Mary (CD)

With 7 million albums sold and four #1 R&B singles to her credit since her debut in '92, Mary J. Blige is a full-blown artistic presence encompassing sound, vision, composition and production. With guests including Eric Clapton, K-CI Hailey and Elton John, her landmark new album will again make Mary J. Blige a household name. 1st single: quot;All That I Can Sayquot; (produced, written and arranged by Lauryn Hill). Another highlight is quot;Don't Waste Your Time,quot; a duet with Aretha Franklin.

Perhaps it was inevitable that Mary J. Blige would mature, toning down the raunchier elements of her persona that have been evident since her debut, while repositioning herself as a classicist soul singer. Even so, the sheer classiness of Mary, her fourth album, may come as a bit of a surprise. Blige made a conscious effort to create an album that recalled the classic dawning days of quiet storm yet worked as a unified, cohesive album. That meant that the more overt hip-hop elements have been subdued in favor of '70s soul. There's still grit in the music, but it's been glossed over with a polished production, and she now favors sophisticated songs, including material from such writers as Stevie Wonder, Bacharach/David, Lauryn Hill, and Elton John/Bernie Taupin. Some of these writers were collaborators and others contributed songs outright, but the amazing thing about the end result belongs to nobody else but Blige. It's different, to be sure, but still her -- and it's a rewarding, engaging way to mature. Blige's voice is richer and her skills have deepened, and her new songs, while not as streetwise, are worthy of her talents. Consequently, Mary is a thoroughly winning album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Performer	Mary J. Blige
Music genre	R&B / Soul
Music subgenre	POP R&B
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Original release date	1999
Edition	Standard
Language	English
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Mary J. Blige - Mary [CD]
Track listing	All That I Can Say,Sexy,Deep Inside,Beautiful Ones,I'm in Love,Time,Memories,Don't Waste Your Time,Not Lookin',Your Child,No Happy Holidays,The Love I Never Had,Give Me You,Let No Man Put Asunder
Record label	MCA
Songwriter	Lauryn Hill
Music producer	Lauryn Hill
Track name	All That I Can Say
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N