AALIYAH - AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER

At this point in her career I'm sure many people would be asking themselves...  Why would an adult gay dude buy this little girl's record?  And the answer is simple...  With the singles from this disc getting so much airplay back in the 90's, it was impossible for Aaliyah not to be part of my years living in Las Vegas.  She was everywhere.  I picked this disc up at a used record store along with another one of hers for a couple bucks.  Partly because I was really into her current album and I wanted to see what this one would be like and second because I knew the singles off the disc and I loved them.  What better reasoning is there?

To be 100% honest with you, I'm not partial to R. Kelly's take on the ballad.  And this record is chalk full of them.  I enjoy the faster tracks.  The beats are great and the vibe is white hot, but the ballads just kinda drag along and ultimately, left you wanting.

There's is one track I absolutely love on this record and that's 'Back & Forth'.  It's a brilliant groove that makes me think of cruising around Vegas on a Friday night with my friends.  It seems this was one of those records always playing no matter where you were going.  I'm not sure where this album ended up in the charts or how successful it actually was, but I can tell you this, in Vegas, it blew up the radio.

As previously mentioned, I like a lot of the faster tracks and I like the title track, 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number'.  I find myself singing that tune under my breath all the time and I'll be honest, it's also been the reason I've dated certain people I probably shouldn't have.  It's a nice jam and one I can really get into.  But it's not on the same level as 'Back & Forth'.

My copy of this disc includes a bonus track...  It's a mix of 'Back & Forth'.  I think this mix is a huge mistake.  They overload the track with heavy drum sounds that were popular at the time, but it dates the song and makes it sound old.  The original is much more smooth and enjoyable.

Aaliyah is one of those artists I sorta struggle with.  When I love her music, I love it.  Although she's got lots of songs I like bouncing to, the rest of her catalog is music I wouldn't cross the street for.  It's throwaway material.  I think she was beautiful, had a lovely voice and I think it's tragic she's no longer around.  I always hoped to hear more material from her and I honestly think she was building up to a huge superstar album.  All of these earlier works would've eventually created an absolute atom bomb of a record.  But she never lived to achieve her full potential.

In the end, I like the disc enough to pull it out and listen to it on occasion.  It makes me happy.  It brings back good memories.  But it's not one of my favorite and it's not one I keep in heavy rotation.  My final words:  AN INTERESTING BUDDING DEBUT FROM AN ARTIST WE'LL NEVER TRULY SEE BLOOM.

AALIYAH - AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
01. Intro
02. Throw Your Hands Up
03. Back & Forth
04. Age Ain't Nothing But A Number
05. Down With The Clique
06. At Your Best (You Are Love)
07. No One Knows How To Love Me Quite Like You Do
08. I'm So Into You
09. Street Thing
10. Young Nation
11. Old School
12. I'm Down
13. Back & Forth (Mr. Lee & R. Kelly's Remix)