CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Mi Reflejo

 

Mi Reflejo, released in 2000, is the second studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was recorded entirely in Spanish and included 11 tracks in all. It included Spanish-language versions of five tracks from her self-titled debut album (Genie in a Bottle, Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You), I Turn to You, What a Girl Wants, and Reflection), four original tracks, and two covers. 

The CD liner includes pictures of Aguilera, lyrics, and production notes for the tracks, and a thank-you note (all written in Spanish). As with the first album, some of the tracks showcase Aguilera's vocal range, but overall, like her debut album, this is mostly a bubblegum pop album. She can get a bit overzealous with hitting high notes, much like Mariah Carey, which can be a bit annoying.  Ultimately, if you were a fan of her debut album, you will most likely enjoy this one. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera

 

Christina Aguilera's self-titled debut album was released in 1999. It contains 12 tracks, including the hit singles "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)," and "I Turn to You." The first three reached number one in the US, and the last one reached number three. The album blends pop, R&B, and hip-hop, featuring a mix of upbeat dance numbers and ballads.  

The CD liner includes lyrics and production notes for each track, interspersed with pictures of Aguilera, and ends with a thank-you note. The album definitely falls squarely in the realm of teen pop, but also showcases Aguilera's vocal range and talent, which was much stronger than that of other pop stars of the era. Although it is now 25 years old, the album holds up fairly well over time. Chances are, most people who will be interested in the album now are those who were teenagers or in their early to mid-20s when the album was first released. However, if you are a fan of late '90s/early 2000s pop, this is worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 19

 

19, released in 2008, was Adele's debut album. It features 12 tracks, and the title was selected based on her age during production of the album (which she has made a tradition with her subsequent albums). The album was a bigger hit in the UK than it was in the United States, but the single "Chasing Pavements" was a moderate hit in the US. It and the song "Make You Feel My Love" are the two best songs on the album, but every song on the album is good and highlights Adele's vocal talent. Despite her age at the time, the album has a much more adult contemporary sound (as all her albums do) than it does a pop sound. The CD liner features the song lyrics and production notes for each track, pictures, and a thank-you note on the final page. Ultimately, while this album was not a massive hit like her subsequent albums (especially 21 and 25), it is terrific, and listening to it, you can tell that Adele was destined for stardom. It is absolutely worth listening to if you are an Adele fan or just a fan of the more adult-oriented singer-songwriter genre.

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Big Ones

 

Big Ones, released in 1994, is an album that is mostly a compilation of recent (at the time) hits from Aerosmith. The album includes 15 songs in all. It is not really a greatest hits album as it does not include songs spanning their entire career. Instead, it features the hit songs from their late 80s/early 90s albums Get a Grip, Pump, and Permanent Vacation, such as "Rag Doll, and" Janie's Got a Gun." Crazy, "Livin' on the Edge," etc. It also includes a couple of previously unreleased songs that the band recorded during a break on one of their tours. 

The CD liner unfolds like a poster. On one side, it has pictures and production notes, and on the other, it has the lyrics for all the tracks. Ultimately, if you are a fan of Aerosmith's late '80s and early '90s hit songs, this is absolutely worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Get a Grip

 

Get a Grip, released in 1993, was Aerosmith's 11th studio album. It continued to blend hard rock and pop that characterized their sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It featured 14 tracks, including the hits "Livin' on the Edge," "Crazy," "Cryin'," and "Amazing," as well as the popular track "Eat the Rich." Cryin' and Crazy were massively popular due to their music videos, both of which featured Alicia Silverstone at the height of her fame, and the latter featuring Steven Tyler's then relatively unknown daughter, Liv. 

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics for each track, and a thank-you note from the band. Ultimately, the album has an excellent mix of songs and features some of the band's biggest hits of the '90s. It is absolutely worth listening to and has many songs that are worth adding to a playlist.  

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Permanent Vacation

 

Permanent Vacation is the 1987 studio release by Aerosmith. It was their 9th studio album and is seen as their resurgence album after Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned to the group in 1984. The album features 12 tracks in total, including the massively popular songs "Rag Doll," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," and "Angel." It also features a cover of the Beatles song, I'm Down. The album is a blend of pop and hard rock/heavy metal, which defined the band's sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. 

The CD liner contains the lyrics to the various songs, pictures, production notes, and thank yous. Overall, the album is very good. It (along with the music videos for the hit songs that received massive airplay on MTV and VH1) revitalized the band's career, and arguably made them more popular than they were in the 1970s. If you are a fan of hard rock and metal that does not get too loud and aggressive, this is absolutely worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 30

 

30, released in 2021, is the fourth studio album by English singer/songwriter Adele. Like her earlier albums, especially 21 and 25, this one features a diverse mix of genres in its various songs, blending elements of pop, jazz, R&B, and more. The album comprises 12 tracks in total, with the most successful being the first single released from it, "Easy on Me," which reached number one on the Top 100 chart. Also, like her earlier albums, the songs deal with issues from Adele's personal life, such as her divorce, motherhood, and the fame she experienced after the massive success of her second and third albums, as well as the songs "Rolling in the Deep" and "Hello." 

The CD liner includes pictures from the recording sessions. Each page of the liner also includes the lyrics and production notes for one of the songs, printed over a photo. Ultimately, while the album was not as big a hit as her prior two albums, it is still very good. The mix of songs is excellent, and they highlight Adele's amazing voice very well. So, if you are a fan of her prior albums, this one is absolutely worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 25

 

25, released in 2015, is Adele's third studio album and the follow-up to her multi-award-winning 21. Where 21 was a breakup album, the songs on this one take a more reflective and "moving on" or "making up" tone. The album has 11 tracks in all. The smash hit from this album is the single "Hello," which debuted at number 1 on the Top 100. The other singles, "When We Were Young," "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," and "Water Under the Bridge," all made it into the Top 30, with the last one peaking at number 8. 

Like the songs on her prior album, this one has a mix of ballads and more upbeat tracks. While "Hello" is the biggest hit (and best song) from the album, all the songs are wonderful and showcase Adele's vocal talent. The CD liner contains pictures from the recording sessions, production notes for the various tracks, and a thank-you note from Adele. It does not include the song lyrics, however. Ultimately, 25 was one of the best, if not the best, albums of the mid-2010s, and is absolutely worth listening to. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 21

 

21 is the second studio album by English singer/songwriter Adele. It was produced when she was 21 years old (hence the album's title) and released in 2011. This is the album that launched her into superstardom, primarily based on the hit single "Rolling in the Deep." That song, along with the tracks Someone Like You and Set Fire to the Rain reached number one on the Top 100 chart, and the track Rumor Has It reached the top 20. 

There are 11 tracks in all on the album, featuring a wide range of music styles, all highlighted by Adele's amazing voice. The album is a fairly classic breakup album, with most of the songs revolving around the turmoil caused by the end of a relationship. The CD liner features pictures from the recording sessions and production notes for the tracks. The song lyrics are not included. Ultimately, this is a wonderful album. All of the songs are excellent, even those that were not huge hits. It is one of the best albums not only of the 2010s, but of recent memory, and still holds up nearly a decade and a half later. It is absolutely worth listening to.

CD/Music Review: Bryan Adams: So Far So Good

 

So Far So Good, released in 1993, is primarily a collection of hits from Bryan Adams from the 1980s and early 1990s. It includes all of his best-known songs, such as Summer of '69, Straight From the Heart, Run to You, Heaven, Cuts Like a Knife, and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. It also includes some lesser-known songs that had been released on his prior albums, and the one new track, Please Forgive Me, which became a Top 10 hit in the United States. The CD liner just includes the track listings, production credits, a photo, and a note from Adams. It does not include the lyrics for the various tracks. 

Adam's music is a blend of rock and pop, both of which are heavily featured on this album. Most of his big his are pretty traditional pop songs (either upbeat or ballads), but the lesser-known tracks give a nod to the kind of music that influenced Adams. If you are a fan of Adams or just 80s and 90s pop, this is definitely worth listening to.

CD/Music Review: Ace of Base: The Sign

 

The Sign is the 1993 album by Swedish pop group Ace of Base. It is, for all intents and purposes, their debut album as it included many songs from their lesser-known (at least in the US) debut album, Happy Nation, and added several songs, including their smash hits Don't Turn Around, and The Sign. The album has 12 tracks overall; the biggest hits from the album were Don't Turn Around, The Sign, and All That She Wants. Other tracks, such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Happy Nation," achieved more success overseas but did not gain much traction in the US. 

The album is a good early '90s pop album. It absolutely has more of a Euro-pop feel than stuff that was being put out by American artists at the time, but it worked. The CD liner contains the track listing, production notes for each song, and personal notes from the band members. Ultimately, if you grew up on '90s pop, listening to this will be a nostalgic blast from the past. 

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.