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.

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 1: '87 Meant to Me?

Lately it seems the 80s are all the rage. I guess this is the natural progression. For each generation, the decade just before its birth becomes a touchstone. Which is why I thought it was cool to wear big peace sign earrings in the fifth grade (still cool). Lately, we've been "treated" to this ode to the old school sounds of the 80s and early 90s by Lupe Fiasco (which is uncomfortably sonically close to its sample source material, Kanye's Family Business), and Iggy is telling us about the "rooftop like we bringin' '88 back." NB: Iggy was born in 1990. Also the video for "Fancy" pays homage to "Clueless," a celebration of all thing 90s if ever one existed.

But splitting bleached hairs over birthdays is not the point. What about those artists for whom the 80s were first formative and then highly musically influential years? Well, if you're talking about MARIAH, she is killing it, dropping tracks like "Dedicated" like it ain't no thang.

Just gonna come out and say that "Dedicated" is the best song on MIAMTEC, and that's only partly because I'm 22 oz. deep into this Bud Light Chelada. This parfait of all things old school gives lyrical nods to Eric B., Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh, Heavy D, Wu Tang Clan, Run D.M.C.,  and HERSELF (patting herself on the back for the still insanely brilliant sample of Tom Tom Club in the "Fantasy (Remix)"). Musically, we've got samples from the same Wu-Tang song, some synth that's deliciously Grandmaster Flashish, and probably oodles of other little references.

And we've got Nas. We've got Nas! From whose rap this post title comes.

So while Iggy is just a slave to a page in Nas's rhyme book, M is the real deal as per yoozh. Enjoy...and more to come on this awesome track.


 

I Luh Ya Mimi

Sometimes there are Mariah songs where it seems like she's phoning it in. Don't get me wrong -- I don't skip these tracks in the car, usually I'm singing along anyway -- but these are songs that just feel like album-fillers or last minute additions, not up to spec in terms of vocal and lyrical quality.

However, these "off-days" for Mims represent a level that is still aspirational (am I like my boss, making up words?) for most everyone else in the game. The song that spurred these thoughts is "Meteorite" from Mims's latest album, Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse (MIAMTEC). "Meteorite" begins with some mumbo jumbo where Andy Warhol is deliberately misquoted.

Yeah
Andy Warhol said "in the future, everybody will be famous".
No, he said "everybody will be WORLD famous... 
for fifteen minutes."

I mean, why? Anyway, the song then launches into its disco-y beat and a vague discussion of fame and celebrity culture that uses the metaphor of a meteorite (which is actually a piece of space junk usually made up of metals, rocks, or both, because factz). The song is "just ok for me, dawg" to quote the great Randy Jackson. Several times while listening, I've thought, "this is really more of a song for J.Lo..."

J. Lo is a workhorse. Girlfriend has released 10 --TEN -- albums, including compilations. Did anyone know this? J.Lo has been a staple of mine since college, the type of cd you put on when you have to mop your kitchen floor or pack your books into boxes because you're moving and then you get caught up reading one of the books while you're packing it, and then two hours go by and then you fall asleep. Meanwhile, "Ain't That Funny" plays softly in the background.

Recently I heard her newest offering to the world, "I Luh Ya Papi." Having studiously avoided it for months because of the title alone, I had to admit that it's...pretty damn catchy. It's strong -- stronger than "Meteorite" -- so why I am so quick to relegate Mariah's proverbial day-old Chinese leftovers that were left on the counter all night to Ms. Lopez? And why don't I have J. Lo in heavy rotation right now?

I guess what I celebrate in J. Lo disappoints me in Mariah, simply because of the baseline from which each is working. Perhaps I need to rethink this hierarchy I seem to have devised over the years and find a new way to appreciate this space of qualitative overlap, so accurately pictured here.

In the meantime, I luh ya Mimi, and this one's for you.

Whither "Triumphant?"

August 3, 2012. Deep in the sizzling heart of East Africa, this intrepid blogger took a well-deserved break from cooking my meal of goat over an open charcoal fire and washing my few rags of clothes in the drought-stricken trickle of a river 10 miles away. Beset by mosquitoes and wild dogs, I manged to climb a banana tree and find some purchase while balancing my iPad on a cluster of unripe fruit. While the unforgiving Rwandan sun beat down, I carefully used my last few minutes of battery power to download Mims's new song, "Triumphant,"* which was intended to be the lead single off of her then as-yet-untitled 14th studio album.

[Ed. note -- actually, this intrepid blogger awoke late that day in her luxurious one-bedroom apartment in Kigali, Rwanda, made a light lunch of toast, jam, and English breakfast tea, then walked the five minutes to her air-conditioned office building where the WiFi was fast and free. After downloading the song and "working" for a couple of hours, she made the short trek home, stopping in for some beers at her favorite bar along the way.]

Video for "Triumphant," 2012

Anyway. What I DO remember clearly about that day is thinking, what the hell? Where is Mims on this track? The track opens with rapper Meek Mill, then goes into Mims's chorus; then Rick Ross raps, then Mims's chorus; then the bridge; THEN, at almost two and a half minutes into what is a just-over-four minute song, Mims starts singing. And it's not what we're used to, either; her voice is too far back in the mix, which would be ok for a singer of lesser quality, but come ON. Also, the lyrics are bland, general, definitely not her best work. And Jermaine Dupri co-produced this? Wha' happened?

In the Wikipedia entry for this song which is really amazingly long, Mims says that this was a song written while husband Nick Cannon was in the hospital for mild kidney failure, and also inspired by the death of her good friend Whitney Houston. Ok...but why does it have to be so bad? Wouldn't the ultimate gesture of resiliency be to release another "We Belong Together" in this moment?

Fast forward to May 2014 -- Mims's 14th album, Me. I am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse is finally released after many delays. And where is the much-hyped "Triumphant" that was supposed to be such a beacon of light in Mims's dark night? Nowhere to be found. All the other songs forgot to call it when they were getting together to be recorded, apparently. Now it sadly puts on its headgear for another sleepless night and weeps lonely tears...lost in non-album limbo.

Don't worry "Triumphant." You have a home on Ain't No Donuts.



*Actually it's "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" ft. Rick Ross and Meek Mill, but you know...

"Mariah Let Her Hair Down...:" Donatella Versace Reviews MIAMTEC

Seems like everybody wants to weigh in on MIAMTEC these days. Obviously inspired by this blog, designer and important plastic person Dontella Versace has now thrown her hat into the ring. In a Vogue exclusive, Donatella opens up about what Mims has meant to her, favorite tracks from the new album, and what it's like to be friends with Mariah...The Conclusive Caboose (< new thing I just invented).

 Mariah Carey is such an important part of my life, it feels like I've known her forever. 

Word! With ya so far, Donz.

 The first time I met her was at one of my fashion shows. Straightaway, she made me laugh, and I knew immediately that we'd be friends.

What did she saaaaaay? Need the deets! Probably something like, "Have you SEEN what Thalía is wearing??" (*Insider Tommy Mottola joke for the lambs).

A few years later, Mariah had a day off from her world tour, and she flew from Sweden to Milan, just to come see one of my shows. That season, Beyoncé was also my guest, and the two together caused a sensation. Mario Testino was there, and he said he felt like he was in heaven.

Straight namedroppin'.

 We had a party that night in the Palazzo Versace which was pure magic. Mariah let her hair down, dancing and chatting with everyone. 

Wheeeeeeeeee!

Like every Mariah fan in the world, I've been desperate for the release of her new album, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse. She is a maverick, a woman who doesn't follow the rules, so I wasn't surprised when she released the album in her own way. With this album, Mariah seems to write her own life.

Agree except please don't say "maverick."  I should never be confused as to whether someone is referring to Mims or Sarah Palin.

Donatella then goes on to mention some of her favorite tracks:

• on "You Don't Know What to Do" ft. Wale: "I love how in this track Mariah's vocals contrast with Wale's rapping, it's like poetry." This reviewer says: have you listened to much hip-hop? You might like it!
• on "Meteorite:" "'Meteorite' is so fantastic. It is upbeat, and it is fabulous." This reviewer says: Actually it is the weakest track on the whole album. Look out for a future blog about "Meteorite" and musical pablum.
• on "One More Try:" "...I feel that Mariah really understands every word that [George Michael] has written. At times her voice is angelic, at times pleading and then, towards the end, it goes into a crescendo reaching amazing heights. I'm sure that George would be very proud of Mariah's version of his much-loved song." This reviewer says: Fair enough, plus props for not trying to change "uptown boy" to "uptown chick" or some such nonsense. Enjoy.

A Moveable Feast

Mariah Carey, "Heartbreaker (Remix)," 1999

As I'm sure anyone with a background in dance, skating, or gymnastics can tell you, there are certain songs that just cry out to be moved to. The flowing movements that are possible with skates on are the perfect companion for a (preferably '70s-inspired) fun, laidback beat. Happily, Mims' oeuvre is full of such movable music. One song that has caught my ear from MIAMTEC lately is "You Don't Know What to Do" ft. Wale, a disco-y soul extravaganza that is a confection for the ears and has me longing to tie on some roller skates even though I can only awkwardly clunk around. But I feel so free!



The vibe of this song feels similar to that of "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" from 2007's E=MC2, a party favor of an album that seemed like a congratulatory gift to herself after the massive success of Emancipation. Easy, breezy, sunny, drunk summer roller skating. Yes.



Funnily enough, there is actually a Mims video that features roller skating, although the song doesn't make me want to clunk it up like the the above two do: the "Heartbreaker (Remix)" ft. Da Brat and Missy Elliot. Watching the video again today, I (of course) appreciated it on fresh levels. First, Mims is so beautiful, and 1999 was really when she was coming into her own. Out from under the thumb of Tommy Mottola, the late '90s saw our girl frequenting clubs and sucking on lollipops. Innocent, carefree days! Second, the remix video offers its own spin on the video for the original song, featuring Mims and her evil double wrestling in goo (?). Thirdly there is an obligatory car wash scene (makes Jessica Simpson look like an amateur) that features Snoop Dogg casually surveying this spectacle from the driver's seat, a nice touch as he's not featured on the track but his song "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" is liberally sampled. Happy Friday everyone.

"The One With the Kids in the Background I Hated"

I was texting recently with a wonderful friend who has been doing some serious listening to MIAMTEC. We were comparing notes last night, and she shared this bit of analysis:

(Obviously this friend shares some of my most deeply held beliefs.) The song she is referring to is "Supernatural," an ode to #dembabies buried deep in the middle of MIAMTEC. I remember a time when I was wary that Mims' next studio album would see her divesting herself of her trademark, intricately produced pop/hip-hop tales of unrequited love to instead mushily wax poetic about mom stuff, but I shouldn't have doubted her. She had my back! She has restrained herself to this single ode to reproduction. Giggles and spoken word from #dembabies are interspersed with some blandly pleasant lyrics about a love as "beautiful as the sun" (yawn). It's one of those songs that, while not a favorite, I still find myself singing along to but not in a way that distracts me from my normal train of thought, like being pissed off about work. Unfortunately, the last 20 seconds are gratuitously given over to toddler dialogue, but you know what, I'm glad she's happy.



Incidentally, the "top review" on Amazon for MIAMTEC includes this misguided musing:

9. "Supernatural" featuring Dembabies is a soothing ballad that actually sounds a little jarring considering the sexy sound interpolated with cooing babies but it's a good song and reminds us what a loving mother Mariah has become. 7/10

Uhhhhhhhhh IT'S ABOUT MATERNAL LOVE. Also you're using "interpolated" incorrectly. Anyway, we all know that the only song where baby sounds are appropriate is this masterpiece, where the baby giggle becomes the subtlest of warnings.

Thank You, Tumblr

File under: unnecessary.

First Listens and "Money ($/*...)"

Listening for the first time to the new album of a beloved artist is such a fraught experience. It's a greedy, grabby, grasp-y kind of listening -- one is trying to inhale the music, it seems, and instantly familiarize oneself with it. There is a good deal of fear. Will this be ridiculous? Will this sound like the _____ I know and love? Probably the greatest first listen of my life was The Strokes' second album, Room on Fire. When a group's first album is as perfect and iconic as Is This It, there is much at stake in album #2, and Room on Fire delivered in a big way.

I had some good driving time over the weekend to finish up with that inhaling-phase of MIAMTEC and move on to more familiar and comfortable listening. The song that seems to have jelled most quickly for me is "Money ($/*...) ft. Fabolous." It's an easy and breezy listen; the vocals aren't demanding, and Mims has room to play around vocally, finding a phrase or a bit of melody and then exploring it. Fabolous, to whom I last paid attention in 2001 when he released "Can't Deny It," is a good foil for the warmth of Mims's vocals here, laying down some rhymes in an effective but thoroughly unobtrusive way.

The song's horn hook comes from a 1970 recording by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Band of Aba entitled "Alabeke." The cut is representative of a genre called West African Highlife which originated in Ghana and eventually made its way to Nigeria, where Satch is from (Aba is a Nigerian town).This is all new knowledge to me, so check here for more info on Highlife and here for details on Dan Satch in particular. Take a listen to the original and jazz up your morning -- you will not be disappointed.


Then check out the Mims track -- love how by the end she's just singing the horn part.

"You're Irking Me, I Am Irked..."

Things that the NBC special "Mariah Carey: At Home In Concert" taught us:

• Matt Lauer has listened to MIAMTEC in its entirety
• "Chanteuse" is a word "of French origin," so we can never really know what it's meaning is
• When playing with children, full evening dress is recommended
• The video for "You're Mine (Eternal)" is really bad. Which is crazy, because this is a woman who knows how to make a video. Exhibit A:

And B:

And for good measure, C:

All of those should enable us to forget about this:

Sheeeee-it: The Bonus Tracks of MIAMTEC

After the The Emancipation of Mimi was released upon the world in 2005, there was much rejoicing. The first three tracks of the album all received great radio play, and "We Belong Together" became a modern-day classic and Mims's 16th #1 on US charts. Seemingly unable to stop the flow of chart-friendly creativity at this point, she gifted listeners with "Don't Forget About Us" as a single shortly thereafter, and it, too, reached #1. To capitalize upon this new hit and continue riding the wave of TEOM, the "Platinum" edition of TEOM was released seven months later with bonus tracks "Don't Forget About Us" and some other goodies, including personal favorite "Makin' It Last All Night (What It Do) ft. Jermaine Dupri," which contains this memorable contribution from JD:

"Listen I got stacks like
The international house of pancakes
Your man great, got more Rovers then a Land makes
I make hits and I don't care about your damn hates
Can't stop doing it , I just do it for the fans' sake"

Here was an example of bonus tracks par excellence. Unfortunately, MIAMTEC is a departure from this winning model. Problem #1: a "regular" and "deluxe edition" were pushed out on the same day. What's the strategy there? Is anyone really not going to spring an extra buck or two to get three more songs? And not that I'm a proponent of such machinations, but why not wait a few months to release the deluxe edition and make us all buy it again? It's like how they keep releasing editions of Twin Peaks; first you have to have the pilot episode included, then you have to have Fire Walk With Me. I know you can all relate to this.

Anyway, the three bonus tracks that appear on MIAMTEC are solid: the aforementioned "Betcha Gon' Know" with R. Kelly; "It's a Wrap" with Mary J. Blige (who of course has a great track of her own by the same name); and "The Art of Letting Go." Why the latter was relegated to a bonus track I have no idea. Seems like you could easily sub it out for one of the weaker tracks like "Meteorite" and strengthen the core of the album.

"It's a Wrap" with Mary J. Blige is a pure delight. While Mims unfortunately didn't contribute any new vocals, MJB takes over the song with authority, telling Mims -- as "a friend and a fan" -- that she needs to drop that man. It's a tribute to the quality of the source material that MJB on the second verse lends a different but equally good spin to the song. Only problem now is, there are TWO tracks on MIAMTEC that begin with the sound of a champagne bottle being opened and poured. Sheeeee-it...

Guys, Someone Roofied R. Kelly

Who didn't love the opening track of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, "Betcha Gon' Know?" With a mesmerizing beat and minute-by-minute recap of Mims catching her lover in the act of cheating and then raining down upon him with a world of hurt ("Oprah Winfrey whole segment, for real, for real"), it was clearly her unique take on the utterly fantastic cultural phenomenon that is R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet series (manifesto?).

So it made sense that Kells would be invited to collaborate with Mims on a remix, probably originally intended for the rumored MOAIA remix album that, disappointingly, never materialized in toto. Appearing as a bonus track on MIAMTEC, the track makes little sense towards the end of the album, but who cares? It's Kells. It's done quite nicely, with Kells playing the role of the cheating lover who now has a chance to tell his side of the story. And lo, what a tale he has to relate! Guys, someone roofied R. Kelly!

"Before we both get loud

Imma break it down

And let you know what happened for real

I was over her house

Me and her on the couch

And the whole plan was just to chill

And then it got hot

After taking some shots

The time must have slipped away

Because all I know

I woke hungover

And girl it was the very next day

With the sun in my face

I woke up in a rage

Screamed, "What have you done to me?"

And I'm telling you babe

I know it sounds crazy

She must have put something in my drink"

This from the man who once sang:

"Now the moral of the story is cuff your bitch

'cause hey I'm black, handsome, I sing plus I'm rich and (I'm a flirt)"

Different Ways to Talk about Me

One of the things that has struck me on my first listen of "Me...I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" is the many musical and vocal callbacks to other Mariah material. While this might be inevitable for an artist whose oeuvre spans almost a quarter century, Mariah makes a special art of self-reference. This is a theme I'd like to keep exploring in the future, and especially as I eventually discuss MIAMTEC at length, but I just wanted to leave here one of my favorite Mariah-as-Mariah moments. And this was in 1999!! Not even a decade into her career.

"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 I try to forget you "

~ Crybaby ft. Snoop Dogg, Rainbow, 1999