**Introduction**
Whitney Houston has had her fair share of problems in the last few years what with her drug problems and her strained marriage with Bobby Brown. As much as a fan of Whitney Houston as I am I have to admit I was unsure whether she could come back and continue on from her most ... Read review
Advantages: : Great vocals. Whitney's back Disadvantages: : One or two weaker tracks
...fan of Whitney Houston as I am I have to admit I was unsure whether she could come back and continue on from her most recent albums. This is her first album in 7 years and there aren't too many bands or solo stars who have come back from that kind of break and had the same artistic value in their music. So does Whitney's comeback seem destined for the bargain bin or could she just come back.
**I Look To You**
Released ... ...You Tonight 4 I Look To You 5 Like I Never Left Feat. Akon 6 A Song For You 7 I Didn't Know My Own Strength 8 Worth It 9 For The Lovers 10 I Got You 11 Salute
**My View**
"Million Dollar Bill"
Whitney gets the album underway with this catchy single , which mixes a funky 70's bass hook with her late 80's dance stuff. This is a very decent opening, ... more
**Introduction**
Whitney Houston has had her fair share of problems in the last few years what with her drug problems and her strained marriage with Bobby Brown. As much as a fan of Whitney Houston as I am I have to admit I was unsure whether she could come back and continue on from her most recent albums. This is her first album in 7 years and there aren't too many bands or solo stars who have come back from that kind of break and had the same artistic value in their music. So does Whitney's comeback seem destined for the bargain bin or could she just come back.
**I Look To You**
Released on 19th October 2009 and is the seventh studio album from Whitney Houston. The album features production credits from Alicia Keys, Stargate, Akon, R Kelly and David Foster amongst others. Whitney also teams up with Clive Davis as an executive producer. "I Look to you" features 11 songs led by the singles "I Look to you" and the Alicia Keys penned and produced "Million Dollar Bill" as well as a cover of "A song for you".
1 Million Dollar Bill 2 Nothin' But Love 3 Call You Tonight 4 I Look To You 5 Like I Never Left Feat. Akon 6 A Song For You 7 I Didn't Know My Own Strength 8 Worth It 9 For The Lovers 10 I Got You 11 Salute
**My View**
"Million Dollar Bill"
Whitney gets the album underway with this catchy single , which mixes a funky 70's bass hook with her late 80's dance stuff. This is a very decent opening, This track features a sample of Loleatta Holloway's "We're Getting Stronger".
"Nothin' But Love"
This track continues the dance tinged opening with another one with a dance feel. This track features an interesting vocal tone change thanks to a light vocoder part. This is another very flowing track which has a catchy beat. Good track.
"Call You Tonight"
This is an interesting track with a mid tempo feel and catchy beat with some nice gentle guitar and keys. This track is about making time to call your partner. This is a catchy track but lacks a little spark compared to the best tracks on here. It's a decent enough track though.
"I Call to You"
This is a great title track which harks back to some of her best ballads, As soon as this track opens I stopped and just listened. This is a brilliant track about someone helping you overcome things and be there for you. This is up there with some of her best ballads as shows without a doubt that her voice is still there in all it's glory. This is another fantastic ballad R Kelly has come up with for another huge artist.
"Like I Never Left" ft Akon
This is a very catchy track featuring Akon which has a simple yet effective beat and some nice backing vocals with gentle keys and this is a very impressive track with Akon proving he can actually sing when he wants to and stops doing that strange thing he does. Good stuff.
"A Song for you"
The Donny Hathaway version of this song is in my opinion one of the greatest songs of all time. This version opens with the same awesome piano part and then Whitney's vocal comes in. She really shows she still has the power to belt out the words. This is a great version which builds beautifully and then unexpectedly the dance beat comes.
"I Didn't Know my own strength"
No this isnt about opening a jar or something like that but about her fight against drug addiction and her marriage problems. This is an inspiring ballad about the ability to bounce back from your problems. The music is perfect for this ballad and this is a fantastic track which showcases the purity of her vocals. This is yet another incredible Dianne Warren penned track.
"Worth It"
This is a catchy track which has a similar sound to her previous work on her last two albums. The heavy beat and keys works well with the string backing. Whitney's vocals are laid back and the female backing vocals add another nice touch. This is a very strong track about the things you get out of a good relationship.
"For the lovers"
This is a funky track which sounds like a remix. The punchy beat is backed by a Michael Jackson like melody with the funky hooks blending superbly with the beat. This is a very strong up tempo track which is one of the best up tempo tracks on the album. A great club track.
"I Got You"
This opens with a strange sound which works rather well, Whitney's vocals come in and then you hear "Konvict" which is Akon's signature and then the song develops into a very flowing mid tempo ballad with a great beat and some very strong vocals from Whitney. This is an impressive track.
"Salute"
This closes the album with an R Kelly penned track which has his usual dark orchestral part and also a different beat and some catchy drum loops . This is a strong closer which is about showing someone you are better off without them after your relationship broke up. Great track.
**Overall**
I had my reservations after so long out and so many troubles but I have to say Whitney Houston has come back with a very strong album with a couple of signature ballads and her powerful vocals still intact. This albums was made with an all star cast and is a really polished effort which could see Whitney Houston back where she belongs. She may have been away for seven years but she has finally released a new album which could lead to another chapter in the career of Whitney Houston.
Advantages: She's back Disadvantages: Voice is not the same
...The new Whitney Houston album, I Look to You is not released until the middle of October in England but I managed to get an advanced copy from Amazon Guernsey via my husband who is also a big Whitney fan as we could just not wait to hear it. It was officially released in the US in September and already went to number 1 of US top albums. According to her website, 304,801 units were sold within the first week of release in the US, which marks Whitney's ... ...It was much anticipated and I can see why! She has been through a much publicised drug battle and divorce and appears to have come out of the other end stronger. What I like about her comeback and this album is that she has not been afraid to talk about her battles and the fact that she has used them to become stronger and to emerge the other end a better person. In the album she not only thanks her mother and her daughter and credits her mother ...
Spottydog11 22.09.2009
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Product Information for "I Look To You - Whitney Houston" »
Product details
Title
I Look To You
Performer
Whitney Houston
Genre
R&B
Sub Genre
Pop R&B
Release Date
19/10/2009
Original Release Year
2009
Label / Distributor
Arista / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Producer
Larry Jackson; Whitney Houston
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
886971003321
Catalogue Number
88697100332
Additional notes
Album Notes
Recording information: Tree Sound Studios, Norcross, GA; The Chocolate Factory, Chicago, Il; Soapbox West Studios, San Francisco, CA; Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL; Studio At The Palms, NV; Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Roc The Mic Studios, New York, NY; The Boom Boom Room, Burbank, CA; Patchwerk Studios, Atlanta, GA; Oven Studios; Mason Sound, North Hollywood, CA; 1221 Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Germano Studios, New York, NY. Despite her star having lost some of its luster in the 2000s, Whitney Houston is still regarded as a benchmark for modern singers of all stripes (from soulful divas to would-be pop idols). Almost seven years in the making, 2009's I LOOK TO YOU marks a music industry homecoming for the singer. Supported by a mob of A-list producers and songwriters including Diane Warren, David Foster, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, and many more, Houston's vocals are in fine form on material ranging from hip-hop-tinged contemporary R&B ("Million Dollar Bill") to `70s covers (Leon Russell's "A Song for You") to adult contemporary torch songs ("I Look to You").
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.54) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "It is a modern soul record, a collection of sleek, often spunky love songs that aim at something more immediate and tangible than nostalgia or catharsis..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Million Dollar Bill
2.
Nothin' But Love
3.
Call You Tonight
4.
I Look To You
5.
Like I Never Left - Houston, Whitney & Akon
6.
Song For You, A
7.
I Didn't Know My Own Strength
8.
Worth It
9.
For The Lovers
10.
I Got You
11.
Salute
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
20/08/2009
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