Mary J. Blige, The Tour (1998)
Mary J. Blige released this thing on the heel backs of Share My World, a very excellent album. I went ahead and got this release because Share My World was such a diverse album but I was genuinely disappointed in the way The Tour comes together.
At first glance The Tour looks like a can't miss with a collage of some of Mary's finest hits. Real Love, Sweet Thing, Everything, and others are all here. But what makes for a great live show misses the mark in an album release. For one thing, the recordings are of live instruments dealing with crowded coliseum acoustical issues. Second, the impromptu verbiage from Mary and her hype man between sets are just a bunch of nitrogenous waste. And lastly, short sets cut up the songs and your favorite part may just get skipped or faded into the next tune.
One could imagine one hell of a ruckus it would be catching Mary live in Los Angeles (where this was recorded). It sure seemed like, in person, I'd have had a blast. The effect fails to transition to your home cd player or your car in the summertime. This is a great find if you can get your hands on it cheap and want something to hum to while you mop the floor, wash the dishes, or shower but it won't set the moods a typical in-studio style MJB joint would.
Rating: 4 Tin Teefs
Buy or Copy: It'd be a nice addition to your collection for when you spend Sunday cleaning the bathroom if you can find it for less than $4 or $5, but I'd copy it if you really want it that bad.
At first glance The Tour looks like a can't miss with a collage of some of Mary's finest hits. Real Love, Sweet Thing, Everything, and others are all here. But what makes for a great live show misses the mark in an album release. For one thing, the recordings are of live instruments dealing with crowded coliseum acoustical issues. Second, the impromptu verbiage from Mary and her hype man between sets are just a bunch of nitrogenous waste. And lastly, short sets cut up the songs and your favorite part may just get skipped or faded into the next tune.
One could imagine one hell of a ruckus it would be catching Mary live in Los Angeles (where this was recorded). It sure seemed like, in person, I'd have had a blast. The effect fails to transition to your home cd player or your car in the summertime. This is a great find if you can get your hands on it cheap and want something to hum to while you mop the floor, wash the dishes, or shower but it won't set the moods a typical in-studio style MJB joint would.
Rating: 4 Tin Teefs
Buy or Copy: It'd be a nice addition to your collection for when you spend Sunday cleaning the bathroom if you can find it for less than $4 or $5, but I'd copy it if you really want it that bad.
posted by Sean at 11:50 PM
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