Mary J. Blige: Classic or Dud?

1 Reflections (I Remember)
2 We Ride (I See The Future)
3 You Know
4 King And Queen Duet - Blige, Mary J. & John Legend
5 No More Drama
6 Family Affair
7 Real Love
8 No One Will Do
9 Be Without You
10 I'm Going Down
11 911 - Blige, Mary J. & Wyclef Jean
12 Not Gon' Cry
13 My Life 2006
14 Be Happy
15 I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By (Razor Sharp mix) - Blige, Mary J. & Method Man
16 As - Michael, George & Mary J. Blige
17 One - Blige, Mary J. & U2
18 MJB Da MVP

the tracklisting of this greatest hits = DUD

They shouldn't've included anything from The Breakthrough and maybe even Love and Life -- you can't represent all seven albums on one disc.

Take Me as I Am >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> One

be without you!

Dear god, wtf is that thing?

I realize that. I do think it would've made more sense -- for the sake of doing her discography justice, at least -- for this disc to be a volume one, covering the albums through No More Drama. Less room for error, fewer crazy omissions (but of course that would've been messed up as well).

It looks like you could POSSIBLY squeeze her top 20 R&B singles through No More Drama on one disc.

xpost

Very, very true.

Plus we're seeing more and more best-ofs released within six-nine months of the last album.

Seriously, what the fuck?

Funny that the first response to this thread was essentially "Get one Aretha" - I keep thinking that there'll be a time when Blige gets the same kind of classic status.

http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/09/27/song-premiere-mary-j-blige-just-fine/

AMAZING.

This is like the most joyous MJB song ever.

Yeah, this is great!

between this and the track w/ Chaka .... :D

Why are we just getting all the summer jams now?

Second single, in the new iTunes promos:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/5030291acb48d6/

classic but i never really liked any of her albums after my life. and the recent ones seem worse when shes trying to show she can do the same sort of stuff as her younger peers. that said, there was one disco-y song on the last one that had some good house remixes for it (better than the album version) but the original was pretty average. i just think she needs better songs.

Her new albums are as uneven as they ever were, but The-Dream/Ne-Yo stuff on Growing Pains is a very nice fit.

i like how every new album has her saying how this time, shes *really* happy. sometimes it works as w/'just fine', where despite trying to make a joyous (if slightly hollow, not all that amazing) song, the usual sadness in her voice takes it somewhere slightly diff, but shes better singing sad, slightly tortured ish imo. ill still take whats the 411 over anything else shes done.

"Til the Morning" is my jam off the last one. That "Bounce, Rock, Rollerskate" shit

i like how every new album has her saying how this time, shes *really* happy. sometimes it works as w/'just fine', where despite trying to make a joyous (if slightly hollow, not all that amazing) song, the usual sadness in her voice takes it somewhere slightly diff, but shes better singing sad, slightly tortured ish imo. ill still take whats the 411 over anything else shes done.

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:05 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

haha seriously. I'm going to write a Mary J. song called "I Want To Be Happy, But I Am Sad And Wish I Was Happier, But Wait, Now I Am Finally Happy (Let's See How Long It Lasts)"

haha. selfishly, i dont want her to ever be happy (sorry mary). i think getting back with k-ci could be the best thing for her music (not that i want her to get beaten or anything tho).

http://twitter.com/maryjblige/status/5687818820

eesh

mr wrong

Anyone own the new one?

yes, there are some great songs on it, it's much better than her last one. otoh it's not a great album qua album, not just cuz it's overlong (which you could have guessed) but because MJB doesn't commit to or appear to care about any particular aesthetic.

"no condition" and "empty prayers" are both absolutely brilliant though. "mr wrong" is an incredible single, drake aside.

she really gave the songs on the new album the most generic self-affirmation titles possible for her best songwriting since 2005

best album since then too

kind of like she wants to really probe the essence of what these clichés mean?

A rockcrit friend said the same thing. I still prefer Growing Pains and I iked about half of The London Sessions.

I'm quite taken with the Sullivan cowrites and the title track.

I like the new one better than the London one, but haven't listened to the latter in a bit.

Just discovered her debut album What’s the 411 and can’t stop playing it. Where has this been all my life? Her voice is so beautiful!!

She's neither classic nor dud. She's okay, sometimes a bit dull, but she's had her moments. Family Affair is her best one by miles.

don't over look the second album! my life; not the remixes (even though that one's pretty good too). i think it's even better than 411.

and Mary is awesome, especially if you have trouble w/her.