Concert Review: Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and P!nk.

Hey readers.
I haven't posted anything, obviously, since the Grammy update. I was experimenting with Tumblr (d1esel6.tumblr) and wrote some quick music reviews there. And than I was contemplating closing this blog out, but maybe I just need to revamp how I go about this.

So anyway, I thought maybe I should start by reviewing what I saw this weekend. This past Sunday, the LOGO network had a cool little Pop Diva marathon. They were showing Behind the Music when I woke up (Eve and Jennifer Hudson), and than after that they showed 4 concerts in a row. Concerts that I actually had on my Netflix Q, Mariah Carey's "Adventures of Mimi Tour", Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" and P!nk's recent "Funhouse Tour". I'm pretty sure most of the shows were edited down for time and commercial breaks (I know, for instance, that P!nk not doing "Stupid Girls" or Christina not doing "Genie in a Bottle" was more of an editing thing because to not perform those hits seems strange) but they gave a good indication on whether or not the shows were any good.

Mariah's show, well I give her an A for effort.
"The Adventures of Mimi" came after her big comeback with the album "Emancipation of Mimi" and I think she felt like she had to pull out all the stops. So there were big dance numbers and elaborate set pieces, and her scantily clad throughout. Mariah is great with her interaction with the crowd, that's definitely where she excels. She was fun and funny, and at times genuinely heartfelt. Her voice, at times, was still phenomenal although not flawless. There were times when she kind of fell off the melodies, or just hit the wrong notes, but those were few and far between. And her stage presence, well it ain't that great. I feel like her problem is that she's too overly conscious of every move she makes. Though sometimes she busted out some dance moves that looked really natural on her. At the end of the show, I was satisfied with the concert. She ran through pretty much ALL her big hits and it was fun taking a trip down memory lane (I hadn't listened to "Dream Lover" in I don't know how long and I forgot how much I love it), she even brought out Boyz II Men (well three of the four original members) to do her gigantic mid-90's hit "One Sweet Day". Mariah really did give her all, she really tried and you can't really fault her for the mis-steps, just comparatively it wasn't the best show out there. Obviously great for True Mariah fans like myself.

Rating: 7 of 10

Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" faltered only because she pretty much sang nothing but "Back to Basics" material, and that's not my favorite Christina album.

I respect the album because she truly did go for the sound that she was into and didn't get persuaded to change it, however that R&B meets Old School Jazz meets Pop sound doesn't lend itself well for a big arena tour. I also should add, I think this was the most edited show of the three I watched. I just kept feeling like "Okay, WHEN is she gonna sing a song I know" and it didn't come until the end. (I also got the feeling she was lipping big chunks of her show... I just never heard her BREATHE which is an indication) Where Christina excelled on this show was her confidence and her stage presence blew me away. She was ripping up the stage, and not that she was doing intricate dance moves or anything like that, she just was all over the stage with sass and attitude that was necessary for the material. Even the overall staging of the show was superb, "Makes Me Wanna Pray" and "Candyman" specifically were really well thought out as far as look and utilizing the stage. Towards the end, Aguilera lost some steam it seemed like. She ended with her classic "Beautiful" (terribly oversung) and "Fighter" which I felt was an ODD closer, but it worked. Overall, the show seemed a little disjointed and out of sync (and I think it's because of the LOGO editing) but she LOOKED great, and her stage presence was on point. Better than I expected, but still not all that impressive.

Rating: 6 of 10 (based on the LOGO broadcast which I still think was heavily edited)

Now I saw P!nk's tour in support of "I'm Not Dead" on DVD a few years ago, and it blew me away. I always knew she was a great singer and great performer but that concert was just EVERYTHING you'd want in a show.

Her most recent "Funhouse Tour" took it up a bunch of notches. The stage presence that Christina had, and the interaction with the crowds that Mariah had, combined with some real Cirque du Soleil stunts, true musicality, and wonderful costume and set design really OWNS both the other concerts. I guess the thing that P!nk has is pure energy and not taking herself too seriously. And I should add, true versatility. She goes from Rock Anthems (the excellent cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody") to slower acoustic sets ("I Don't Believe You") to pure Pop extravaganzas (a great rendition of "Get the Party Started") all while joking with the crowd, making fun of her dancing, and being playful with her band. Of the three shows (there was a 30 minute Lady GaGa show I didn't watch) P!nk really just seemed like she was the one actually having fun up on stage, and of course the audience and the viewer enjoyed it more because of it. Immediately after watching, I added the show to my Amazon playlist because I could definitely imagine myself giving that more than 10 viewings.

Rating: 9.5 of 10

Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (20-25)

As I said on my Myspace blog last year when I posted my Top 25 Favourite Artists that I love making lists, I love music, and I love making lists about the artists who make the great music I love. And as the years progress, and the more music I listen to, this list is going to change. This one has just recently been updated for 2009 and includes Four new entries (which means Four artists have lost their spot... sorry Brandy, Maxwell, George Michael and TLC, they can somehow make it back on the list maybe next year.)

So let's get it started...


20. Snoop Dogg

In regards to making my "exclusive" Top 25 list, consistency is an important quality. And whenever I think of Snoop, that's the word that comes to mind. It seems like everytime there's been a lull in his career he comes back Swinging. For every "Snoops Upside Ya Head" or "From tha Chuuch to the Palace" there's a classic like "Lay Low" or "Beautiful" or "Drop it like it's Hot". And save for the few years Suge Knight was trying to ruin his career, Snoop is a pretty consistent albums artists too. The self proclaimed "Uncle" of everyone in the industry may not always be there when you call, but he's always on time with a future Hip Hop staple. And let's not forget, Snoop has probably THE best debut hip hop album ever with "Doggystyle" which is still a must have in any car. He's seriously one of the True Hip Hop Legends.

myTop3 Favourite Snoop albums: 1. Doggystyle (1993), 2. Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), 3. R&G (2004)

21. Erykah badu

I love an artist that is completely unique. An artist whose voice is instantly recognizable and impossible to duplicate. And artist whose image is unpredictable, and who actually has a Personality instead of a caculated Public persona. So knowing all of that, you gotta know that I Love Erykah Badu, who easily qualifies in all the above mentioned categories.

myTop 3 Favourite Erykah badu albums: 1. Mama's Gun (2000), 2. Live (1997), 3. Baduizm (1996)

22. Nas
Nas debuted with one of the most celebrated Hip Hop Albums of all time "Illmatic", and public opinion seems to be that he has been working on topping that success ever since. He's had pretty sporadic hits ever since, and in 2001 during his and Jay-Z's epic "battle" Hov might have made the most accurate statement about Nas' career...

Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divideThat's one every let's say two, two of them shits was dueOne was - NAHHH, the other was "Illmatic"That's a one hot album every ten year averageAnd that's so - LAAAAAAAME!

and at that point, this statement from the same "Takeover" single was probably true...

Had a spark when you started but now you're just garbage.

However that 2001 battle definitley re-invigorated Mr. Escobar's career, with alot of people saying he Won that "battle". That year also saw one of his best (and my personal favourite) albums "Stillmatic" released with the classic "One Mic" as well as countless other thought provoking tracks. Somehow, somewhere during his comeback, he seemed to get the idea that he's the Voice of the Hip Hop generation and that they hang on to every word he says. Not true. I think it's made him a bit preachy in the bulk of his material. "Streets Disciple" "Hip Hop is Dead" and his most recent "Untitled" have certain sparks of genius, but also has him sounding more like a college professor schooling his fans instead of entertaining. Still, he has the talent and skill to keep him a legend for a long time.

myTop 3 Favourite Nas albums: 1. Stillmatic (2001), 2. Hip Hop is Dead (2006), 3. Illmatic (1994)

23. P!nk

Of the current Pop Princesses, P!nk is easily the most underrated. Her voice is so powerful and diverse, she can convincingly do everything from R&B to Pop to Rock. Her personality and image is fun and seemingly genuine. She has really fun big hit singles, and some very deep album cuts. And she is one hell of a performer who knows how to put on an amazing show using all of her talents.

myTop3 Favourite P!nk albums: 1. I'm Not Dead (2006), 2. Try This (2003), 3. Missundaztood (2001)

24. The Doors

This legendary group may have the shortest recording history of all the rest of the 24 acts listed. However in that short span of seven years (they continued the group as a threesome for only two albums after front man and rock God Jim Morrison died in 1971) they contributed some of the most amazing songs in the history of Music. I don't think I have to say much more than "Light my Fire", an Amazing jam session and easily one of the best songs ever recorded. Okay maybe I'll mention some other classics like "People are Strange" "Touch Me" "Five to One" "The End". A truly Amazing band, and the unfortunate death of Jim Morrison actually was fortunate for their catalog as they've delivered nothing but (well maybe except for "The Soft Parade") certified Classic albums and never really had a chance to fall off.

myTop3 Favourite Doors albums: 1. The Doors (1967), 2. Strange Days (1967), 3. L.A. Woman (1971)

25. Mary J. Blige/R.Kelly (tie)

These two are tied because aren't they really the male/female versions of each other. The undisputed King and Queen of 90's R&B Music. Every time they drop an album, it's guaranteed for over 400k sales. And they also both are very consistent with their albums. And they really are both the voice of their generation. What black female in her 30's hasn't been able to relate to at least one or two of Mary's "broken hearted woman" or "woman done wrong" songs ("I'm Going Down", "Not Gon Cry", "It's a Wrap"). Even as she has matured and gotten into to singing about actual love and positivity ("Be Without You" "Just Fine"), the women are still riding with her. And the same with R. Kelly, how many babies were made on the "12 Play" album or songs like "Half on a Baby" or "The Greatest Sex". Kells has been a little slow in acting his age, but even current tracks like "Same Girl" or "Rock Star" have all the men singing along.

myTop 3 Favourite Mary j blige albums: 1. What's the 411? (1992), 2. Love & Life (2003), 3. Growing Pains (2007)
myTop 3 Favourite R. Kelly albums: 1. Tp-2.com (2000), 2. Chocolate Factory (2003), 3. 12Play (1993)

Come back in about two weeks when I'll post my Top Artists from 19 to 15.