Hey, with sheer amazement, paula's first 2 albums are damn good pieces of pop music. Ignoring the more fleshed out "spellbound" (that actually had ballads and some "depth")...

...1988's "forever your girl", even with the pebbles rip-pff production (and to a lesser extent, janet), and of course jodt watley, this album was ahead of its time a little. By 1990,. everyone sounded like paula. It seemed like a bridge between the old (minni funk) and the then new (new jack swing)

And iam no chart geek, but the fact that "opposites attract" (re-edited) was a huge smash in 1990, a whole 2 years after the albums release date, proves that this album was a monster and a damn fine, uptempo, commerical pop record.

Gottta give props for oliver leibar doing a synth pop rap duet in 1988. Those keyboard still gleam after all these years (proberly a roland d50- have to check)


Ironically, "knocked out" by la reid and babyface, sounds cheap (shep remixed the shit outta the song though), and a couple of duffers are on there, but its a good, consistant pop album all the same, even with paula's very limited vocal range (as evident on the title track)

Jesse johnsons "i need you" is damn funky too, as is the agressively overproduced "the way that u love me" (vocoder=good) and "straight up", still an awesome song.

This album was a fluke too, after "the way that u loved me" tanked, it was only by chance "knocked out" made it to radio...and the rest was clattery pop history!!!


p.s, i had no idea elijah wood was in "forever your girl" video (one with some decent tap dancing and loads of kids dancing about-cute video)

Straight Up is the best joint on there. All the non-singles are completely forgettable. Opposites Attract is also trash. I completely disagree that this album or its production was somehow trendsetting or "ahead of its time".

And one correction: The first single was Knocked Out, then (It's Just) The Way That You Love Me was issued. That track was doing well on the R&B chart when KMEL in SF started playing Straight Up and the rest is history. Straight Up was the song that made her, not Knocked Out.
[Edited 12/24/05 12:45pm]

VoicesCarry said:

at the time, they were ahead of their time. I wasn't around, but they musta been, as i have heard jody watley et all around that time too, and most the paula tracks sound like they coulda bene used in blossom tv show, which was a few years later.

As i said, its a mix between the old (minni funk) and the then new (newjackswing). It dated fast, but at the time.....paula's sound (or oliver leibar's) was heard everywhere 1989-1990, not janet, not jody.....it may be light as a feather, but no denying the influenced of mixers like keith cohen, synth programmer olvier leibar etc.....keith cohens newjack synth drum and base arrangents were hugely influential for a brief few years.

"the way that u love me" is newjack pop with obvious and huge influences from jam and lewis, reddy riley, prince, and leibar (being from minni) mixed all of those sytlings togethe for a new, lighter sorta sound.

the reason this album had hits two years after the release was because it sat on shelves for a long arse time..i had this album a good six months before anyone cared about it...

and the only reason i bought it was for Knocked Out...the rest of the album was trash imho and i was supprised all the crap songs ended up being hits (cold-hearted, straight up).

thesexofit said:

Jody Watley's stuff was a year old by the time they cut this record - how does that make FYG trendsetting? Please. And did you ever stop to think that maybe Blossom was a lame-ass show that was itself a few years behind the times ? I'm not trying to knock this album, but it did not somehow redefine or reinvent dance-pop for the late 80's and early 90's, as you are claiming. Lieber & Stoller were fine pop songwriters but the production is completely standard.
[Edited 12/24/05 12:52pm]

I like "The Way That You Love Me", "Knocked Out", and "Opposites Attract". I never liked "Forever Your Girl", "Straight Up", or "Cold Hearted Snake".....too pop.

VoicesCarry said:

voices, u argue with me over everything. I believe this was trendsetting for pop music a little, for a choice few years. And watley had a album out in 1988 "larger then life", even though i love that record, it musta sounded a bit dated and too clattery next to paula's album.

thesexofit said:

Jody Watley was released in 1987 (it's the one I was referring to, and it's a helluva lot better than this album Go listen to it - FYG rips off a lot from it). Larger Than Life was released in 1989. Do your research.
[Edited 12/24/05 13:26pm]

VoicesCarry said:

thats even worse then, as larger then life sounds like rnb music circa 1987-1988. "forever..." sound was still around in 1990-1991.

Jody was more rnb, paula brought that minni funk and added some poppy newjack drums into the mix, and thus created a then fresh album for a couple of years. Is that so hard to accept?

thesexofit said:

Yeah, because it ain't true. This shit was OLD even at the time of its release. Damn. Have you not heard Jody Watley's debut or something? How the fuck is the production of FYG trendsetting after that? Hell, Jody Watley wasn't even trendsetting at the time. And Paula funkier than Jody? Well, to each his own, I guess....

Spellbound - now THAT sounds like 1990-1991. You can't mistake that for the 80's, just like you can't mistake FYG for the 90's.

Next thing you're gonna be spouting some bullshit like NKOTB were musical trendsetters.
[Edited 12/24/05 13:36pm]

I just want to announce that you bitches are arguing over Paula friggin' Abdul & Jody muthafuckin' Watley

Carry on if you must, mutha muthas

CalhounSq said:

thesexofit brings out the worst in me.

VoicesCarry said:

He does that w/ everyone

CalhounSq said:

go back to those lame prince ripoffs u like. Maxwell, and d"ull"angelo.



Iam glad i can discuss this album with someone. Its a good "clattery" pop album.

sorry voices, but paula's album did not sound like jody's exactly. Sure the influence was there (more a nod to Pebbles though- particually vocally) but hey, we'll never agree.
[Edited 12/27/05 16:55pm]

thesexofit said:

Looks like we just did

Here's my review:


3 stars

The 80s saw many solo female artists achieve stardom with hit dance singles and "of the times" production. Originally a gifted choreographer recruited by the Jackson family, Paula Abdul become of the most successful female artists toward the end of the decade when she opted to pursue a music career of her own. Her debut offering, Forever Your Girl fits with many pop albums of the time, containing many sure-fire hits and many sure-fire misses.

Lest we forget, this album was monstrous. Each of its six singles were smashes that came one after another, the thick production offsetting Paula's overly nasal albeit charming delivery. "Straight Up" kicked the album into high gear with its urban thump and pricey video. "Cold Hearted" proved a silky, sexy synth delight, while "Opposites Attract" became infamous for its video which featured an animated cat adopting the male role. Ultimately, these are the only three that maintain their power, while "Knocked Out", "The Way That You Love Me" and particularly "Forever Your Girl" have lost some of their luster. The other tracks? Forget 'em. It is apparent that the record company felt that six strong singles would constitute a good album, rounding off the project with non-descript pop-lite.

Time has been unkind to Paula Abdul. Forever Your Girl epitomizes pop music of its era, its sleek production yielding maximal commercial success but minimal staying power. This does not discredit the entire project though, as much of it provides insouciant dance fodder. Forever Your Girl sees Paula at the peak of her powers, as subsequent releases were heralded with increasingly less fanfare. Still, she remains one of the more memorable and notable stars of the 80s and the evidence is right here.

Moonbeam said:

Put these reviews on a website, already!!!

I never agree with anyone on here.
[Edited 12/27/05 16:54pm]

thesexofit said:

Agreed.

VoicesCarry said:

http://rateyourmusic.com/...s_reviewed

Moonbeam said:

Stanks!

VoicesCarry said:

well, lil' likes hammer and deion sanders. "prime time keeps tickin'". Gotta love that tune.


oh and "straight to me feet", we're soul mates on that tip.

thesexofit said:

prime time was also a major player in the pumps and the bumps part 2 video
.

lilgish said:

there was a part 2? I only got the speedo's version?

Moonbeam said:

i'd give it 3/5 too proberly. its a very consistant listen though

I love "state of attraction", one of her best songs. I agree its dated, but those roland keyboards never sounded so fresh.

thesexofit said:

part 2 was the clean version, i'll try to post it on here tonight.

lilgish said:

oh. Cant be as good as part one, that rocks. ha, i gotta check deion in "must be the money".

VoicesCarry said:

I was just thinking the same thing! He said it as if Blossom was cutting edge and a standard for what was "in". Freakin' Blossom!

theVelvetRoper said:

blossom was awesome. Nah, my point was the sound was influential.

thesexofit said:

Well, we've already established that it was derivative, so that's not an option.