Title:
I Learned From The Best
Artist(s):
Whitney Houston
El-Camel's Ratings:
Label:
Arista Records
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Reviewer:
michael white
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She did. And now she is… At least if you diva up her opposition in the overpopulated playground that is commercial soul/ r'n'b. Taken from the mid-brow monolith that is My Love Is Your Love, this single is a highly polished, production-line power ballad stuffed to the brim with those Whitney-aheeeaheeeaheee vocal tricks and traits which delight the devotees - while pummelling the opposition into submission. She's the Queen of the smooth sheen: a CD soul who seldom addresses - or gets the juices flowing - below the waist, squeezing the potentially controversial pips out via a policy of fail-safe reductionism. Its efficiency is admirable: as one admires the pervasiveness - and implicit triumph of marketing - of Coca-Cola. Whitney's not quite a living, breathing corporation yet but she could still probably buy a good chunk of Houston none the less.
However, if your staple diet isn't based on refined, white-bread soul - where the crusty human edginess of formative gospel and old-school soul emotion, bred into her as second nature at an early age via her illustrious family connections, is honed out of existence - then its top dollar status is pure anathema. This is music for a rough age only in as much as it provides a safe escapism for performer as well as audience. The messy aspects of life it seems are contained only in Whitney's not so private life.
Next up, and the meat of this three-track sandwich, is a 9 minute 54 second testament to the moment she reached the exalted level of a one-woman sound metaphor. The Hex Hector Club Mix of 'I Will Always Love You' is a dry-humping, knee-trembler for the Friday night let's meat-marketeers, at the local Ritzy. They know what they want from their once a week dance forays and Whitney dependably delivers. The crop-topped, cream of the crop local talent of bevied-up, likely lads and lasses will get down to the frightening power of this guaranteed floor filler. And dream of getting lucky with some more filler later.
The thumping techno-lite of the Thunderpuss Radio Mix of recent chart success - 'It's Not Right But It's Okay' - rounds off this exercise of regal power. Its title a fitting description of the minority attitude outside of the protective walls of the Houston sound city limits. Hell; it ain't evil no matter what some might say but once in a while it would be nice if the empire struck back and showed it wasn't being taken completely for granted. Whatever, this will sell by the thousand units putting cheesy Christmas grins on the faces of the accounting department. You can fight it but you just can't win. All together now: aheeeaheeeaheee…
Oilzine Members Reviews
I Learned From The Best
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UserID:
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camel |
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Ratings:
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Review:
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Flippin eck, what's wrong wi her? always warblin about some bloke |
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Posted:
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25/06/01 17:36:05 |
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