Begin as You Mean to Go On

Lambs: Happy 2020!

The year is off to a great start for me and I intend to rededicate myself to the blog this year. At least a post a month seems reasonable, right? I mean, at least! I have so much to bestow uponst thou.

Mariah is having an epic 2020. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went to number one after TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, and she also became the first artist to have a number one on Billboard's Hot 100 in FOUR DECADES: the 90s, 00s, 10s, and 20s. My girl is flowing and growing.

But as longtime (lol) readers will realize, this isn't a blog about MC news but rather a meandering, free associative, interdisciplinary exploration of her oeuvre. With that in mind, I'd like to relate a little anecdote from earlier this week.

As many of you may know, I have a Mariah Spotify playlist I'm rather proud of (dm me for the link). Clocking in at six hours and 52 minutes, it's a carefully curated musical document containing only her best works (sadly Glitter is not currently on Spotify so gems like "Reflections" and "If We" are absent. May this please manifest in 2020). As I was driving along, I was treated to one of my faves, "Underneath the Stars."

Was there a better moment in 1995 than when MC sang:

And I lay in bed all night and I was

Drifting, drifting, drifting, drifting

There was not.

And then, through some cosmic intervention, the playlist gifted me "Angel (the prelude)" (touched upon lightly in this post).

Separated by 12 years, the two tracks offer an amazingly undiluted artistic vision, consistency of tone, appeal to our ethereal souls, habitation among the stuff of cloud wisps, vocalization of the essence of starlight -- etc etc. They are not the same; rather they call to each other over the years and hear an echoing response.

It's tempting to call this simply a maturation/evolution of style. Case in point: Piet Mondrian's "The Gray Tree" from 1912, compared to his famous "Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue" from 1942.

The early work clearly shows the Cubist struggle Mondrian was exploring as he applied the style to representation, a struggle that dissolved in the purity of the later abstractions. I would argue that the distinction between an artist's maturation and the process at work in the above Mariah comparison is real, and important. I posit that Mariah's work from Daydream onwards (pre-Daydream was unfortunately overly Mottola-controlled ("Mottrolla"? Heh.)) is less an evolution than a series of episodes of completed arrival, form fully expressed. There is no "forward motion" in this oeuvre, unless we subscribe to the Gregorian calendar and a linear concept of time (sooooo 2015). Rather there are continued mature explorations of expression. Glitter is as perfect as Charmbracelet  as Me. I am Mariah. 

In a nod to Truman Capote, Mariah's post-1995 body of work can be heard as One Voice, Many Rooms. Happy new year, and here's to more fully-fledged MC masterworks this year.

With or Without You

As "With You," the lead single off the soon-to-be-released Caution (November 16!) enjoys the spotlight after M's lovely American Music Awards performance, the true lamb cannot help but recall that, A QUARTER CENTURY AGO, it was "Without You" with which M dominated airwaves in 1993. A cover of the song made popular by Harry Nilsson in 1972, "Without You" proved a great vehicle for a young MC with a voice still at 100%. The song is a bit syrupy, but who can resist putting a fist in the air on the second part of that first chorus (clue: not me)? It's a great showcase for her lower register, and shows her vocal agility as she transitions easily from the low notes to full-on belting. No breathiness, no whistle notes, just an incredible vocal performance..

Nilsson is actually quite an interesting chap. His success with "Without You" represented a peak, and he quickly fell off the charts through the 70s as commercial success eluded him. He is responsible for the "put de lime in de coconut" song. He was good friends with the Beatles, and became a gun law activist after the death of John Lennon. And, tragically, he owned the flat in London where both Mama Cass and Keith Moon died (four years apart, but both at the age of 32). Not exactly someone who seems ripe for a Mariah cover, but there you go. As M tells it, her mom sang "Without You" to her as a child and she's loved the song ever since.

Here's a famous live version from M's Fantasy tour at Madison Square Garden:



And of course, we cannot forget Ken Lee.



I have more thoughts on "With You," so watch this space!

Alphabet Soup

We are once again in a Mariah moment.

With a promotional single released September 13, a lead single to be released on October 4, a new studio album – her 15^th – to be released before the end of the year, and a year full of photos in which she seems to be reverse aging, Mariah is once again redeeming some cultural capital, building off the triumph of her NYE 2017 performance.

Two singles released almost back to back in the fall is an almost unspeakable gift, akin to a new Jonathan Franzen 600+ page autumn blockbuster about to plunk into our laps. And so far, so good. “GTFO,” released on September 13 is a lowkey gem, produced by Hotline Bling alumni Paul “Nineteen85” Jefferies and retaining some of that hit’s “wistful tech” allure.

As I basked in GTFO for a few days, I started reflecting on M’s other alphabetically-named creation, “H.A.T.E.U.” from 2009’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. I found this to be really enriching comparison as the emotionality of HATEU really brings out the quiet strength of GTFO. HATEU comes from a place of rawness, a place of asking questions you might not be able to handle answers to, a place of incomprehension.

No need to call my phone
'Cause I changed my number today
And matter of fact I think I'm moving away (away)
Sorry the frustration's got me feelin' a way
And I just keep having one last thing to say
And I just want to hold you, touch you, feel you
Be near you, I miss you baby baby baby (baby baby baby)
I'm tired of tryin' to fake through
But there's nothing I can do
Boy I can't wait to hate you

I mean, damn.

On the other hand, we turn to GTFO and find a soul sheerly exhausted by serial disappointment and fuckery. Past sadness, past anger, just DONE: get the fuck out.

How about you take your tings and be on your merry way?
Fly off with a wink, bye bye, baby
How about you scuseami, let me call your valet
You just take your tings and be on your merry way

Byeeeeeeee! #takeyourtings

GTFO is HATEU’s sequel, a wiser and wearier missive to the fuckboys of the world. If it’s any indication of the quality of this upcoming studio effort, I’m here for it. Stay tuned.

The Message

**Ed. note: Hard to believe, but I started writing this post about 11 months ago. I'm guessing (part of) the reason it has remained in draft mode until now was the stress/depression/horror sandwich served to all citizens of conscience for the first few months of the year, and which is still served on the daily now, but the diners' coping mechanisms have improved (awkward metaphor). So read on for what I was thinking at the beginning of the year, and what I'm thinking at the end of it...**

From January 31, 2017:

Damn.

I need Mariah to get POLITICAL.

I'm talking about it's January 31 and we're not even two weeks out from Obama turning in his pool pass and we've entered a gigantic spiral of SHIT. This is beyond the usual stuff...I'm talking about attacks on the very fabric of our democratic institutions that kind of, you know, afford us our national identity. Attacks on people who happen to live outside of the arbitrary imaginary lines that draw our "borders," or who happen to adhere to different religious beliefs besides one very narrow (and inaccurate) interpretation of Christianity. Attacks on the health of our environment and our schools. Attacks on years-long foreign diplomacy efforts that jeopardize our national security in ways we couldn't have imagined like, LAST MONTH.

I need M to call Killer Mike. I need M to call D'Angelo. I need M to call Tribe. I need M to call Solange.

I got a lot to be mad about

Despite her cultivation of the diva image froofing around in high heels and bodysuits, I think M is fairly political, meaning I think she has some fairly pointed opinions on issues and does care about who is running this country and in which direction it is going. But is this ever reflected in the music?

Incredibly, "There's Got to Be a Way" from Mariah Carey (1990) still stands as M's most overtly sociopolitical commentary to date:

[Chorus:]

There's got to be a way

To connect this world today

Come together to relieve the pain

There's got to be a way

To unite this human race

And together we'll bring on a change

In another land they still believe

Color grants supremacy

I don't understand

How there can be

Regulated bigotry

Some of us don't even wonder

Some of us don't even care

Couldn't we accept each other

Can't we make ourselves aware

[Chorus]

And maybe then the future will be a time

Without war, destitution, and sorrow

And hungry children won't have to die

If we work together today

We'll save tomorrow

This is fairly standard early 90's social consciousness stuff, lacking specificity as well as any suggestion that M had actually experienced any real pain or angst (see "Make it Happen" from Emotions for allusions to her bio, but only as it plays into the rags-to-riches rising star narrative).

One song that I've never seen discussed is "Reflections" from Glitter (probably why it's rarely discussed -- sadly, too few have heard it). Granted the song is sung from the perspective of the main character, Billie, and directed towards her mother, but I doubt M would have included a pro-choice lyric if she herself didn't share the sentiment:

Did you care at all for me?
If I'm not quite good enough
Or somehow undeserving of

A mother's love
You could have had the decency
To give me up
Before you gave me life

December 31, 2017:

Looking back at this draft from January, I remember the despair and depression I was feeling then. The sense of hopelessness and powerlessness. I still feel that way to some extent, but there have at least been some wins (Doug Jones, keeping some parts of Obamacare) and overall the momentum seems positive heading into the 2018 midterms. Also life intervened and distracted me. The good intentions I had at the beginning of 2017 to faithfully complete the weekly actions of Wall of Us and Jen Hoffman, and to reconnect with Black Lives Matter and Speaking Down Barriers didn't last the whole year. How can I now ask of M what I haven't done myself?

I guess the ultimate message is, on the eve of this new year, that it's never too late to turn it around, to get back in the swing, and to pick up again. It starts with each one of us. And we can start again, we can reconnect to the message every day.

.

P.S. There's hope after all for M -- did you know she's fighting climate change??

Two More Tries

Mariah often throws a cover on to the latter halves of her albums. Some are wildly successful, like her cover of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" on Butterfly. Some are less inspired ("I Want to Know What Love Is," MOAIA). Since it's 2014 release, I've thought that Me...I am Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse contains one of her finest covers: George Michael's "One More Try." As I've written in these pages before, one of the most gratifying aspects of this song is that M retains the male identity found in the lyrics, i.e. not changing "uptown boy" to "uptown chick" or something ridiculous like that.

Since George Michael's passing this song has been on my mind, and I discovered this lovely fan-made "duet" on YouTube that lays the two vocal tracks over each other. You can hear how closely she hews to the original in the first verse, with slightly more alteration (although still very faithful) in the second verse. And her interpolations during the break are spot-on in emulating the song's tone while putting her original spin on it. It's really unexpectedly lovely to hear these versions together. Enjoy.

Revisiting and Rewinding

Apologies for the four-month hiatus, but I've got this job, you see. I had the pleasure of reviewing the blog today in anticipation of a new viewer who has expressed interest. Fixed some broken links, cleaned up a little -- authorial spring cleaning.

Y'all know how much I like the weird Mariah tidbits that the Internet throws out there, and today didn't disappoint. Check out this version of "Angel (The Prelude)" played backwards! It's odd and beautiful. One commenter sums it up succinctly: "You know you're awesome when you sound great backwards and the regular way."

AIWFCIY

Lambs: It's been a while. Welcome back! As the holidays are upon us, and since so many of you have been drawing my attention to the numerous mentions of Mariah in the media as of late, I thought I would give you the ULTIMATE GIFT by blessing you with my very important perspectives on perhaps our only modern-day Christmas classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (AIWFCIY).

First, let us take to the literature.

Some people think it is SO FUNNY to take Mariah/AIWFCIY "seriously;" the joke however is on them. Even when they know the joke is on them, the joke is still on them. Because as this article from The Atlantic on the song as "historical dialectic" points out, AIWFCIY has grossed $50 million since its 1994 release. That is more than all the readers of this blog will earn in our collective lifetimes.

This AV Club piece takes a deeper (and less tongue-in-cheek) dive, trying to pin down exactly what combination of melody, lyrics, and je ne sais quoi has landed AIWFCIY at the top of holiday airplay lists with the predictability of a four-hour Christmas afternoon nap. As track producer and longtime Carey collaborator Walter Afanasieff notes in the piece, "'It’s not like no one writes Christmas songs—everyone is trying to get a Christmas song. But for whatever reason ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ just became that song. It’s kind of something you never would have thought, and you can’t really explain why, and we feel lucky, because it was the last major song to enter that Christmas canon, and then the door slammed shut. It just closed.'" (Sorry not sorry Ariana Grande.)

Leave it to the Times to strike the correct tone: respectful, awed, and thankful. Pointing to her non-flashy turn in 2009's Precious, the piece gives a nod to the legitimacy of her acting career even while noting the loonier moments of her recently-aired Hallmark special, A Christmas Melody. However, the (deserved) permanence of AIWFCIY still sits at the piece's center, despite assessments such as: "She’s become to Christmas what the pumpkin spice latte is to fall: nutmeg, foam and caffeine. Meanwhile, her determination to be mandatorily anti-blues makes her a human flu shot."

Now, let us uncover some of the AIWFCIY gems which the Internet has to offer.

Here is AIWFCIY put through a MIDI converter then back through an mp3 converter. It recently brought a friend to tears.

Here is AIWFCIY in a minor key.

Here is AIWFCIY on Chatroulette.

I don't know what this is.

Here is an ASL version.

Finally, did you know that Mariah herself is responsible for (at least) EIGHT versions of the song? Jezebel put together this rundown. Special props to the So So Def Remix:

I "rediscovered" Mariah's 1994 Christmas album a couple of years ago; even as a lamb, I never really gave it much time until I put it on while writing cards one year and was blown away. So what do I think about AIWFCIY? Catchy, obvs. The vocals are weirdly far back in the mix in a way that the rest of the album (and her output at that time generally) was not, which I think plays into the retro sound that Afanasieff refers to in the AV Club piece. And I have to wonder if its debut before the advent of the Internet with all of its cynicism and instant ruining-of-everything/exaltation-of-everything is part of what has guaranteed its longevity. It is a vision of lost cultural self-love. And that is all that you've given to me.

ANYWAY. What's the big deal? Everyone knows that "O Holy Night" blows AIWFCIY out of the water. 

Daydream: Best and...Not Best

Lambs! I'm back with an exciting new blogging adventure. This is the first post in what will, over time, address each one of MC's studio albums (well, maybe not the Christmas ones, although I'll be more seasonal-minded in a few months) and reveal my opinion on the best track and the "not best" (can't say worst; just can't) from each.

Thanks to a nifty website called Random Thing Picker, 1995's classic Daydream has been selected as the first album for examination!

Mariah folklore would have us believe that Daydream saw our heroine wriggling out from under then-husband and Sony exec Tommy Mottola's thumb as she bravely sailed into uncharted waters with a new hip-hop tinged sound that many old white men in the music biz worried would alienate fans. Hard to believe now, but there are those who wanted Mariah to sing songs such as the dreadful "Hero" forever. Listening to the album 20 years on, it's difficult to believe it caused any pearl-clutching whatsoever. "Fantasy," the track that included both the brilliant sample of Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" and a guest appearance by Ol' Dirty Bastard, has now been often imitated (never duplicated) by a thousand would-be pop stars who think they can throw a guest rap over some breathy vocals and recreate the magic. More interesting from an archaeological standpoint is "One Sweet Day," a duet with Boyz II Men, a black R&B group with some tight harmonies. Where has the black men's R&B group gone? Is there a place for it in today's musical landscape? Questions for another day.

So, on to this post's purpose. I'll start with Not Best; bad news first and so on. This dubious honor goes to "When I Saw You," a plodding and lyrically trite ballad that manages to bore despite a bridge that momentarily recaptures interest.

The problem here is the delivery of the monosyllabic chorus: "When , I, saw, you, when , I, saw, you, I, could, not, breathe, I, fell, so, deep." It sounds like a slog, and it needn't be.

So as we turn to "best," I would just mention that Daydream's best known songs like "Always Be My Baby," "One Sweet Day," and "Fantasy" are so ingrained in one's consciousness as to be impossible to approach objectively. It's like looking at your arm and thinking, is this a good arm? Futile. So, those songs weren't really up for best or not best in my decision.

Also, and perhaps I'm making a mistake here, but I don't take "Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)" seriously enough as a legitimate album track to consider its candidacy for a category either. I defy you to correct me.

To me, the standout track on Daydream is clearly "I Am Free." Never released as a single and clocking in at a paltry 3:11, this mid-album track might not garner that much attention upon first listen. But LAMBS. Listen to the passage from 1:50 to 2:25, as the voice, still in mint condition, soars, plunges, and rises again in an expression of perfect joy. Do you have chills? This short little gospel-inspired track packs such an unexpected wallop. And there are no frills -- no extravagant production, no excessive vocal tricks -- just the confidence of vocals in their prime. Enjoy!





This...

...is how your Mariah Carey pâté gets made.

Did you know David LaChapelle did the photography for Rainbow (1999)? A limited print of the top image sold for $22,500 at Sotheby's.

Rainbow's liner notes unfolded into a poster!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

 

Dedicated, Part 3: Deploying Whistle Register

To wrap up my examination of "Dedicated," the best track from 2014's MIAMTEC, I would like to discuss "whistle register" (defined as a separate vocal register usually beginning at a C6 and extending to a D7, for those who understand this sort of thing). Even the most casual listener of Mims will be familiar with her frequent use of this neat vocal trick. I call it a trick because even though it's kind of her trademark, I've never felt that whistle register is the aspect of her vocals that sets her apart from so many others, but rather just icing on a damn good cake.

"Emotions," a song that haunts grocery store muzak to this day, is a textbook example of Mimi's typical use of whistle register. At this point in her career, her voice was so strong and fresh that she almost didn't know what to do with it. Everything came easy. Notes that sound ever-so-strained in 2015 came vigorously bursting forth in 1991, almost to the point where it seems like she's shout-singing her way through the track just because she can. The whistle surprises at 1:06, and then astounds at 3:48 onwards, where her complete control over it becomes apparent. Impressive? For sure. Particularly evocative? Not really. Here, it's just an accent rather than an integral part of the song.

I would argue that "Bliss" from 1999's Rainbow is a different story. Friends who have listened to me prattle on for ages about MC will know that I call this track a love letter to Minnie Riperton. From the birdsong in the background (a callback to the earth-shattering "Breakdown" of 1997) to the languid 70's slow jam feel, this is a 90s update of "Loving You." Here, the entire song is built around the whistle register, creating an ethereal, time-out-of-time feel. Amazingly, she even harmonizes with herself (check 2:53 and 3:30). The control and delicacy she is capable of within that range is just incredible here. Well done, Mimi.





Fast forward 10 years to Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. Despite signs of vocal strain in other registers, the 90-second "Angel (The Prelude)" is some MC whistle register at its finest. Not only are the notes spot on, but the wistfulness, the sadness, the longing she is able to communicate -- without lyrics, even -- will make you sigh heavily and look out the window and have feelings.



All of which bring us to the track at hand, "Dedicated." Two reasons that I love the whistle on this track: it's understated (yet totally vital to the whole feel of the song), and again, it manages to evoke the nostalgia, the sense of something lost, that the whole song is based upon. Here the whistle register is Proust's madeleine. Check 3:30-end.



I hope you have enjoyed this tripartite exploration of this very special track!

this is dedicated to you, this is dedicated to you



New New Hot Hot

Did you know that Mariah released a new song today? It's true, loyal readers. The only new track to be featured on her upcoming album Number 1 to Infinity, which -- cleverly -- will feature all 18 of her number 1 hits, plus this track, this song might be the only new Mariah we hear this year.

 

"Infinity," 2015

 

Initial reviews of the song have been mixed, with many calling it a "90s breakup song," which really doesn't make any sense. To this listener's ear, which I WOULD LIKE TO THINK HAS LISTENED TO MORE MARIAH THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON, the track sounds nothing like her 90s heyday. It was produced by L.A. Reid, who also produced her 2005 comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi -- and it has the big, retro sounds of those tracks (cf. "Stay the Night"). Of note to lambs will be the reference in the chorus to "You're Mine (Eternal)" from last year's MIAMTEC:

 

Close the door, lose the key
Leave my heart on the mat for me
I was yours eternally
There’s an end to infinity
To infinity

 

So: what do you think? 

 



Dedicated, Part 2: Talkin' Bout Collabos

Que obvio, Nas was the best choice to guest on "Dedicated": still in the game, still garnering much respect from peers and fans, and with a musical coming-up story that parallels MC's in lots of ways and complements this song as an ode to "old school."

Mims has a long and storied (well, in my mind) history of being on point with her choice of musical partnerships. Featuring masters of rap, fellow divas, and flash-in-the-pan hip-hoppers, her collaborations are never-boring case studies in what can happen when you pair a master with quantity x. Shall we explore some highlights in no particular order?

MC and Nicki Minaj, "Up Out My Face," 2009

Yes, before that ugly season of American Idol, and when the Young Money franchise was still hungry, this happened. "Up Out My Face," a middling track from the outstanding Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, featured Nicki and her many personalities on the remix. The track, which features a slower beat that thankfully forestalls Nicki's tendency to do really weird, unpleasant things with her voice, also includes a marching band at the end, clearly making this track the "Tusk" of MOAIA. It's unfortunate that these two fell out, because I love the contrast between their voices, and Nicki's flow is nicely measured here. Alas, alack.

 

MC and Snoop Dogg, "Crybaby," 1999

 

"Heartbreaker" might have gotten all the attention off of Rainbow, and deservedly so, but tucked into the second half of that  late-90s treasure chest is this gem. Blending the languid West Coast style of Snoop with MC's murmurings about pouring more Bailey's was a winner. I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but "Crybaby" contains one of my favorite moments of MC self-referentiality:

 

Sipping Bailey's Cream by the stereo
Trying to find relief on the radio
I'm suppressing the tears but they start to flow
'Cause the next song I hear is a song I wrote

When we first got together early that September
I can't bear to listen so I might as well drift
In the kitchen pour another glass or two
And try to forget you

It's a song SHE WROTE, guys!

 

One of the nicest features of this song is the way that M's vocals over Snoop's parts seem effortlessly improvised. It's true of "Dedicated" as well. It's like she's listened to the song a million times and is idly accenting it with her own contributions. You don't find unstudied elegance like this in typical Top 40 fare.

 

 

MC and Damian Marley, "Cruise Control," 2008

 

Bet you didn't know that MC teamed up with Marley spawn on E=MC2. I refer to this album as her party album because it's just so fluffy and fun (well, until that last track), and this song is no exception. Damian's contribution includes one of my favorite lines from the album:

 

Look at life just like a pessimist
You already like a wife up in my premises

 

Heh. The track is also notable for a deliciously awkward "reggae-fied" verse from MC at about 1:36. A must listen.

 

 

 

MC and Cam'ron, "Boy (I Need You)," 2002

 

Quick on the heels of Cam'ron's wildly popular single "Oh Boy" from 2002 came this single off of Charmbracelet. This is really more of a remix than an original effort, and they both know it (Cam'ron: "Sing my hook, help me sell a couple mil.") But that's ok, because it's sweetly addictive, it lasts for a correctly long time, and Camron's contribution turns into a humorous back and forth with Mims:

 

I need you
(What? Who? Uh huh, uh huh)
I wanna feel your touch
(Why wouldn't you?)
So come and get my love
(Show me where it's at, now sing)

 

Does this lose something in translation? Just listen to it, it's a delight. Sunny day, windows down.

 

 

MC and Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day," 1995

 

This still stands as MC's most popular #1 hit, spending 16 weeks at the top of the charts. All the ingredients are there: the awesome harmonies of B2M, MC in her prime, and lyrics that evoke lost loved ones (NB: this is Mariah's first "death" song. She did it again with "Bye Bye" in 2008). While anyone alive in the 90s has this burned into their brains, the track comes alive again in this a capella version which is truly something special and led me to a whole new appreciation of this song.

 

 There are many more collabos in MC's catalogue that are spectacular that deserve their own posts, and so they shall receive. Have you ever stopped to think about who she hasn't paired up with yet, but most definitely should? Because I spend quite a lot of brain power on that:

 

Kanye

Outkast

Lil' Wayne

Drake

 

Oh and: