| 
| Manufacturer: Island Def Jam
Buy New: $9.49
Rating:  229 reviews
Sales Rank: 384
Genre: pop-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B00173E672
Publication Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
Formulaic at times, but still wonderfully executed. April 18, 2008
W. E. Phillips (USA)
20 out of 38 found this review helpful
I've been a huge Mariah Carey fan for the longest time, and in hindsight, I must admit that the Glitter and Charmbracelet eras were a bit painful for me. Both of the albums were really not as bad as the critics and nay-sayers were making them out to be. (The movie--which I saw on the first and only day it was at theaters--kinda was.) Nevertheless, the discs were certainly Carey's weakest pieces of work so far and to make matters even worse, it seems to me that the labels always seemed to choose the wrong singles. Even I--an unrealistically hopeful fan used to feigning interest in her music which continued to spiral in quality--was beginning to think her career was over. The first single from her comeback album, The Emancipation of MiMi, "It's Like That" came out in 2004. It was an improvement, but was certainly no return-to-form and it wasn't going to garner any big numbers for her tenth album. I bought it the day it came out anyways, and was surprised with how excellent the album actually was. Others saw this, too, after the stunning success of its second single, "We Belong Together" just days later. And the rest was history. It went six times platinum, got Mariah five Grammy nominations, and single-handedly put Mariah back on the top. And now, after waiting patiently and faithfully for a few years, she has returned with this album, E=MC . While it is quite clear at times that this album has a formula to it (create another "We Belong Together," create another MiMi-like album), it still doesn't take away from the fact that this is another excellent album from Carey.
The bouncy, fun, and flirty first single with those irresistible staccato piano notes, "Touch My Body," is catchy and all, but there are plenty of songs here that stand out more, in my honest opinion. "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is my absolute favorite of the set. The song, built upon a sample of El DeBarge's classic "Stay With Me," is a three minute blast of energetic soul with layered vocals atop a brassy and rhythmic backdrop. "Side Effects" is probably Mariah's darkest song to date. The deeply personal lyrics reveal painful details about her past marriage to Tommy Motolla and the impact that it has left on her and her character: at times a bit mistrusting and paranoid towards those around her. The hip-hop inspired, heavy, grungy and synth-driven production matches the ominous mood in her vocals. On "Cruise Control," Mariah takes a shot at a reggae-influenced track with successful results. The track is a bouncy jam, perfect for those top-down summer drives. "I'm That Chick" is a refreshing 80's pop throwback laced with cool harmonies. "I Stay In Love" is a superb ballad with some incredible ad-libs near the end. "For The Record," which is the song featured on her M perfume commercials, turns out to actually be a heart-wrenching tale of wanting to give an ended relationship another try. "Bye Bye" has been announced to be the second single and, with its universal message about dealing with the loss of loved ones, the inspirational track is a bonafide smash. The touching lyrics in the verses are dedicated specifically to Mariah's father, who passed a few years back. For those who need their fix of old school Mariah, there is the closing ballad, "I Wish You Well." It's just the voice, a choir, and a piano. It is sparse, but absolutely perfect. Of course, Jermaine Dupri and Mariah supply us with numerous tracks ("Last Kiss," "Thanx 4 Nothin'," "Love Story") that once again prove their magic and chemistry together, even if none of the tracks can top "We Belong Together." There are only two songs on E=MC that I don't care for. "Migrate" is alright, but Mariah--one of the best voices in the industry--most certainly does not need to succumb to the trend of vocal enhancing programs. Also, T-Pain (one of my least favorite artists in the music industry) makes and appearance that is annoying, not to mention too long. "O.O.C.," co-produced by Swizz Beatz, also failed to impress me for some reason. It just doesn't catch my ear, that's all.
The bottom line: Some of the critics are right; E=MC is a bit formulaic at times. Parts of the album are clearly modeled after The Emancipation of MiMi or her incredibly successful single, "We Belong Together." Still, there are quite a few tracks where Carey steps out of her comfort zones to explore ("Cruise Control," "Side Effects, "I'm That Chick") and the tracks that happen to be formulaic are wonderfully executed... so I have no complaints. The vocals are a bit more subdued here, but the great belting and high notes are of course still present. The production and songwriting (not always the lyrics, though) are top notch. Overall, E=MC is an impressive, catchy and entertaining album that matches her last one in quality and that will keep Mariah at the top, if not elevate her even higher.
Key tracks: I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time, Side Effects, I Stay In Love, I Wish You Well.
 One of her overall worst albums 3 1/2 stars April 18, 2008
Mikeisha Best (Mitchellville, Maryland United States)
16 out of 22 found this review helpful
Mariah Carey needs no introduction. After all, she has sold over 100 million records. She is either known for her angelic beauty, her beautiful singing voice, or for going to some of the highest octaves possible. Regardless of how you know her, she is one of the most popular figures the music industry has ever seen. Most of the time, she releases quality material, timeless material, very listenable material. I am disappointed with this album as a unit primarily because this album sounds a lot like what was found on "The Emancipation of Mimi" as well as her other works. A few of the songs even sound like her smash hit, "Always Be My Baby." As everyone is well aware, Mariah can do some wonderful things with her voice, but she only gives us a few high notes on "E=MC2." This album is not horrible, it's just "okay."
I was immediately impressed with "Touch My Body." The lyrics are very racy, and the production sounds like a throwaway from one of her past albums, but something about this song works. It is definitely one of the strongest moments on this fourteen track compact disc. The only song that can hold a candle to "Touch My Body" is the magnificent "Last Kiss." This is really a nice song that I play repeatedly, particularly because I like the chorus. Jermaine Dupri shows up one too many times saying stupid things. He should just write and produce for Mariah, but Lord knows he needs to stop saying "MC, what," etc. etc. Enough is enough. "I Wish You Well" is another nice track. Mariah showcases her singing skills oh so well at the end of this song. She did very well and reminded me of the Mariah I was introduced to in the early 1990s. Missteps include "Migrate" and "For the Record." Plainly put, I could not get into these numbers. The rest of the album is alright, but this music is no where near timeless.
I'm a bit hesitant to recommend this album because I know what this artist is capable of. If you are alright with Mariah doing typical R&B and conforming to what music sounds like today, pick this album up. But, if you want Mariah in rare form, if you want Mariah at her best, invest in "Mariah Carey", "Music Box" and "Daydream." Now there is MUSIC on those albums.
Mikeisha's Top 5
1. "Touch My Body"
2. "Last Kiss"
3. "I Stay in Love"
4. "I'll Be Loving You Long Time"
5. "Cruise Control"
 Disappointing April 16, 2008
DFF (Baltimore, MD)
15 out of 34 found this review helpful
What a disappointment. TEOM may as well have been a 2-disc set since this one deviates little from that album. Bad lyrics. Bad melodies. Bad rapping. First two singles are snoozers. Best song is Migrate which is completely destroyed by the disruptive rap.
Went from a fan to I ran (away) in just two quick albums. Bring back 1990s Mariah, please.
where did the song bird go?? April 25, 2008
Angela (New Jersey)
13 out of 20 found this review helpful
used to be a HUGE fan of MC. but that was when she had amazing songs with superb vocals.
"E=MC2" is just another lowly attempt at conforming to the popular music industry of today. nothin in this album is special, simply cannot compare to her old stuff. in fact, it's nothin you have never heard of -- b/c it sounds like everythin else on the radio nowadays. repetitive and bland at best, it does not show her true vocal abilities, which is a big shame.
i fell in love with her music at first because her voice was captivating and resounding. now...she just puts out stuff that is disappointing (especially when juxtaposed next to her 90s music).
if you want music that offers outstanding vocals with fascinating lyrics and varied/distinctive rhythms, then forget this manufactured album and get MC's pre-1998 albums, which will never disappoint. why? b/c none of the songs (almost none) in those LPs is boring and repetitive. unlike the ones in "E=MC2", the old songs have distinctive qualities that set them apart. pre-1998 was when MC had good music the last time. that was when she was THE song bird... oh and very well dignified...which is another topic that i won't get into this here...
if ur not so much of a big fan of hers, i'd recommend getting the "#1's" album, featurin all her old-time faves...very very nice LP, includin masterpieces like 'my all", "hero", "one sweet day", etc.
Another Great Album April 15, 2008
M Felix (originally from 4 places in CALIF throughout 24 years of my life. Now in Tacoma, WA 98422)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Mariah has outdone herself with E=MC . While I find Touch My Body to be one of her worst songs to date, The rest of the album totally makes up for it. "I'm That Chick" is a soulful 70's sounding song sampling Off The Wall by Michael Jackson. "I'll Be Lovin' U Long time" is another great track. I was a little skeptible about listing to it at first because it sampled "Stay with me" by DeBagre and I was worried it would sound exactly like Ashanti's "Foolish" And Notorious BIG's "One More Chance" (Radio/video version) and I hate oversampling but Mariah used a different portion of the DeBarge song. "Last Kiss" (Minus The extra Jermaine Durpi vocals) is a track which reminds me of the Mariah before Butterfly, Before she started working with Sean "Diddy/Puffy" Combs and became hip-hop-ish with her songs. I didn't like "Migrate" when I first saw her perform it on SNL but its growing on me. The best song on the album has to be Bye Bye. In a way, it's kind of like a part to to "Sunflowers For Alfred Roy" from Charmbracelet. She sings about losing someone and since I just lost my mother in October of 2006, the song really spoke to me. Other than not liking "Touch My Body", E=MC is a great album.
My top 5 songs
1. Bye Bye
2. I'm That Chick
3. I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
4. Last Kiss
5. Thanx 4 Nothin'
|
|
|
