A potentially enthralling concept; an Earthling gets stranded alone on another planet; is ruined by hackneyed movie-making. The biggest problem is that in a story that relies on tension and suspense, there is little to none.
Nasa astronaut Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars after a botched expedition, but you never get the sense that he’s in any real danger. Even if you did, you probably wouldn’t care. His character is mostly irritating.
my rating : 2 of 5
2015
Sade claims it’s No Ordinary Love, but it kind of is. It’s the romantic kind most singers sing about, albeit a Deluxe version of it. The fact that not every song on the album fits that theme; Feel No Pain and Pearl deal with the stresses of poverty; throws things off a bit. That’s if individual concepts even matter when the music sounds this good.
The vocals, on all but the one song that doesn’t have any, are accommodated by what I’d describe as gentle mood music. It’s mostly jazzy quiet storm stuff, but a couple of songs, arguably the best ones, rely on not much more than a soundscape of strings. That said, while the set isn’t alluring enough to fall in Love with, I do like it.
my rating : 4 of 5
1992
“Why do we do this to ourselves,” a Mount Everest climber asks another, “It’s crazy.” Though all they really get for reaching the highest peak on Earth is the satisfaction of knowing they did it, that last bit isn’t necessarily true. It could just be stupid. It seems, if they’re not on secret suicide missions, it has to be either one or the other. When you reach the so-called Death Zone, you’re guaranteed to start dying from lack of oxygen. Even with a full “O” mask, you could just as easily fall or freeze to death.
Everest is based on the true story of several climbers getting caught in a deadly blizzard, but you’d be better off watching one of the many documentaries covering the 1996 disaster. This fictionalized version never gets far off the ground. There’s a poignant phone scene near the end, but nothing in the storytelling invokes much compassion for the cast of foolish or crazy characters. So much for suspense. Consistently hearing them breathe and grunt as they climb only adds to the annoyance.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
This is E-40’s first EP in over 20 years and that’s a bit of a relief. He’s been putting out a ridiculous amount of songs lately. His newest sets; Revenue Retrievin, The Block Brochure and Sharp On All 4 Corners, the latter of which is to be continued, include 202 full-length songs between them; not counting two albums with Too Short and all the aforementioned bonus tracks. So Poverty And Prosperity, featuring a mere seven songs, is, at least, an easy listen. Less isn’t more; that phrase never really made sense to me; but when it comes to sets of songs, it is often better.
Unfortunately for long-time fans like myself, E-40 is still stuck in what, at this point, seems like a never-ending rut. Forget the hackneyed hooks. Mr Flamboyant, The Mail Man, has gotten a lot less so with age. Compare this EP to the other two. When’s the last time E-40’s went off on a Hoe? He’s wiser than ever and his nostalgic flashbacks remain charming, yes, but his flashy personality has been humbled to the point of vapidity and his Christian sentiments, which used to come as a tolerable underlining, has become overwhelming. This is essentially gospel rap.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
Dammn Baby. You made me wait seven years for this?
I was liking every Janet Jackson album until Discipline. This new one, entitled Unbreakable as if her brother Michael didn’t already use that comeback concept, is worse. Janet Jackson is back with producers Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis and I’m delighted; she should’ve never abandoned them; but even their glossy craftsmanship can’t transform a mediocre song into a good one. Black Eagle, for example, sounds gorgeous when it takes off, but it doesn’t do so until pass the halfway point. By then it’s too late. Elsewhere the album is a surprisingly disappointing affair.
Janet Jackson has long since had a talent for vocal melodies. “Soon you’ll be having fun,” she teased on All For You; her best song on one of her best albums; and it was a joyous experience. Then, while the rest of the world focused on her tit; that whole Superbowl thing being blown ridiculously out of proportion is a prime example of why I hate “PC” America; I was jamming to the Damita Jo project, her other best album. I like 20 YO too, but she seems to have lost her knack between then and now. These choruses; Gon Be Alright sounds like a reject from Jill’s Scott newest album; lack oomph.
Broken Hearts Heal is about Michael Jackson. Unlike LaToya, I’ve never heard Janet badmouth him and she supported him during his criminal trial, so the sentiment seems genuine, but the dedication isn’t anything special. Jimmy and Terry do a splendid job with the music, as usual. It’s the vocals, again with the chorus, that disappoints. Is It Scary, a Jimmy and Terry song by Michael Jackson, is a masterpiece. Nothing here comes close. Even Scream is better than this stuff. Invincible, Michael’s worst album, which also begins with a weak song entitled Unbreakable, is better than Unbreakable.
That means the album title isn’t true. From the sound of it, Janet is indeed breaking. Not bad; I don’t hear anything terrible here; but bad enough to need a fix. If it isn’t being reunited with arguably the best duo producers in pop music history, I don’t know what it could be. Though some songs are suspiciously short, there’s only one interlude and she’s not talking on it, so she’s wised up in that regard. Her harmonies still sound incredible. She’s older, but her girly voice is still there. Even the vibe of the album sounds like classic Janet Jackson. The songs simply don’t hold up.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
Amazon Customer :
Preach!
TVonDVD :
You read my mind … totally agree..
The best part of this ballad is during the first chorus section when the drums break and Lianne La Havas harmonizes over a charming melody Prince was wise enough to loop. Every chorus section should sound like that, but the drums continue on during the others, which puts a damper on the song’s otherwise enchanting vibe.
my rating : 4 of 5
2014
Damn. I know Janet is a VIP and everything, but why’d she have to bring Missy? The rapper’s annoying vocals add almost nothing of value to this song; another dance club anthem. Janet Jackson has many. This isn’t one of her best.
The beat, led by what may as well be the first second of Vanity’s Nasty Girl looped, is “hot” enough; it’s just that the song itself isn’t anything special. It sounds more like a Discipline reject than vintage Janet Jackson.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
The helicopter pilot sent to haul away the remains of Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend after they were eaten alive by a bear suggests that Treadwell was a retard who got what he deserved. Perhaps that’s true. If he wasn’t suicidal, and it doesn’t seem he was, he had to be either stupid or crazy on some level to do what he did for so long. Not to mention his eccentric personality. Imagine Andy Dick camping out at Katmai National Park, talking to and interacting with wild grizzly bears as if they were harmless pets; no gun or anything to protect himself if one decides to attack. He loves those bears, he repeatedly insists, and lucky for us he was thoughtful enough to capture his antics on video.
It’s only fitting that someone made a documentary about him, but Werner Herzog wasn’t the right man for the job. Instead of an objective presentation, he inserts his own opinions, which portray Timothy Treadwell as someone to be admired. The worst part is when Herzog shows himself listening to the final minutes of Treadwell’s life; an audio tape of him and girlfriend Amie Huguenard struggling against the bear who ate them; without letting us hear any of it. Instead he starts to cry and tells the woman playing it that it should be destroyed. What an idiot. People like him shouldn’t be making documentaries. This one would be better if it were a lot shorter and stuck to the facts.
my rating : 3 of 5
2005
This “love” ode, a dedication from Janet to fans and friends, sounds like it’s going to be another banger until the chorus comes in and ruins everything. It’s not awful, but it sounds like it belongs on another song. The contrast is jarring enough to make what the title suggests should be something special a bit of a mess.
Michael Jackson made the same mistake on his last album, which also begins with a song entitled Unbreakable. Both are disappointments from artists capable of so much better, but Janet’s has better music. In a battle of the beats, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, or either one, beats Rodney Jerkins just about every time.
my rating : 3 of 5
It’s marketed as a Mens shirt, but, as far as normal fashion goes, it’s more suitable for a woman. The collar is huge, the front pocket is distracting and the back hook is unnecessary; it would be better as a plain shirt; but those are relatively minor complaints.
The main problem is that the thin material it’s made of is so prone to wrinkles that even trying to iron them out is a frustrating experience. Forget taking your shirt off, tossing it somewhere and putting it back on later because you’d have to iron it all over again.
my rating : 2 of 5
Scarface claimed Emeritus would be his final album. Even at the time, I thought it was bullshit. A lot of rappers claim to retire only to return to the game. Scarface isn’t the first and probably won’t be the last. Still, while I would’ve much preferred a Geto Boys reunion, it’s good to hear him back.
When not in menace mode, shooting death threats at snitches and “crackers”, which makes him as racist as the racists he stands against, his lyrics can be poignant. The best songs include God, Keep It Movin and two others I can’t factor in because they’re only included as Best Buy bonus tracks.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
You wouldn’t know by looking at the cover picture; a heavily-edited photo of her face in makeup and fake eyelashes; but Jill Scott is, apparently, a woman. I’m not sure why that matters, except for the fact that this album, as most from the soul music genre, is enveloped around the concept of romance. Almost every track touches on those kinds of relationships. Even the first song has the singer getting Prepared for a future beau. The presumption is that she’s heterosexual, or at least bisexual, and I guess that’s where her gender comes into play.
There are more notable songs. Jahraymecofasola is sweet, even if its title isn’t, and Say Thank You sounds like a relic from the 1970s. It’s no coincedence these songs are produced by Andre Harris. He’s a wonderful musician. Jill Scott can be a wonderful singer, but she’s not consistent. It’s not her voice but the melodies they carry that aren’t always up to par, especially during the chorus where it counts. The Lighthouse falsettos are annoying. The Aaron Pearce songs are bombastic. Cruisin, a nice summer breezer, deserves a better hook.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015