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!
