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.

CD/Music Review: Marc Anthony Self Titled Album

 

Marc Anthony's self-titled album was released in 1999. It was his fourth studio album and his second English-language album. It contains 15 tracks; most are ballads or Latin-dance tracks. Most of the songs are in English, but the last few are in Spanish. The most popular song on the album is probably "I Need to Know," which peaked at number 10 on the US Top 100 chart. The best song on the album, in my opinion, is the first track, which is the ballad "When I Dream at Night." The CD liner contains pictures, the track listings (which include lyrics and production notes), and the traditional thank-yous at the end. Ultimately, this is a wonderful album with a good mix of songs. While many pop acts back in the late 1990s sounded very similar, Anthony's album was not a cookie-cutter carbon copy of what was popular at the time. It is absolutely worth listening to with multiple tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists. 

CD/Music Review: All Saints: Self-Titled Album

 

All Saints was a 1990s "girl group" from England. Their debut self-titled album was released in 1997. It contained 12 tracks, mainly ballads and R&B dance numbers, along with a couple of covers. The biggest hit on the album (and the best overall song) was the ballad Never Ever, which reached number one in several countries and peaked at number 4 on the Top 100 in the US. The CD liner includes pictures of the group members, track listings with production notes (but no lyrics), and separate "thank you" messages from each member. 

Of course, in the late 1990s, the Spice Girls were the dominant girl group, eclipsing all others, and All Saints did not gain much traction. Ultimately, the album is okay, but not great. The covers of Lady Marmalade and Under the Bridge were okay, but did not achieve the success of Never Ever, and the other tracks just sound like cookie-cutter '90s pop songs. While I would not call it a must-listen, if you were a fan of the group in the '90s or just a fan of '90s pop, it is worth checking out. 

 

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.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Aguilera

 

Aguilera, released in 2022, is the ninth studio album by Christina Aguilera. It is also her second Spanish-language album. The album features 14 tracks spanning various Latin music genres, including tango, cumbia, Latin pop, ranchera, and more. It also has a mix of more upbeat dance tracks and slower ballads. All the tracks have very distinctive Latin guitar and drum rhythms. The CD includes a fold-out poster with pictures of Aguilera. The liner contains more photos of Aguilera, lyrics, and production notes for the tracks, and a page detailing how the album came together, along with thank-yous. Ultimately, while it is more of a niche album than most of her prior releases and did not include any smash hits on the US pop chart, it is a good listen.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Liberation

 

Liberation, released in 2018, is Christina Aguilera's eighth studio album. The album includes 15 tracks. A few of them are very short interludes that run for a minute or less. The album's total runtime is just under 50 minutes. 

Like her prior albums, the songs on this one mix styles and genres. On the whole, the tracks tend to be slower ballads and ballad-like, rather than the more upbeat dance/club tracks (although there are some of those too). While the album did not have a bunch of hit singles, it does have many good-to-great tracks. For me, the best track on the album is "Deserve," which wasn't released as a single.

The CD liner contains pictures of Aguilera, production notes (but no lyrics) for the various tracks, and thank-you messages on the final page. Ultimately, while this album was not a massive hit like her earlier albums, it is one of her best albums, if not her best overall album. It is absolutely worth listening to, and it has several songs worthy of inclusion on a playlist. 

CD/Music Review: 10,000 Maniacs: Hope Chest

 

Hope Chest, released in 1990, is a remix album by the group 10,000 Maniacs that compiles and remixes the tracks from their early albums, Human Conflict Number Five and Secrets of the I Ching. Natalie Merchant, who is probably the group's most popular member, sings lead vocals on most of the tracks, but John Lombardo sings lead on the track "Anthem for Doomed Youth."

The album comprises 14 tracks, totaling just over 46 minutes in run time. The tracks are okay if you are into 1980s alternative rock (which is much different than what alternative rock would become in the 1990s), but none are as good as the group's biggest hits, like "Because the Night," which were popular as the group drifted a bit more toward mainstream pop and became more polished. The CD liner includes a couple of pages detailing the band's history, pictures, and lyrics and production notes for the tracks. Ultimately, it is not one that I would call a must-listen, but if you are a fan of the group, it is worth checking out.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Lotus

 

Lotus is the seventh studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was released in 2012 and contains either 13 tracks (on the standard edition of the album) or 17 tracks (on the deluxe edition). As with her past few albums, Aguilera co-wrote and produced several of the tracks on the album, which includes a wide range of topics and mixes genres and styles. It features a mix of upbeat pop and dance-style songs and ballads. Two singles were released from the album: "Your Body" and a duet with Blake Shelton, "Just a Fool." Both of them are good, but neither became a massive hit.

The CD liner features pictures of Augilera, lyrics, and production notes for each song, as well as several thank-you messages at the end. The album has a very similar feel and tone to her last few albums, which may be appreciated by some and found to be cookie-cutter by others. While the songs on the album were not as popular as some of her earlier hits, they feature a good mix of songs that showcase Aguilera's vocal range and talent. If you are a fan of Aguilera's it is worth listening to and, depending on your tastes, some of the tracks are worth adding to a playlist, even if you would not listen to the entire album multiple times. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Bionic

 

Bionic, released in 2010, is the sixth studio album from Christina Aguilera. The album features 18 tracks in total, some of which are brief "intro" tracks lasting under a minute. Like her prior albums, especially Stripped and Back to Basics, it mixes genres. The first half of the album includes upbeat club/dance songs that employ an electronica sound, and the second half has the ballads (which tend to be Aguilera's better songs). As has been the case since Aguilera started taking more control of her music and sound, this album features songs with more adult-oriented themes, particularly those related to sex and feminism.  For example, the song Woohoo is about oral sex, and Desnudate is Spanish for "get naked." The album also features songs about marriage and motherhood. The biggest hit from the album is the song "Not Myself Tonight," which peaked at number 23 on the US Top 100 chart.

The CD liner contains pictures of Aguilera (mostly scantily clad or nude), lyrics, production notes, and a thank-you note on the final page. While the album was not as big a hit as some of her prior albums and did not have as many hit singles, it is still good, especially the second half, which features more of the ballads. The easy comparison to make for the sound and feel of this album is to Madonna's Erotica and Janet Jackson's Janet albums. While I don't think this album is as good as those two, it shares some parallels with them. It is definitely not an album that is kid-friendly, like her first couple of albums, which were more bubblegum pop albums. While some of the songs are okay for younger kids to listen to, along with the sexual content of some songs, she does drop a couple of f-bombs that are not edited out. Ultimately, if you are a fan of Aguilera, this one is worth listening to, and many of the tracks are worthy of inclusion in a playlist.   

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics

 

Back to Basics, released in 2006, is a two-disc album by Christina Aguilera. It contains 22 tracks in all, 13 on the first disc and 9 on the second. It also has a bonus video track. It is her fifth studio album and was her first in three years, following 2002's Stripped. On it, Aguilera continued to assert more control over her music, acting as a producer on the album and co-writing all of the tracks, many of which with Linda Perry. 

Most of the songs on the album use samples from other songs. While the album is still a pop album, it is not all bubblegum kid-oriented pop. The songs have more mature, adult themes that reflect her being older and having gotten married. Like her prior albums, this mixes pop, R&B, hip-hop, and soul, and also incorporates swing and jazz elements. It has a mix of dance numbers and ballads that highlight Aguilera's vocal range. Only a few songs from the album were released as singles, of which the songs Ain't No Other Man and Candyman were the biggest hits. 

The CD liner features many pictures of Aguilera with the production notes and lyrics printed over them, and a thank-you note on the final page. Ultimately, the album is good, despite not having as many big hits as her prior albums. It has a good mix of songs, many of which are worthy of inclusion on a pop playlist. If you liked her prior albums, this is worth listening to.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: My Kind of Christmas

 

My Kind of Christmas, released in 2000, is Christina Aguilera's third studio album. The album contains 11 tracks in all, primarily covers of older, and more traditional Christmas songs like Angels We Have Heard on High, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and O Holy Night. Still, it does have some that sound more like dance tracks popular at the time, like Xtina's Christmas. The CD liner contains production notes and the lyrics for each track. Of course, the quality of Christmas music released by pop stars, especially younger stars (as Aguilera was at the time), can vary greatly. 

While some critics lambast this album as overproduced, it is much better than it gets credit for. There are a couple of songs I wouldn't include on a Christmas playlist, but overall, it is enjoyable and worth listening to. While it is nowhere near the level of the Christmas albums released by the "crooners" like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and the like, it is much better than many Christmas songs and albums being released by late '90s and early '00s pop stars. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Stripped

 

Stripped, released in 2002, is the fourth studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was created during the period when Aguilera was attempting to shed her bubblegum pop teen persona, which led to her taking more control over her music and significantly altering her public image. The album includes 20 tracks (some of which are very short interludes as opposed to full-length songs), five of which ("Dirrty," "Beautiful," "Fighter," "Can't Hold Us Down," and "The Voice Within") were released as singles and achieved varying levels of success on the major charts. The songs on the album tended to touch on more adult themes than the songs on her first two albums, like love and sex, being in an abusive relationship, fighting through tough times, and the concepts of feminism and misogyny. The songs on the album incorporate elements from various genres, including pop, rap, R&B, rock, hip-hop, Latin, and soul, and feature a mix of songs ranging from upbeat dance numbers to ballads.

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics, and production notes for each track, as well as several pages of thank-you notes. The wording is very hard to read because the text is tiny and printed in white against a silver background. Even if your eyes are relatively good, you have to hold the liner right up to your nose to read it. The album is good overall, although some songs are definitely better than others. It has an eclectic enough mix of songs that chances are, if you are a fan of late '90s/early '00s pop, you will like one or more songs on the album. The album marked a significant shift for Aguilera, and, of course, introduced her more mature and sexual "Xtina" persona, which she still occasionally showcases. While the album will not appeal to everyone, if you are a fan of Aguilera's music, it is worth listening to, and some of the tracks are definitely worth adding to a pop-oriented playlist.

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.