CAROLE DAVIS - HEART OF GOLD

Carole Davis was on my radar because she received a song writing credit on Prince's "Sign 'O' The Times" album.  She co-wrote 'Slow Love'.  I have no idea how they met or how this collaboration came about, but it was enough to make me aware of her.  I stumbled across this record while I was living in Europe.  I picked it up because it was cheap, used and 'Slow Love' was listed as a track.  I initially assumed Prince had worked with her, recording the song for her album and then using it on his own.  However, her album was actually released two years after his.

The main producer is Nile Rodgers and for the most part sounds a lot like the pop music at the time.  It actaully sounds a couple years outdated, but typical.  Davis could be lumped in the same sort of category as Paula Abdul and female groups like En Vogue.  I would go as far as to suggest she would be in the same style of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.  Most of the music is somewhat juvenile and trivial.  Prince had a habit of writing songs for women that sounded a bit shallow.  And apparently, so does Nile Rodgers.  Coming from a grown woman, the material sounds a bit "Junior High", but oh well...  She landed a recording contract, so that's more than most people get.  The bulk of the music straddles teeny-bopper pop and Hip Hop.  She's got a couple rappers appearing throughout, but I'm not sure I've heard of any of them.

There are bits and pieces of musical genius on this disc, but they're only elements of songs and get overwhelmed by the mediocrity of the rest of the tune.  I think there are some great ideas...  just not enough to make her stand out in a crowd of pop singers.  It's enjoyable to listen to, but not enough to survive repeated plays over a long period of time.

Her version of 'Slow Love' is a bit more energetic than Prince's, however, she doesn't sound as soulful or as genuine in her delivery.  I would say I like the music on her version more, but the truth is, I've never really been a fan of the track and both versions leave a lot to be desired.  However, I've heard some live versions by Prince that were simply outstanding...  So I would say the track isn't a total wash.

Unfortunately, this album is.  I wish I could recommend it, but I sorta regret picking it up.  I'm indifferent to it.  Since downloads came into fashion, I think this would be one album and track I would skip buying a physical copy of and stick with a download.

My final words:  AN UNEVENTFUL START TO A SINGING CAREER THAT NEVER REALLY TOOK OFF.

CAROLE DAVIS - HEART OF GOLD
01. It's In My Genes
02. Dissin' Jerome (Girl Talk)
03. When My Money's Gone
04. Serious Money
05. The Thigh's The Limit
06. Sexual Favors
07. Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
08. Sticky Situation
09. Antonio Was A Gigolo
10. A Frown Is Just A Smile Upside Down
11. Slow Love

MADONNA - EROTICA

I actually own a couple discs by Madonna, though mostly for other reasons. I own one because Prince worked on it and the rest are singles. It's not that I don't like Madonna... I like her quite a bit. Just never really got into her musically or as a performer. Sadly, she kinda typifies the things I usually dislike about artists.

'Erotica' was a breakthrough album of sorts. Since her debut in the early 80's, Madonna's been linked to sexuality as securely as Captain's been linked to Crunch. Although her image was sexualized and seductive, she was hardly pornographic and her music wasn't really controversial as her publicists wanted you to think. Madonna was threatening because she portrayed feminine sexuality from a position of power. She was confident, secure and unphased by an industry known for objectifying women. I'd give her credit for taking popular music in an entirely new direction. She made it possible for Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Britney Spears and others to step up to the plate and be taken seriously as artists. Whether or not that's all been for the good remains to be seen.

So along comes 'Erotica'... And for mothers across the country who feared their daughters turning out like Madonna, their worst fears were confirmed. Blatantly sexually suggestive lyrics, foul language and aggressive rhythms more dance oriented than previous efforts pushed her from pop icon to massive superstar. Her fans were growing up and so was Madonna.

To call this disc a masterpiece would be overdoing it. There's still a lot of lackluster Madonna filler music. But there are more great tunes versus ho-hum tunes here for you to sink your ears into. The first half of the disc, tracks 1-6 are all brilliantly written, produced and performed. The stand out numbers are easily the faster more dance oriented tracks. Madonna's released a number of ballads in her day, in fact one of the singles from this record was a ballad, but she falls in the same trap as most ballad singers... boring, uninspired throwaway tunes targeted towards the more cliche listener. Not a great place for her to spend lots of time. As a vocalist, I've always thought she was limited in range and somewhat weak. Her strength has always been in faster paced dance material.

My favorite tracks are 'Erotica', 'Bye Bye Baby', 'Thief Of Hearts' and 'Words'. But her smoldering cover of 'Fever' is also fantastic. 'Bad Girl' is another track I find amusing and then there's her tribute to oral sex, 'Where Life Begins'. An amazing group of songs from an exciting performer.

My final words are: ENJOYABLE AND FUN. Certainly worth your time and effort even if you're not a die-hard fan.

MADONNA - EROTICA
01. Erotica
02. Fever
03. Bye Bye Baby
04. Deeper And Deeper
05. Where Life Begins
06. Bad Girl
07. Waiting
08. Thief Of Hearts
09. Words
10. Rain
11. Why's It So Hard
12. In This Life
13. Secret Garden