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SOUND AFFECTS
Exhausted Carey lost her golden touch on 'Glitter' ROSS RAIHALA Originally published Sept. 14, 2001
Poor Mariah Carey.
Just as the 31-year-old mega-diva enters what may be the most vital point of her decade-long career, she's fallen apart in an extremely public fashion.
After her July hospitalization for a "physical and emotional breakdown," Carey's new album "Glitter" -- her first on new label Virgin Records -- and the accompanying film of the same name were pushed back a month in order to give the star time to rest.
With the record finally out this week and the film, her first starring role, due Sept. 21, Carey has yet to fully re-emerge into the public eye. She canceled a round of post-breakdown interviews scheduled this week.
It's inevitable, then, that all discussions of "Glitter" will use Carey's unfortunate mental state as the basis for glib, pop-psychological analyses of where it all went wrong for the once nearly untouchable superstar.
That said, "Glitter" -- the record, at least -- is a mess.
The "photos" that decorate the sleeve are but the first clue to what's inside. They show a harshly airbrushed and overly tweaked Carey who barely looks human with her giant cheekbones, miniscule waist and fashion-accessory breasts that morph in size and shape to fit each pose.
Through an increasingly ridiculous succession of takes on '70s fashion at its sleaziest, Carey has seemingly exhausted the number of ways one woman can appear in public with only the tiniest possible amount of fabric stretched across her naughty bits.
And while Carey's records have never been troubled by artistic genius, she can usually manage a decent hook or two. Not here.
Back in 1995, Carey took a mildly groundbreaking detour from typical pop-star behavior when she recruited Ol' Dirty Bastard to rap on a remix of her single "Fantasy." She has since repeated the trick numerous times -- as has everyone else. Jennifer Lopez employed Ja Rule for her recent chart-topping hit "I'm Real," while Janet Jackson pulled in Jermaine Dupri for her own "Someone to Call My Lover."
Carey, meanwhile, grafts 10 hip-hoppers onto four "Glitter" tracks -- a move not only overly tired, but rather anachronistic given that the album is a soundtrack for a film set in 1982.
Nothing on "Glitter" even approaches the goofy appeal of past Carey hits such as "Heartbreaker" and "Honey." Instead, the record is a clumsy collection of derivative hip-hop, mangled cover versions and soppy ballads -- all so slick and over-produced they'll leave your ears sticky with goo.
Carey was famous from the moment she stepped into the spotlight. Her 1990 debut album has sold 8 million copies in this country alone, and she's followed it with a record series of No. 1 singles.
For much of the decade, Carey was intimately involved with Sony Music president Tommy Mottola, a man 20 years her elder. The couple's 1998 divorce followed years of rumors that Mottola ran Carey's home and career with an iron fist. Carey responded by sexing up her image and, earlier this year, leaving Sony for Virgin in a deal that is said to exceed $20 million per album.
That kind of paycheck clearly comes with pressure to succeed, and the only thing Carey's handlers have been forthright about since her breakdown is that they are dealing with a very tired lady.
More than merely a soundtrack to a film, "Glitter" is the soundtrack to a mental and physical collapse.
Lizards return
As of press time on Wednesday, the "acid bluegrass" quintet the Austin Lounge Lizards was still scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. today (Sept. 14) at the Capitol Theater, 206 E. Fifth Ave, Olympia.
The band's blend of bluegrass and folk infused with social and political commentary -- coupled with several appearances in Olympia -- has earned them a strong local following.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram once said of the band: "Their subversive triumph is to have mingled impeccable, countrified musicianship with wickedly funny original material."
Tickets are $10 for Olympia Film Society members and $12 for the general public. Call 360-754-5378 for additional information.
The Top 10
This week's Top 10 list comes from feature writer Jim Carlile and his wife, features copy editor Amy Carlile.
To celebrate the couple's love of food, they compiled a list of their favorite food-related songs:
10. "Creme Brulee," Sonic Youth; 9. "Hot Dog," Chris Powell and the Five Blue Flames; 8. "Everybody Eats When They Come to my House," Cab Calloway; 7. "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)," Hank Williams; 6. "Giblet Gravy," George Benson; 5. "Ice Cream Man," Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (though a song by the same name by Tom Waits is also great); 4. "Ham 'n' Eggs," A Tribe Called Quest; 3. "Roly Poly," Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys; 2. "Shake a Puddin," Dub Narcotic Sound System; 1. "Potato Chips," Slim Gaillard.
Ross Raihala covers music and for The Olympian. Send ideas and Top 10 lists to OlyRoss@aol.com. The Olympian Copyright 2001 back to main SOUND AFFECTS index
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