Mary J. Blige: Classic or Dud?

There was a great 70s style R&B ballad on one of her mid-90s solo records called "I'm Going Down". At least I think that's the title. One mindbending vocal performance.

Actually, I think this skirts a long hibernating deabte about early 90's R&B riding the coat tails of Hip-Hop. Not that I'm saying I think this was the case, but certainly there was a sentiment within Hip-Hop that this was the case, and Real Love is prime example being the beat is from Audio Two's Top Billin'.

Okay, this is just not true; remember the "I'm-on-crack-and-can't-actually-find-the-pitch" era? (This is also the only explanation I can think of for that frightmarish piece of nonsense that sampled "Benny And The Jets".)

"Real Love", "Be Happy" and "Not Gon' Cry" are enormously awesome, so she is classic, but unimpeachably???

and yes, you could drop 'you bring me joy' in any funky/vocal house set and not only would it fit, it'd be BETTER than anything else in aforementioned set!!!!!!!1

Who else was getting Grand Puba, Kid Capri, C.L Smooth, Biggie and Smif 'N' Wessun on tracks ?

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

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.

this is SO MY SHIT RN

The Jazmin Sullivan co-writes and the DJ Camper productions (he and Sullivan work together on some of these) really sound great

Sullivan was the lead writer for these four songs on Mary J. Blige's album "Strength of a Woman," and sang backup vocals on the first three of them: "Thick of It," "Set Me Free," "Glow Up," and "Thank You."

I wonder if any of these cuts are going from the Billboard Adult RnB chart to any of the other r'n'b or pop ones?

http://www.billboard.com/artist/309851/mary-j-blige/chart?page=1&f=379

"I am" in 2010 I think was her last song to cross over to the top 100. "Thick of It" from the new one was top of the adult R'n'b chart and hit 12th on the r'n'b songs chart.

i heard "thick of it" on the mainstream r&b station once or twice but obviously not enough. the adult r&b station played it a ton tho. mainstream and adult airplay are combined for the r&b/hip-hop airplay chart, where it peaked at #5.

Saw her live tonight. She did a powerful take on "No More Drama"-- was really testifyin.' "Thick of It" and a few others from the new one also sounded strong. On some older cuts she let the mostly female crowd sing many of the verses. Her 3 women backing singers and the band were good as well.

1 costume change and lots of talk about self-affirmation and relationships (it came across sincere)in the hour and a half gig

It ain't all roses!

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.