I wasn't feeling the singles when I was younger, probably cause I was used to shit-hop laced Mary back then, but I recently sampled it and it sounds so pure and musical, touching on neo-soul almost. I've been wanting to buy it for years but kept forgetting. However, I believe she sampled quite a bit on it, so can someone tell me what she sampled on all the tracks so I can check those out instead and then decide whether I want to buy it?

So far I know MJ's I Can't Help It and Elton John's Bernie and the Jets were sampled.
[Edited 8/13/08 10:16am]

The Mary album is my favorite Mary J. Blige album!

These are the samples I know she used for the album:

Sexy: Michael Jackson's I Can't Help It from Off The Wall
Deep Inside: Elton's Bennie & The Jets from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Time: Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise from Songs In The Key Of Life
Beautiful Ones: Bacharach & David's April Fools

She also did three interesting covers on here:

I'm In Love by The Gap Band
Give Me You by Diane Warren
Let No Man Put Asunder: First Choice

The rest was all live instrumentation. This was one of the first records she did that wasn't really hip-hop influenced. I can't determine whether this album or the classic My Life album is my top fave Mary album. Most of her stuff is great to me. Pick the Mary album up today! Classic R&B...

alphastreet said:

This is my fav cd by her.

silverchild said:

I love her cover.

God, she is talented, and that album is so great

silverchild said:

Go with Mary, it sounds like a timeless piece, and I love the fact that it has live instrumentation, which I suspected, I used to have My Life as a teenager and got so bored with it and gave it away. Sure it was deep and all, but like I said in an earlier thread, 90's r&b was so depressing and I expected her to mostly have songs like be happy, you bring me joy and real love, even though I loved songs like Not Gon' Cry and I'm Going Down a lot. I think Share My World and from what I've heard of Mary are her best albums. Her latest one doesn't sound too bad either.

Her best.

Too many samples though.

rushing07 said:

care to elaborate?

alphastreet said:

So let's hear your beat

alphastreet said:

every freaking song has a sample or is a cover.

rushing07 said:

I know that, but do you have the titles and artists? I would like to check those out

alphastreet said:

I have the booklet at home, and I don't really remeber names anymore.
The last time I've listened to that album was like 3 years ago.

rushing07 said:

ok.... anyone else?

One of her finest hours. I loved "Beautiful Ones".

Those Al Green drums were fire

alphastreet said:

I thought Share My World was a cool album, but it seemed as if she was struggling to find a new sound and get out of Puffy's formula. It just wasn't as consistent or earthshattering as her earlier records like My Life or What's The 411. The Mary album was just wonderful and it was a highlight for her, imo.

rushing07 said:

Are you kidding? the Mary album was probably her most live-sounding release. Despite the fact it had some samples, she really branched out on her own with this one and she even worked with some different artists such as Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Diane Warren. She didn't even use any hip-hop influences for the first time in her career.

Oh and those samples I listed are the only samples she used! 4 freakin' samples. That's better than what most of these R&B rejects use today.

Well it is certainly less samples than appear on What's The 411?, 411 Remix, and My Life....

Cinnie said:

Yep.

alphastreet said:

I LOVE THIS ALBUM!! I think this is where Mary really got her grown woman on.

Cinnie said:

Yeah, but I still think My Life is her best in part because of the way it incorporates the samples while letting her personality come through. I actually think What's the 411? just edges out Mary for second, but they're all great.

silverchild said:

only 4? Definitely worth it then, this album is next on my list.

I've been on a CD buying kick once again, I haven't been doing that for a long time.
[Edited 8/14/08 6:00am]