REVIEW: Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi - Page 4

The layers of this song make it strong. And towards she also lets the high octaves waft over the top like a cirrocumulus undulatus cloud."

"Fly Like a Bird." That 80s feel again. Except enhanced, better and more tightly produced than "Mine Again. The female chorus comes in throughout, adding a great effect and positioning Mariah to sing louder, crisper and clearer than the competing chorus.

The two end tracks are remixes of "It's Like That," the first track.

Remix one. Here, after the preceeding reassurance that she hasn't gone completely Lil Kim, the bounce beat comes in as refreshing.

"It's like that. It's like that y'all. It's like better than that. I'm like that y'all."

The 8:26-David Morales' mix is a notable and welcome difference, with a great dance-floor potential as Mariah's voice is accelerated to go-go with the 110-bpm pace. There's none of the modern remix conventions of the growling, scratch, beeping sounds trying to be music. Mariah doesn't need that.

If I wasn't typing I'd be shuffling around the floor in my "tall white boy can't dance" mode.

Overall, since I wish her well, in her talent and her life, I am happy for this album to come now. She's spoiled, a drama diva to many. Not to me. I've only ever focused on that smile, that shape, and looking for good news. And that voice.

This is a high note of her career.

Welcome back. Now I'm playing it again.

* An hour through the album I'm just going to go back and review my attempted song quotes to fix them.

** This is the first album or music I ever bought online though iTunes in honor of my March 17 green pledge

*** A couple of swear words in "One and Only" may have been "8-second delayed." If that's the case, that's unfair to me, the music buyer."

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Article Author: Temple Stark

A graphic designing wordsmith, with a decade-plus career in community journalism behind me. Take a mean photo, have a new camera, and have been riding the wave of Twitter for more than a year.

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  • Emancipation of Mimi Emancipation of Mimi

    Early buzz on The Emancipation of Mimi had it that this would be the disc to mark "the return of the voice"—the voice being that glass-shattering instrument that propelled Carey to best-selling female ...

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  • Butterfly Butterfly
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  • Mariah Carey Mariah Carey
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Article comments

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  • 1 - javier

    Apr 13, 2005 at 3:50 pm

    Being a fan of different varieties of music this is what I thought after buying Mimi's (Mariah) new CD.

    Mariah has had her ups and downs. She was down for a bit there, but now she's back!I agree with your review. I heard it the first time and it was different. But listening to a few times now and I've come to really like it. No American Idol wanna-be's or "Britney like" image. She can really sing!

    For those of us who know what its like to be at the bottom then make it back up, you can feel her!
    Mariah is back!!!

  • 2 - Temple Stark

    Apr 13, 2005 at 4:20 pm

    Cool. This was my reaction as I typed along to my very first listen.

    The Talent is There.

    I think animosity should be reserved for the porn queen Paris Hiltons of the world (if we discount for the moment the more serious animosity for child molesters terrorists etc etc)

  • 3 - Jenn Bogard

    Apr 13, 2005 at 11:25 pm

    Well Well Well. Mariah, I think that she is great, I like the album because it's her, not because it's great. when I think of Mariah I think of her in the early 90's. Vision of Love, Love takes time, etc... I miss those days, but for all you Mariah fans, I can't weait for everyone to hear this nwe girl about to come out, her name is Lisa Lavie, and coincedentally she just finished her first album with Ben Margulies, Who co-write of all of Mariah's First hits. I hear that this girl's album will be released this year. It's Crazy off the chain, Soaring vocals, Crazy style

  • 4 - rty

    Apr 14, 2005 at 2:47 am

    mariah carey cant sing if her life depended on it. She screaTches like an Alley cat. by the waY..she is not even the closest to being the top selling female artist of all time..its a title her record company gave her when her career went south. Also..if she had so much "talent" then why does she have to employ a rapper for every song of hers.

  • 5 - ihateoreilly

    Apr 14, 2005 at 3:17 am

    Mariah the biggest selling female artist of all time? That was hype created by Virgin, to try and restart Mariah's horrifying failed career. Madonna and Streisand have sold way over 200 million albums each (Mariah Carey has sold 150 million) and they can sell out concerts. Mariah Carey's last tour was such a failure that it was downsized from arenas to high school gymnasiums...and it STILL couldn't sell out. All you "lambs" should realize that Mariah is a no-talent who's voice resembles a dog whistle rather than that of a real singer. Too bad she didn't commit suicide after her breakdown.

  • 6 - Temple Stark

    Apr 14, 2005 at 11:14 am

    Probably right on the "best-selling" not on much else, though. Popularity does not = good.

  • 7 - cd

    Apr 21, 2005 at 1:50 pm

    Mariah's music never has transcended commercialism. "The Emancipation of Mimi" makes no attempt to be anything other than a money making venture. Perhaps this album is a slicker more devious attempt at pulling in the Benjamins then the lame Charmbracelot or Glitter, but one could never call it art. The tracks sound very much like that of the current pop/r&b stars such as Beyonce or Ashanti. Mariah's voice, never supple or distinctive, is even less effective here alternating between breathy whispers, screams, and ear-drum shattering dog whistles. Mariah, never a true soul singer, goes through the motions but never connects with the emotions. Apparently she penned some of the tunes, a feat not worth bragging about.

  • 8 - Temple Stark

    Apr 21, 2005 at 2:01 pm

    I agreed CD, it's not 100-percent art. However, she's trying to get back on track and she's producing what she likes to hear right now. Unlike most of us, she can do something about it. Do I think it could have been stronger and more original? Yes. Do I want something as sterile as Butterfly (for the most part) no. However, both are commercial successes.

  • 9 - welly

    Apr 26, 2005 at 9:51 am

    I love Mariah, especially in this album, She's doing great!!!

  • 10 - John

    May 05, 2005 at 1:30 am

    This album is her best in years.OMG someone said she "sounded squeeky"!!! for those idiots...That squeeky things is called "whistle register" people who's into singing knows that its rare since not many singers can hit notes in that range!!! so idiots please stop reviewing if you dont have a slightest clue about music!!!
    Vocally Mariah is up there with Whitney,and Xtina, or even better!!
    Welcome back Mariah!!!
    oh and Please show the world the return of your voice, I want to hear more ballads...
    I want to hear "The Emancipation of Mariah".

  • 11 - james mclafferty

    May 16, 2005 at 7:32 am

    Mariah is a goddess and long may she rule,she's also a hotty i've just seen her fhm pics yuuuum.:-)

  • 12 - Eric Olsen

    May 16, 2005 at 8:28 am

    oh James, and here I was learning to trust your judgment

  • 13 - james mclafferty

    May 17, 2005 at 1:18 pm

    ERIC,we all have our weaknesses mate ,(lol);-),

  • 14 - james mclafferty

    May 17, 2005 at 1:28 pm

    ERIC,so you'll let me off with this one then?,(smile),apart from your lovely wife of course who do you prefer?

  • 15 - james mclafferty

    May 18, 2005 at 1:20 pm

    Eric,have you let me off with the whole mariah thing yet mate?.(lol).

  • 16 - Temple Stark

    May 18, 2005 at 1:48 pm

    If he hasn't, I have.

  • 17 - Temple Stark

    May 23, 2005 at 7:41 pm

    Hey there used to be lots of comments here. What happened?

  • 18 - Temple Stark

    May 23, 2005 at 7:42 pm

    Sorry, I came here and none of the comments were here. Weird.

  • 19 - Latameccia

    Aug 02, 2005 at 11:38 am

    I really want to know what is your email address i am the biggest fan in the hole wide world i love you mariah

  • 20 - Latameccia

    Aug 02, 2005 at 11:41 am

    i want your email my big fan plese email me your email address

  • 21 - Sami

    Aug 07, 2005 at 11:57 pm

    ok i have just a couple of things to say.. to say madanna is better then mariah carey? u have no brain.. i hate maddanna .. or how ever spell her name! .. mariah carey has come baq.. and has liek the highest voice ever!! shes not sqeaky.. yes she has had ups and owns.. but she has been able to come baq after that last mental break down.. but to say she should have killed her self? umm u must not no how it feels to b in that position.. and i feel srri for her bc he dad died! ok? so i would b upswt aot to if my dad died.. soo ya'll need to shut up.. i mean only ppl come on here to start stuff and its stupid.. u only want attention.. but u need to stop.. leave her alone!!

  • 22 - DR. A.W Chase

    Aug 17, 2005 at 11:27 pm

    mariah rules she looks so good i would eat her shit!

  • 23 - DR. A.W Chase

    Aug 17, 2005 at 11:29 pm

    mariah carey looks so good i would eat her shit!

  • 24 - Al Barger

    Aug 17, 2005 at 11:34 pm

    Dr Chase, if you actually bought this crappy album, then you pretty much already HAVE eaten her poo.

  • 25 - Temple Stark

    Aug 17, 2005 at 11:35 pm

    eeeeeeeeeew. No. Just no.


    I'm out of the room when she needs to go.

    LOL

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