Day 0870 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (1998)

Following the Fugee’s phenomenally successful album 'the Score', Hill helped fellow Fugee Wyclef Jean with his solo album, then started on her own.  She struck writers block but found a well of inspiration following the birth of her first child.

The resultant album is brilliant and powerful.  Hill mixes RnB, pop, hip-hop and dub but manages to make it all sit together cohesively.

After a brief school roll-call styled intro, the album hits the ground running with "Lost Ones" with Hill rapping over a sparse but funky track that kind of brings to mind the Roots for some reason.   The album almost immediately switches gears to deliver the soulful pop of "Ex-Factor".

Lauryn switches back and forth between rapping ("Final Hour" is as good a set of rhymes as any of her contemporaries) and singing (like on the beautifully harmonised "I Used to Love Him").  

To date, this appears to be the only full-length solo release from Lauryn Hill.   Quality over quantity I guess.

Day 0853 - Butterfly

Mariah Carey "Butterfly" (1997)

For album number 6, Mariah dialled back her usual vocal acrobatics and explored some other genres outside of her pop ballad sound with the help of a bevvy of collaborators, including Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott and Q-Tip.   Those names don't diminish Mariah's own role in her creative path though.  She had been slowly pulling away from the influence of her controlling husband, Sony Music executive Tommy Mottola (who she broke up with around this time) to take a few creative risks and court the hip-hop/RnB market a bit more.

There is still straight ahead-diva pop like the choir-backed title track, but there's also the RnB of "The Roof (back in time)" and "Baby Doll", the collaboration with the brilliant Bone Thugs-n-Harmony "Breakdown" and even a stonking rendition of "The Beautiful Ones" from Prince's "Purple Rain" album.

Mariah's not an artist that I spent a lot of time investigating in the 90s, and this is still not my favourite style of music, but this is a strong album, and obviously she has an incredible voice.

Day 0778 - Dog Man Star

Suede "Dog Man Star" (1994)

Things were not tickety boo in the Suede camp.  While they were riding high on the success of their self-titled album, a US tour was delayed due to the death of guitarist Bernard Butler's father.  When he returned to the fold, Butler distanced himself from his bandmates, and by the time they came to record their follow-up, the situation was becoming untenable.

Bernard either left or was fired partway through recording, finishing some of his parts after his departure due to contractual obligations.  The rest of his parts were completed by session musicians.

I have mixed feelings towards the album.  There's a lot more variety and theatricality than on their first album, which I enjoy.  On other hand it feels as though there are less memorable tracks here than on "Suede".  I do quite enjoy the mini-epic "The Asphalt World" though.