My Love Is Your Love - Whitney Houston > Reviews > How the mighty have fallen!

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Lacking inspiration
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Unmemorable
Value for Money

Advantages:	a funkier Whitney than the goody - two shoes of old
Disadvantages:	tries too hard to be cool; weak voice !

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Given the glowing reviews other Ciao users (and indeed, music journalists) have given this albujm, this review is hardly likely to go down a treat. Still, I belive my views on this album need airing-not because it is a bad collection of songs, but because, as far as a Whitney Houston offering is concerned, it doesn't send chills down the spine the way some of her older songs still do.
It's clear to hear that Whintey's voice is weakened-this may be because of age, or due to the controversial, well-documented lifestyle choices and substance abuse she has dallied with in recent years. Sadly, I think it's because of the latter that the Whitney we hear on this album is very much a thirty-something under pressure, dying to show she's cool and can compete with the young uns' -the Beyoncés, Lauryns and, dare I say it, even the ritneys...because, make no mistake, that's who her competition is these days.
As a result, we have a voice (still impressive, but not as majestic and effortless as it once was) straining to hit the high notes and attempting to cling on for dear life on songs like 'Get It Back' and the slow, two-minutes-too-long 'Oh Yes'.

There are still some great cuts-my own favourite is 'When You Believe', whose lyrics both seasoned divas Whitney and Mariah would do well to take to heart. It seems to me they both need some faith and personal strength to refresh their jaded, alleged drugged-up and boozed-up systems, and counteract they yes-people and sycophantic hangers-on they have surrounded themselves with over the years.

'It's Not Right But Its Okay' is also a good track, but sounds too much like standard Rodney Jerkins, bland American R'n' B fare to me-this is a song that, while guaranteed to get you on the dance floor, could have been churned out by any number of young, black , female American songstresses.

'My Love is Your Love', the title track of the album is a gentle, melodic track that would sound good either rounding off a Saturday night session or playing sweetly in the background of a chilled dinner party. Someoe pointed out to me that it sounds remarkably like Bob Marley's classic 'No Woman, No Cry', but this is hardly surprising, gievn that two Marley-obsessed Fugees help out on this album (Lauryn Hill and, on this particular track, Wyclef Jean).

Other notable moments on the album include the lovely 'I Bow Out' , which has a certain timeless appeal, and 'I Learned from the Best'. 'You'll Never Stand Alone' is a ballad worthy of Houston in the early 1990's or late 1980's, although one senses she would have warbled less and let the music speak for itself more on this tune in previous years.
Tracks to skip are the dire 'Oh Yes', which lasts well over five minutes and has nothing useful to say, 'In my Business', which is simply an ego trip for a Houston wanting to lash out at the media for intrusion into her private life. 'Get it Back' is quite listenable, but, like the opening track of the album, is very much a song that could be on a Kelly Price, Faith Evans, TLC, Monica or Brandy album as easily as it could be on a Whitney Houston album. 'If I told you That' is a much more satisfying effort which showcases Whitney's talents to good effect although again, one gets the sense that a twenty-three year old Whitney would have held the soaring high notes for longer .
The last track, 'I was Made to Love Him' is quite cool but that is hardly to Houston's credit-it's a Stevie Wonder classic. The most impressive vocals on this song are also arguably courtesy of Sunday, the backing group employed for some gospel-style harmony.
The duality of this album-a couple of very good tracks, some mildly entertaining offerings and a couple of stinkers-is perhaps best represented by the album's inlay cover. The stylised, blonde Whitney on the front is as striking as ever, whereas the credits she dishes out to all and sundry are a sad reminder of how caught up in the world of showbiz she has let herself become. A slushy and embarrassing tribute to husband Bobby Brown and challenge to 'give them (the press) something to talk about' surely courts the kind of media attention that Houston claims to loathe and blasts in 'In my Business'. She goes on to laud Wycelf Jean as 'a genius', calls Missy Elliot 'boo' and thanks a minister friend for keeping his family 'in Christ in this crazy business called show'.
Houston was thirty-five when she released this album. Perhaps she should act like it.