Second albums...specifically second albums released on a major label...are a tricky thing. Whether or not your first album sold well ( as Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson's albums did ) , the sophomore slump hangs over the release of the album like the threat of a cell phone connection. How will it sound? What about the reception? Will there be static?
Anyone with even the vaguest familiarity with the mid-1990s Chicago music scene will recall the name Sister Soleil ( a/k/a Stella Katsoudas ) , who caught the attention of the folks at Universal. Sister Soleil's major-label debut disc Soularium, released in 1998, was a surprisingly exotic, dance-oriented disc. The radiant Stella has dropped the "Sister" act and reclaimed her first name to become Stella Soleil on her second major-label disc Dirty Little Secret ( Universal ) . More accessible than Soularium, Dirty Little Secret opens with the practically inescapable single "Kiss Kiss," which retains a bit of the Middle Eastern sound of the previous album. "Pretty Young Thing," which could potentially be a dance-floor sensation, finds Stella ready and willing to become a disco diva. Other future dance-floor dazzlers include "Imperfect," "Stand Up," and with the right remixer's touch, "Let's Just Go To Bed." Stella is also at ease with a contemporary ballad as you can hear on "You."
The best ( and I use that term loosely ) songs on Jennifer Lopez's second album J.Lo ( Epic ) are the ones destined for the dance ( or drag ) clubs. I recently saw a drag performer do her thing to "Play," and Miss Lopez really ought to be flattered by the homage. Like "Waiting For Tonight," from her debut disc, songs such as "Walking On Sunshine" and "I'm Real" on J.Lo, demonstrate that Lopez is at her best as a dance music artist.
I don't want to debate Jessica Simpson's virginity, but the blow-up doll expression on her face on the cover of her new album Irresistible ( Columbia ) , the subject matter of the title track, and the fact that she was dating a serious piece of man-meat from 98 Degrees puts the condition of her hymen in question. Faux-Latin spice and a duet with the ubiquitous Marc Anthony sound like an attempt to expand Simpson's reach and don't make much of an impression, and the Star Search ballads are uninspired. Doing a gospel number..."His Eye Is On The Sparrow" and quoting a Psalm ( in this case 63:6-8 ) ...also doesn't do much for her credibility. J.Lo she's not.
Mandy Moore's second album, 2000's I Wanna Be With You, helped to perpetuate the teenager's image of perky teen singer. Talk about the element of surprise. Young Mandy Moore rocks the party like a born disco darling on "In My Pocket" and "You Remind Me," the opening and second tracks on her self-titled third effort ( Epic ) . The Eastern-influence on "You Remind Me" surfaces again on "One Sided Love," making this album both daring and darling. Moore deserves credit for trying something different, making this album appealing to older and, dare I say, queer listeners. Her established fan base probably won't be disappointed by the remainder of the disc.
Sounds like the '70s
Bob Marley and The Wailers' nine year recording career ( 1972-1981 ) seems to have yielded an abundance of material. In reality, they only released 10 albums, including one posthumous album following Marley's death.
Still, that hasn't stopped the legend from living on and from making Legend, their appropriately titled 1984 "best of" album, one of the best-selling catalog albums of all time. One Love: The Very Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers ( Tuff Gong/Island/UTV ) includes all 14 of the songs on Legend ( such as "Stir It Up," "Get Up, Stand Up," "I Shot The Sheriff," "No Woman, No Cry," "Exodus," "Jamming," "Waiting In Vain," "Is This Love," "Could You Be Love," and "Buffalo Soldier" ) and adds six more. At a time when faux-reggae is gaining in popularity ( you know who you are, Shaggy ) , it's great to hear the real thing. "Sun Is Shining," which recently underwent a dance club reinvention by Funkstar Deluxe, is also included in its original version. Further exploration of Bob Marley's career can be experienced through Catch A Fire...Expanded Edition ( Tuff Gong/Island ) . Disc one, of the double disc set, contains 11 tracks that are the "unreleased original Jamaican versions," while disc two is the nine tracks that became the "released album" on Island Records.
It's almost hard to believe that Bob Marley & The Wailers were getting airplay ( sometimes on the same radio stations ) at the same time as Captain ( a/k/a Daryl Dragon ) & ( Toni ) Tennille, but it's true. Probably even more shocking was the revival of early '60s singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka's career. Captain & Tennille first hit single, "Love Will Keep Us Together," was written by Sedaka and went to No. 1. Tennille even pays tribute to Sedaka at the end of the song by singing "Sedaka's back," which was the title of his comeback album on Elton John's Rocket Records. The duo went on to have a couple of other hits with Sedaka-penned songs including "Lonely Night ( Angle Face ) " and "You Never Done It Like That," as well as "Por Amor Viviremos," the Spanish-language version of "Love Will Keep Us Together." These songs, and 18 others, can be found on Captain & Tennille's The Complete Hits/Ultimate Collection ( Hip-O ) . Other memorable C & T hits on the disc include "Muskrat Love," "Shop Around," "Can't Stop Dancin'," "The Way That I Want To You," and "Do That To Me One More Time," among others. Although a lot of their material was pure AM radio, they could also surprise listeners with sophisticated songs such as Billy Preston's "Song Of Joy," on which we can really get a sense of Ms. Tennille's impressive vocal abilities.
What would the 1970s have been like without Elton John? Pretty boring, I'd imagine. The recently reissued and remastered Greatest Hits 1976-1986 ( Island ) features such mid-to-late '70s EJ classics as "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." However, it is Sir Elton's '80s work, such as "I'm Still Standing," "Empty Garden ( Hey Hey Johnny ) ," "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues," and "Sad Songs ( Say So Much ) ," that dominates this disc.
You could probably say that the '70s would have been boring without Jethro Tull, too. The Very Best of Jethro Tull ( Chrysalis/Capitol ) compiles 20 tracks from the band's lengthy career onto one disc. Seventies staples such as "Living In The Past," "Bungle In The Jungle," "Aqualung," and "Thick As A Brick," give this collection its hard-earned history.
Pablo Cruise may have only had a few hit songs, but for me this Northern California-based band were an essential part of the late '70s sound, which also included Little River Band. The first three songs on The Best of Pablo Cruise: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection ( A&M ) ..."Love Will Find A Way," "Whatcha Gonna Do?," and "A Place In The Sun," drive my point home. As I recall, "Atlanta June," the B-side to "Whatcha Gonna Do?," also got some airplay. Additionally, this compilation includes Pablo Cruise's sassy cover of Peter Allen's "I Go To Rio."
The long, jamming versions of "Get Ready" ( over 20 minutes ) and " ( I Know ) I'm Losing You" ( almost 11 minutes ) are two of the highlights of The Best of Rare Earth ( Motown ) , by the famed white and Hispanic band signed to Motown in the early '70s. The band's biggest hit, "I Just Want To Celebrate," is also included here.
Even though Quincy Jones's involvement in the music industry predates the '70s, it was during the '70s that listeners had the opportunity to officially make his acquaintance. Jones will probably forever be linked to Michael Jackson for the work they did together on Jackson's 1979 album Off The Wall ( and, of course, 1982's Thriller ) . Jackson wasn't the only one with whom Q ( as his friends call him ) was working. The Best of Quincy Jones: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection ( A&M ) contains music from the period during which he was signed to A&M, including 1978's "Stuff Like That," the Sanford & Son theme song known as "The Streetbeater," and "One Hundred Ways" and "Just Once" from the unexpected Grammy-winning album The Dude ( 1981 ) .