Be Somebody and Behind Those Eyes. It also features a collaboration with Bob Seger on the song Landing In London. Ultimately, if you liked the group's first two albums, you will like this one. If not, nothing about this album is likely to change your mind about them.

CD/Music Review: 3 Doors Down: Another 700 Miles

 

Another 700 Miles is a 2003 live album by 3 Doors Down, with seven tracks from a concert they played in Chicago. Although it doesn't include all the songs from their first two albums, it features their biggest hits, such as Kryptonite, When I'm Gone, and Here Without You. The final track on the disc is a cover of the song That Smell, which was originally recorded by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. For this release, the CD liner just features pictures from the show and a reprint of a ticket for the show. The lyrics to the songs are not included. Ultimately, if you were a fan of the group's first two studio albums, this is worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: 3 Doors Down: Away From the Sun

 

Away From the Sun was the second studio album by the group 3 Doors Down. It was released in 2002 and followed their debut album, The Better Life. The album contains 12 songs (although only 11 are listed on the back cover, the last one, titled This Time, is a hidden bonus track. 

Like the first album, the sound on this one is a mix of harder rock and more adult contemporary, softer rock. The big hit singles from this album are When I'm Gone, Away From the Sun, and Here Without You (which is my favorite song on the album and from the group as a whole). The CD liner contains the lyrics for the 11 regular tracks, but not for the bonus track. Ultimately, if you liked the group's first album, you will probably like (or love) this one as well. On the whole, I think it is a stronger album than their first and is worth listening to, with many of the songs worthy of a playlist rotation.

CD/Music Review: 3 Doors Down: The Better Life

 

The Better Life is the debut studio album of the southern rock band 3 Doors Down. It was released in 2000 and contains their first hit single, which launched them into the Top 40 music scene, Kryptonite. Their sound is a mix of hard rock, adult contemporary, and softer rock, with some grunge mixed in. The album has 11 songs in all. Kryptonite was the biggest hit, peaking at number 3 on the Top 100 chart, but it also contains the hit Be Like That, which peaked at number 24. While none of the other songs matched the success of those two on the Top 100 chart, some of them achieved success on the other Billboard charts, such as Loser and Duck and Run. The CD liner does contain the lyrics to all the songs on the album and pictures of the band members.

Ultimately, this is a good album if you like rock, especially what was being put out in the late 90s and early 2000s. While I wouldn't say any of the songs on the album, including the two biggest hits, are groundbreaking or life-changing, they make for a good mix of enjoyable tracks, and the album is worth listening to.

CD/Music Review: The Monkees Live - The Mike & Micky Show

 

The Mike and Mickey Show is a live album from 2020 featuring the two (at the time) living members of The Monkees, Mickey Dolenz and Mike Nesmith. The album was recorded during the first tour for the remaining members after Peter Tork died in 2019 and would be one of the final performances for Nesmith, whose health was failing before he passed away in late 2021. This album has 25 tracks and includes most of the hits, aside from the Theme From the Monkees and some of the less well-known songs from the 1960s. There are also a couple of songs from their last studio album, Good Times.

I was not around for the Monkee's debut on TV and subsequent stardom, but I was a perfect age in 1986 when the 20th anniversary of the TV show came around to become a fan. At that time, the TV show was being rerun on Nickelodeon, MTV, and local syndication. There was a reunion tour by Peter, Davy, and Micky, with Mike joining here and there but not fully participating, as well as a greatest hits album with a few new songs and an album of new material by Davy, Micky, and Peter. Like most, I was definitely hooked by the TV show, and as I got older and learned about the story of the group I became a bigger fan, and always picked up the CDs as they have been released over the years.

As most know, the group started as a fake band for a TV show to capitalize on the popularity of The Beatles, with two actors who had some musical talent (Davy and Micky) and two musicians with some acting ability (Mike and Peter) answering a casting call. They ultimately became a real band, who at the height of their popularity in 1967, sold more albums than any artist or group, including The Beatles. Over the years they have put out reunion albums like "Justus" and "Good Times" as well as doing limited tour dates. It was always mainly Micky, Davy, and Peter touring, but Mike had taken a more active role over time. With Davy and Peter having passed away and Micky and Mike not exactly being Springchickens anymore, this may be the last album that gets put out under The Monkees banner.

This album is very good. Even though Mike and Micky sound older than they did 50 or even 30 years ago, they still sound good and can pull off the vocals well. The album will give anyone who is a fan of the group a bit of nostalgia, and while it is not quite a "Monkees" album without Peter and Davy, it is definitely worth the pickup.

CD/Music Review: Northern Exposure: Music From The Television Series

 

This is the first of two soundtrack albums with music appearing in the 1990s drama Northern Exposure.  As many reading this would likely know, the DVD release of the show in the mid-2000s removed a lot of the music because of licensing issues. The first season set, and I think most season 2 sets, contained the original music from the show, but from season 3 on, many original songs were replaced with dubbed over instrumental (think elevator) music. Given how much a part of the show music was (especially the radio station scenes) while it did not make it unwatchable (for me anyway) it takes away from the overall experience. Assuming the show will not get any further DVD or US blu-ray releases with the original music back in (there is a UK Blu-Ray set with the original music that is very expensive and requires a Region 2 Blu-Ray player to watch), this soundtrack (and more music from the Northern Exposure soundtrack) will be the only way to hear some of those songs. Especially those that are not by major artists that you can get on other albums easily. This is a must for anyone who is a fan of the show and loves the music used in the show.

CD/Music Review: More Music From Northern Exposure

 

Northern Exposure was a show in the 1990s that lasted six seasons and became somewhat of a cult hit. As anyone who is likely looking at this knows, music was very much a part of the show's original run, with many scenes set in a radio station. Many of the songs in the show were selected specifically to tie into the plot/storyline of the episodes in which the songs were used. By the time the show was put out on DVD, the studio had lost the rights to a lot of the original music, so generic "elevator" type music had to be dubbed into many of the scenes in the show. While getting this does not make up for that completely, it will allow you to hear some of the music from the show that had to be taken out because of copyright issues. 

Most of the songs included on the CD are not the big hits or well-known songs used on the show. For example, this does not include songs like "At Last" or "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." That said, the songs that are included are all very good, and the CD does include the opening credits theme music (which is the most recognizable track). If you are a fan of the show, and especially the music in it, then you will definitely enjoy it.

CD/Music Review: Gwen Stefani: You Make it Feel Like Christmas

 

This is the original version of Gwen Stefani's Christmas album, released in 2017. It is a good "popified" Christmas album, with a mix of more traditional songs (e.g., Jingle Bells, Let it Snow, and Silent Night) and newer, non-traditional songs, such as the title track (which she sings with her husband, Blake Shelton). The songs definitely sound like pop songs, so if you are one who prefers more traditional arrangements for Christmas songs (like those that the crooners like Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, and Nat King Cole, or even Amy Grant used on their albums), then you may not like this one. If you do not mind versions of the songs that use a non-traditional, more modern arrangement (like Christina Aguilera used on her album), then you will probably like this. Personally, I probably would not listen to the album front-to-back all that often but would have no problem including any of the songs in a playlist of Christmas songs being played on shuffle. 

CD/Music Review: Pink: Beautiful Trauma

 

Beautiful Trauma is the 2017 album released by Pink. The album is similar in tone and style to her past few albums, having a mix of hip-hop and dance-oriented songs (including a duet with Eminem) and then the ballads she has become known for as she has gotten older. The album has a lot of songs about growing up (like Barbies) as well as songs about relationships, good and bad. The best songs are, in my opinion, Beautiful Trauma, But We Lost It, Barbies, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, and You Get My Love. 

There is a version of the album with explicit lyrics and a clean version. On the former, about half of the songs have explicit lyrics, including a few instances of the f-word. Personally, I hate censored versions of albums, but if you have kids or are offended by swearing, that is an option. Pink has been around long enough now that people generally know if they like her music or not. I always thought that she would be a flash in the pan when she put out her first album back around 2000/2001, but she has continued evolving musically, and getting better over the course of time. So, if you are a fan, this is definitely worth listening to.  

CD/Music Review: Katy Perry: Witness

 

Witness was an album by Katy Perry that was released in 2017. Perry is firmly in the pop music genre that mostly appeals to younger listeners, but does release songs that have wider appeal. This album has a mix of both types of songs. There are some songs that are very heavily produced and others in which her voice is the main focus of the song. Perry has a good enough voice that she could do nothing but ballads without all the over-produced stuff that probably makes her a hit with "the kids". 

Perry has definitely proven that she has musical talent and is not popular just because she is hot and has big tits. That said, I do think she tends to lean more heavily on the over-produced dance numbers than she really needs to. I do not think any of the songs on this album are on par with her big, mega-hits, but even so, the album does have some good tracks. The best tracks, in my opinion, are the less popular songs such as Into Me You See, Pendulum, Save as Draft, and Miss You more. 

CD/Music Review: Taylor Swift: Reputation

 

This was, in my opinion, at least as of the time it was released in 2017, Taylor Swift's best album. She had already pretty much ditched her country music roots (to the extent that she was ever really country) for pop music, but this album has a lot more adult, more mature songs on it than her prior albums did. Although she does still have some of the breakup songs and songs about beefing with other artists that she is known for on this album.  For me, the best songs are Ready For It, End Game, I Did Something Bad, Look What You Made Me Do, and This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things. But really, I would not say that there are any songs that I would skip on this album. This is much more of an adult-pop album than it is a teen-pop album, and I think that she made that transition well. 

CD/Music Review: Phi Collins: The Singles

 

If you were alive in the 1980s and 1990s and were a fan of pop and/or adult-contemporary music you heard Phil Collins a lot. Either because of his time as the lead singer of the group Genesis or his prolific solo career. This is a two-disc set (if you get the physical CD) that has all of the songs that Phil Collins put out as singles during his solo career. It is basically a greatest hits album and the songs on it cover his solo career from the early 1980s up through the mid-1990s. All of the songs have been remastered and pretty much all of his solo hits, including songs like Both Sides of the Story, Another Day in Paradise, You'll Be in my Heart, Against All Odds, and Take Me Home are included, along with some of his lesser-known non-smash hit songs. I definitely recommend this one to any fan of Phil Collins.

CD/Music Review: Richard Marx: Greatest Hits

 

If you were listening to pop and/or adult contemporary/soft rock music in the late 1980s into the early 1990s you heard Richard Marx's songs, a lot. All nine of his top ten hits, including, of course, the three that went to number one, including Right Here Waiting, Hold on to the Nights, and Satisfied are included here. The other big hits include songs like Endless Summer Nights, Angelia, Hazard, and Now and Forever. 

Marx has certainly been around long enough that people will know if they like him or not. He is pure soft rock ballads and pop songs. If you like that kind of music, you will like this. If that kind of music is not up your alley, you won't. 

CD/Music Review: The Monkees - Good Times

 

This is really the last "real" Monkees album. It was released in 2016 when three of the four members of the group were still alive (Mickey, Peter, and Mike). The album is pretty much a collection of new 2-3 minute songs that are a mix of more upbeat "pop" numbers with a couple of ballads thrown in there. To me, the best song on the album is "Me and Magdelena," and a very slightly remastered version of "Love to Love," through which they found a way to include Davy on the album.

Overall, I do not think the album is as good as what you would get on one of their greatest hits albums or even as good as the album Justus, but it is still good. It is also, now that Peter and Mike have both passed, the last album that can be attributed to the group. Definitely worth the listen if you are a fan of the group.

CD/Music Review: Then & Now...The Best of the Monkees

 

This is primarily a Monkees greatest hits album released in 1986 to honor the 20th anniversary of the TV show and spawned a reunion tour by Mickey, Peter, and Davy. It was the album that, along with the show's re-runs, made me a fan of the group. I was not even born when the show originally aired but was pretty much the perfect age in 1986 when the group had a huge resurgence in popularity because the show was being played on Nickelodeon and MTV almost constantly. It does also have a few new songs that feature just Mickey and Peter (Davy did not sing on any of the new songs because he did not think they were paid fairly, and Mike was still pretty bitter about the whole Monkees experience and pretty much-avoided anything to do with the anniversary and the reunion aside from making one appearance at one of the tours stops).

The album includes all of their major hits like Last Train to Clarksville, Daydream Believer, and Plesant Valley Sunday, as well as some of the more obscure songs like DW Washburn. The last three songs, Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, Kicks, and the song that got them back into the top 40, That Was Then, This is Now, are the only new songs on the album. They are not the only new songs that the trio of Mickey, Peter, and Davy put out around that time as there was another album "Pool It" that included new material, but did not do nearly as well as this album did.

Overall, it is a very good greatest-hits album. It is probably even more of a desired item now that three of the four members of the group have passed away, but whether you were a fan of the group in the 60s or became a fan after that, it is definitely a must-listen.