Revisiting the Classics: "Circle of One" by Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams was introduced to music fans as a guest vocalist on Tears for Fears' 1989 album The Seeds of Love. Adams made such an impression that a debut solo album was inevitable. Circle of One was a smash hit for Adams in 1991, bolstered by Adams' popular version of Brenda Russell's Get Here.

Circle of One remains a very fine album, and while some of it sounds dated, it still holds together thanks to Adams' stunning voice. Her soulful voice was one of the last great voices to adorn radio. Sadly, Adams is no longer a strong presence on radio, and she only records sporadically, a shame considering her talent. But in 1991, it was hard to resist Circle of One, and songs such as the up-tempo "Rhythm of Life" and the jazzy "You've Got to Give Me Room". This is definitely one album worth having in your collection.

Mariah tops Elvis record

Mariah Carey's latest song "Touch My Body" has hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making this her 18th number-one smash, and thus, beating Elvis Presley's streak of 17 number-one songs. This makes Carey the first solo artist to score 18 number-one songs. She has yet to beat the Beatles' record of 20 number-ones.

I have to admit I have never been a big Mariah Carey fan. She produces great songs (and "Touch My Body" is another winner), but I have always found her lacking in personality. I also find her a lackluster live performer. I saw her live on her last tour in Toronto, and her voice, obviously strained and weakened after her famous breakdown in 2001, was croaky and it cracked throughout. She also seems uncomfortable on stage, flailing her arms, and walking around the stage aimlessly. For someone who has been in the biz for so long, she should be a stronger live performer.

But I've got to give props to Mariah. She has a knack for making classic songs, and while I'm not a big fan, I have bought many of her songs ("Always Be My Baby", "My All" and "Don't Forget About Us" are my favourites). She'll undoubtedly have more hits when her new album E=MC2 is released later this month.

Then, she may just beat the Fab Five's record.

TMZ is disgusting

When I set out to do my blog, one of my goals was not to create a gossip site. How much more negativtiy and shameless reporting do we need? However, I am human, and I have visited some of these sites, but I don't want to write like them. Today I read on TMZ one of the most disgusting pieces of "celebrity news" that I have ever read. I have debated whether or not to post a link to this filth, but to make my point, here it is. What is sad and tragic news is treated with insensitivty, rudeness and a brazen (and failed) attempt at humour. Shame on you, TMZ!

http://www.tmz.com/2008/04/01/mom-of-former-idol-finalist-dies/#comments

**UPDATE: TMZ had a "vote" where posters could vote whether they went too far. If the overwhelming response was "yes", they would take down the offending line. They did. Perhaps this was a way for TMZ to get some publicity. Case in point, I'm writing about it :-( I will do everything in my power to make sure my blog is not like theirs.

By the way, what caused such an uproar was TMZ posted a story about American Idol Elliott Yamin's mother passing away. The closing line caused the ruckus:

"Yamin finished in 3rd place in 2006 on "Idol," behind Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks -- who, like Mrs. Yamin, will never be heard from again."

Disgusting!

Fierce!

Last night, Canadians finally found out who won this season's Project Runway. Since the finale already aired in the U.S. weeks ago, most of us knew that Christian was the winner (thanks to the results being posted on the Net). But even if you knew what the outcome was, the finale was still enjoyable. And I believe the judges made the right decision. Christian's collection was HOT! Yes, there was too much black, but the designs were well executed, and the two-tone pieces were stunning, smartly saved for the end of Christian's collection. As for Rami and Jillian, their collections were pleasant, but they didn't wow me like Christian's did. Perhaps Christian's won because his was the flashiest, but I didn't want his collection to end. And having Victoria Beckham as one of the guest judges probably helped Christian, since his collection was best suited to her fashion sense. Christian is still very young, so it will be exciting to see his future designs.

In Praise of Linda Gray

Warner Bros. has released the first eight seasons of the classic soap Dallas on DVD. Next up will be the release of the infamous Season Nine, better known as the "Dream Season". If you lived through the '80s and watched Dallas, you'll remember season nine, 1985-86, as the "dream season." In the season eight finale, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) had been mowed down and killed by crazy Katherine (played by the fabulous Morgan Brittany). But ratings fell during the '85-86 season, so it was decided that Bobby Ewing would be resurrected from the dead by having Pam (played by Victoria Principal) "dream" the entire season, so he could return in the season ten premiere in '86.

While a lot of the Dream Season was pretty silly, it did have some merit. In particular was Linda Gray's performance as J.R.'s long-suffering wife Sue Ellen. In season nine, alcoholic Sue Ellen hit rock bottom, and Gray was given some great material to work with. In previous seasons, Gray had been sensational as a drunken Sue Ellen, but she hit new peaks in season nine, giving an Emmy-worthy performance in addition to adding some grittiness to the show. So, yes, season nine may have been a dream, but Gray's performance was the real deal. Here are some highlights.

Best Album Covers

I still love to collect vinyl, not just for the music, but also for the incredible album covers. There are some album covers which are more famous than the actual albums they adorn (case in point, Debbie Harry's Koo Koo). It's hard to say what makes an album cover "art", but here are some which are unforgettable; whether for great photography and/or paintings, iconic images, controversial images or simply for being bold and taking a risk. What are your favourite album covers?