The Album I Can't Get Enough Of

"Emotions" (1991)

Mariah Carey's "Emotions" for the last month I've been listening to everyday. I knew of this album but I really never listen to in its entirely. So, on twitter one of the trending topics was what was your favorite album from Mariah Carey most of my followers said the album "Emotions". See I never had a favorite Mariah album because she was not one of favorite artists. Now Mariah can SANG, but I never really listened to her albums in full expect "The Emancipation of Mimi". After seeing many of followers talking about the "Emotions" album I felt I will give it a full listen. Even though, I already knew songs like 'Emotions', the inspirational 'Make It Happen', and my then favorite song 'Can't Let Go'. When I finally listened to this album, it become one of my top favorite albums of all time. I absolutely love this album. Mariah was SANGING on this album. This album made me have so much more respect for her. Now as I give my "emotions" on this masterpiece, you will realize that I have 3 new favorite songs from her.

Track By Track Reviews (My Emotions of each song)

1. Emotions- The title track of the album was always great to me. I remember this song when I was in kindergarten and we used to play the radio during lunch and I remember singing this song with my class. (Yup this tells my age...lol) But I remember when the class used to try to hit the those high notes she did at the end. (Imagine high pitch 5 year olds trying to sing..classic!) This track was a very known track that I knew from Mariah because of the memories from kindergarten.
2. And You Don't Remember- One of my new favorite songs from Mariah. This was a track that I never heard before. The only time I knew about this song was when I saw Mariah do interview and they asked her what was her favorite song from this album she said 'And You Don't Remember'. This song sent chills through my body because the harmonies and her sanging was legendary. In addition, this song connected to me because made me think about situations that I have dealt it. It's like you gave your heart to someone and they don't remember the great/loving things they told you. But the thing that really gets you with this song is when she hits that high note graciously during the bridge.
3. Can't Let Go- This song use to be my favorite of mine from Mariah but since I have listened to this album in full this song is still great but 3 other songs in my opinion are better than this. But before my full listen, I used to love this song because of the smoothless, Mariah brought you into the song with her voice. During a time when I thought that someone really care for me but I turned out to be wrong, I really felt that Mariah was saying everything I wanted to say, and when she sings "and every night I see you in my dreams". I used to sing this and try to hit the note at the end, but one time I was singing with such emotion, I actually hit the note at the end. So that high note makes perfect sense at the end Mariah...lol 
4. Make It Happen- This song was also a song that I knew from her. I remember this song from the video with her in the church. This song is very inspirational, during my college days when I wasn't going to church on Sunday's I used to have Gospel playlist, this song was on there. Now we know Mariah is known for those high notes, but on this song it wasn't needed. She didn't over do it on this song. The part of the song that gets me is when she sings "I held onto my faith I struggled and prayed, and finally found my way". If you need a song with inspiration and a great beat, I recommend this song.
5. If It's Over - As I stated, I didn't know a lot about Mariah, so one day I was on youtube and I found this performance of her singing this song on the Grammys. That performance was epic, but it still didn't make me go listen to the album version. Every time someone would ask me about this song, I would say "have you seen her performance of this song on the Grammys". But finally after listening to the album version, I understand why Oprah wanted her to sing this song on her show. This song is great, but I feel that Grammy performance made the song legendary.
6. You're So Cold - This song is most definitely an album filler. But what draws me into this song is the beginning because it sounds like the beginning of the O'Jays "Backstabbers". With the O'Jays being in my favorite group of all time, Mariah had me from the beginning, when she hit that high note in the beginning then it was over, I was like "damn this girl has range". Every time this song plays, I rock out to it like if it's hip hop song. 
7. So Blessed - Another favorite of mine. I play this song every Sunday before church. Maybe Mariah talking about a person, but I feel like she is SANGING to GOD. It's like when you get to this song on the album, you realize maybe you have been hurt but you are blessed to see another day. "You are my heart, my everything, feeling you now is all I need". When she says this song, it continues to send chills up my shine. (I am listening to the song as I type this...*shakes from chills*). From this song and 'Make It Happen' you know that Mariah is very spiritual. Thank you Mariah for another inspirational song in my eyes.
8. To Be Around You - This song gives me the vibe of a 70s party, like from the scene in Claudine where Claudine plays "On & On" by Gladys Knight & the Pips and the party gets live where the people start doing the bump. Mariah gives me that vibe in this song. The end of the song where background vocalist harmonize with people talking was a great ending to the song.
9. Til The End of Time - This is my 2nd favorite track from the album. This song is so smooth. Mariah takes you to another place on this record. You can just close your eyes and imagine the person you want to be with and sing this to them. There is really no words to describe this song, but LEGENDARY!
10. The Wind - I love how she uses the wind in the background while the piano and her vocals sound great together. I feel that Mariah wanted this song to be more about the instruments which I love, which gives you that jazzy/blues vibe. This song was a great way to end an emotional album, as she lets instruments finish the album.

Well these are my emotions for each track of this masterpiece of an album. I see why many of my twitter followers love this album so much. I have such more respect for Mariah after hearing this album. I know it's late to give a review of this 21 year old album, but a masterpiece album like this I had to. If you don't have this album in your collection you need to get it.

MY TOP 3 FAVORITES SONGS

(LISTEN TO THE GREATNESS)

AND YOU DON'T REMEMBER

SO BLESSED

TIL THE END OF TIME

THE GRAMMY PERFORMANCE OF IF ITS OVER

Favorite Group Of All Time

THE O'JAYS

Before I get started, I wanted to say Happy New Years and welcome back to my music blog. Now before the new year began, I didn't know what my first blog of the new year was going to be about. But my mother gave me the original vinyl cover (33s) of the O'Jays classic 1975 Family Reunion album. When she gave me that cover, I knew I had to blog about my favorite group of all time the O'Jays.

Take a look at the CLASSIC "Family Reunion" cover of UNITY

I was introduced to the O'Jays when I was about 7 years old. During the Christmas Holiday, my family played 8 tracks before we got our record player. I remember my mother playing The Ship Ahoy album on 8 track. I remember hearing the first song the gospel inspired "Put Your Hands Together", hearing Eddie Levert's voice stuck in my mind because it was so soulful. I just remember that album playing when I fell asleep and I woke up hearing the title track "Ship Ahoy" then I was hook. Everytime I got a chance you would play that 8-track. But the song on that album that become my favorite song from the O'Jays was "You Got Your Hooks On Me", take a listen to Eddie breakdown

That sounded good didn't it...I'm going to give you a little background then back to the music.

O'Jays were formed in the late 50's, but then known by the Mascots. But In 1963, they got the name The O'Jays, from a DJ in Cleveland who was with the part the management of the late Frankie Crocker. During that time, they had local hits that included "Ill Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Stand For Love", and "One Night Affair". But it was when the trio got with Gamble and Huff they got their first big hit the 1972 Backstabbers. The album included hits like these:

Backstabbers

Time To Get Down

Sunshine

#1 Pop Song- Love Train

Sidebar some of these songs where also written by Whitehead & McFadden, the people responsible for this... 

Ain't No Stopping Us Now

I know yall grooving to this but back to the O'Jays. After the Backstabbers album the hits just keep coming. The album that I introduced me to the classic group, Ship Ahoy. The hits included

Put Your Hands Together (Figured I would give you a Soul Train Line Clip)

Now We Found Love (Rapper Heavy D or Reggae Third World didn't make it first..youngins)

One of the realest song of all time- For The Love of Money (Live)

See the O'Jays just kept bring the hits, their third album Survival included the hits "Give The People What They Want" and the love anthem "Let Me Make Love To You". In this song, Eddie Levert is SANGING to that woman...take a listen

The fourth album Family Reunion as I spoke about previous was just a unified album for everyone. As you look at the cover above, the group was trying to show that we all are a family, all races. This album included hits like

Unity

One of my Grandmother's favorite O'Jays song- Livin For The Weekend

The Pop Classic- I Love Music(Another Soul Train Line)

Stairway To Heaven

Every Black Family get together plays this- Family Reunion

After the Family Reunion album the hits kept coming like the inspirational "Message in the Music", the smooth "Darlin Darlin Baby", "Use Ta Be My Girl", and the song about a dog "Brandy". When I first heard this song, I thought he was singing about a girl. But my mother told me it was about his dog that died. Take a listen.

And the Classic "Cry Together"(This is where JaRule & Lil' Mo got their song 'I Cry')

As you can see this group has timeless music, O'Jays will always be my favorite group. The O'Jays music never be duplicated but people have tried. 

These two videos are best Tributes to them:

LSG-2003 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS

Tevin Campbell, Trey Songz, Tyrese, Johnny Gill (TYRESE WAS SANGING)

http://pann.nate.com/video/214029322

THANKS O'JAYS FOR THE REAL MUSIC FOR OVER 40 YEARS!!