Mariah Carey

This CD is filled with upbeat Christmas songs as only Mariah Carey can sing. I've got lots of Christmas CD's, but this is among my top five.

Mariah Carey's classic Christmas album, released back in 1994. This is album has dated very well. It contains her Christmas classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You", I wait every year to hear it on the radio and very seldom I'll pop it into my stereo to hear it anytime. She has a great voice, and I am glad she decided to record this masterpiece back in 1994. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and has sold approx. 5 million copies in the U.S. alone and 16 million copies worldwide.Making it one of the best selling Christmas albums of all time. Other standout tracks include Joy To The World,Santa Clause Is Coming To Town,Silent Night,O Holy Night,and Jesus Born On This Day. Mariah Carey is a great artist, I have always enjoyed her music. Hopefully, she can make another Christmas album one of these days. Keep rockin Mariah!

I absolutely loved this CD, Mariah does a fabulous rendition of Oh Holy Night. It's a must have for any collection.

This is one of the best Christmas albums I've heard. My wife had it on cassette years ago and misplaced it. I tried a couple of places to get it on CD and Amazon was where I found it.....Thanks!

This is by far the most enjoyed CD I've ever purchased! Mariah Carey has an incredible voice. Each selection has special meaning for me and enjoyment! I play this CD often -- at work, in my car and home. It's soothing, comforting and relaxing. I can't begin to describe how this CD puts me in a special mood! Throughout the holiday season, I've noticed the radio stations and stores play several selections from this CD. A real testimony to a great artist! I plan on expressing these sentiments to Mariah Carey. This is going to be a seasonless CD I plan on playing often right into the next season. I never tire of listening to this CD. Its messages are profound!

THANX, MARIAH FOR SHARING YOUR MELODIOUS VOICE! I'll be purchasing her other CDs. Mariah apparently sings from the heart and life experiences!

Blessings & Luv,
Linda

I became officially a Mariah detractor in the last years( with the exception of the great We belong Together ...a masterpiece ). I bought E=MC2 in April because I was buying other Cds and felt bad about not buying it along with the others. I didn't like Touch my Body. For me it is a stupid song and a stupid video. Therefore, the CD was left untouched among several others. However, the first time that I listened I Stay in Love, For the record and I wish you well, I felt that the CD was " Not that bad after all" . Since them, I have discovered Bye Bye and Side Effects. These are the 5 songs that gave me back the faith in Mariah. The one I like the most of them is "I Stay in Love " a beautiful song with a nice beat, catchy lyrics and a heartbreaking finale, that only Mariah can sing. This song is really hard to sing. I have seen many people singing it in You Tube and most of them avoid the challange of singing the high final notes. For me, I Stay in Love is a sleeper hit in the oven that will heat us during the cold 2008-2009 winter season. At least it deserves to be a monster hit if only US radio stations and fans embrace it.

you guys really need to educate yourselves abou this and many other artist.
First of all mariah didnt continue her career to prove to tommy that she would be succesful. she woouldve been succesful anyway! her voice is obviously going to change the older she gets..just like many other singers. Her powerful voice is still there but in many interviews she has said that she doesnt always wanna over do-it just to make "great music". this cd has great music. Its all about the lyrics and she has proven once again that at 38, she's still "in". Hey atleast she can sing.

After reading a few of the review, I think people need to lighten up. For all the diehard early Mariah traditionalists, I think you are seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. There's quite a bit of revisionist history going on. Way back when in the early days, her voice was spectacular, I'll give you that. But she was often commented upon that she oversang numerous songs. Her music was also overly melodramatic. There were popular duds like Vision of Love that drove me crazy, mixed among some spectacular songs. She didn't get to do too many fun songs that had a good melody. Music shouldn't just be a technical exercise. It's supposed to move you. And pulling at melancholic heart strings is not the only way to move someone.

So she transitioned into the person she is today. It was an extremely rough transition with the disastrous albums Glitter, Rainbow, Butterfly, and Charmbracelet. But this album is amazingly listenable. Sure, she doesn't have the vocal range of the past, but almost all songs on this album are enjoyable. There's only a couple filler songs. I'm surprised they opened with Touch My Body which is only okay. But don't let that stand in the way of getting this album. A worthwhile purchase.

As for her midlife crisis, she never really had a fun early adult life. She got married way too early to a man that was way too old for her. And she suffered during those years so people need to cut her some slack and let her enjoy life again. Sure, she's immature for her age, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt because that early marriage to a person will little commonality stunted her growth as a person.

It's no secret that Mariah has God-given, heaven sent ,angelic talent that most of us 9 to 5'ers could only imagine having! She's a musical and lyrical genius, however on her latest effort, E=MC2, I was not as impressed as her last album, The Emancipation of Mimi. On E=MC2, most of the tracks are a testament to the Mariah Carey we all know, hip hop/reggae sounding joints with Damian Marley, Young Jeezy and the overused, yet underrated hip hop/rap mega collaborator, T-Pain. However, it's very rare that when Mariah drops a CD I only like 2 songs on the whole entire album. Unfortunately, my most favored songs are the current hit single, "Touch My Body" and the very melodic, yet catchy, "I'll be Loving You Long Time". This is only my opinion, however, I pre-ordered her CD and was disappointed in it's delivery of the style, lyrical magic, and super talent that Mariah is known for bringing to every CD she produces. It's no doubt the CD will go platinum (if it hasn't already) because she's Mariah - a legend of pure talent and true wisdom of her craft, however E=MC2 does not make the cut for me personally. I am still wondering why for her album release, they had the cover of her album lit up on the Empire State Building?! It would have made more sense to give the previous album that kind of attention, since the skill, time and genuine effort truly went into the "Emancipation of Mimi", instead of E=MC2. Again, this is my opinion - listen for yourself - you might get a different vibe - as for me, I'm still wondering what the E is supposed to equal on her latest release E=MC2 - I wish it stood for "Excellence" but I wouldn't say so for this release.

This album is off the flibbity charts awesome. How? Let me tell you. First the title. When I think of physics and formulas, I think of Mariah Carey. The fact her name has a lot of the same letters as Marie Curie is no coincidence. Mariah is really smart. The songs are cool and talk about love and her body. Those are two things I could put together. I think Mariahs breasts have grown over the years. I just thought I would add that. It doesn't make her music different, but her videos are really cool. The one thing this thing is missing is her really high cackling sounds she used to make more often. She still does it some, but it's not like when she sang "emotion" back in the day. Back then, I fronted a Cameo cover band called Slaugefunger. That's german for freakin awesome. We played Word Up and Oh Sheila all of the time. Burns would play a keyboard solo and then sit on a sit and spin for like an hour. When he finally hurled, we collected bids on it and gave the money to North Omaha. We were great and I still am. Burns is awfully cool too.

Get this CD and you'll want the special at Chachi's steak and pudding.

looove the old school mariah.. just wish breakdown with bone thugs and harmony was included

I really enjoyed all the songs on this CD. If you own her Number Ones, this CD is quite similar to that one. Great easy listening in your home or car.

The CD was just what I wanted, I appreciated being able to listen to the songs before I bought it. It came when it was supposed to. I am very pleased with Amazon.com

I like the album, of course, as I am a huge Mariah fan. I think though they could've added a few other favorites. But nonetheless, still good stuff!

This was a two cd set. One cd had a lot of well known hits and I liked it a lot. The other cd had few songs I knew, and was not nearly as enjoyable as the other cd. But overall is a good cd with lots of hit for the price.

This album really has some bittersweet memories. I love the year 1995 and this album is one of the reasons why. One Sweet Day, Always Be My Baby, and FANTASY are all memorable to me. It makes me think of my childhood. i really do miss the 90s. I definately recommend this album to any new fans. It's the best.

1. Fantasy-i love the sample of tom tom club. it brings really good memories especially the video. It shows a very happy Mariah having a good time. 5/5

2. Underneath The Stars-this song is really cute in a special way. It's about being on cloud nine. Something that we all have felt somewhere in our lifetime. 5/5

3. One Sweet Day-who doesn't know this song??? i hear this on radio alot. it's very bittersweet and meaningful. 5/5

4. Open Arms-i grew up hearing the Journey's version. Mariah's version is pretty good. 5/5

5. Always Be My Baby-yup, i do remember this video. these days, i think it's equivalent to "I Stay in Love". very junior high/high schoolish. 5/5

6. I Am Free-umm...it's okay. 3/5

7. When I Saw You-yea, i have experienced this. like the song said "i could not breathe". lol 5/5

8. Long Ago-yup, this 2. it's about a guy who doesn't display the same affections as before. i love the beat. 5/5

9. Melt Away-oh yea, there were times where i did "melt away" and it felt really good!!!! haha. 5/5

10. Forever-this song sounds kinda 50ish, but it's really cute. 5/5

11. Daydream(interlude)-alright 3/5

12. Looking In-the song sounds very melancholy and haunting as it describes a girl who feels trapped inside. 5/5

Unfortunately, shortly after this album, Carey began lowering herself to the standards of the popular music industry, and at that point, the focus was on sampling, beats and perfect sound.

In this album, the diva is an artist. Her phrasing, her sensitivity in expressing each phrase is masterful. Why, oh why, can't she return to this level?

Very good CD but I prefer the dance versions of Mariah music better. Sometimes her albums are a bit slow and I wish she would pick up the pace a bit. She is capable. I know she can do it. Anyway, Mariah is pretty awesome...I love her!!!!!

After Music Box was released a couple years earlier, it did not seem Mariah Carey could have anymore huge releases. But despite the fact that it seemed her career peaked at that point, she topped herself again, with this, one of her best albums.

1. Fantasy- A fabulous uptempo track that is easy to escape in. A

2. Underneath The Stars- A beautiful love song that is simple, yet sweet. Makes you feel like a young teenager in love. A

3. One Sweet Day- This song got played to death in its day, and while it is a nice song, and very moving, I think the overplaying has made it more skip-worthy than a lot of tracks on here. It still gets an A-

4. Open Arms- Most of Mariah's albums have a cover song on them, and this is the one for here. It's a nice song, and one I did not know about until I first heard it on here, so as far as I know, this is the definitive version. A

5. Always Be My Baby- Another great song that just makes you escape in its sweet lyrics and lovely melody. A

6. I Am Free- Not my favorite track on here, but it's nice. It's about being single and being happy. It's not bad, but very forgettable. B-

7. When I Saw You- Not single material, but a very beautiful and moving love song. B+

8. Long Ago- I'm not fond of this song, mostly because it isn't very catchy or have an interesting melody. Not unpleasant, but forgettable. C+

9. Melt Away- A pretty duet with Babyface, where he more or less sounds like background vocals, this is still a great song. This is a love song for adults, especially with lyrics like "Everytime I see your face I go off." A-

10. Forever- Hands down my favorite track on here. Definitely not a "we're in love and happy song," but more of a fondly remembering a former love song, this is a song that really gets to you emotionally. If you want proof that Mariah can emote, listen. A

11. Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)- Like most interludes, you can skip over this and it won't ruin the flow, but it is still pleasant. B

12. Looking In- Lyrically, this is probably the most introspective song on here, which in retospect sounds like she is foreshadowing her impending divorce and reinvention to R&B goddess, but it is a song that can speak to lots of people. A-

This was Mariah Carey's last full-fledged pop album before becoming more focused on experimenting with her music. Nothing wrong with that, since a fair share of them are great albums in their own way, but if you want straight up pop music without complications, this is her best album.

From the first time my ears heard her voice...i was in love with this talented diva like, American Musical Treasure. This is truly one of if not the best Mariah Carey Albums of all. I am a firm believer in the notion that some songs or artists should NOT be re-recorded...however Mariah does an excellant job of owning, even if only for this album, "Open Arms"...of course the original being from Steve Perry and Journey. There's Something about Mariah and the lyrics "Lying Beside Me"..."one Sweet Day" is a tear jerker for anyone who has ever had to say good~bye to a loved one...great song. "Always be My Baby" is a cute song for the lover in you..."Fantasy" is for the dancefloor with it's sample of "Genius Of Love" from the Tom Tom Club. Another personal fav' is "Melt Away". This is a beautiful woman "working it" with a voice that is another reason to believe in GOD because this voice could have only come from Heaven.

I wanted this CD again so badly but I did not want to pay what the stores were charging. I went to amazon knowing I could find a buyer selling this cheap, well I got what I paid for the CD came in a clear CD case with no front cover. I'm a person that keeps the cases and stores my CD on a rack so needless to say don't buy from the seller I brought mine from.

This is perhaps the most exquisite, perfect album Mariah Carey has ever made. From start to finish, it is pure pop/rnb decadence. From the banging club beats of the opener, "It's Like That" to the soaring, gospel crescendo of "Fly Like A Bird", this album is last rallying call of Mariah's 5-octave powerhouse voice. As her newest album has shown, that voice is all but gone now and little remains of its once glorious power and range. TEOM is it swan song - she lets loose with her famous (or infamous) high notes and full power belts and she sings most songs on the album in her chest voice. The breathiness does pop up now and then but instead of detracting from the songs, it add texture.

The album is a assortment of all different musical flavors - clubbangers like "It's Like That", contemporary rnb like "We Belong Together", "Joy Ride", and "One and Only", classic soul like "Mine Again", "Stay the Night", and Circles", light-hearted disco/pop like "Your Girl", smooth, laid-back grooves like "Shake It Off" and "Say Somethin'", and gospel like "Fly Like A Bird".

The only miss is "To The Floor", a laid-back, club type song with Nelly. It's okay, but takes a while to grow on you.

All in all, this is an amazing album from Mariah. It's certainly her best this decade and possibly the most well-executed and listenable since Daydream.

Unfortunately, we may not get another musical gem like this from Mariah. Her voice has completely fallen apart and she's decided to follow of the path of all the wanna-be Beyoncés and make vapid, soulless music with no intergrity or meaning. Hopefully, she can rise past the current mess that is E=MC2 and come back with another classic Mariah album.

I absolutely love this CD. It is one of my favorite albums ever. I give it 5 stars because I like everyone song, and can listen to it over and over and over again. I just love her voice and her versatility. Mariah fans trust me you will NOT be disappointed. She did her thing on this one.

Together! That's it! I LOVE the danceable tracks in this collection. Let's face it, Mariah's voice is NOT what it used to be. Alas, her music IS better since ole' Tommy Boy left.

1. It's Like That - Dance! Love it!
2. We Belong Together - Not really a ballad lover, but great song!
3. Shake It Off - Dance again! Love it!
4. Mine Again - Bore.
5. Say Somethin' - Slightly danceable. Not that great.
6. Stay The Night - Bore!
7. Get Your Number - Great lyrical fun and danceable!
8. One And Only - Bore.
9. Circles - Bore!
10. Your Girl - VERY boring!
11. I Wish You Knew - BORING!
12. To The Floor - BORE!
13. Joy Ride - I'm sleeping Mariah....
14. Fly Like A Bird - Please, this is trashy gospel.
15. Don't Forget About Us - Fair, but not a #1 as occured.
16. Makin' It Last All Night (What It Do) - Great simple song.
17. So Lonely (One & Only Part II) - Snooze Fest!
18. We Belong Together Remix featuring Jadakiss and Styles P. - STUPID!

All in all, an okay album. I would suggest DLding the dance tracks and SKIPPING the rest.

I love this CD, and it's definitely one of Mariah's greatest CD's. She's an amazing singer!

Although I was not following Mariah's career as close as I used to at the time of this release, I was very excited when I learned that the X-mas videos were going to be available for the first time on DVD (or in any format really). I give 5 stars to the Original Album and performances of the original songs. But I really did not like much the hip-hop versions of some of the songs and the animated videos. Otherwise this would have been a perfect package. But I guess they wanted to portrait Mariah as she is now and not the adult contemporary artist she used to be. My only major complaint is the quality of the new booklet. It seems that they lost the original artwork masters because the new booklet was obviously a copy of one from the old CD and the new track information was just added on the blank spaces because it is much darker in color than the rest. Hopefully next time they will have more consideration in doing a quality booklet, Mariah deserves no less.

One side worked fine as a normal CD.
Then I tried the other side, and was disappointed at first to find that the "videos" were only one picture per tune.
Only later I found that there really were some music videos on the disc, but it takes a little work to find them with the menu system.
So there are really (at least) 3 different ways to play this disc!
I liked the music.

Only reason I give this a higher score than the original is for the DualDisc videos. I paid 11 bucks for this and overall, am satisfied with the 5 outstanding tracks on it.

All I Want For Christmas Is You (Best X-Mas song ever. Made Me tear up twice! No other songs do that!)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Miss You Most (At Christmas Time) Lovely. The second best song here. It's so sad. Deals with longing for love and loneliness with nothing better to do than to think about HIM...*Le Sigh*
Silent Night
O Holy Night

The only filler is Hark! and Jesus, Oh...

Glad I got it though.

Miss You Most is the second best X-Mas track I've ever heard.

4.4 stars.

An astonishing display of vocal range and artistic perfection,no one can even come close.The singing is obviously superb but the dual disc technology is amazing especially for audio and videophiles. If you love mariah or simply love to have a quality holliday cd,get this version..your expensive multichannel hometheater system will thank you.

I love this CD! This is one of my favorite Christmas CD's because there are several good songs. I actually had this on cassette when it was first released and I haven't gotten tired of it after all these years.

I do like that Mariah supposedly "hand picked" this compilation, but what drives me up the wall is the fact the stupid thing is backwards. All the newer songs (bar I Still Believe) are at the beginning and all her later hits are at the end, which makes it very confusing when manually looking for a certain track on the CD player. The track listing isn't on the back, either. It's on the insert. The back just has a randomized list of songs on a bullet chart. If you want to get technical (and I don't really give a crap about the number status of her singles), I believe a hand full of the songs never exactly made it to one on the chart.

# 1's by Mariah Carey was released a decade ago but this album still holds up thanks to Mimi's much loved hits. I was a huge fan of Mariah from 1990-1997. After the Butterfly album I lost interest in her music and image. I think Mariah wrote some of the best pop ballads ever written like Love Takes Time, I Don't Wanna Cry, Hero, and Whenever You Call. This is classic Mariah, just the way I like it.

Great experience. Lightning fast order processing and the used product was even better than expected. I was fortunate to find Mariah Carey in the SACD format at all, much less in such great condition. Woodys-books is highly recommended. Woody Hunt is one of the good guys.

What's hotter than a midsummer's day? Mariah Carey's music, that's what. With the release of the album, #1's (why it's possessive, I don't know), her music becomes revived, a candle rekindled to remind everyone of the strong, robust female voice her body encases, not to mention the fact that she can sing in five octaves and hit a note that no normal human being can ever hit. (Okay, so Chihiro can do it, too, but it's not about her.)

The album encases hits like Fantasy, Always Be My Baby, and Emotions. This is an album must have for any Mariah fan, no lie. Plus, this can act as a distant prelude to her latest album, E=MC²!

When released in the fall of 1998 (during the popular Christmas rush), Mariah Carey already had an impressive number of hit singles on the chart, of which a remarkable 13 (more than half of her hits at that point) hit the top spot. As of this writing, Mariah has since had 5 more songs go to #1, and a couple others chart pretty high, making this collection incomplete. However, this is a great introduction to her career.

The other songs on here (newly recorded for this release) are pretty good too. The best, without a doubt, is her cover of "I Still Believe," which is a touchingly beautiful song. Mariah obviously tried to make this a must buy for her more hardcore fans as well as her more casual fans who just wanted her hits on one release. Thankfully, it succeeds both ways.

While this is not a perfect collection (it leaves out hit songs that did not go to the top), this is the best there is as of this review. Until a more complete greatest hits is released (despite what she says in the liner notes, this IS a greatest hits album), this is a good place to begin.

1993 was a really good year. With janet. and Toni Braxton releasing their great albums. I was only 5 and starting school and meeting my best friend around this album came out. The only two songs I remember from this album were Hero and Dreamlover which were two of her biggest hits back then. The album was mostly comprised of ballads with a few dance tracks, but I didn't find this album to be boring. I find it to be a beautiful masterpiece. I love all of the songs on this album. I could relate to nearly all the songs and they have been inspiring. so let's start out with the tracks, shall we?

1. Dreamlover-i remember watching the video where she was in the cornfields. it was a great summer song to start off the album with. 5/5

2. Hero- this song has got to be the most overated song in Mariah's career. it comes close to Whitney's Greatest Love of All or I will always Love You. lol. but i do like how the lyrics sends out a good message. 5/5

3. Anytime You Need A Friend-I think this song is the underrated version of Hero. It's uplifiting and comforting the same way as Hero. And the lyrics remind me of Janet's Lonely song from Rhythm Nation (also a great album). both songs talk about you can always rely on them whenever you need a friend. 5/5

4. Music Box- i really like how the music box is playing the background. the melody is kind of similar to Just To Hold You Once Again. and speaking of music box, i have one myself but don't know if it still works tho. 5/5

5. Now That I Know-great dance track if you feel you feel very happy at the moment. 5/5

6. Never Forget You-this song kinda reminds me of Boys II Men's End of the Road. it was produced by babyface. i love him and his work! 5/5

7. Without You-i've never heard the original so i can't make comparisons but whatever the original sounds like, i think she did a wonderful job on this song. i could actually feel the emotions in this song. i can so relate to this song. great job, mariah! 5/5

8. Just To Hold You Once Again-i swear Mariah is psychic. it's like she really knows what people go thru. I can relate to these lyrics alot and it makes me cry. this reminds me of something to remember by madonna. both songs say even though i'm not ur lover and friend, i guess u will always be a part of me. 5/5

9. I've Been Thinking About You-great. 4/5

10. All I Ever Wanted-yes, yes, yes, i do!!!! 5/5

With each new Mariah release, I tend to go back to her earlier albums and listen to them again and this time I selected MUSIC BOX. Honestly this was never one of my favorite albums and I didn't actually purchase it until about a year or two AFTER I'd purchased BUTTERFLY.

It is a good, well constructed album that perfectly symbolizes where Mariah stood career-wise at that time. According to her accounts today, she was micro-managed and only allowed to produce songs that appealed more to the adult contemporary market yet I believe this album remains her biggest seller to date primarily due to the touching ballads and her heartfelt delivery of the songs.

Listening to it today, I still love the songs that I loved "back in the day": ANYTIME YOU NEED A FRIEND, HERO, DREAMLOVER, WITHOUT YOU & MUSIC BOX. I also gained a new appreciation for: NOW THAT I KNOW - a fun uptempo track; ALL I'VE EVER WANTED & NEVER FORGET YOU - two beautiful ballads.

Already an established pop phenomenon by 1993, no one thought Mariah Carey could top the success she had. But she proved naysayers wrong by releasing this album, which remains the most successful album of her career.

While nowadays her lyrics are more expressive of her feelings, at this time she used her vocals to show where her mindset was. Here she doesn't seem to use either, and for the only time thus far, Mariah Carey released material that sounds a lot like going through the motions. To date, this is probably her most impersonal album.

That being said, the material on here is top notch. Her two big hits (which still remain two of the biggest hits of her career), "Dreamlover" and "Hero," represent her seemingly effortless ability to appeal to both younger and older audiences. The former is a light, feel good song that just gives you a happy feeling, and the latter is an inspiring slow ballad that is perfect for adult contemporary stations. The rest of the album is set up like that, with songs like "Dreamlover" ("Now That I Know," "I've Been Thinking About You) and "Hero" ("Anytime You Need a Friend," "Without You," "Never Forget You") all mixed together.

The songs are fantastic, as is Mariah's vocals, but this album is more representative of her commercial savvy than her artistic. It's not her very best album, but it is a lot better than some.

I love this album and great vocals. Great songs especially Anytime you need a friend. Mariha's voice sounds amazing, too bad she has been loosing it ever since.

"Music Box" would have to be one of Mariah's greatest albums ever (in my personal opinion, that is.) Here's a review of the songs from this delightful album.

1.) Dreamlover: Such a cool song. It's so upbeat and fun to sing along to.
2.) Hero: A beautiful ballad talking about how there's a "hero" in all of us.
3.) Anytime You Need a Friend: This is a wonderful uplifting song.
4.) Music Box: A sweet ballad with the music played like a music box.
5.) Now That I Know: A good upbeat song that's fun to dance along to.
6.) Never Forget You: One of my favorite Mariah ballads. She talks about how she'll never forget her love. So sweet!
7.) Without You: A great beautiful version of this song originally sung by Nillson.
8.) Just To Hold You Once Again: Another soulful and uplifting ballad.
9.) I've Been Thinking About You: A cool hip\hop-like dance song.
10.) All I Ever Wanted: A beautiful ballad to end the album.

This album is absolutely beautiful. Enjoy!!!

Fans and foes alike might be surprised that there are people on earth who are in neither camp. Somewhere between those melisma-crazed fans who consider her the ultimate diva and those who dismiss her as "Pariah Scary" are the rest of us who may like this song and dislike that one. I for one have always liked "Vision of Love," and might have at one time called it a "guilty pleasure." Nowadays I've gotten so old and ornery that don't label ANY pleasure a guilty one. It is, admittedly however, one of the few titles of hers that I could rattle off from memory. No surprise there, I suppose. The tune has a nice dynamic, and the vocal pyrotechnics that she would become (in)famous for are actually used to good effect.

But still I remain in the "Gee-maybe-she-should-rein-it-in-a-little" camp. That's gotta be hard. You got all these vocal tricks up your sleeve, you're gonna want to show them off somewhere along the line. It's human nature. She's one of the few singers recording today who has that "whistle register" thing going on, so you know she's gotta pull that one out of her hat from time to time. I don't mind a dollop or two (but then I also liked Minnie Riperton), but we really mustn't overdo.

Well, anyway, if it isn't obvious that I haven't really listened much to Mariah Carey's recorded works, then let me state it categorically. I wasn't all that interested. But then I noticed a couple of used CDs for sale REEEAL cheap in local used record store and thought, "Hey, why not? Let's see what all the fuss--pro and con--is about.

Well, listening to it objectively, I've decided one thing: no reason for any kind of fussing at all. This is going to be some people's cup of frothy chai, and definitely not for others. Me, I can take a bit of it at a time. There isn't a single song on the album that I absolutely HATE, but on the other hand, I find myself getting absolutely antsy if I try to play it straight through. Those last three or four tracks start to drag something fierce.

On the other hand if it's on random select, I find I pretty much feel the same way no matter what the song sequence may be. Although I will admit that if you're not exactly sure just when "Vision of Love" might crop up, the suspense can sustain your attention for a time.

I was 12 years old when this record was released. I was immediately enamored with Mariah Carey. I'll never forget enjoying "Vision of Love" on the radio. This is one of my best memories of 1990. Soon after "Love Takes Time" followed. Her voice captivated me. Of course her other hits includes "Someday" and "I Don't Wanna Cry."

Some other gems on the album include "Prisoner", "Vanishing", and "All Alone in Love." This is the Mariah I loved the best, and her voice was in fine form.

This is arguably Mariah's best album, and wow it happens to be her first album, isn't that a shocker? Mariah's first release is void of any rap, besides the strange rap in the song "Prisoner" by Mariah herself. "No mo, no mo, no mo, no mo...ok Mariah you go with that 80's rap. This album is good from start to finish, EVERY song is good, there are no skip-overs which is rare for Mariah albums. I played the cd recently and I realized I actually like some of the lesser known songs like "All In Your Mind" and "Alone In Love" the best. I wish they wouldn't have faded out the end part in "Alone In Love" just when it was getting good, the song should have continued on another minute or so. I would rate every song on this cd 5 stars, Mariah's voice was at it's best and the songs had that romantic love vibe you just can't capture anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, times were so good back then when this was released and it brings back good memories. Probably not for Mariah, but FOR ME.

This would definately have to be my #1 album from Mariah Carey. I grew up listening to Vision Of Love, Love Takes Time, and I Don't Wanna Cry. I never get tired of hearing these songs. These songs are classic. When I listen to more songs from this album, it became my favorite. I just love her voice. Everytime I listen to her, it feels so empowering. I don't care if Leona Lewis can sing, she will never take Mariah's place! I put the star beside each song that I relate to.

1)Vision of Love-this song definately stands out the most. i didn't know that this song was really about the people who supported her. her vocals are great!!! 5/5

2)There's Got to Be a Way-this songs talks about world issues. this song is very underrated. 5/5

3)*I Don't Wanna Cry- omg, I love love love this song! I could relate to it in a way. i like how the song flows. it's slow and serious. 5/5

4)*Someday-great song to dance 2....when ur in the shower :) 5/5

5)*Vanishing-beautiful and sad. just like that lyrics says, i feel distant to someone i cared for. 5/5

6)All in Your Mind- i love the whistle register she does in the end. she really does sound like a singing bird. i don't any singers out there who could do that. 5/5

7)*Alone in Love-the lyrics speak to me. i love the early 90s beat to this song. i wish songs today would sound more like this. 5/5

8)You Need Me- i don't know what to say about this song. i want to like this song. 3/5

9)Sent from up Above- sounds different from the rest. it feels like very adult contemporary and breezy, like i'm lying down beside a palm tree. i wish i can say i relate to this song, but i don't have love to say that. 5/5

10)*Prisoner- i don't know why people dislike this song. she sounds a lil like taylor dayne. i could definately relate to this song. it's all about female empowerment. who needs guys??? and the rap part is cool. I like it when she says "i'm not a doormat, u just a player, that's not my format. c ya!" and "i'm just not the girl u thought i was." 5/5

11)*Love Takes Time- yes, love really does takes time. it takes time to heal. and the video is very beautiful too. 5/5

This album is great. Mariah sounds better than ever. Too bad she has been declining with every album she puts on the market after Music Box came out. In 2008 this is the Mariah I still love to listen to.

This is, in my opinion, the only brilliant album from mariah carey. if you don't know which album from her to buy, don't hesitate, this is the one. Here you will be able to listen to fantastic R&B and hip-hop songs never released in single, such as "the roof" and "babydoll". one of the most interessting songs that you will definately fall in love with is "the beautiful ones", originatelly released in the album purple rain, from prince. In this record mariah manages to sing in her own way in a duet with trey mantaining arrengements that makes you recall "purple rain". Sad, beautiful and brilliant are the words to describe this album. Buy it

Mariah Carey released her Butterfly album at an interesting time in her life. She had just gotten divorced from her record executive husband of 4 years, and used this album as a statement of her independence and the start of a new chapter in her life and career.

Her albums up to this point were of a more pop sounding, adult contemporary nature, and were receiving huge airplay on radio stations. This time around, Mariah Carey decided to add a more R&B sound to her music, which works well for her. It also compliments many of the strongest tracks on this album. "Honey" is the funnest track on the album, which is incredibly catchy, "Butterfly" has some of the better lyrics of Mariah's writing career, "Fourth of July," while a blantant knockoff of "Underneath the Stars" from her Daydream album, is peaceful and romantic, "Breakdown" is slow and moody, and finally, "Babydoll" is very funky and seductive.

Despite the album having some of Mariah's most atmospheric and sexy music of her 18 year (and counting) career, the album does have some major flaws. For one thing, the songs tend to sound the same after a while, making it seem longer than it needs to be. Her vocals, while still good, were also beginning to show a little wear-and-tear at this point too.

All and all, though, this is a great album to relax to and set a calming mood. The album has become of Mariah's most revered releases, and a few listens can make anyone see why.

I must say that Mariah Carey took a turning point and switched genres. Before this album, I would classify her music as R&B/Pop. And From Buttefly to E=MC2, I would classify her music as Hip-Hop/R&B. And While her music has been good since this album, it hasn't been the same Mariah introduced in 1990.

1. Honey is a hip-hop-ish song using samples and production by Sean Combs (Which, when working with Puffy/Diddy, you're most likely to get samples). Sean Combs speaks too much on this track. Plus, it seems a little too sexualized compared to Mariah's material on her previous 4 (Not counting the Holiday Album) albums. 4.5/10
2. "Butterfly" - A classic MC track which reminds me of the MC I was introduced to in 1990. 9/10
3. "Whenever You Call" Same as Butterfly - 9.5/10
4. Breakdown - A Hip-hop track with Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone but it works just like the O.D.B. (RIP) remix to "Fantasy" - 7.75/10
5. Beautiful Ones - A great Prince Remake with Dru Hill - 10/10
6. My All - A great soulful track reminding me of her previous material.

Butterfly and Rainbow seem very hip-hop orientend and it make me wonder if she'll ever release another Vision Of Love. Don't get me wrong, Mariah still releases good music, it's just not as good as her first 4 albums (Not counting Merry Christmas). It's still a good album but it's not worthy of a full 4 stars

Nothing new here!

More big hair, gratuitous midriff exposure, and a sex doll pout!

Somebody get me a kidney dish!

After watching American Idol tonight, and watching and hearing Mariah's newest release - a truly moving number - I'm ready to get back in her corner. It's been awhile.

As a huge Mariah Carey fan, I had always bought all of her albums, But this album, Butterfly, turned me off so much it took a long time to overome it. The opening song, Honey, was so bad, and the video so suggestive and vulgar,
that I was turned off for years, and haven't bought a Mariah album since.

I know that wasn't fair - though not unlike the downturn another favorite, Olivia Newton-John took for several albums. But she has matured in recent years, and is again one of my favorites. So maybe the Mariah I missed is back. I still cannot recommend this album - I believe it is by far one of her worst.

But Mariah is still an incredible talent, and "Bye Bye" is so good, I may give "Butterfly another chance!!!