WHITNEY HOUSTON (1985)
The first track on this CD is the first song that I ever heard Whitney sing. YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE was the first single and the world was introduced to this young Beauty with a voice unlike anything that had been heard before. The music was a cross between Pop and R&B and it seemed to hold something that everyone could appreciate. Out of all of her albums, it is this one that comes off as the most dated. Her duets with Jermaine Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass come off as incredibly schmaltzy and over-produced. But this album also contains SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU, which was the true catalyst for the start of her reign. HOW WILL I KNOW and ALL AT ONCE also stand out. And of course, GREATEST LOVE OF ALL will always be one of Whitney's definitive recordings. Whitney won her first Grammy for this Album.
WHITNEY (1987)
I was in New York City walking through Times Square with my mother and my best friend Nate when I first heard I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY. I can remember clearly seeing the video for the first time and feeling that excitement that Whitney had released her sophomore album. It seemed that everytime I turned on the radio, I heard THAT song. For those with high expectations for a second album that would surpass her first, this was a moment. There was no doubt that WHITNEY was going to definitively announce Ms Houston as THE voice of my generation. The late 80's were the time of the Power Ballad and this album contained WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO, JUST THE LONELY TALKING AGAIN, YOU'RE STILL MY MAN, and the duet from CHESS with her mother Cissy, I KNOW HIM SO WELL. But this album also introduced a funky upbeat Whitney with songs like SO EMOTIONAL, LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY, and LOVE IS A CONTACT SPORT. As I listened to this CD, memories of Hazelwood Central High School and cruising Florissant in my chevy/chevette flodded my mind. It's a terrific album that is certainly representative of a time and place.
I'M YOUR BABY TONIGHT (1990)
Listening to this CD again, it's astounding to me that there weren't more Singles released from it. It's a very peppy and fun listen, but yet only two songs ever made the charts. The title track, I'M YOUR BABY TONIGHT, and ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED were both very successful Hits. But the whole album is filled with memorable catchy tunes accompanied by the best vocals that Ms Houston had yet recorded. Some of the standouts are MY NAME IS NOT SUSAN, LOVER FOR LIFE, and WHO DO YOU LOVE. The whole album has a much more Urban feel to it than the previous two. Maybe that's why it didn't get as much play in the Mainstream. But it is a very worth addition to the Whitney legacy and one of those overlooked Albums that deserves more recognition.
THE BODYGUARD Original Soundtrack Album (1992)
When it was announced that Whitney Houston was making her film debut starring with Kevin Costner in a thriller about a famous singer being stalked by a rabid fan, I crossed my fingers and hoped that the magic of Whitney would work on the Big Screen. I was standing in my first apartment when my friend Dan called me and told me to turn on the radio. Whitney was daring to sing Dolly Parton's I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. I turned on Y98 in time to hear that famous ending where Whitney belts to the heavens her enduring love! The Soundtrack was released a few weeks before the film, which built up already existing anticipation! The Soundtrack is one of the most successful of all time, which is amazing when you consider that Whitney only sings on six of the twelve tracks. But oh my, how unforgettable those tracks are....I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, RUN TO YOU, I HAVE NOTHING, I'M EVERY WOMAN, and a beautiful rendition of JESUS LOVES ME. If in her entire career she had only recorded I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU and I HAVE NOTHING, she would have left behind more than most singers ever will. The rest of the soundtrack is worth listening to once and then returning ONLY to play the Whitney tracks. It is this Soundtrack plus the enormous success of the film that made Whitney an international megastar!
WAITING TO EXHALE Original Soundtrack Album (1995)
This is absolutely one of my all time favorite Soundtrack Albums. It is an incredible mix of some of the best R&B singers of the time and the songs are all incredible. Not a weak song in the bunch. My personal favorites are SITTIN' UP IN MY ROOM (Brandy), MY LOVE, SWEET LOVE (Patti LaBelle), LOVE WILL BE WAITING AT HOME (For Real), and Chaka Khan's incredible version of MY FUNNY VALENTINE. As for Whitney's three tracks, for me this is the first time that Whitney sounded smokey and sultry when she sang. It was a new sound for her as her voice was noticeably deeper and lower than we had been used to hearing. EXHALE (SHOOP SHOOP) became the breakout hit from the soundtrack and introduced what I consider to be the "Adult" Whitney. A perfect song with a new sound from the biggest female performer of her time. Her other tracks are WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD and COUNT ON ME, a duet with CeCe Winans. This is one of those CD's that can get you from a bad mood to a good mood by Track #4.
THE PREACHER'S WIFE Original Soundtrack Album (1996)
After having two smash movies and two enormously successful Soundtrack Albums, even the most mighty fall. THE PREACHER'S WIFE was unsuccessful as a film and also as a Soundtrack. But....only if you look at them both from a financial standpoint. Although neither the movie nor the Soundtrack set any sort of records, they are both very worthy additions to Whitney's resume. The movie is Whitney at her most relaxed and charming. She and Denzel have real chemistry and it makes you long for that remake of A STAR IS BORN that never came to fruition. The Soundtrack is mostly Gospel music, which is absolutely fine by me. Whitney sounds fabulous belting out such incredible songs as I BELIEVE IN YOU AND ME, STEP BY STEP, YOU WERE LOVED, and WHO COULD IMAGINE A KING? But the standout on the CD is also the movie's finale which is an incredible arrangement and performance of JOY TO THE WORLD. Just try keeping your feet firmly on the ground listening to it! This CD should be a welcome addition to everyone's Christmas CD Collection! If you've never heard it or seen the charming film, seek them both out!
MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE (1998)
Confession.....this is my very favorite Whitney Houston CD. The song selection combined with her voice and interpretations make every single track even better than the one before it. There weren't a lot of smash singles from this CD, but it is one of the finest R&B albums that I have ever heard. HEARTBREAK HOTEL, IT'S NOT RIGHT BUT IT'S OKAY, MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE, IF I TOLD YOU THAT, and I LEARNED FROM THE BEST are a few of my very favorite Whitney performances. This album also contained the Oscar winning song WHEN YOU BELIEVE from the film THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. The song is a duet between Whitney and Mariah Carey and the two of them together make this a timeless classic. The cover of the CD is Whitney wearing a blond wig showing leg and wearing leather boots as if to say "This is a new 'me'." Not everyone went for it, but I loved it and when I go to pick out a Whitney to play in the car, this is usually the one that gets chosen.
WHITNEY-THE GREATEST HITS (2000)
This is an odd 2 CD Collection. The first CD is mostly the ballads and soft R&B Whitney. New songs include SAME SCRIPT, DIFFERENT CAST with Deborah Cox and COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER with Enrique Iglesius. The second CD is disappointing because instead of just having all of her uptempo songs on it, instead they have taken those songs and put annoying Club Mixes on each of them. Each one blends together and honestly, all I wanna do is hear the Songs the way they were meant to be heard. What does make this collection worthwhile however is the inclusion of the Olympic song ONE MOMENT IN TIME and also the unforgettable and moving performance of THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER that Whitney made history singing. The only version of our National Anthem to ever top the Billboard Charts!!!
JUST WHITNEY (2002)
Whitney's least successful CD. It really is a disappointment. Whitney went into major publicity for this album, including that famous "Crack is Whack" interview with Diane Sawyer. But nothing mattered if the song selections weren't good, and they just aren't. Things get off to a good start with ONE OF THESE DAYS which is a memorable song with a great hook, but it's the only song on the album that you remember or even wish to hear again. There are some real dogs on this album like WHATCHULOOKINAT, DEAR JOHN LETTER, THINGS YOU SAY, and an unfortunate duet with Bobby Brown called MY LOVE. But the most unnecessary and embarrasing track is the closing one....YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE. Why anyone thought it was a good idea for Whitney to sing this song is beyond me. The whole CD leaves you with a bitter aftertaste and certainly began a strong decline in Ms Houston's popularity.
I LOOK TO YOU (2009)
This is the last album Whitney Houston recorded. The anticipation for her return after 7 years was enormous and everyone was rooting for Whitney in hopes that this would be the comeback of the new century thusfar. Whitney did two interviews with Oprah in which she seemed completely coherent, sober, and ready to take on the world. The album was released and although it debuted at Number One, it quickly slid out of the top five and eventually out of the top ten. The voice is clearly not what it was and the song choices were ones that were written specifically for the limited range that Whitney had when recording it. Most of the songs are unmemorable, but there are a few gems. The title track, I LOOK TO YOU, is quite honestly the song that I would most like to remember Whitney by. It's a moving tribute to the Higher Power and how it got Whitney through the rough spots. Another winner is I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH, which is a typical Diane Warren power balld, but Whitney sells it with all she has. The problem with the CD is that there isn't a single that could have built longevity for record sales. With the exception of a Club version of A SONG FOR YOU and moments of the Alicia Keys penned MILLION DOLLAR BILL, most of these tracks just don't work. For those of us hoping for THE comeback, this album just didn't do it. But I and many other crossed our fingers and hoped that her next effort would be THE ONE.
But unfortunately, her comeback didn't happen. At least not one that was truly worthy of the Whitney that all of us remember. Watching clips from all of her music videos the past few days, you would be hard pressed to find a singer that the camera loved more than Whitney. She could lip synch like a Master and when she smiled she absolutely glowed. I believe that the best was always ahead of Whitney. She just couldn't let go of the past in order to get to it. For some sad reason, her talents could never make her as happy as they made the rest of us and for that, I think there is a lesson to be learned.
As one of the newscasters said Sunday morning, it's very sad for us left on earth. But just imagine what that Choir in Heaven sounds like now.....
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