CRYSTAL WATERS - CRYSTAL WATERS

Crystal Waters is a singer I'd heard at clubs and sometimes on the radio when I lived in Las Vegas.  I didn't know much about her, but there was a period of time when I was buying cds from artists who covered Prince songs.  I'd done my research on the internet and I knew this album had a Prince cover so when I found it at the used CD store for a couple bucks I bought it.  I can't say for sure what I was expecting, but when I put it in and played the first song, I was eager to skip ahead and hear the Prince track.  Mostly because I hated it and I wanted to see if she'd murdered 'Uptown'.  

Since that time, I've listened to the disc and my opinion has changed greatly.  Although I'd be hard pressed to include this album on any top list I can think of, I certainly enjoy it for what it is.  The majority of this record is the pop electro equivalent of what's circulating all over pop stations today.  That being said, it's surprising Waters didn't have more success with this record.  As a vocalist, she isn't the most dynamic or exciting.  Her range is fairly limited and her voice lacks any great quality that might set it apart from other singers.  But it's not irritating and certainly pleasant enough to hear.  For her part, Waters doesn't write music outside of her range.  She certainly knows her limitations and you have to give her credit for that.  As a song writer, she's ok but more on the lackluster side.  Her songs aren't trite cliches used over and over.  She's smart enough to choose different word play instead of going straight for the vernacular punch; however, she's also got a tendency to write some tedious material as well.  For example...  The opening track to this recording is 'Momma Told Me'.  The sing song chorus doesn't create a magical feeling.  Instead, it sounds whiny and complaining.  The lyrics are also a little silly.  But she follows it up with 'The Love I Found'.  This is the first track that really stands out on the record.  Soon enough you get the Prince cover and for the record, she does a great job.  It's more danceable and fun than the original, though it loses some of the intense energy of the Prince version.

An added bonus is the appearance of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on the album.  They co-wrote the single 'Say... If You Feel Alright'.  This song is the best track on the album.  It's awesome from start to finish.  Even though it's got Flytetime sound all over it, they manage to stay within the range of Crystal's other material and it blends right in with the feel of the album.  I want to mention some of the other tracks on the album that I like.  'Easy' is a great little number and it's followed by 'Female Intuition'.  This track is slower but has a strange beat and it works to accentuate Water's lyrics and vocal style.  The final three songs, 'Body Music', 'Spin Me' and 'Passion' are all great numbers.  'Spin Me' incorporates Dead Or Alive's 80's smash hit, 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' and is almost as infectious.  'Passion' is a nice way to end the disc.  It's got a great chorus.

So was it enough to make me a Crystal Waters fan?  Not really.  But it is a disc I can put in and let play without worrying what song is coming up next.  It's enjoyable enough to make it a fun listen every now and again.  It's also great for the Jam & Lewis track and the Prince cover.  So if you come across the disc, you can pick it up knowing its got enough good material to jam while you're in your car or let it play in the background while you're at work or doing something more important.  Any way you slice it, you'll be grooving in your seat most of the time and ready to party by the end of the day.  My final words:  GOOD ENOUGH TO DANCE TO, GOOD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO.

CRYSTAL WATERS - CRYSTAL WATERS
01. Momma Told Me
02. The Love I Found
03. On My Mind
04. Uptown
05. Say... If You Feel Alright
06. Easy
07. Female Intuition
08. Let Go My Love
09. Just A Freak
10. Body Music
11. Spin Me
12. Passion