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MisplacedValidity

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Aug 29 13 9:21 PM

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I'm having trouble copy and pasting the text from this: http://t.theurbandaily.com/urbandaily/#!/entry/mariah-careys-music-box-album-20-years-later,521b546a87443d6c8e5c2368
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robjv1

Posts: 10,743 True in love and wisdom, well off and witty, using god's sleeve to wipe the hell off the city.

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Aug 29 13 9:30 PM

Here you go Jason   Great read btw!

Mariah Carey Music Box 20 years

“I need a lover to give me/ The kind of love that will last always…”

I was only 11 years old when Mariah Carey’s ”Music Box” came across my path. I knew nothing about love. I didn’t know where this so-called dreamlover would take me, but I knew he would rescue me and it would be amazing. Actually, I still thought boys were pretty gross at the time. But I would sing Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” into my hairbrush, with the conviction of a grown woman who knew a thing or two about love. At that stage in my life, I got my love advice from Mariah and a shelf of Disney movies. If you know me, this explains a heck of a lot.

I’ve been a lifelong Auntie Mimi fan, from the moment I discovered her MTV Unplugged album in my mom’s stash of cassettes. On the 20th anniversary of her third studio album Music Box, I took one of my fave LPs for a spin. It was the soundtrack of the talent show era of my life. The point when every girl was either breaking down Janet Jackson video choreography Stephanie Tanner style, or belting “Hero” in my Queens elementary school auditorium. I was somewhere in between. I remember reading the words line for line in my CD booklet, and would belt out Mariah’s octaves (in my head) alone in my room. Mariah, though in her early twenties, had the same wide-eyed innocence of a young girl, something I could relate to as a tweeny bopper. She literally frolicked in parks on tire swings, wearing cut off shorts and flannel shirts. The fact that she wrote all of her music had me completely sold. It was as if she let us into her diary for a picture of love that was digestible and accessible for me to understand.

“Dreamlover” and “Hero” are undoubtedly the smash hits of the album, but “Music Box” outshines its 1993 shelf life with a collection of ballads strong enough for Mariah’s vocals to soar. She’s only accompanied by a choir on “Anytime You Need A Friend,” that adds a tinge of soul to a score of pop songs. Mariah made unrequited, “too shy to say” love a lane all her own. She took the power rock ballad l “Without You” for a masterful spin, and wrestled it from the song’s originators, Badfinger. The title track, “Music Box,” is one of my top three M.C. songs, from the simple notes of a freshly opened jewelry box opening, had me hook line and sinker. It reminds me of exactly how I felt about love at 11 years old, is still how I feel as a woman, 20 years later.

The better left in the ’90s dance tracks “Now That I Know” and “I’ve Been Thinking About You,” seems misplaced among the ballads. But the Babyface-tinged “Never Forget You” is a sweet consolation. Even when she transitioned into a honey hued sexpot, Mariah always closes her album with an introspective ballad, and “All I’ve Ever Wanted” follows suit. No studio tricks. Just a woman with an eight octave range, piano keys and strings.

Like “Purple Rain” and “Janet,” “Music Box” is etched in my memory. It also reminds me exactly why Mariah Carey will always be one of the most lauded vocalists of our time. And it will always be an archive to revisit and remember: the boys who pulled my pigtails grew up to be not so bad after all. Whether they break your heart or take you anywhere you want to (baby now), M.C.’s got a love song for that.

Mariah Carey’s “Music Box” was originally released on August 31, 1993.

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robjv1

Posts: 10,743 True in love and wisdom, well off and witty, using god's sleeve to wipe the hell off the city.

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Aug 29 13 9:33 PM

Although shading the C&C tracks... I can't get down with that lol

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MisplacedValidity

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Posts: 39,247 He bites the metaphorical carrot.

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Aug 29 13 10:00 PM

^ Well the production on them is "dated," though that doesn't bother me as much as some people. I've never been too crazy about "IBTAY" in general, but "NTIK" is a jam. I remember my local station playing the latter a decent amount back in 1994.

Music Box features some of my favorite singing from Mariah. Her timbre changed from a more traditionally "soulful" one to more pop here, so it ended up being a blend. And there's something really vulnerable/lonely in her tone on a lot of these vocals that really resonates with me. And the melodies are easily among her best for an album.

The tracklist I use for my iPod:
1. "Dreamlover" (killer pop single, great lead off)
2. "Music Box" (the lyric and vocal are insanely beautiful)
3. "Hero" (cheesy for sure, but the melody is sublime)
4. "Without You" (the vocal is )
5. "Anytime You Need A Friend" (great gospel-ish track)
6. "Now That I Know" (stellar intro that also acts as an interlude from the ballad "AYNAF" into the dance song this is)
7. "Never Forget You"
8. "Do You Think Of Me" (different musically and lyrically for Mariah, it's one of her sexiest songs)
9. "Just To Hold You Once Again" (I live for the vocal on this one)
10. "Everything Fades Away" (such a mature vocal and lyric)

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robjv1

Posts: 10,743 True in love and wisdom, well off and witty, using god's sleeve to wipe the hell off the city.

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Aug 29 13 10:08 PM

Yeah, I know logically that it's a big AC fest, but the vocals are amazing and it was the first era I was a stan for so I can't help but feel incredibly nostalgic about it.

It got me through almost all of my little 6th and 7th grade crushes and heartaches lol  My CD collection at the time was like The Bodyguard soundtrack, Janet, Music Box and MTV Unplugged, Jade To The Max, and Erotica lol.   It's funny to me now that I was listening to Erotica at the same time, I guess that one was getting me through puberty lol.

Last Edited By: robjv1 Aug 29 13 10:11 PM. Edited 1 time.

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Migrate90

Posts: 3,635 Mimi's Bodyguard

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Aug 30 13 3:00 AM

Music Box is a classic! It would actually be in my top 5 MC albums, I love every single song on the album (+ "Do You Think of Me") and it's a total vocal masterclass.

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#11 [url]

Aug 30 13 3:21 AM

Great read! Music Box and Anytime You Need A Friend are my fav songs from this album. I can't believe it's 20 years old!  smiley: eek

I love reading appreciation for Music Box as I feel it doesn't have the greatest reputation on FOMM. Vocals are a standout here, and I like most of the tracks, including the 2 B-sides.

[USERNAME REMOVED BY REQUEST] wrote:
Mariah Carey On Rihanna: "I love Rihanna, I am a fan. I love that she is who she is, she's a superstar and she just lives as herself."


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Aug 30 13 3:29 AM

Love this interview



She's what, 23 years old here? She's so mature, professional. She was born to make music.

I like the part where Mariah talks about how she's so comfortable in the studio. She said a lot of singers get their deal from singing live, in bars, but she was in the studio since she was 14 years old, and that's what she knows the best.

[USERNAME REMOVED BY REQUEST] wrote:
Mariah Carey On Rihanna: "I love Rihanna, I am a fan. I love that she is who she is, she's a superstar and she just lives as herself."


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#13 [url]

Aug 30 13 3:34 AM

OMG @ Mariah's yearbook quote saying she has a thing for "guidos and corvettes." I don't remember that, or I just didn't know what a guido was the last time I watched it. Tabitha: "I mean, that's pretty typical Long Island."   smiley: laugh

[USERNAME REMOVED BY REQUEST] wrote:
Mariah Carey On Rihanna: "I love Rihanna, I am a fan. I love that she is who she is, she's a superstar and she just lives as herself."


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matty tat tat

Posts: 2,262

Let me speak quietly
So your heart can hear
I will hypnotise and mesmerise u
With the sound of your own fear

#14 [url]

Aug 30 13 6:32 AM

I think my sister in law bought me Music Box at the airport. I love the album, with the exception of I've Been Thinking About You. When I need some AC ballad realness I spin the album. I never really liked Dreamlover, until recently. Now That I Know I loved because of the vocal at the bridge - lawwwwd the goosebumps that gave me had their own goosebumps.


Never Forget You is one of my favourite MC songs, I'm not sure if it's a break up song or a death of a loved one song but I associate it with the latter, I tend to listen to it on or around the anniversary of my grandfathers passing. I prefer it to One Sweet Day. Anytime You Need A Friend I loved from the get go, I loved the choir on the choruses and her vocals were just spectacular during the climax. Love the remixes too. 

All I've Ever Wanted... No words. Well maybe a few. The gay in me loves it. The diva in me loves it. Once again that bridge, I swear, makes my eyes roll backward into my head. Everything Fades Away, I loved and still do love everything about this song. It's somewhat appropriate to my life right now. I wish Mariah had done more of these 5-minute-plus dreamy, haunting songs.

Do You Think Of Me. I wish this was included on the album. It's stellar. I prefer it to Slipping Away. I had a DYTOM fetish a couple of years ago, I literally could not get enough. I had to take time out when I went to France just to listen to it because I was having withdrawal symptoms. Just To Hold You Once Again is a pretty vocal, I remember the first time I listened to it, I had to keep replaying the bridge. That was during my discovery phase and I was SO amazed by Mariah's amazing bridges hehe.

That's about all I have to say on Music Box lol.

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sainttropez

Posts: 2,747 Chillin' at FOMM

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Aug 30 13 6:35 AM

20yrs and no one in Sony or Mariah's team thought of capitalizing on it?

And we have lesser artists releasing 1 yr anniversary editions for their work...

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#16 [url]

Aug 30 13 6:40 AM

seanjonmc wrote:
OMG @ Mariah's yearbook quote saying she has a thing for "guidos and corvettes." I don't remember that, or I just didn't know what a guido was the last time I watched it. Tabitha: "I mean, that's pretty typical Long Island."   smiley: laugh
That kinda explains Tommy

Anyways, this album has defined her worldwide legacy. It definitely upped her status back then, especially in Europe.
Personally, it's not a favorite of mine. Apart from the singles I only like the title track and the "bonus" EFA. But it's undoubtedly a milestone in Mariah's career.

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robjv1

Posts: 10,743 True in love and wisdom, well off and witty, using god's sleeve to wipe the hell off the city.

#17 [url]

Aug 30 13 9:01 AM

Yeah, I'd say that pretty much explains Tommy exactly lol. #guido4Life

Her live performance of Anytime You Need A Friend from the Proctor's Show is one of the sickest live performances ever, *that bridge* and then where she just starts adlibbing just shatters my existence. The David Letterman performance of the same song is majorly, MAJORLY underrated too.

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matty tat tat

Posts: 2,262

Let me speak quietly
So your heart can hear
I will hypnotise and mesmerise u
With the sound of your own fear

#18 [url]

Aug 30 13 9:18 AM

Music Box 20th anniversary

I LOVE the Proctors Theatre performance. I like the David Letterman performance too, despite the rasp. Her performance on the Hey! Hey! It's Saturday show was pretty good too from memory.

I like how Mariah sort of mixed the original and Soul Convention remix climaxes.

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robjv1

Posts: 10,743 True in love and wisdom, well off and witty, using god's sleeve to wipe the hell off the city.

#19 [url]

Aug 30 13 9:32 AM

^^ Yeah, actually I think the rasp totally makes the performance in that case.

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MisplacedValidity

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Posts: 39,247 He bites the metaphorical carrot.

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Aug 30 13 10:35 AM

>robjv1 wrote: Her live performance of Anytime You Need A Friend from the Proctor's Show is one of the sickest live performances ever, *that bridge* and then where she just starts adlibbing just shatters my existence.
Yes yes yes yes yes

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