If We got rid of the unwanted guests, it'd be a hit. (Glitter - Mariah Carey - Soundtrack)

Member Name: CaffienatedYak

Product:	Glitter - Mariah Carey - Soundtrack
Date:	24/07/03 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful, moving ballads, A few decent mid-tempos

Disadvantages: Horrid guest-rapper overkill, Don't Stop never should have started.

By now, we?ve all heard the story about Mariah?s meltdown in 2001, with the story behind it being told and re-told and altered, reasons ranging from work overload to her movie (also called Glitter) flopping to her break-up with Latin singing sensation Luis Miguel to Mariah developing erectile dysfunction. (Poor thing.)

Whatever the case, all the stress plaguing her must have contributed to what this album turned out to be. While not explicitly bad by any standards, saved by her surprisingly sparse, great ballads and 80?s-drenched sounds, Mariah fell victim to what plagues so much music today: guest rapper overkill. Four out of Glitter?s twelve tracks are plagued by oft-overused rappers, only one song managing to save itself from being annoying in this aspect - If We.

So brace yourselves. You know what?s coming. Hurry to the snack counter and grab yourself some popcorn and jumbo sodas, get your 3-D glasses, and pop in your earphones - it?s time for the soundtrack-by-track! (Corniness intended.)

1. Loverboy (Remix) - As usual, the first single to be released (The original was actually released after this one, if I remember right. Weird woman) that, surprisingly, flopped until the price for the single was slashed to 49¢. In any case, a clear, sunny 80?s sound dominates this song, with a thumping bass-line, muffled, up-tempo synth drums, what sounds like someone tapping on a can, and a bit of electric guitar here and there.

And good god, a ton of rappers dominate this track! Ludacris and an unknown Shawna take up the very beginning of the song with inane blather, while another unknown - Twenty II - and the ever-obnoxious Da Brat drag the tail end of the song along. Mariah?s voice is exceptionally soft here, to the point that at times you don?t know what in the hell she?s supposed to be saying to us: ?Cause when my sugar daddy! Takes me for a ride? whatever we go it?s? delirium time. I get weak when his candy kisses sweet-ly caress
my whole body, all I need is him to be my loverboy?? Yes, she said ?sugar daddy.? I?m going to curl into the fetal position and scream now.

Despite all of this, I love the song. It?s a cardinal sin, I know, but there?s something undeniably catchy about it. (I?m referring to the original, which I?ll get to later. The remix makes me want to kill something.) The video, however? Mariah, are you a hooker or a diva now? For chrissake?

6/10

2. Lead The Way - A soft, slow piano intro starts us off into a soulful, breathtaking ballad that puts all worries of the previous track behind. Very soft, subtle strings back up the piano and Mariah?s voice, with a reverse cymbal crash bringing in louder strings and a slow drumbeat, amid triangle taps. ?One-two-three-and-a-four,? as my chorus teacher would?ve called it. A bit of harp strumming can also be heard here and there, comprising a song that shows serious promise.

Strong, whispered vocals float around the piano and strings, at times starting to belt out, but then reverting back to the whisper at odd times - a prelude to an extremely annoying vocal performance on Through The Rain (from her follow-up, Charmbracelet), but finally, near the end, Mariah seems to get a freaking clue and rein in her belting voice, loud and proud as she declares ?if we move closer? then love will take over! And lead?. the way!? A seamless whistle is thrown in as well, sounding a bit different than usual (more breathy, if you will - possibly because she went straight up into it from her belting voice, as another Epinonator mentioned) and overall making up a beautiful, if not slightly disappointing ballad.

8/10

3. If We - A charming little marimba ditty opens up this rapper-laced track, with a bit of strings and wah-wah guitar here and there over a stuttering hip-hop beat and bass plucks. (Wind chimes are vaguely heard here and there) Overall, this track carries a playful, childish, sunny feel,
slightly marred by the appearance of Ja Rule, who seems to appear on every goddamn song lately. Go away, Ja Rule, you Ja Suck.

Unfortunately, Mariah lets him sing on here, where he sounds slightly less annoying than when he raps? but only slightly. I still want to strangle him until all the gravel leaves his voice. However, second guest-rapper Nate Dogg sounds great (If not a bit loud and staticky - what in the hell?) with his smooth baritone voice. Mariah only takes up residence in the chorus, promising ?baby, if we were together again? sugar, I would be your very best friend. I would love you unconditionally, and I?d never wanna let you go, baby!?, turning in a playful, strong/whispery performance.

Too bad Nate Dogg couldn?t have been the only guest on here. ?Baby, if we gave the ax to Ja Rule, whose rapping makes me want to do something? cruel, M, I would love you unconditionally? now go on, kick him off this song, baby!? I know, I bastardized another one. Oops.

7/10

4. I Didn?t Mean To Turn You On - This cover of the 1984 Robert Palmer hit practically oozes the feel of the 80?s, with booming drums starting off, followed by rapid synth-claps? then bursting into a synth-filled pop-music orgy, with brass hits here and there, all placed over a steady, booming drumbeat and cymbal crashes. A thumping, stuttering bass-line is near-prominent under all of this, carrying things along smoothly.

Mariah does a bang-up job here, once again alternating between her stronger, more articulate voice and her whisper - though she?s less whisper and more articulation - as she explains to a date that ?you read? me wrong - I wasn?t trying to lead you on! I want a friend; I didn?t mean to turn you on!? and ?boy I told? you twice - I was only tryin? to be nice, only tryin? to be nice, oh! I didn?t mean to turn you on!? Halfway-through, she adds in a bit of whistle-work, melding into the background nicely amid somewhat-monotonous vocals f
rom Trey Lorenz and Terry Lewis, who keep repeating ?I didn?t mean to turn you on!? over and over throughout the second half of the song.

A minor annoyance, though. Don?t worry, Mariah, you don?t turn me on anyway. Nice try.

9/10

5. Don?t Stop (Funkin? 4 Jamaica) - A lone trumpet note starts off what may be a promising track? and then a thumping bass-line and hard drumbeats come in, with a bit of jazzy piano to back them up. This is all well and good. Great music. Then I hear guest rapper Mystikal doing a horrible impression of James Brown Meets DMX and I?m overcome with sudden homicidal urges. The album's fourth single is ruined early on.

As mentioned above, Mystikal does indeed appear on this song? all over it, actually. I thought this was supposed to be featuring him as a guest on Mariah's album, not Mariah as a guest on Mariah's album. Mariah sings the chorus with her whispery vocals layered, on an odd pitch. She also adds in a little bit near the end, where she starts to get more articulate before rising into a quick shriek. But not even her decent voice, crooning ?don?t? stop? ba?by. It?s.. .ec?sta?sy? turn me up a little, baby I?m on fire, tell me every little thing you wanna do - I?m into you? can save this song.

3/10

6. All My Life - After the ?musical? disaster of Don?t Stop (which thankfully did), we?re taken into a world of mid-tempo wah-wah guitars, a loud, thumping ?one-two, one-two? drumbeat, plucky/thumping bass-line, a few buzzing synths and synthophones here and there? strings rising and falling at intervals, and a bit of playful flute-work making its way into the chorus. Yes, you read right. Flute. There?s a first for her.

Articulation works its way into Mariah?s voice here, though at times she seems to mumble the end of each line, as she sings ?I?ve been wishing on a star, and praying on my knees! I?ve got some sly and sexy tricks to show? most of all, I?ll give you
anything, boy, that you need! To keep you by my side, and that?s forever, and ever!? Chattering and laughing fill up the background amid the addictive, vaguely-relaxing music, adding an air of fun and light-heartedness to the track as a whole.

Too bad it was never released as a single. Just think: Mariah, kicking Mystikal in the head in time to the song? okay, I?ll stop that now.

9/10

7. Reflections (Care Enough) - Another soft, touching ballad follows, backed mainly by a somewhat-lonely, wistful piano. Very soft, understated bass makes itself heard from time-to-time, with wind chimes taking up the background, just as subtle. A bit of soft synthophone then makes its entrance after the chorus, along with the steady, slow drumbeat that I liken to a clock ticking - ?ONE-two-three-four ONE-two-three-four?, mingling with strings and a bit of acoustic guitar. (I could also swear that I hear the tiniest inkling of electric organ in the background. I?m going to scream.)

Some very heartfelt lyrics back up Mariah?s articulate whisper, as she (or rather, her character Billie, from Glitter) tells off her mother, asking ?did you really care? Care at all for me? did you really care? Did you really care for me at all?? and telling a story as well: ?A displaced little girl wept years in silence? and whispered wishes you?d materialize. She pressed on night and day to keep on living and tried so many ways to keep her soul alive!? Her voice becomes even more articulate as the song progresses swelling with emotion and pain and all that happy stuff.

And then the sense of awe and heartache is shot to shit by the following track.

10/10

8. Last Night A DJ Saved My life - And this song alone makes me want to end mine. Having gone too long (read - more than one track) without a guest rapper or fifty, Mariah brings in Busta Rhymes, Fabolous (who most certainly doesn?t live up to his misspelled name) and DJ Clue (who should
get one and quit the business) to ?spice things up? - read as: Make this cover (I don't know who originally did it) unbearable.

A series of warped synth beeps and bloops wind down to annoying name-dropping and shouting from DJ Clue, before moving into an upbeat bit of drum-machine, with a loud, heavy bass-line and electric guitar strumming in the background. Nice, steady, smooth background music.

Unfortunately, Rhymes, Clue, and Fabolous just don?t know how to shut the hell up. Shouting and hooting dominate this track, with names being called over and over again by Clue, sprinkled with annoying bits of rapping here and there. What the hell is this? What did you do this for, Mariah? Her vocals are soft and whispery the whole song, as she tells about how ?last night, a DJ saved my life? last night a DJ saved my life? cuz I was sittin? there bored to death, and in one breath, he said, ?You gotta get up, you gotta get on, you gotta get down, girl.? ? Hmm.

Her voice works well with the music, but the annoying ad-libs and hollering take away from this, ad the worst part is the song clocking in at 6:40. If the three guest rappers want their lives saved, they?d better not ever do this to any song, ever again.

4/10

9. Want You - It?s a well-known fact that loving this song is going to draw a lot of protests from others, because it goes against a well known rule of music: You must hate this song. I?m doomed. The soft strings and arrangement of sparkling, spiraling synths leading into another 80?s-infected track, filled with a warped, prominent bass-line (sounds a bit like a frog croaking), funky, stuttering drum-machine, piano, and more swelling synths (with a bit of electric guitar plucking in the background) just grabbed hold of me and, damn it all, it just would not let go. It was just too addictive.

Mariah works her articulate whisper here, meshing well with guest singer Eric Benet, whose smooth, soulful ten
or voice steals the show as they both exchange flirtatious, seductive lines, crooning ?Kiss me and touch me and immerse your love in mine? I?ll keep unraveling? as we? explore? our fantasies tonight!? Mariah?s voice in particular gains more power as the song unravels, working in a cute little shrill at one point.

My fate is sealed. Carry on.

11/10

10. Never Too Far - The third single from the soundtrack/album starts off with a slow, dramatic string intro, an English horn floating along, before wind chimes bring in an acoustic guitar strumming along, with a slow, clock-ticking drumbeat. Overall, a grand, yet mournful feel is held throughout, coupled with Mariah?s haunting vocals.

Borderline articulate here, almost no whispering creeps into this track, as Mariah vows ?You?re? never too far away! I won?t time erase? one bit of yesterday. And no?.body can take your place! Though we can never be, I?ll keep you close to me when I remember?? Each ?and I?ll remember? leads into another section, as she belts out each line, almost nailing the listener to the wall near the end, when the song fades out on a haunting high note, Mariah establishing that ?you?re never too? far!?

10/10

11. Twister - Music is minimal here in this short, touching goodbye to Mariah?s stylist, Tonjua Twist (aka Twister), who committed suicide in 2000. Wind chimes and soft synthophones carry this haunting, tune amid Mariah?s whispered vocals, giving the song a dreamy, ethereal quality.

Mariah keeps her vocal power mostly minimal here, telling us about Twister: ?She was kind of magical - her laughter sent you casually floating through a moment of release.? She adds that ?no, I never dreamed that there would come a time? Twister?d go and leave it all behind.? I feel kind of bad about having to rate something this personal, but?

10/10

12. Loverboy - The original version, which was oddly released AFTER the remix (at le
ast, to my knowledge), shows up here? sounding just like the remix with only two differences: The intro doesn?t jump straight off into the drums. There?s a tiny bit of chatter here before things start rolling, and the rapping is (thankfully) removed, instead bringing in 80?s singer Cameo (whose song Candy is sampled in both versions of Loverboy) to lend a funky little section to the middle.

?My eyes roll in my head, I toss and turn in my bed in the morning when I think about you! It?s like candy (Candy) - simply put: You?re the reason why, even though I?m real shy, I attempt to look my best for you!? Although his somewhat-whispery voice (backed by his own more articulate voice... Which sounds somewhat unusual) sounds a bit robotic at times, Cameo puts in a nice cameo on this track, ending Glitter on a fun-filled note.

Mariah is still borderline incomprehensible. Go figure.

8/10

All in all, I feel somewhat glad to have gotten this as a birthday present - it means I didn?t have to spend any way my hard-earned allowance on it, though I was still put off by the exceptionally garish array of pinks and purples that plagued the whole album?s color scheme. Gag. This is too much, even for me. I mean, huge solid blocks of pink and purple side-by-side equates a Barbie Doll exploding, Mariah, not visual appeal.

Had she taken out the overdose of guest appearances (save Nate Dogg, Eric Benet, and Cameo) then Glitter could?ve been yet another platinum hit from Mariah. Unfortunately, she bogged it down, making some songs seem more suited for the guest?s album instead of her own. A few relaxing, beautiful ballads (as we?ve come to expect from her) and some funky, fun, upbeat tracks here and there manage to save this album from being a complete stinker.

If you?re a die-hard fan, then you?ll probably want to give this ?soundtrack? a chance. If you don?t mind obnoxious rappers cluttering up track after track? then here you go.
But all in all, this Glitter seems to be a bit lackluster.

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