Too bad, I love her so. But this new one is way too trendy and radio friendly. No great stuff at all. Just more puff daddy shit. Why, Mary why?

i wouldnt say its her best..but its not *that* bad...whats up with albums this summer? i have yet to hear consistent album from a mainstream artist...

can we blame madonna for this too?

Annie's album was good...Radiohead's album was good...there's been some other good stuff out this summer too, like the new eels album and the Grandaddy album...I guess it's all a matter of taste.

2freaky4church1 said:

it has a time warp feel to it.MJB&Puffy trying to Recapture what they had in 92&94.but time has moved on&they aren't the same people.MJB wanted to get the Street feel back in Her Work.Puffy&Her have Great Chemistry no matter what anyone thinks about Puffy the truly had a certain balance for one another that just worked.but now it sounds like it's been sitting in a vault for a decade too long IMHO.

The problem with most of today's R&B is,all of the singers work with the SAME producers.Nobody takes a chance on an unknown producer that nobody has ever heard of.Everybody just jumps on the latest trends,working with whomever is "hot" at the moment.That's why most of today's R&B music all sounds alike.The singers are working with people like Missy,The Neptunes,Jam and Lewis,Timbalind,R.Kelly or P.Diddy.There's not much variety there,and that's why the music is interchangeable.



I haven't heard Mary's new CD,but if it's produced by a loser like P.Diddy,I think I'll pass.

She really can't sing anything on key.

Anxiety said:

ahhh...Radiohead. Theres my salvation...the one album I loved this summer. Sadly I am not to hip on the Annie album...Its getting very lil repeat play in my house...IMHO there is a tad to much filler on it...And I *love* annie and eurythmics...

This is the first Mary album that I haven't bought. I checked it out at the record store and it sounded lousy. I didn't really care for her last album much either. She looks to be in great health these days, but her singing has become somewhat lousy. The last few TV specials I saw her on, she screamed instead of singing.

2freaky4church1 said:

Very Puff Daddy like, but I guess that's what she was going for. It's not my favorite album of hers either, but it's still growing on me. It took a whole year for me to finally appreciate "No More Drama" (especially after I saw her live). Just try to give it a little more time.

i only heard the "Mary" album & the 2nd album, and now i heard the "Love N Life" album yesterday, and i have 2 giv sum good props 2 her. I enjoyed this album alot! Maybe it is because i dont own all her albums so i cant judge, but i liked it alot. I thought i wasnt gonna like it.

Tom said:

Mary seems to have created her greatest art when she was in pain. My Life and Mary are absolute classics.

Tom said:

That exactly what she seems to be doing lately. You can tell that on the My Life album Mary was actually singing. Now she feels the need to hollar all off key and it's not working for her. Love and Life would be the shit if she wasn't yelling so damn much, took the time to think about the notes before she opens her mouth, and has more control over it.

sosgemini said:

I think "Bare" is her best solo effort. I don't think there's a single moment on it that could be classified as "filler." All 11 tracks are wonderful, in my opinion. It's easily the best of 2003 for me.

He gave me Heathen last year and on Monday, he'll be giving me Reality.

Don't forget about, the White Stripes. and Outkast.

2freaky4church1 said:

Or Hilary Duff, whose album just replaced Mary's on the top of the charts. My question isn't why did this happen, but "Why Not"?

VinnyM27 said:

I don't understand why this girl has an album

...my opinion is, her BEST album wuz' "my life"...after dat' everythang went kaput!!! and why she's and awesome singer, maybe she needs a new writer

Funny that MY LIFE was her last great album
but her success has gone through the roof since
I loved her when she a drug taking, sucidal, queen bitch
that's when she wrote her best stuff

...you said it!! twink, so true

twink69 said:

Yeah but when you give it a thought, you wouldn't be in that state of mind, nobody wants to. Nobody wants to be a drug taking, sucidal, abused, melancholy queen bitch!

Personaly, I felt her stuff when she was down and I could def feel her stuff when she is happy!


But its so funny how people won't except the fact that, she even complained about it in the new Ebony interview.

its just lame. shes just doing what the young girls are doing - but for gods sake, shes almost 40. she needs to set the standard for waht female r&b artists can do as they get older - not keep trying to appeal to the kids. shes just pandering even after 10 years of making albums.

thirstinhowlVIII said:

Almost 40? The fuck are you talking about, partner? She's 31 years old!

And hey now, if Madonna can open her legs in every goddamn video and still sings about sex(and she's 46 years old MOTHER & WIFE). Why can't Mary still get in touch with the "party" themes?

Harlepolis said:

when's the last time Madonna sang about sex?

Harlepolis said:

well if madonna WAS still singing about sex, which she isnt, then id say the same thing about her. unless it was done in an especially fresh vibrant way - and mary isnt doing this stuff any better than she did it in 92/93. the singing over samples thing is PLAYED, and these are all easy to spot hip hop samples. its not like on her debut, where it was just hip hop drum loops with instrumentation on top - this time, theyre almost as simplistic and instantly recognisable as on the my life album - straight jacks with at best, a few extra chords here and there.

also, its silly for the 'queen of hip hop soul' to still be doing this - she should be setting the standard for others, not doing what shes already done and done better before. shes better than this - its sad to see her basically doing what girls ten year younger than her are doing. its obvious shes just doing it cos she thinks its what the kids want - id like to see her evolve a little. but when alls said and done, it comes down to the quality of the songs and few of the songs on this album are as good as whats the 411.
[This message was edited Thu Sep 18 13:12:17 PDT 2003 by thirstinhowlVIII]

thirstinhowlVIII said:

I could care-less about the samples, I could care-less about the videos and I def could care-less about her dancing. That shit means JACK 2 me!

Its all about if you can deliever and if somebody else feel what you could deliever. Shit, its not 76 anymore! people aren't rushing to play good music and instrumentaion anymore. The music is wounded but while I could find the "betta" or the "decent, I can enjoy it.

Looking at the RnB scene 2day(which is waaay far from flattering) I could def enjoy someone who could resmeble strength, respect and self-love rather than seeing some chickenhead singing about lust 4 some mofo doing her frequently. Bottom line is, ain't no room 4 good quality music(which is SAD but true) but I could settle 4 the "decent" part of it.

"She should be setting the standards 4 others"

Which she already did!

"I could care-less about the samples, I could care-less about the videos and I def could care-less about her dancing. That shit means JACK 2 me!"

well what do you care about then?!

"Its all about if you can deliever and if somebody else feel what you could deliever. Shit, its not 76 anymore! people aren't rushing to play good music and instrumentaion anymore. The music is wounded but while I could find the "betta" or the "decent, I can enjoy it."

thats all subjective bout delivering. well if you have low standards than thats up to you. i still believe music can make you shake your ass in a club without being predictable. got to give it up was a dope club song, but marvin flipped the concept lyrically.

"Looking at the RnB scene 2day(which is waaay far from flattering) I could def enjoy someone who could resmeble strength, respect and self-love rather than seeing some chickenhead singing about lust 4 some mofo doing her frequently. Bottom line is, ain't no room 4 good quality music(which is SAD but true) but I could settle 4 the "decent" part of it."

she might not be a chickenhead - thats true - but shes not exactly trying to do anything more than settle in and find her spot im between all the other chickenheads. she can do better.

"She should be setting the standards 4 others"

Which she already did![/quote]

DID. i.e. isnt doing anymore!

thirstinhowlVIII said:

[This message was edited Thu Sep 18 14:23:35 PDT 2003 by Harlepolis]

I always thought she was overrated. Queen of R & B my arse.

2freaky4church1 said:

I agree, it's kind of unoriginal.
But a true hip hop head recognizes the homage it pays to the foundation of hip hop. All them records are classic hip hop beats. The Ed OG sample in OOOH really caught my ear. It's a continuation of the movement