“Back to Now” by Patti LaBelle
Now here’s a name that you might not have heard for a while…at least, not since the last drag show. Patti LaBelle and her group The Bluebelles spent fifteen years together with a consistent commitment to bringing energy, excitement and soul power to live performances, and cutting-edge innovation to a series of classic albums until 1976, when they separated to pursue individual goals. Thirty-two years later, they are back together on center stage!
Inside the album tri-fold we see the three ladies, including Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, dressed to impress at a dinner table with a plate of fried chicken and cornbread in clear view - any more racial stereotypes they want to reinforce while they’re at it? Well…I guess this is a blast from the past, so we’ve got to roll with it.
Speaking of rolling, my favorite track on the album “Rollout” came second in order. It’s an upbeat but still slightly subdued number with some nifty voice-pitching effects; a nice contrast from many of the other tracks that sound quite old fashioned. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed ones like “Candlelight”, “The Truth Will Set You Free”, and “How Long”.
In a few cases, despite songs not appealing to me melodically, I still had to acknowledge the powerful message that they carried: “Tears for the World” provided a commentary on how oblivious we can be to all the terrible things going on in the rest of the world. Meanwhile, “Dear Rosa” was a tribute to the famous black woman Rosa Parks who refused to move from her seat on the bus that was reserved for whites – known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott – subsequently sparking a civil rights movement.
The album finishes off with the famous song, “Miss Otis Regrets” – a convoluted and tragic story summarized in the simple and polite phrase, “Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today.”
“Unexpected” by Michelle Williams
You may know Michelle Williams as one third of Destiny’s Child. To this point, her two solo albums have been in the genre of gospel, which is why this album is so “Unexpected”.
“This is simply another facet of who I have always been,” says Williams. “I think there have been minor misperceptions of me. Yes, I take my work seriously. I’m a serious performer, and I’m an actress, and I’m a person of faith. But I’m also a girl who likes to cut loose. I like to hit the dance floor with my friends and party and laugh. This album is about that side of me.”
In the September 2008 edition, we reviewed her single “We Break the Dawn” which appears on this album. Intriguingly there is a second part to this song later in the list – more like a remix with an energetic beat, dramatic strings, and male vocals by Flo Rida.
“Hello Heartbreak” was an instant favorite with its electronic synths and sad lyrics, and “Private Party” was pretty damn catchy, with a satisfying base line. On the flip side, I also quite enjoyed “Too Young For Love”, although admittedly I found it a bit naïve and saccharine
Initially I didn’t like the slower tracks like “The Greatest”, “Unexpected”, and “Thank U”, but found that they grew on me the more I listened to them. I particularly liked the lyrics in “Thank U”, where Williams sings about how grateful she is to her Ex for pushing her away, “…cause I almost loved you forever, never would have found someone better.”
“The Fame” by Lady Gaga
I haven’t enjoyed an album so completely since I reviewed Kylie Minogue’s “X” earlier this year. I only had good things to say when I reviewed “Just Dance” as a single back in September 2008, but I was looking at just one song that, for all I knew, was best of the bunch. That was definitely not the case. In fact, I found several tracks that I liked even more!
“The Fame is about how anyone can feel famous,” Lady Gaga explains. “Pop culture is art. It doesn’t make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it and you hear it all over The Fame. But it’s a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle.”
It’s easy to get lost in the energetic dance melody of “Love Game”, but make sure you pay attention to the deliciously dirty lyrics. I loved it - it put a few naughty smirks on my face. “Paparazzi” was beautiful and mesmerizing, and I’ve been hearing the hit “Poker Face” all over the radio these days.
On my first listen I wasn’t crazy about “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” but it didn’t take too long before the damn song got stuck in my head. Now it’s one of my favorites, it’s cheeky and exhilarating. I love the parts where the instruments drop out briefly before launching with conviction into chorus. Another track that I warmed up to was “Starstruck”, with its spellbinding prickly synths; a collaboration with Space Cowboy and Flo Rida.
“Paper Gangsta” has a lot slower pace, but a poignant tone to it that I found captivating. Lady Gaga sets the diva bravado aside for a sweeter tone in “Nothing Else I Can Say”, “Brown Eyes” and “Summerboy”.
So my final remark is that I highly recommend this album. No doubt you have already heard “Just Dance” somewhere, and if it appealed to you in the slightest, then it is worthwhile to give the rest of the album a listen!
“Closer” by Sarah McLachlan
I think I just saw a few drag queens perk up! This album is an anthology of McLachlan’s hand-picked best works throughout her illustrious career, from her albums Fumbling Toward Ecstasy, Surfacing, Mirrorball, and Afterglow. This compilation even includes two previously unreleased tracks, “U Want Me 2” and “Don’t Give Up On Us”, that fans will be eager to hear.
McLachlan’s style was quite different from the other CDs that I reviewed this month. Her songs have a beautiful and wholesome feel to them that is easy on the ears. While they may not be quite as energetic as something by a dance floor diva, her list of awards and acclaims speaks for itself. Perhaps her gentle style is what gave her past albums such wide appeal. How can you argue with someone who has hit 10x platinum on one of album, and multi-platinum on the rest?
Admittedly I wasn’t familiar with the work of Sarah McLachlan until I listened to this CD. Yes, I realize some of you are wondering what rock I’ve been under. Of course the name sounded familiar, and I recognized the melody of “Adia” from way back. Songs like “Angels” and “Stupid” have been popular numbers in the drag scene. So it was just a matter of putting two and two together.
Of the collection I enjoyed cheerful songs like “Vox”, “The Path of Thorns (Terms)”, and some of her more troubled numbers like “Building a Mystery”, “Adia”, and “Stupid”. I particularly liked the pace and instrumentation of “Sweet Surrender”. Of the two brand new tracks, I preferred the bittersweet “U Want Me 2”.
The album plays well as a whole, and can be a pleasant way to relax or even drown your sorrows. And for drag queens who like their classic ballads and heart-string pullers, Closer is a veritable gold mine!
