Mariah
Rainbow

By Dwayne Carter
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CD: Sony/Columbia: B00002MZ1X

  O.K. I'm probably going to get some emails over this one, but so what. This month, I purchased (Hey Steve, where are all the free CD's? <grin>) and reviewed Mariah Carey's latest full-length CD, Rainbow (dude, if i could score free Sony CDs i would be writing for Rolling Stone and not editing this --ed  :-{) ). But before I launch into a detailed description of this CD, let me state for the record I LIKE Mariah Carey (or just Mariah as she now likes to be called. The Diva thing, ya' know)!! (Whoever started abusing the "D" word should be castraited --ed).

As you can see by the photo above, if the editor runs it, I am clearly star stuck (yeah, i ran it. So where is my free CDs?  -ed  :-{)  ). I like the way she looks and I like the way she sings. Hell, my wife and I have the same gene pool that she sprouted from. I actually hope, that my child (or children) grow up to look as beautiful and as talented as she is.

Now, I know that comment has a few of you smirking, but that's just because for the past year or so Mariah has become an easy target for many of you. Well I say, shame on you! Walk a mile in her shoes (considering she's a twenty-something, multi-millionaire... I'm sure you would not mind the trek! Mariah is not asking for sympathy, just a little compassion. I know that is not a very popular sentiment these days, but please try.

I defend Mariah, not just because she is (in my wife's own words) a "Genetic freak of nature…" (meaning her stunning looks and 5+ octave voice... right Honey?), but because people hate her just for those reasons. If she was ugly you might knock her bubblegum pop ballads, but you wouldn't attack her personally. If she was beautiful, but could not sing, some would dismiss her as a slut who boinked her way to the top (because it is not nice to tease ugly people)...

Mariah's new CD, Rainbow is clearly the first album, that is all her own. It is truly a mixture of great Hip Hop Pop songs and great mistakes (Phil Collins, Against All Odds??? Honey, what were you thinking?).

The single, "Hearbreaker" (Remix version) is a slick, soft Rap featuring Da Brat, Missy Elliot and I think, Jay-Z Rap MTV favorite. It is really perfect Hip-Hop Pop. By now you are all sick of the heavy radio rotation of the standard version but most guys will still suffer through the video, right? Checkout the Remix version, although some of the Rap lyrics are censored!!!

"Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" is appropriately named. Much better than my ranting (above), Mariah wrote her own defense:

"They can say anything they want to say
Try to break me down
But I won't face the ground
I will rise steadily
Sailing out of their reach…

Cause there's a light in me
That shines brightly
They can try
But they can't take that away from me
From me…"

O.K, so she said it better than I could. Music has a way of doing that, ya' know. The song ends with some of her famous vocal gymnastics. You either love it or hate it. To me, I'm envious. Having tried singing, I understand just how difficult this feat is, and respect anyone who has mastered it. Before you knock, try it. It is truly, VERY difficult to do that.

Other standout tunes on Rainbow would be "Bliss" (a very Prince like performance) full of sultry, breathy lyrics, "X-Girlfriend" (a little quasi-Salsa tune) and the excellent "Crybaby" (featuring Snoop Dogg). Mariah has been experimenting with the Hip-Hop part of the spectrum for some time, now. Sounds like she's got it down. It pays to work with some of the better Hip-Hop artist, also.

You can ignore the Diva inspired "After Tonight" and "Petals". They seem to drag the CD down. I know it's good therapy for her, but I like the new Hip Hoppin', Bad Girl, how-little-can-I-wear-in-public-to-piss-off-the-ex-husband, Mariah. The CD closes with the recently popular "Thank God I Found You" (featuring Joe and 98 Degrees). Whew….a lot of guests on this album. In the liner notes, Mariah mentions the "…rollercoaster ride of the past year…". Well, that sums up this CD very well. It has got some great highs and crashing lows. This CD has a summer feel to it, so I wonder why it was released in the fall. Oh yes, Christmas. Duh. It's always about money, right? ("Money is the root of all evil today" Pink Floyd  --ed).

If you can get past the crap, and sometimes she's her own worst enemy, the whole Diva thing... Cut her some slack as it is a good CD. Her voice is strong again and by the inside picture of the liner notes (HELLO!, does she really need to be lying in a bed licking a lollipop?) so is she! Uummm….excuse me. I've got to go catch the new James Bond movie. Ya' see there is this twenty year old Nuclear Weapons Expert in a Tank top and.

Enjoyment: 91

Sound Quality: 98 (VERY well recorded)