Retro Spins: Whitney Houston - Whitney

When it comes to album titles, Whitney Houston really doesn't get creative. Her debut album was entitled Whitney Houston, which okay, she gets a pass on that. Many artists self title their debuts. However, when you follow up with your second album, that's when you should pick a good title. Preferably one which is your lead track for the album. Whitney Houston thought hard about it, then went with "Whitney". Lame. I'm honestly surprised her third album wasn't entitled, "Houston".

Dumb titles aside, with Jermaine Jackson out of the way, Whitney and producers, Narada Michael Walden, Michael Masser, Jellybean Benitez and Kashif coulf focus on a more pop oriented sound suitable for the 80's. For those of you who read my post on the singers initial debut album, you may recall my dislike for its dated sound. I felt this was the fault of Jermaine Jackson, who produced the album, because musically, he couldn't seem to move past the Motown sound. Even his own solo studio albums at the time faltered from this.

The album is of course most notable for Whitney's hits, I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Didn't We Almost Have It All, So Emotional, Where Do Broken Hearts Go. However and I Know Him So Well. However, I also found myself enjoying Love Will Save The Day. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, "It's a  pretty decent album." Definitely better then her debut.

It is a little ballad heavy, which really isn't my thing. I think this is what makes it falter a bit for me. Even some of the "hits" aren't necessarily my favorite because of this fact. Still, if you're looking for a good 80's album to sit through, this one isn't a bad choice. It's not the best, but it's not a bad one.

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