Rick Ross

TRILLA

par·o·dy:any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of music,a person, event, etc.


gue·ril·la par·o·dy:Rick Ross


Since the death of 2Pac(O-K,maybe,Biggie Smalls)Gangsta,Mafioso,hardcore rap-whatever you choose to call it-has been less about keeping it real and more about living in a fantasy world.It has been less about Al Capone and more about Alfalfa{entertaining the small white boys};in other words,rap has become very close to becoming a parody of itself.

Not that parody in itself is necessarily bad.Eminem has made a living parodying the genre.But he was(is)a wordsmith.He actually sang/rapped about things.

Most gangstas do not.Gold,wealth,sex and power became sub routine.When you had no real words to spout,they became the classic fall back mode of the untalented...no wonder that there is not a single 'classic rap' station?

Enter Rick Ross.How do you take the parody out of rap?By parodying the fools that make it.On 'Trilla',Rick Ross goes hardcore.I have not had so much fun listening to a hip hop rap cd in a long time.

But how do I know it's parody?First off Rick Ross isn't really Rick Ross,but William Roberts pretending to be him.Secondly,this stuff is so over the top that I don't see how you could possibly enjoy this taking it seriously.Third...would a gangster be thanking God in his credits?This is meant for dancing and fun.

That does not deny that this is good stuff.'The Boss' single is getting serious airplay.Rightfully so.The song just rocks.The selling point to this song-to me,anyway-is that 'the man' is 'the man' no matter who he is.Hell...is this song about Rick Ross or is it about Dick Cheney?Does it matter...only to a degree.

On,'Speedin',despite all of it's boasting...the song is talking about 'American Idol' and wishing to being on the Grammies!Ya' don't get much more middle American white bread than that!

One of my favorite tunes on the cd is the typical,'This Me'. Not since Kanye West's 'Jesus Walks' have I enjoyed the use of the word,'nigga',so much....but 36(or is it 37?)times?Now...that's ice cold.

'Luxery Tax' is probably the biggest parody on the album.Any rap that says that it is,' going to finger f*ck your whole squad' and then in the next sentence says that ,'I did it for the kids,'can't legally be considered anything but.

The Eminem feeling,'All I Have In The World' is another prime jam....the only question I have is...is that repeating sample...Snape from Harry Potter!?! LoL!

Arguably the best rap on the cd is,'This Is The Life'.I don't like that Rick Ross calls his Afro-American girls 'ho's while he then calls the white woman a girl.But I have a biker friend who calls his wife his 'bitch',so I guess I can accept 'ho's as a term of endearment.

The absolute worse thing I can say about this cd is that I am sad that this week is over:-(

A

Alan Jackson

Good Times

"Don't make any waves..."That is a punch line to an old joke about a man who goes to Hades and has to stay in a pile of septic waste up to his neck.

If there is any complaint to this cd it is that it 'doesn't make any waves'.No political protests,no lighting bolts from the sky,no names named.

But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.I don't buy a'Rage Against The Machine' album for songs about pick up trucks,neither should I buy an Alan Jackson cd for anything but great country music.

And in the days where country music is more Bocephus than Hank Sr.,Mr.Jackson is the bridge between the two.I shouldn't be complaining about great ol' school country.

Throughout this lengthy cd Alan Jackson not only channels the likes of Merle Haggard ('When The Love Factor's High'),George Jones('If You Want To Make Me Happy') and the steel guitar of Hank Williams Sr.(I Still Like Bologna),but you hear so much banjo,mandolin,fiddle and even accordion that you swear that he went straight back to the good ol' days.

Songs that probably get air play are too numerous to mention:they all can.But I like,'Small Town Southern Man';'I Still Like Bologna';'1976';'I wish I Could Back Up',and 'Nothing Left To Do'.

Alan Jackson sings the gauntlet of classic themes here,partying,heartbreak,love,lost,even the before mentioned pick-up truck song.Hey!Where's the song about trains!?!

On the nit picky side,on,'Nothing Left To Do',Alan sings about shaving and putting on new underwear(too much information),but doesn't mention showering first...I'm not that country...If I am going out with my gal for an evening...I'm a showering first...

...And,for an old Ford pitchman,it sure was strange hearing Mr.Jackson sing that Jesus would ride in a Chevrolet...

...Maybe I am being a litle anal retentive on Mr.Jackson's writing skills(I couldn't even begin to be half the writer he is),but I think of these points every time I hear these songs.

They are the cd's only down sides.

A

Janet Jackson

Discipline

Or should I say;'Disappointing'.
There are allot of things wrong with this cd.First and foremost is:where is Janet Jackson?This cd sounds like a D.J. Dangermouse cd with just a few Janet Jackson samples thrown in.Her voice has been sterilized,harmonized,homogenized,pasteurized(just up to her knees),looped,echoed,chorused,tweaked,
fluttered,electrified and otherwise made just totally unrecognizable.This is very puzzling behavior for someone who has said that she was going to pull out all the stops.The worst part of 'Discipline' is that I can't tell where the real Janet Jackson is.

The album is totally generic.The first song on the disk is probably the cutest,with the 'Ooow' refrain reminiscent of Betty Boop.The only trouble is...damn... I could have sworn that the song was sung by Britney Spears.

All of the other songs have just as a generic taste to them.Sometimes the song list sounds like Janet's brother,Micheal,must have been both the ghost writer and the ghost singer(there is even a Michaelesque song called...'Rock with U'!).Alicia Keys should be feeling that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...and...is that Janet or Paula Abdul singing?Is that a 'Technology 'rip off?Heck,she even steals from 'Chant'.

Janet even had writers write her song intros...how lame is that?And just who are these intros geared for?'I.D.'seems like something only a Japanese tweenager would like,and the 'Spinning' intro seem like Janet is reading Dr. Seuss to a toddler.

This is in direct opposition to the adult material throughout the rest of this cd.Talking about 7 inches,getting wet,and having organisms(this is not even close to even the best '0' in pop music...that honor goes to Yoko Ono on 'Kiss,Kiss,Kiss') is just the start of the filth on this production.

Don't get me wrong.At 40 something,I feel Janet is just in exploring her sexuality.Who doesn't love a sexy 40 something Cougar?I know I do!40 something women are some of the sexiest women on the planet.

But in order for this to work,you have to feel her sexiness through her voice.Throughout this work Janet Jackson's voice seems cold and robotic.Dubbed and overdubbed does not make one feel very amorous or excited.It seems more like having phone sex with an answering machine..it just doesn't work.

Another bazaar atribute to ths cd is the ongoing theme of Janet with her computer,Kyoko.This computer voice calls her'Miss Janet'.

Now,it may just be me,but seems to have a 'Gone With The Wind' feel to it...with Janet playing the Miss Scarlet role and her computer,Kyoko,playing the Prissy role.This feels to me awkward at best and...dare I say it...elitist and racist at worst.

Either way,it's just wrong.

'Disciple' is very disappointing.For a R&B cd it has made the ultimate sin...it has no soul.


D+

Free Week #4


Dengue Fever

I was listening to 'N.P.R.'s ,'Fresh Air',when I heard this great interview by Terry Gross.She was interviewing two brothers,Ethan and Zac Holtzman.They were the founders of an unique rock group called,'Dengue (pronounced:den-gay)Fever'.

Ethan had backpacked for an extended time throughout Cambodia and had found a liking to a 1960ish brand of American/Cambodian psychedelic rock music.

This music had a clearly rock and roll influence mixed up nicely with a neat Cambodian attitude.East meets west/the Orient meets the Ventures.Very nice.

But the very ingredients that made this niche like genre-almost totally destroyed it and the people who played it.The evil Pol Pot and the murderous Khmer Rouge literally almost totally annihilated it along with almost everything western.



So,when Ethan came home to the San Francisco area he was surprised to find that brother Zac was also into this obscure music.They became inspired to form a band.They quickly found singing in a bar in Long Beach,a female pop singer recently immigrated from Cambodia named Chhom Nimol...



...and Dengue Fever was formed.Their first two albums were mostly covers of Cambodian bands(sung in the Cambodian 'Khmer' language).On their third cd,'Venus On Earth',they ventured into original material.Sung basically half in Khmer/half in English.



And,by golly it's good.Chhom Nimol has such a sweet voice.Zac's laid back vocals really compliment her sweetness.



My favorite song is,'Sober Driver',You can not ask for more fun from a song.Sung in English,the song is about a girl taking a boy's willingness to taxi her for granted.Dengue Fever has a great horn section(as well as a supreme guitar/bass/drum section)and it shines here.



*
My next favorite tune starts off the cd and is sung in Khmer.It is called ,'Seeing Hands',and even though I have no idea what it is about,it is a rocker...and is that crows?!?
*



Next on my list is the instrumental,"Ocean Of Venus'.I am a rocker,because I rock out.'Clipped Wings' is old fashioned funky and the English,'Tiger Phone Call' is another fun duet.



*
The only song I initially had somewhat trouble with was ,'Monsoon Of Perfume'.It is sung in Cambodian;it just reminded me too much of something that would be sung at a wedding.After multiple listenings,though,I have grown very found of it.



*
The final song,'Mr.Orange' is just plan fun.It should me the theme song to something.

*
Yessirre,One fine cd.
*
A-

Free Week #3

Wilco:Blue Sky Blue

I know I have sung the praises of Wilco before.Their last three cd's have been most excellent.'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' is a modern masterpiece.'A Ghost Is Born',though somewhat lesser of the two cd's is brave and goes beyond the grandness of Foxtrot.Their double live cd,'Kicking Television' puts out some of the definitive versions of some of there best songs.

And boy,does Wilco have great songs.I can not imagine how joyless my life would be without knowing such great songs such as,'Jesus,Etc';Christ For President';'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart';'I Must be High';'Via Chicago';'Ashes Of American Flags';'At Least That's what She Said';'Hell Is Chrome';'Kidsmoke';'Hummingbird';'Wishful Thinking' and many many more.

Now,comes their new cd,'Blue Sky Blue'.And,like most Wilco cd's,it is not totally like any other Wilco cd.'Blue Sky Blue' is what I would call Wilco's most commercial cd to date.And I mean that in a very good way.Throughout the cd they channel 'The Eagles','The Allman Brothers Band' ,Neil Young' and other 70's icons....while still keeping it 2007 fresh and a blazing new Wilco.

Jeff Tweety and company have done themselves proud.Just listening to songs like,'Impossible Germany';'Sky Blue Sky';'Please Be Patient With Me' and 'Hate It Here',make me want to have a record listening party.

However,like most of the freshest,newest sounding music,the full affect of this cd's greatness does not hit you until after your forth or so listening.Beware,you will be caught off guard catching yourself humming and singing these tunes if you give the cd the chance to grow on you.I know with the throw-a-way music that is out there now-a-days that is asking allot.But this Wilco cd stays with you just like the music did in the good ol'days.And that is high praise,indeed.

If there were any justice,Wilco would be king of the FM radio heap.This is exactly what today's modern FM radio should sound like.

A

Jack Johnson

'Sleeping Through The Static' is one of those cd's that you almost instantly fall in love with,and want to continue playing over and over.

Sure,on first listen you are taken away by the seemingly easiness of it all...

...that is Jack Johnson for you.Whether driving the madhouse interstate or laying back on some warm tropical beach,this cd is both entertaining and soothing enough to thoroughly enjoy.

But,there is some bite to this music.Jack sings about darker subjects here than he has on earlier works.His laid back style vs. his poignant lyrics remind me somewhat of Hank Williams Sr.He gets you into an upbeat dancing rhythm all the while breaking your heart at the same time...ache enough to share,even when you are alone,I guess.

The opener,'All At Once' leads perfectly into the title track,'Sleeping Through The Static'.Both are anti-war anthems...or,perhaps,more precisely,heart break songs of giving up and giving in.The ending lyrics to 'All At Once':'Sometimes,it feels like a heart is no place to be singing from at all',pretty much says it all,and sets the tone for the whole album.

Yet,Mr.Johnson,does not leave us without,'Hope'.'It will defeat you and teach you to get back up' & 'hope you are not alone',are very powerful lines.

The very short,'Angel' is another song of contradiction,followed by argumentatively,the weakest song on the cd,'Enemy.'This song is too much of a lullaby for my taste:caution,do not operate heavy machinery or attempt to drive a vehicle while under it's influence.

Next,is the,perhaps Sufjan Stevens inspired,'If I Had Eyes'.This is probably the album's biggest jam.It is one of my favorites.

'Same Girl',is a smaller,'Sleeping Through The Static'.War on a personal level.This one gives you the feeling of making love-not war.

I love the almost marching style of drums on the more traditional J.J. song,'What You Thought You need'.'Adrift' flows nicely into one of my favorites,'Go On'.'Go On',to me is a very endearing song of passing...loving someone enough to let go.

*

'They Do,They Don't',is the glue that holds this cd into a cohesive whole,mixing both the war and personal lost & hopelessness themes together into an almost religious song(similar to:The spirit is willing but the body is weak).Ditto with the intermingling short,'While We Wait/Monsoon'(Monsooner or later).

*

'Sleeping' ends with a nice ditty called,'Losing Keys'.

A week seems like too little time to listen to this almost perfect cd.

A

FREE WEEK# 2


Taking the 'free week' concept to new levels(yes,Ms.Keys is once again on top),I actually ordered a 'free' cd to listen to.I want to give a big thank you to the great state of Louisiana for sending me this great actual 'Time-Life' cd of Cajun and Zydeco classics.

I initially wanted to review this cd last week as that was when Mardi Gras ended and Lent began(ask me about my Lent hat).But,it didn't get here in time...and besides,I am getting ahead of myself.

I first fell in love with New Orleans' Cajun influences through what I consider one of the best Tv shows of all time:'Frank's Place'.Think 'Northern Exposure' before 'Northern Exposure'.CBS really did this Tim Reid vehicle and it's viewers a grave disservice by switching this all time classic television show from one time slot to another.

I first fell in love with Zydeco music when it was featured in the,'Big Easy' movie.I immediately went out and bought the album.Pass the crayfish,gumbo and jambalaya,please.

I was very happy to get this cd in the mail.I have heard of such groups as 'Buckwheat Zydeco','Queen Ida' and 'BeauSoleil'.And of course I have heard of such classic songs as,'My Toot Toot' and 'Zydecon Gris-Gris'.But this whole compact disk rock and rolls.

Jo-El Sonnier's version of Hank William's 'Jambalya' almost HAD to be included.But I am really glad that 'Give Him Cornbread'(by Beau Jocque) was included.This song put me so much in mind of Andre' 3000 that I do believe that I could be shaking my cornbread like a Polaroid picture.

'Sugar Bee' could be a great Rod Steward cover,except that it is better than most of the things he's ever sung.

The dance crazy,'My Girl Josephine',by Queen Ida and her Zydeco Band,is more than a toe tapper...it's a body mover.

In fact,this whole shindig is a party in the making.You can hear the heavy influences of early rock and even earlier country and western.This free cd suceeds in wanting you to go to Louisiana to hear this great music live.

Nuff' said!

A

1st Free Week

...OK,second free week...But when Alicia was in her 2nd week at the top I knew Juno would be next...so I hedged my bet....

Audio Eagle Records is an Akron, Ohio-based record company owned by Patrick Carney, the drummer of the Black Keys. I like Northeastern Ohio music.I actually have quite an extensive collection(for a collector that just dabbles,anyway).So this cd and myself are a good fit.
I was expecting 'good stuff',and to hardly my surprise,this compilation of Ohio bands fit the bill.From the opening riffs of the first act,Doug Gillard's,'Four What I've Done' to the final note on the last tune,'Chalklit Phye II' by Gil Mantera's Party Dream,I got a such a wide variety of Ohio rock,that a Drew could not have been happier.

Trying to pinpoint which of these groups stoodout the most on this compilation proved much harder to do then I expected.This album did what most radio stations have forgotten to do....mix music.Songs flowed steadily from one song into the next.This cd was like a holy text to great Ohio rock and roll...not just a bunch of compiled songs.This album was much more then just a bunch of single acts,alone.It was like chapter and verse on how to listen to great music.

A example(but neither the prime example ,nor necessarily the best example) of this comes in the middle of the mix.The Buffalo Killers','The Path Before Me',leads you into the Black Key's,'Nobody But You',which then brings Hell's Information's,'Song Six' to the forefront of your attention.You keep going"!WoW!How can the next song be even better...but it is!

Yet,another great mix comes next on the playing order,
'Spanish Fly',by Deathly Fighters,flows so exactly into the excellent Seven Parts Six song,Stolen Moments,that when Brainbow's,'Secret Histories'comes on,you are,again,totally blown away.

A week hardly seems enough time to absorb all this good stuff.I am in anguish just knowing that I can't name and go into every song in this review(but I gotta mention the Heartless bastards:-).

Great album

A

Juno

In what could had been a quirky,'Afterschool Special','Juno',the movie,is a fun
filled surprise.The acting is terrific(especially the delightful Ellen Page,as the title character,Juno),the plot engrossing and the music...

...Well,I have never 'heard' a soundtrack-not a score,mind you,but a soundtrack-that fits so well within the actions of a movie.Every song more than fits.Every song fits perfectly.


What makes this movie so fresh,also makes the soundtrack so refreshing.Neither is over produced to the point of blandness.Neither feels like they are produced by a committee of generic people just for the pointless reason of make beau·coup bucks(think Opie Taylor's "The Grinch That Stole Christmas')...

...And unlike some rap videos where renting out mansions,monsterous amounts of bling,Royal Royces and a thousand party girls is considered keeping it 'real',Juno feels so true to life,that you almost wish your teenage life could have been this real:And the whole point of the film is that Juno is pregnant!

Reading the liner notes to the cd,I discovered that the music all came together when the maker of the film,Jason Reitman,asked his female lead,Ellen Page,what she thought Juno would listen to.Miss Page downloaded,'Anyone Else But You' by The Moldy Peaches and they were off.

It seems a main part of The M.P.'s is a singer-songwriter named Kimya Dawson.When contacted,she brought tons of wonderful songs that make up the back bone of the Juno soundtrack.Kimya Dawson's work rocks!Not in the 'bang your head & scream your head off' way that seems to pass for rock and roll now-a-days,but more in the 'you can tell she just loves to play music' variety.She whistles,sings off key,laughs,harmonizes with what can only be her friends or siblings...I just loved her sound.So,when I played the cd for my boys(whom had not seen the movie) I was expecting radiating joy coming from their faces.

The were not immediatly impressed.They thought the first song('All I Want Is You',by Barry Louis Polisar) hokey;'My Rollercoaster',by Kimya,pointlessly short.Though they had heard of the Kinks before(hell,they are even fans),'A Well Respected Man',seemed just OK.They liked Buddy Holly,but the 'Up The Spout' song by Mateo Messina was,to them,just another short bunch of nothing.

WoW! I wasn't expecting this.Could the very strength of this cd-that it fit so well in the context of the movie-also be it's weakness:Could it be that it fit only within the movie,and that it could not be totally appreciated without it?One comment was that 'it seemed like they were making up the songs as they went along'...

...Damn.Was this an 'American Graffitti' nostalgia type movie...meant more for forty somethings reminiscing about their teen years then a movie meant to play to today's youth?The same with the music?

Then,we got to Kimya Dawson's 'Loose Lips'.Of course,this changed their minds.It wasn't just a good chorus of 'Fuck Bush/Fuck this war' that changed their minds(I don't know what it is about the word 'fuck' in music that makes it seem so hip),it was the rest of the lyrics (if you want to burn yourself/remember that I love you/if you want to cut yourself /remember that I love you/and if you want to kill yourself/remember that I love you).They loved this song.The positiveness of the music...and then everything else somewhat,somehow made some sense to them.

Not that the cd is totally perfect.The movie played very little of Sonic Youth's version of The Carpenter's,'SuperStar',and for good reason.I agree with Juno's assessment of Sonic Youth-they're a bunch of noise(Hey!I like noise,but I have heard noise done way better than this).And I have heard ,'All The Young Dudes' a quadtrillion times too many already.But,If I wasn't a Mott the Hoople fan or if I was a teenager,I know that I would have appreciated it being on the Juno soundtrack allot more than I did.

All in all,this has been the best cd that I have had the honor to review,yet.But...if I hadn't seen the movie...I don't know.

A If you have seen the movie

C+ If you haven't

Alicia Keys

As I Am

Long ago in the land of Urban Myth,Paul McCartney and John Lennon were to have supposedly told Mick Jagger and Keith Richards how to write pop songs.The idea was this:Steal a melody,or style from someone else and make it your own.George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' sounding eerily similar to The Chiffons' 'He's So Fine' & Paul perfectly mimicking Little Richard in no way lend credence to this myth.


And with sampling and club mixes,the point of who owns what seems slightly irreverent by today's standards.I only point this out because there have been those who have said that some of Alicia's work on this cd sound somewhat like other people's songs.The hit,'No One' is said to echo The Black Eyed Peas,'Where Is The Love' & her,'Like You'll Never See Me Again' is said to be a Prince's,'Diamonds and Pearls' doppelganger.

To this,I say,Bah,Humbug!I doubt if you will find a bigger hit laden cd this year.The beautiful Alicia Keys sings her heart out on 'As I Am'.It is destined to be a major player all the way through this summer.

The album has a supreme trifecta of perfectly upbeat sounds. "Superwoman',blends nicely into the modern r&b/pop stylings of,'No One',and then-the cd goes straight into the nice love ballad,'Like You'll Never See Me Again'.These songs sound so deliciously sweet together that they are a perfect excuse to keep playing this cd over and over again.

I really like Alicia's piano playing and mostly real music.It just makes you want to see her perform in concert.Her,'As I Am' intro,is live,and adds just the right touch to the beginning of the cd{Let's Get The Party Started}.'Go Ahead';'Wreckless Love' and the very jamming and beautiful ,'Where Do We Go From Here' keep the party going.

This cd can be both a great party album and/or a cd to snuggle up with your loved one on the couch.

The only flaw is a minor one,but I am going to have to take points away for it.Maybe it is just me-if I was a teenager,maybe,I would feel a tad different about it-but the song,'Teenage Love Affair' was just too generic,and somewhat creepy.Alicia is just a little too old to be singing this.Maybe if the song was subtitled,'The ballad of Jossie and Jose'.I don't know.I am more likely than not,putting too much into the song,and for that I am sorry.

Besides that,one hell of a cd.

A-

RadioHead

OK,we have Richie Blackmore's,Rainbow;Alice Cooper is 'Always Chasing Rainbows' and Rufus Wainwright is 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.We have The Rainbow Coalition,and the Rainbow Warrior.So,Radiohead has hit upon something here with 'In Rainbows'.

In truth,I was expecting a more noisy cd then what,'In Rainbows' produced.Not that I minded,though,I truly like this cd.

And I mean 'cd'.I did not join the band and take this off their 'download for what you feel it's worth' website.I bought the cd for it's additional packaging.Tons of cool stickers and such...all of which only made me wish that I had access to the 'lp' version....ah,nothing like a good album cover to enjoy while jammin' to the tunes.

All of which has nothing to do with the quality of music on a cd,just the quality of the listening experience.And listening to Thom Yorke and the boys was quite the enjoyable listening experience.

I did allot of traveling this past week via the highway,so I got to put 'In Rainbows' to the test.At first{as,I think with all RadioHead projects} the cd sounded like one continuous music loop...everything sounded basically the same.But after repeated plays,I found the exact opposite to be true.

The sound became so diverse that I sometimes wondered if I was listening to the same band.'Bodysnatchers' sounded like I was listening to 'U-2'.'Faust Arp' sounded a little like early Pink Floyd.Somewhere on the cd,I swear they were playing the rhythm guitar part from 'Maggot Brain'.Damn,some of it even sounded like 'Oasis'...and I hate Oasis...but I liked this stuff.On,'15 Step' they even sounded like RadioHead!I have never heard of shuffling cards' being played as a musical instrument before.Most Awesome.

Suddenly,I got an idea of where the name RadioHead may have came from.These guys were the fans of radio.I bet they flipped through the channels like the rest of us,and that is what drew their inspiration.

Though,'In Rainbows' lacks the groups usual noise,and is somewhat short-time wise(only 40 some what minutes),I enjoyed this cd.My favorite songs,lyric wise-include,'All I Need'(I’m the next act/Waiting in the wings/I’m an animal/Trapped in your hot car/I am all the days that you choose to ignore);'House Of Cards(The infrastructure will collapse/Voltage spikes/Throw your keys in the bowl/Kiss your husband goodnight) and 'Videotape'(When I'm at the pearly gates/This'll be on my videotape/My videotape/Mephistopheles is just beneath/And he's reaching up to grab me).Good stuff.


In the end I just didn't know how to classify,'In Rainbows'.Is it Rock & Roll?Avent-guard?Contemporary Rock?Alterno-Pop?Mellow Rock?All of the above?

I just know that it was good music.I guess that's enough.

B+

Mary J.

I never though I would be a Mary J.Blige fan,but guess what?With the 'Growing Pains' cd, I have become a very big fan of Mary J.Her throwback 1980's r&b style is so catchy you can't help but love her.

Of course she wears her heart on her sleeve...that-plus her very sexy down to earth vocals-really make you love her.Her stand out songs are "Work That'(which starts off the cd)quickly followed by,'Grown Woman'.These song of empowerment really grew on me and like most of the rest of the album I found myself singing them at work.

I also liked,'Til The Morning'and Roses'.Though both of these songs understandably understate the reason why men can not figure out women.In 'Til The Morning' Mary J. sings,'Touch me/Hold me/Kiss me closely/Teach me/Show me/Enjoy me.' Believe me,brother,it does not get much more erotic and sensual then that.

But in the very next song,'Rose',Mary J.sings a very different tune.She sings about just not wanting to be bothered.She sings about someone just pushing her buttons and it being her way or the highway.Geez!Talk about hormonal!This is just the kind of thing that makes a man go...'Huh?!?'

Honestly,you gotta love it.

My favorite songs though are the wonderful,'Fade Away,' and the hauntingly beautiful,'Come To Me(Peace)'.These are just exceptional songs:Exceptional!

I also found myself singing,'Work In Progress(Growing Pains)';'What Love Is' and the awesome 'Stay Down'.

Sometimes it feels like Mary J is channeling Micheal Jackson,but that is a very good thing.

The cd cover and insides also added to the whole experience.My only exception is that Mary thanks all of her managers,lawyers and planners by name,but she only gives a quick shout out to the musicians that played on the album...without naming a single one.

And outside of Tina Fey,Mary J. Blige has the sexiest scar on the face of the planet.WoW!

Sometimes I just need a HUG!:-)

B+