Before Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul or even Taylor Dane......... - There was Jody Watley. Before I begin my own review, let me say that what one reviewer said was wrong! He/she said in their review that Jody Watley was trying to copy Madonna, Paula Abdul and Taylor Dane. True, Madonna was before Jody as far as a solo artist goes (Jody was already in the music business in the late 1970 s with the group Shalamar) but the other two you named came out AFTER Jody so if anything, they were trying to copy her! In fact, if you count her Shalamar days, she was already in the limelight before Janet Jackson. Even if you don t count her time with that group, Jody was already solo in 1984 and 1985. Janet was a solo artist in the early 80 s but Janet didn t hit big until she hooked up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with her Control album in 1986. By that time, Jody already had hits with both Shalamar and on her own. Look up the dates if you don t believe me!Anyway, for those that want an idea of what Jody Watley was like in the 80 s and early 90 s and don t have the money to buy her albums individually, this is a good place to start. Back to the comparisons to Janet, Jody (in my view) was just as sexy as Janet (or any other female artist of today for that matter including Britney Spears and Beyonce) but had twice the talent both dancing and especially singing (though Beyonce could give her some competition on that score)! The only thing Janet had over Jody was a better marketing team and her last name plus her time on TV as Penny on the now TV classic Good Times and as Willis girlfriend on Different Strokes. Don t get me wrong, I actually like Janet s work but I am just telling it like it is.Back to the CD, it has her big hits like Looking For A New Love, Don t You Want Me (in remix form), Everything, Friends and Real Love. It also has more obscure hits for R & B purists like me like Still A Thrill and Most Of All. Again, if you want know more about Jody or are into good artists who are relatively unknown to the general public, then this is a good one to get.
5 for the HITS, 3 for the recording itself - Nothing can be added that has not already been said about this compilation of best-sellers from the 80 s diva. They are the ones that we most associate with the singer who is in the midst of a comeback, of sorts with the new album, The Makeover.However, this particular collection suffers because the recording emphasiazes the rhythm and bass sections, drowning out Watley s voice, with the exception of the last track, Real Love. The cuts, even though some are remixes, lessen Watley s voice and she s almost inaudible on a few of them.This is a major disappointment for those fans of her (myself included) that are seeking a quality compilation of her best.The major plus, if there is one, is the prose of soul singer expert, David Nathan. The author of The Soulful Divas has crafted very informative and entertaining liner notes that do justice to Miss Watley.
Was Never Impressed with Watley - I never cared for Jody Watley s music and I can see why she was dropped by her record label back in the 90 s. her songs are so lame and boring! nothing fresh, nothing original. she always came off to me that she was trying to be like Madonna, Paula Abdul and Taylor Dane and now she has this crappy new cd out called The Makeover in which she sings tired on songs Like are you ready for this Madonna s Borderline LOL. still trying to sound like Madonn! So pathetic! No wonder her career is down the Toilet!
When dance and r&b were connected - In the late 1980 s, many female singers came in to cash in and ride in on the dance-pop wave that Madonna and Janet Jackson brought back to the forefront after the disco backlash. One of the most significant of the lot was Jody Watley. Although her first solo album came out in 1987, she was no stranger to the music industry as she had several hits with Shalamar in the early 1980 s and was also part of Band Aid. Her debut album went top 10 and launched several major hits. Her followup Larger Than Life (1989) was equally successful. Latter albums like Affairs Of The Heart (1991), Intimacy (1993), Affection (1995) and Midnight Lounge (2003) didn t quite move from shelves the way her first two did, but she solidified that she had a loyal following.From Jody Watley comes the career-defining Looking For A New Love, the great Still A Thrill, the Madonna-esque Most Of All. Some Kind Of Lover and Don t You Want Me are both represented by the single/video remixes.From Larger Than Life comes Friends, Real Love and EverythingFrom Affairs Of The Heart comes I Want You and I m The One You Need (her last top 40 hit)Intimacy is represented by three tracks, but all in remix form (which there s nothing wrong with). Ecstasy, Your Love Keeps Working On Me and When A Man Loves A WomanIf you miss the days when r&b music and club music were more closely connected and hip hop hadn t taken over r&b influence... check this CD out. You will be surprised at how many of these gems you remember.
Excellent album! - When I saw this album back in 1996, I had to get it! Excellent collection of Jody Watley s best songs and hits, from the debut s many hits such as Looking for A New Love to Real Love of the second to the somewhat tepid reaction of songs from the later two albums. Watley proved that she could be competitive with dance queens such as Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, etc. with her series of hits. Her pairing of writing and creating the songs with Andre Cymone continued for the first 3 albums or so. One of the earliest R&B/rap collaborations (a trend popular now), was Jody herself having the always awesome Rakim rapping on Friends. That s still one of my favorite Jody songs. This demonstrates Jody s success with MCA before she started her own label, Avitone records. Since then, she s still getting better, as I played her Midnight Lounge from 2003 a lot! A true star and class act in her own right!