Disco de Mariah Carey: “#1's”

I'm sorry, but any way you look at it this is a greatest hits album, which is not necessarily a bad thing. While other artists like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion are compiling "Greatest Hits" LPs with glaring, and I mean GLARING, omissions, and replacing those major singles with mindless uninspired filler, it's nice to see a hit records compilation that does actually deliver what it promises. These are in fact Mariah's most popular records- signature pop classics like "One Sweet Day", "Dreamlover", "Hero", "Love Takes Time", and "Emotions", along with a few new cuts as an added perk. It's everything a greatest hits album is supposed to be, but seldome is anymore. It offers casual fans a 13-track skimming of her anthems, and some bonus nuggets along the way. Considering how many major singles were actually included, I'd say this LP definitely ranks among the most generous best-of compilations around. Absolutely a must for the pop music fan. Don't be afraid to call it a greatest hits- this one actually is...

I must have been about eight years old when I first heard Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love." She really blew me away (along with several million other people in the United States and worldwide). How many people do you know who have perfect pitch and a five octave range? This girl was wailing harder than a jazz sax. I was hooked on that debut album, and although I wasn't feeling the later songs she put out (one too many rap artists doing guest work on the tracks--they all began to sound the same).

"# 1's" is a great cross section from the highlights of Ms. Carey's career...oh wait, we are calling her "MiMi" now, huh?

My personal favorites from this compilation are as follows:

Track #3: "Whenever You Call (With Brian McKnight)"

The first time I heard this, I said, "This is definitely going to be playing at my wedding." As most of us who have heard Brian McKnight can agree, he is a master of the romantic R&B ballad. His range is sweet, tender and sexy, and together, with MiMi (see, I'm trying to get used to the new nickname), their voices compliment each other just beautifully. Definitely a song to keep in rotation on your sound system for a romantic evening!

Track #14 "Someday"

This is off of the "Emotions" album. I love the upbeat rhythm and how we get to hear MiMi's low and high (oh lord, is it HIGH) register. I mean, I am talking almost super sonic, here. Although it might not be for all tastes, you can't help admitting it's pretty astounding.

Track #16 "Vision of Love"

I love the more traditional sound of the melody on this track. This could have easily been recorded by Aretha Franklin back in the day. It's what MiMi does to bend the song, give it her own flavor, originality and original interpretation that truly makes it her own. This was from her debut album, "Mariah Carey."

Track #17 "I Still Believe"

I don't care what people think about this song, and that is might come off as middle of the road. It's a beautiful song about the hope for reconciliation with an old flame. We hear the haunted, tender and broken MiMi trying to pick up the pieces as she croons on this track. Far better than the salsa version! (Yes, believe it or not, Corrine, a young Puerto Rican singer, reminiscent of Brenda K. Starr, did a remake of the tune over a rhythm fusion of Carribean beats and R& B flavor....didn't work so well...)

All in all, this really is (in the words of Mimi) "her all." Enjoy it!

This CD is a mixed-bag. On one hand, it has all the old songs which feature Mariah's powerful voice that made her famous. Songs like "Vision of Love", "I Don't Wanna Cry" and my personal favorite "Hero" showcase her talent like nothing else. But in recent times (1997-onward) Mariah has been straying away from her fans, into hip-hop. "When You Believe" is good, and "I Still Believe" is good, but it clearly shows that Mariah's voice has gone downhill. Love the old songs (but WHY did they ruin "fantasy"), but the new songs are only so-so. For a good and consistent greatest-hits album that features more than 3 new songs, check out Celine Dion's "All The Way" album. That's the best greatest hits I own.

Mariah Carey's #1's album is a must-have album! Even the bonus tracks are excellent. I guess this one is not the type of album to introduce you to Mariah's less known songs, because you probably know well all the songs here. The order of the songs is set from her very recent (back in late 1998) #1 hit, "My All" to her first one, "Vision Of Love". In general, all the tracks are amazing (!), with the emphasis on "Vision Of Love", "Love Takes Time", "Dreamlover", "Hero" and "Always Be My Baby".

The US version includes (as expected) the #1 US single "I Don't Wanna Cry" while the int'l one includes "Without You" instead.

It's a very understanble move, since this one was a huge hit for Mariah all over the world. Bonus track include two covers. The touching "I Still Believe", a cover of Diana's Ross amazing "Do You Know Where You're Going To" and two duets. The first being Mariah's collobartion with JD in "Sweetheart" and the second, the worldwide hit "When You Believe" which hit #1 in many countries but only #15 in the US. If you would like to start collecting Mariah albums, start from this CD. It's certainly one of the best collections ever made.

# 1's by Mariah Carey was released a decade ago but this album still holds up thanks to Mimi's much loved hits. I was a huge fan of Mariah from 1990-1997. After the Butterfly album I lost interest in her music and image. I think Mariah wrote some of the best pop ballads ever written like Love Takes Time, I Don't Wanna Cry, Hero, and Whenever You Call. This is classic Mariah, just the way I like it.