200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS : #47. Continues later this week.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#47

WHITNEY: WHITNEY 

 

 [1987] 

'Whitney' was the 2nd studio album released by gifted vocalist Whitney Houston. Her debut LP had been massive. This follow-up served to consolidate the singer's position among the leading pop acts of the 1980s, alongside the likes of Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson. Her R&B following had to contend with only a few songs in that genre, while Houston gravitated more towards dance/ pop and AC. In hindsight, there are some lacklustre songs, such as the misguided cover "I Know Him So Well" (a duet with her mother Cissy Houston), "Love Is A Contact Sport" (like a post-Diana Ross Supremes reject) and "For The Love Of You". These tracks are simply unworthy of a vocalist of Houston's calibre. That said, this album does contain some memorable moments. These include no less than 4 US #1 singles. The album's best known track is the dance / pop classic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)": a wise selection with which to commence proceedings. Houston shifts to vocal overdrive with the radio-friendly AC highlights "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "You're Still My Man". It's back to party mode with "So Emotional". Another chart topping ballad, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", sounds too similar to "Miss You Like Crazy" and other adult contemporary songs of that era to stand out. Houston was back with 'Whitney', now poised for even loftier heights in the 1990s as both a singer and actress.

Highlight tracks: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me); You're Still My Man; Didn't We Almost Have It All & So Emotional.