Customer Reviews

I Look To You

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Considering all that she's been through over the past decade, the fact that she's pulled herself together and released any music at all would have likely been significant enough to merit a "comeback". However, this album is not just any music - this is Whitney at her diva best. For fans of her critically acclaimed "My Love Is Your Love" album, this will be welcomed into your collection with enthusiasm.

Whitney Houston, at one time, possessed the most incomprehensibly astonishing voice in modern pop history. She could belt and trill and riff and run with such ease that it, at times, could seem otherworldly. Countless popstars would be influenced by her style, from Mariah Carey to Beyonce, to Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, etc ad nauseum. She is a singular force in pop music when it comes to THAT VOICE.

What I always thought was her greatest strength, however, was not that she could hold a note for 20 seconds or skip up to her highest falsetto without the slightest effort. No, I have always believed that Whitney's greatest strength lied in her phrasing, her lyrical interpretation, her choices regarding when and how she would use that marvelous voice. She never delivered a vocal run simply for the sake of doing it - it was done with purpose; no doubt a trait she learned from her accomplished mother, Cissy, or from her god-mother, Aretha Franklin.

And so while I'm sure many reviews will note the dramatic change in Whitney's voice on this album - I'm not bothered at all. Sure, she may not hit the notes with the same ease as she did 20 years ago ... and sure, she sounds a bit rough 'round the edges at times. But her phrasing and interpretation are Classic Whitney, and the more-personal-than-ever-before lyrics let Whitney pour her heart and soul out.

Just listen to the songs. Whether it's a tale about picking yourself up after going through some may-juh drama on "I Didn't Know My Strength", to a Zen-moment of letting the hate roll on by with "Nothin' But Love" to the final kiss-off of an old flame gone out on "Salute" - this album is essentially Whitney Houston telling us a story. Not just any story - but her own story. She's looking to us for support, for acceptance, for love, for a second chance at re-claiming her rightful place as the Queen of modern Pop/Soul music.

After listening to the songs on this album - everyone one of them single worthy - I will look back at Whitney and say, "I'll Always Love You".

I love Whitney Houston's new cd; it's very powerful and inspiring. However, I should raise a flag for this cd. There are technical problems with some tracks. In my experience with two of " I Look to You" cds, there are interruptions with tracks 1 and 3 during play. I still continue to find a perfect functioning cd!!

Musically speaking, this is Whitney's most solid album yet. Every song is good, in fact, each song can be released as a single. Vocally, Whitney sounds great, however she doesn't do vocal acrobatics like she used to. She sounds strong and beautiful, but she doesn't oversing. This could be seen as a good thing, but for some Whitney fans who love her for her huge notes, power and range, they might be disappointed. Not me, I love this album and I can't stop playing it. This is a great mature pop/r&b album and every song is unique. Highly recommended.

When one reviews a new release from Whitney, one has to remove the ARTIST PERSONA from the product.

Whitney is amongst the rarest of recording artists who elegantly acquired a long career in the music industry solely based upon her natural talent to interpret lyrics and a melody line.

As opposed to her personal life wavering out of control in the public eye, she never once orchestrated artistic controversy to promote and hype her musical products.
There has never been any gimmicks surrounding Whitney - simply her vocals, the songs and her sheer artistry to deliver lyrical content.

It has been 22 years since Arista first released her second CD, "WHITNEY".
In 1987, a youthful Whitney was vocally ascending toward the top of her game as an artist.
It is now unfair of the public & physically impossible for the artist to accomplish the indistinguishable performance level she achieved in the past.

As a genuine belter, she no longer sustains the vocal dynamics and range she once effortlessly achieved yet she can still manipulate lyrics and transmit raw emotion to her public - one has to only run through "I LOOK TO YOU" to attest to this reality.

In 2009, one must audition & review Whitney's new release on the basis of the work presented upon the compilation.

The bulk of the material on "I LOOK TO YOU" is intentionally manoeuvred toward the past.

The production attempts to hopefully reconnect Whitney with her public.
Tracks have been commissioned to remain on safe ground and therefore sound non contemporary by the standards of current TOP 40 radio in 2009.

The fact this diva now possesses a warm lower register, as demonstrated throughout this release, may impact the overall level of appreciation from fans anticipating to hear Whitney perform with the same angelic tones of the bygone "I will always Love You" era.

The main issue that I have to gripe about with this release is CLIVE DAVIS.
He remains at the head of production on this CD and has a dated vision of his artist, Whitney.

To best orchestrate a Whitney comeback, one should adventurously challenge the talented vocalist & seek out new creative inspiration from new sources - a newer generation of producers that currently impact the sound at TOP 40 radio.
*** A good option to produce Whitney could have been enlisting the services of TIMBALAND who produced massive hits for NELLY FURTADO, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE etc.

~> Her track "LIKE I NEVER LEFT" with AKON misfires despite the fact that AKON is currently one of the hottest recording artists on the planet. The production of the song was unfortunately done "safe and predictable".

~> MILLION DOLLAR BILL is a great urban pop track composed by Alicia Keys however there is not enough of the same included on this CD to forge and establish a new identity and signal a true comeback for the artist.

Sure it's pleasant to once again hear David Foster produce a Diane Warren track "I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGHT" - while a powerful track to showcase live it's highly doubtful this track could currently acquire interest from Top 40 radio.

Fans of WHITNEY should purchase this CD with some reservation as they have to accept the reality of time, life and age finally catching up with their diva.

The best hope for generating serious interest from Top-40;

* FOR THE LOVERS
* NOTHING BUT LOVE
* MILLION DOLLAR BILL
* SALUTE (note: this track screams to be remixed ~ and not by CLIVE DAVIS)

I'm so rooting for this album. Can't stop playing Million Dollar Bill and I Look to You while driving!!! I'm totally going nutz about this album!! LOL Welcome back Whitney -the voice!

xxx

This album is so great. The songs are amazing and Ms.Houston sounds great. This is a new Whitney, and she a force. welcome back, it was worth the wait. OMG I can't stop playing this album!!!

And that problem is Arista overlord Clive Davis. Ms. Houston SHOULD have let Davis sit this one out so she could make an edgier, more honest record out of her well-publicized troubles, but instead she plays it safe, belting out cliche after cliche and adhering to the standard Davis playbook every step of the way. Still, "Million Dollar Bill," "Nothin' But Love," and the bitchy closer, "Salute," have just enough spice to justify a purchase.

Miss Houston has paid a heavy price for her life style. As is evident to many that wonderful voice has been abused to the point that on this recording her voice is broken, off key, out of breath and volume. Yes, we can all cheer that she is brave to try a comeback - but at what price. I would rather remember the voice of the early 90s.
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A nice try by Whitney, but her voice is a thing of the past. Just witness her recent disastrous performance in Central Park where she blamed Oprah for her poor singing voice!

This CD is filled with pleasant, but forgettable music. It unfortunately serves as a reminder of the talent she used to be.

Listening to "I look to you", Whitney Houston's new album after a long hiatus, it's easy to understand why her fans are applauding her return to music. In spite of its ups and downs, this album is easily the best thing Whitney has recorded since the soundtrack to "The Bodyguard".

The album is a near-perfect blend of old school and contemporary R&B, cleverly avoiding the predictable hip-hop infused sound that litters so many albums nowadays. In fact, with the exception of the annoying guest vocal spot from Akon, the album actually does very little to follow current trends; it's soulful without retorting to endless vocal runs, and it more than holds it own when you compare it to music released by younger acts. Songs like the engaging "Million Dollar Bill" or the melodic "Worth It" are both strong contenders for the charts, while the ballads "I Look To You" and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" bring Whitney back to the sound that she shouldn't have neglected on her post-Bodyguard releases. "Call you tonight", "Nothin' but love" and "For the lovers" are as slick and urban as anything you'll hear on the radio; and while her disco-stomping cover of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" won't overshadow the memorable rendition of the Carpenters, it's a surprising take on a well-known song. "Salute" concludes the album on a pensive, longing note; as do many songs, it touches on Whitney's troubled years without getting into details, but reveals the pain that this woman has gone through and her resolve to overcome her personal demons. This restraint is admirable, since it would have been easy to turn "I Look To You" into tabloid-feeding fodder. It's probably her most personal album yet.

Much has been said about the fact that Whitney's voice is not what it used to be. Part of that is true : the thrilling high notes of yesterday have turned into a huskier tone, and she obviously avoids going for the vocal pyrotechnics that highlighted such classics as "I will always love you" or "Greatest love of all". This said, her new, deeper vocals are extremely appealing and still as expressive as they ever were. The material selection could have been a little better, a little more on the melodic side of things; as contemporary as they are, tracks like "Call you tonight", "Nothin' but love" and "For the lovers" sound a little flat, while the uneventful "I got you" stands out as the album's truly weakest link. Now that Whitney has demonstrated that she can still make beautiful music, it would be nice to see her producers matching her voice with material worthier of her talent.

Given the fact that this album just entered charts around the world at the number one position, it seems fair to say that this album is still a warm and surprising from an artist from whom not much was expected anymore. Welcome back, Whitney !