ia

ise the di

Va

No gimmicks needed when it comes to Mary

@ wkxkexe Mary J. Blige —— Mary (1999 MCA 11929). Music category: major soul diva.

Make no mistake Mary J. Blige is a genius. But they sure like to mess with her sound.

On Blige’s third studio CD the former “queen of hip- hop” has now been complete- ly made over into a retro-soul star. If you like Stevie Wonder then you're going to love

Every song is treated like a production number onto itself with Lauryn Hill, Jam and Lewis, and Babyface among the producers. No complaints there but what’s the point?

The trend of bringing in a dozen different producers on one CD works with lesser

vocalists and weaker material . ~ buat on Mary it just seems like a gimmick. Blige is all about groove - and building performances “which is the antithesis of the miusical chair production approach; Last year’s live CD shows what she can do -~ one producer, one band — then fer Finhlgh . Highlights include Kevin Deane’s brilliant “Deep Inside” with Elton John comping his own “Bennie and the Jets” piano riff behind "Blige; a soulful duet with ex- beau K-Ci Hailey on “Nort. “+. Lookin” and Gerald Isaac's -

a showstopper “Your Child”.

_ Jol Goodman

a 4 LEO — LFO (1999 Arista 14605). ‘Music cate- gory: hip-pop for teens.

Mary

Young trio debut their hip-

po p sound on CD after estab- hing themselves as openers

for.acts such as the Backstreet Boys and LL Cool } last year.

Arista patriarch Clive Davis has a hand in the production of the Lyte Funky Ones (it’s wise they made the name into an acronym) and there is little that has been left to chance for

_ the new boys on the block.

New York City station Z- 100 broke the hit single

~~ “Summer Girls” with “The

Girl on TV™ set to follow. — Jolm Gonlman

@ keke Christina Aguifcra — Christina Aguilera 1999 RCA 67690). Music category: major teen diva.

Straight to the top of the charts (or Chriszina Aguilera with her debut CD and the hit single “Genie in 2 Borde”.

Anything but an overnight- sensation Aguilera paid her dues singing the national anthem at homerown Pittsburgh: sports events as well as a two-vear gig on Disney’s Orlando-based New Mickey Mouse Club show.

Last year she also sang the hit theme song from the an- mated feature film Milan “Reflection”.

Aguilera has paid her dues and it shows over the fength of the new CD. The selection of songs is stronger than most teen pop product — onc or owo hits plus filler doesn’t make for a long shelf life. A quality outing with good tunes throughout.

— John Goedman

@ * Puff Daddy — Forever (1999 Bad Boy Pecords 73033). Music category: megalomaniac rap.

Map has more than its share of bhawhards but move Puffy to the front of the class with this dire exercise in self-pro- mation. A lot of talented peo- ple worked on this disc — unfortunately their efforts are filtered through the airless uni- verse of a very insignificant man. A nist to avoid.

— Jokn Goodman

_~Me Exit page 20

“September 12

— conte a

2000S oa

Friday, September 10, 1999 — North Shore News — 19

m0"

First Anniversary Celebrations!

Winsor & Newton Artists’ Watercolours

Cotman Watercolours......:::

Galeria Acrylics lesen BEV OFF Sale Extended until Sept 18/95

Se Oy

Introductory Watercolour Set

*4,.9°° SALE

Suggested retai! *S3”

a

Plus , any Other Specials!

In-store Demos! Tuesday, Sept. 1 14 10am-4pra -

Wednesday, Sept. 15 i0am-4pm. RENEW Paints &

$25

10am-4pm. ” Marbling on paper by higui tex | |

Come by & ask ‘ questions

Oumer Ferdinand Petrov is a professional arc restorer who owns e operates the Business along with wife Sylvia and daughter Anika. . All three are experts j in art, framing and art rt materials