independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Mariah Carey Rainbow appreciation
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 10/01/19 5:16pm

alphastreet

Mariah Carey Rainbow appreciation

Hard to believe this album is 20 years old. I feel it contains some underrated r&b and hip hop jams. Some standouts include bliss, after tonight, x girlfriend, heartbreaker remix and did I do that
[Edited 10/1/19 17:17pm]
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 10/02/19 6:06pm

kitbradley

avatar

Mariah kind of lost me with this album. Nothing really definitive for me on the "Rainbow" album. Definately the weakest from her Sony catalog.
"It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 10/02/19 6:24pm

whitechocolate
brotha

avatar

I absolutely LOVE this album! "Heartbreaker" went to #1 R&B and "Bliss" is absolute Flyte Tyme MAGIC! I remember the Billboard article that preceded the album with the big bold headline that read: "Mariah Carey takes OFF with Flyte Tyme!" "Bliss" was like Minnie reincarnated; some nice jams and that beautiful, haunting ballad, "Petals." My only issue with "Rainbow" was the pathetic artwork. Did she REALLY need a rainbow across her ASS and a giant-sized spiral lollipop in BED? Juvenile all around as far as that went. I think had CBS/Sony given her a rainbow after a rainstorm front cover (photo) only with her traditional Mariah Carey font (a la Teena's "Wild And Peaceful" album,) it might have presented better publically. MY opinon, mind u. Musically, not bad, but not amazing either. It was what it WAS. It didn't sell too poorly either if I recall. Maybe 3x Platinum. It was the era of the one-word album titles. LOL. Her next album's gonnabe called "Drainpipe." Just kidding! LOL! <3

[Edited 10/2/19 18:27pm]

Hungry? Just look in the mirror and get fed up.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 10/02/19 6:59pm

alphastreet

whitechocolatebrotha said:

I absolutely LOVE this album! "Heartbreaker" went to #1 R&B and "Bliss" is absolute Flyte Tyme MAGIC! I remember the Billboard article that preceded the album with the big bold headline that read: "Mariah Carey takes OFF with Flyte Tyme!" "Bliss" was like Minnie reincarnated; some nice jams and that beautiful, haunting ballad, "Petals." My only issue with "Rainbow" was the pathetic artwork. Did she REALLY need a rainbow across her ASS and a giant-sized spiral lollipop in BED? Juvenile all around as far as that went. I think had CBS/Sony given her a rainbow after a rainstorm front cover (photo) only with her traditional Mariah Carey font (a la Teena's "Wild And Peaceful" album,) it might have presented better publically. MY opinon, mind u. Musically, not bad, but not amazing either. It was what it WAS. It didn't sell too poorly either if I recall. Maybe 3x Platinum. It was the era of the one-word album titles. LOL. Her next album's gonnabe called "Drainpipe." Just kidding! LOL! <3

[Edited 10/2/19 18:27pm]



Mariah works really well with FlyteTyme, it would be nice if she did her next album with them if it’s going to be any good like Janet’s unbreakable

I remember when buying the album, the cashier commented on Mariah’s look on the cover. I guess she was compensating for having a mature image at the end of her 20s
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 10/03/19 3:20pm

IfItAintToy

I honestlt think this album is overhated. I mean, I am not saying it isn't good- it is- and that it doesn't have great jams but it is slightly overhated.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 10/05/19 3:01am

SoulConservato
r

I had been a big fan for a few years before this album but after it came out I was done. At this point Mariah'd had so much success that she'd become complacent. In the prior two years her voice had also gone through some massive changes and had greatly deteriorated. "Rainbow" definitely felt like Mariah's laziest effort for me. She was following a formula that had become stale. Release an uptempo lead single with a prominent sample like "Dreamlover", "Fantasy" and "Honey" - "Heartbreaker". Cover a ballad from the 70s/80s like "Without You", "Open Arms" and "I Still Believe" - "Against All Odds". Feature a slow jam like "Underneath the Stars" and "Fourth of July" - "Bliss". Throw on a very poor man's "One Sweet Day" - "Thank God I Found You". The requisite personal balla a la "Looking In" and "Outside" - "Petals". You get the idea. I hated being able to see the formala and almost everything on this record was inferior. I really, really did not like the 'whispering' vocal style and the harshness of her nodules on songs like "Against All Odds" put me off. This was also when she hardcore started to either lip sync entire performances or certain high notes. I wish she had addressed her vocal problems back then as her voice has only continued to decline. As for the title and cover art I absolutely hated it! Mariah originally wanted to name the album "Millennium" but the Backstreet Boys had beaten her to it. I was horrified when I saw the cover art. The year before during the #1's era Mariah had dressed much more tastefully while still maintaining her recently reclaimed sexiness but this was just tacky. The also had the cashier that sold me the album made a comment about the cover! I feel like the album would have sold better with a different title and artwork. All negativity aside, I absolutely LOVE "Heartbreaker" to this day. It still sounds fresh to me and can always lift my mood. I really feel like everything else was phoned in though. Mariah needed that low period to be able to bounce back with TEOM.

[Edited 10/5/19 3:32am]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 10/05/19 11:04am

alphastreet

I definitely see what you mean with her formula though I still like the album. It’s funny you also got a comment too when buying the album!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 10/05/19 1:36pm

macaylasdad

fart

Commerically...this was the beginning of the end for Mariah... a couple hits here and there since then... good career though.

She should try to reinvent herself musically instead of using the same formula that she's tried to use for the last 20 years...

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 10/06/19 6:48am

alphastreet

The Mimi album was a good revamp, and e=mc squared continued a similar pattern
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Mariah Carey Rainbow appreciation