257 - Whitney Houston - (eponymous)

[csberry]

Alright! YES! I still own this on vinyl from when I bought it as a youth. While I haven't listened to Whitney Houston since my teen years, continuous rotation on "oldies" and female/Soft AC stations around the nations didn't let these songs slip too far from consciousness.

It is a self-titled album, but I think we could easily retitle it now to Introduction of a Diva. The vocal gymnastics by Christina and so many other pop divas can duly be blamed on the way this album allows Whitney to show off those skills in the studio, not just confined to live performances. The songs are good, but it is Whitney's vocal range, strength, and gymnastics that set this collection of songs apart from The Jets and other pop artists of the time.

What really disappoints, though, are the production values and use of synthesizers. There were so many times that I kept thinking of Beverly Hills Cop and expecting the next song to be the Pointer Sisters or "Axel F." It can be hard to listen to this cheesy instrumental bed with these lovely vocals laid atop.


Songs I knew I liked: "You Give Good Love," "Saving All My Love For You," and "How Will I Know"

Songs I didn't know but now like: None

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Thinking About You, "Someone For Me," and "Nobody Loves Me Like You D,"

Comments

[chris21718.livejournal.com]

One interesting thing -- the version of "The Greatest Love Of All" on this album is a different version than the one on the single. There are differences in the music and the vocals and I wonder if the two were totally different (but very similar sounding) recordings.