Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics
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Music Reviews of Back to Basics
Music Review: The 'artiste' is back
Rating: 1 Stars
Aggie's 2006 '20's meets the 00's' double album is the moment in time where the dreadful, shrieking has-been's ego finally grew larger than her nose.
It's another 'reinvention' which means for her, as she's incapable of anything else, the same old sleazy, hard-faced woefully unattractive hooker wannabe as she ruins every song (almost) with her appalling over-singing whilst stripping off in her videos.
As 'Back To Basics' only sold 17 copies, it's unlikely you'll remember anything from it but the typically shocking lead single, 'Ain't No Other Man' made a brief appearance on the charts. Like the rest of CD1, it's insanely over produced and there's not one moment's respite from her horrible voice. She'll sing the chorus, but as she does so, 'another' Christina bellows and screeches gibberish over the top of it! It's like one of her isn't enough! Same thing with any kind of instumental break, there she is again, honking, cooing, just making needless NOISE. She can't bear to be silent for a second.
The low point of, well, all time probably, is 'Thank You', a five minute non-song in which Aggie actually shuts up for a couple of minutes while scores of demented, sorry, devoted fans tell her how great she is and 'thank' her endlessly! You get the feeling Aggie would love to join in and thank herself but does manage to restrain herself. Total insanity, or egomania. I can't decide.
CD2, the '20's, 30's and 40's' one is quieter, but still awful. It's completely bereft of any kind of memorable material and is perhaps the moment 'Xtina' went insane. You'd have to totally deluded to think this kind of rubbish passes as artistry. One track, 'Save Me From Myself' (a cry for help?!), has Aggie just singing the song simply and maybe showing how good she could be if someone would have the guts to tell her to tone it down once in a while. Sadly, it's not all good news as the song is absolute cr%p!
There were no other hits from 'Back To Basics' and Xtina soon slunk away to lick her wounds before returning a couple of years later with a best of album that was incredibly light on actual popular songs.
As I write, Aggie is set to return in a month with her new opus, 'Bionic'. The signs aren't good. The first single, the hideous 'Not Myself Tonight', is the same old noisy, tuneless, oversung crud and would happily fit in on CD1 of BTB. The video is a blatant Lady Ga Ga/Madonna rip off with Xtina reinventing herself as, yes, you guessed it, a tired old scrubber who strips off a lot! Must have took her ages to think that one up!
Music Review: Beautifully crafted songs...... Aguilera has outdone herself.....
Rating: 4 Stars
Back to Basics may not contain the superficial and clichéd beats, empty lyrics and melodies which make up the majority of today's music, but the songs here reflect the effort put it. The creative utitilization of the music from different eras into her music makes this album stand out big-time. As usual, Christina's songwriting remains top-notch, as she tackles subjects of all walks of life; with true-blue human natures, vulnerabilities and the lessons learnt from such experiences, appealing to everyone. However, some songs deserve skipping.
Here is my review for each song:
Disc One
1. Intro (Back To Basics) - 3/5, rather lame intro.
2. Makes Me Wanna Pray - 3/5, the infusion of gospel elements is interesting though slightly tepid
3. Back In The Day - 4/5
4. Ain't No Other Man - 4/5
5. Understand - 4/5
6. Slow Down Baby - 3.5/5, after repeated listens, this song gets rather tiresome
7. Oh Mother - 4.5/5, a heart-wrenching ballad on the pain her mother went through in Aguilera's childhood, the love she has for her mother is expressed in a very heartfelt way.
8. F.U.S.S. - 1/5, completely pointless. Its stupid to produce a track just to express dislike and animosity for someone (Scott Storch). Waste of album production and tracklisting.
9. On Our Way - 3/5, love the lyrics, although the sound on this song is slightly weak.
10. Without You - 3/5, Tepid, though, I like the melody of this song
11. Still Dirrty - 4/5, love the horn blasts, although Aguilera's shamelessness is expressed in the lyrics for this song.
12. Here To Stay - 3.5/5, similar in topic to "Still Dirrty", though is doesn't leave a strong impression on your memory.
13. Thank You (Dedication To Fans...) - 1/5, the worst song on the album.
Disc Two
1. Enter The Circus - 5/5, love this song, although it should have been combined with "Welcome"
2. Welcome - (see above)
3. Candyman - 4/5
4. Nasty Naughty Boy - 3/5
5. I Got Trouble - 4/5, brings you to a whole different era!!
6. Hurt - 5/5, my favourite song on the entire album. It something which I can relate to it 100%. Heartwrenching as well.
7. Mercy On Me - 4/5
8. Save Me From Myself - 4/5, the simplicity and gentleness of this song and vocals is beautiful
9. The Right Man - 3/5
Music Review: Because exploiting the voice is more important than making good music
Rating: 1 Stars
My main problem with "back to basics" is the blatant ego of the singer that infests this album. Christina is not even close to the greatest singer, even in this current day and age. It's fairly obvious that she loves her own voice and wants to express the alleged greatness of it-- not just by riding the scales like Space Mountain but by one of the most narcissistic songs I've ever heard in my life. One of the said tracks, Here to Stay, portrays this beautifully. Also notable is the "Thank you" track, which serves more as a dedication to herself than the fans and their unreal testimonials.
What makes this joke of an album even more laughable is that of all the ditched efforts of making it actually good musically were invested in the appearance of the album cover art, tracklistings, credits, and whatnot. The music is utter garbage. The first disc is a compilation of boring songs that serve no purpose but to show off the singer's supposedly majestic, powerful voice. Something that can't be drilled into our heads enough; in fact it passes on to the second disc. The second disc samples the type of music that it's advertised to be inspired from, but fails to create a memorable listening experience. Why? Because it's nothing NEW.
And another thing: just because one was inspired by talented, soulful, legendary singers of the past does not make anyone a legendary soul singer in their own right. By listening to this album, you are hearing the voice of a girl who never had to break a sweat trying to break into this industry. Now that Ms. Mickey Mouse Club alumna has a man to rest her little head on, it surprises me that she's still hinting about her childhood past. It's easy to assume that she literally has nothing to say about herself, besides her boring relationship with her partner, yet her overt narcissism desperately tries to manipulate listeners into pouring out their sympathy to her. You're hearing the voice of a conceited little brat who thinks she's original and innovative when throughout the span of her career she has done nothing that hasn't been done by somebody else.
Yes, Christina may have a better voice than some of her contemporaries, but that's the result of the fact that people are aiming REALLY low these days. Try out the less marketable but exceptionally talented, TRUE r&b singers who are doing wonderful things in music. Such as Keyshia Cole and Teedra Moses. A great jazz singer and saxaphone player that may be of interest is the lovely Mindi Abair. Go check her out as well.
Music Review: "The one and only....there never will be another...Christina Aguilera"
Rating: 5 Stars
The Back to Basics Intro pretty much sums up how the listener feels after listening to the first note of this record.
As a Christina fan from the very beginning, I have been continually amazed by her versatility. Whether it be bubble-gum pop, soul, gospel, r&b, or even hard rock, Miss Aguilera has always pulled it off perfectly. Her changes always go beyond the studio and into her appearance, so when the world saw The Artist Formerly Known as Xtina ditch her assless chaps and dreads in favor of a "Baby Jane" title, Marylin platinum curls, and siren-red lips, I knew the record would be something unlike anything the world has heard before from the multiple Grammy winner.
Back to Basics does not disappoint. Some criticize the record for being less-personal and raw than Stripped, but really, it is just as honest as the previous record. The only difference is, the artist in question is just happy now.
The newly married Mrs.Bratman is clearly finally finding inner peace, and her husband's love has cured the previously visible emotional scars from her tumultuous childhood.
Songs celebrating her love for her husband and new outlook on life dominate much of the first disc, with songs like "Makes Me Wanna Pray", "Without You", "Understand", and, of course, the Grammy-winning "Ain't No Other Man."
Since Christina refrains from parading her private life in the public, some songs also serve to send messages to her fans about her life. "F.U.S.S." is a completely skippable track, but it serves to answer the lingering questions concerning Scott Storch. "Thank You" is also by no means a hit single, but it's sweet and nicely brought to life in concert.
Many tracks, for that matter, are clearly meant for perfoming. "Nasty, Naughty Boy" is not much to listen to on the album, but when seen live on her Back to Basics tour, you realized why the song was there. The same applies for "Welcome", and the two intros.
Overall, Back to Basics is different, fun, and a display of stunning talent. I speak for many of us when I say that we cannot wait to see what the next album will be like, especially since she is now going to be writing from a totally new perspective: Mommy Christina.
Stand-out tracks are:
(Disc 1):
Ain't No Other Man
Understand
Oh Mother
Without You
Still Dirrty
Here To Stay
(Disc 2):
Hurt
Mercy On Me
Candyman
Save Me From Myself
Music Review: Definitely worth my ten dollars
Rating: 4 Stars
I'll begin by saying that this is a good cd. Will you like every song? Highly unlikely, but you will yourself randomly humming some songs, and just finding pure enjoyment in others. I love Christina as an R&B singer, I think it suits her well, some of her best R&B showings are "Understand", "On our Way", and "Without You". You will be surprised at the level of restrain she shows on some of these songs. This is not to say she doesn't oversing, because she has her fair share of oversinging, but I'm not mad at her for it. The instrumentation and sound of the first disc is seamless and cohesive, but if you're a big fan of the first disc, you may have some problems with the second disc. The sound is completely different with the exception of a few songs. It tends to go back and forth with no common ground.
"Candyman" is incredibly catchy with complex barbershop harmonies and although I didn't like "Nasty Naughty Boy" at first, I found myself going through my house singing "You've been a bad, bad boy..." I like it now- both these songs have an older vibe, not quite the time period she was aiming for, but close enough. "Hurt" is one of her typical, beautiful Christina ballads, and she does it proud. The reason I take away a star is because of her oversinging on the songs "Mercy on Me" and "Right for Me". It is entirely way too much for me to listen to, but the subject matter is important to her, and she could have tried to get her point across in a different manner- preferrably not as loud. The best reason for the existence of the 2nd disc for me is the showstopper "Save Me From Myself", this song is like feeling a piece of Christina's soul. This song is perfect, it is just her...exposed and vulnerable, and absolutely stunning.
Some people have qualms over her singing about her husband, but I would not expect any less of her. Artists should talk about what matters to them, and this man changed her life. Did I get sick of it? Yes, but I understand that she has dealt with her other issues which we became well versed in from "Stripped" and she has taken a different approach to life because of the way this man has given her perspective. I am proud of her, I have always been her fan, and it has been a joy to see her grow, and I cannot wait for the next step in her life.
My Highlights
Makes Me Wanna Pray
Ain't No Other Man
Understand
On Our Way
Without You
Save Me From Myself
Hurt