Pork is here for a special MONDAY edition of “Listen Up!” Why? Many artists have jumped on the special delivery and release date that Clive Davis/Whitney demanded for “I Look To You” which means there are new releases today that will now all be eligible for the next Grammys . . . .
Regarding Whitney Houston’s new “comeback” album, I Look To You, there is a much larger question than “Is it good?” It is “Is it fair for us to expect a 1987 Whitney Houston in 2009?” Whitney established herself as one of the most powerful voices of the 20th Century and collected millions of followers in the process. Comparisons to the Whitney of Glory Days are inevitable, but is it our fault or hers if we’re disappointed?
Very few artists can be re-shaped to fit that rarest form of worldwide phenomenon that they once were to a “T”…and that’s without years and years of (alleged) destructive behavior/abuse. A listener can be easily disappointed if they are not only looking for Whitney, but listening for “the voice.”
Upon first glance, we are introduced to today’s Whitney. Just like on the cover of her 1985 classic debut album, we’re given a shoulder-baring Whitney in a draped white dress, but what lies underneath each cover is drastically different.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UC0jm7xJxw 250 225]Rumors and gossip aside, it’s time to focus on and listen to the music first…for some excitement…press play on this:
The more important question on Arista Records’ mind is can Whitney Houston undo 6 years in 44minutes and 27 seconds?
31. August 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for the brilliant breakdown, Pork! I think I’m properly prepared to dive in now.
31. August 2009 at 5:52 pm
An eloquent and evocative portrait of a lady. =] thank you pork for break[n]down the breakdown. [AS ALWAYS] i look forward to {reading} your review[s] and {listening} to what [U] have to say! thank you always xo xo :eee:
1. September 2009 at 3:40 pm
Love that you broke this down so extensively. Thank you.
But I have to disagree on one point. I thought “My Love Is Your Love” (which I think was from the early 2000s) was a really cool album–and on it, she felt to me almost like a new artist. The “you were making a fool of meeeee” at the end of “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” was rough and sleek at the same time, reminding us that Whitney is (was) indeed a fierce singe. But the production on that song was fresh enough that I didn’t think once of 80s Whitney.
My feeling (not that you asked) is that the pristine Whitney from the 80s is gone. For most of her musical career, she has presented herself as this immaculately polished superwoman. But ever since Being Bobby Brown aired, we know that image was just an image. Now that we’ve seen behind the curtain, I think it’s silly to expect us to act like we haven’t seen HER. “Million Dollar Bill” is for me the one glimpse into the new Whitney that I love. “Fine” and “I Was Made To Love Him” (from a couple years back) fit into this category as well. It’s (almost) gritty, funky and it feels like a woman in her 40s throwing down. Since the “doodie bubble” conversation on reality TV, why not let her just put her stank (ha!) on some funky tracks and let her have some fun. Trying to shove her into songs Old Whitney would have SLAYED (in the good way) is insulting to all of us.
All that said, I’m glad she’s back and looking healthy.
1. September 2009 at 4:00 pm
hey darklight
thanks for the comment.
i am also a fan of My Love Is Your Love, but it was released over a decade ago. (1998. Yep, times flies.) I did enjoy the Hex Hector productions and lived for many of the remixes that followed from that album. I am not even hearing the Whitney of 11 years ago so much on I Look To You, let alone Glory Days Whitney.
Upon further reflection, I think I was actually being quite kind in my review of this album.
I appreciate your comment though.
-Pork
2. September 2009 at 12:28 pm
Yes, you were being very kind. (Thank you.) And MLIYL was 1998? Jesus, I am ancient.
5. September 2009 at 6:45 pm
no matter how people try to disparage whitney, she’ll not kneel down. If predictions were true she’ll debut Number 1 next week. in fact she’s number one in Itunes in US and major european countries. also she’s been number in amazon as well. I do not understand why people have to be so negative about someone they don’t know nothing about. Whitney proved herself already. And she’s back not to please everyone especially haters but to bring back great music.
7. September 2009 at 12:12 pm
Hello Phres,
Thanks for writing. I agree with you that Whitney Houston is one tough cookie. She’s not one to take a back seat and that strength and power is what made us all initially fall in love with her…well, that plus the voice.
You are right about her numbers being strong enough to place her at No. 1 at the end of this week in Billboard. One would hope that this would be the case since it’s been nearly 7 years since she’s released an album and that it’s being released in a week where the other releases were dismal. That is not to detract from Whitney’s power at all. She’s a force to be reckoned with as can be seen by all of the attention she gets so easily .
The true test of this album will be whether or not it develops legs to carry it past the holiday season. A true Whitney album would launch singles strongly into next summer, but I don’t know if that will happen.
You mentioned that she is looking to ‘bring back great music’ and I’m afraid she fell very short of that on this album. True Whitney fans are understandably in denial since they don’t get much to hold on to these days and this is THE shot at a comeback.
If she has indeed brough back “great music” then it should show in the album’s long-term acceptance and sales.
Let’s check back here in 6 months and reconvene.
:]
10. September 2009 at 3:14 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/arts/music/10arts-WHITNEYHOUST_BRF.html
It’s official…Whitney’s @ No. 1.
305,000 albums sold. Let’s see what happens this week. Does Jay-Z’s 3rd Blueprint call for knocking a diva out of the top spot? I’m thinking so.
11. September 2009 at 1:19 am
Personally I don’t like it at all…her voice sounds flat as hell…all those years of abusing her voice and drug usage have accelerated the obvious change evident in her voice….