Messageboard

About Edward from USA:

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone (37,001) by Edward from USA Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all my MCArchives family. It's good to know we share a common bond, Mariah's music. I hope to keep reading your post for years to come. This messageboard wouldn't be the same if we all got alone all the time, lol. Thanks to Eric for having the time and passion to keep this site up and running for such a long time. Your efforts are not taken for granted, I do really appreciate all the wonderful things that you do. (Monday 24 December 2012; 21:04)

Stop blaming Island/Def Jam for poor album sales (36,998) by Edward from USA At this point, an artist like Mariah needs to deliver. Due to poor album sales these days, throwing down the house in promotion is falling more on the artist's shoulders. The type of promotion we used to see in the 90's, when artists really sold albums, is not going to happen anymore, unless you have a masterpiece. We need to stop blaming Island/Def Jam records for her poor performance with the last two albums. Mariah was the one who pulled the plug on E=MC2, not the label. As much as I want her to release music, for me as a fan, I want her to be successful, not by making Rihanna-like type of music, but by making the good music we know she can make. People are buying cohesive over all good albums, not just an album with three good tracks, because people would only buy those tracks and there goes the album. Look at Rihanna, with a No. 1 song, but her album is garbage. I perused through her album, and there's not a song I could tell you I want to listen to again. (Sunday 23 December 2012; 15:35)

I hope for blend of Pop/R&B album a la Daydream (36,994) by Edward from USA I hope Mariah doesn't go all R&B on us again. She should know by now that she won't save that genre. By mixing it up a bit, like a Pop album with R&B infusions here and there she could potentially bring people's attention to the album. At this point is not about the high notes anymore, it's about making good catchy music. Even though radio plays what's catchy regardless of the content, I still believe catchy and quality can be packaged together in a good song, Mariah's done it plenty of times before. I have noticed that when she delivers good music and tones down the whispers, she does well. (Friday 21 December 2012; 22:14)

Music Box, Mariah at her best (36,962) by Edward from USA I must agree about Music Box. This song has always been a gem to me; it seems to be liked by many of my fellow fans too. The texture of Mariah's voice in this song was beautiful, those beautiful nuances, that's what I miss the most. It's not the belting, but the effortless delivery she used to have. Her midrange was perfect at this point. The problem with releasing singles is that they must be radio friendly, if they're not, the record company won't release them, but I'm happy because then they become that special bond between Mariah and her fans. (Saturday 15 December 2012; 16:53)

Leito/Billboard rules (36,918) by Edward from USA Leito, the Billboard rules have changed, but for AIWFCIY to hit the #1 spot, it also needs lots of airplay. Since the song is not new, djs play it, but never gets to the point where it is everything you hear out there like when "We Belong Together" hit big. It will eventually chart based mostly on sales, but it will also drop quickly right after Christmas Day. It is sad that a song that could be considered a true #1 never got to own that title. I think that the only way the song could hit the top spot is if Mariah remakes it with another artist with a huge fanbase, but even if it happens that way, the song most likely would spend one week at #1 due to being a Christmas song, once Christmas is gone, so it is the song. (Saturday 8 December 2012; 0:59)

Mimi, we want a new album with no fillers (36,913) by Edward from USA The Emancipation Of Mimi did well as an album because, besides the quality, there weren't practically any fillers in it. I remember some of the reviewers back then stated it was the only album out there worth paying 10 dollars for. Most songs were worth listening to. I personally couldn't ever get into "Stay The Night" though. Another thing was the variety of genres in the album. I hope for an album like that in terms of the cohesiveness. I'm feeling very positive with about the good reviews she's getting for her Jimmy Fallon's performance. (Thursday 6 December 2012; 22:13)

Stacey/TJ (36,875) by Edward from USA Stacey, thank you very much for the mp3. I trimmed the "Christmas Time Is In The Air Again at Rockefeller" mp3 and sent it to you, I hope you like it. TJ, I hate you. Where have you been? I've texted you several times and no answer. I'm happy that with the Billboard new rules Mariah will have the chance to chart with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" in the Hot 100. (Saturday 1 December 2012; 1:30)

Stacey (36,868) by Edward from USA Stacey, here's my email: b_terius@yahoo.com. Thank you very much. (Friday 30 November 2012; 16:00)

Stacey / Miss You Must is one of my favorites (36,859) by Edward from USA Hi Stacey, I just read your post about you having a slightly different version of Miss you most at Christmas time. I would die to hear it. if you don't mind sharing the mp3 with me, it would be greatly appreciated. (Thursday 29 November 2012; 15:13)

Two great performances (36,858) by Edward from USA I'm so happy to watch such great performances at the Rockefeller Center in New York. I haven't seeing Mariah sing this great in years. Her voice didn't crack at any time, or she didn't have to go to her whispery voice to mask her inability to hit a certain note, it was just great, and she seems to be having a good time with such confidence. I even went back to watch when she sang AIWFCIY in Disney in 2004, and this performance was as great. I assume her voice is in good shape, because she's recording a lot. This is the Mariah I want to see, she doesn't have to belt it all the time, just a great performance to remind us she's still here. (Thursday 29 November 2012; 14:53)

Only one true evergreen for Mimi (36,820) by Edward from USA Mariah's true and only evergreen is "AIWFCIY". One hundred years from now, when none of us is around anymore, and when four new generations of people have come and gone, people will still listen to "All I Want For Christmas Is You", unless we come to a time when Christmas is no more. At that time people probably won't care who Mariah was, and they might not even know her name, but they'll know the title of the song and the amazing voice behind it. The same goes for Whitney and her rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner". So, if we go by the definition of evergreen, each one of them only has one true evergreen, the rest will fade in time like everything else. If we were to ask most of Rihanna's and Katy Perry's fans how many songs they can name from Elvis Presley or even the Beatles, since they weren't part of their reality, I can assure anybody they wouldn't be able to name one song, but Elvis had 17 #1's and the Beatles 20 #1's respectively. I personally know Elvis Presley and the Beatles were legends, but I wasn't part of their glory days, hence my lack of knowledge about their catalog. I can name a couple of Elvis songs, and probably 3 or 4 from the Beatles, but I'm 32 years old. It's a good thing though, that the Internet will keep expanding even wider, and if somebody wanted to research about music and who was that lady behind AIWFCIY, they'll be able to google it and find out. "AIWFCIY" will always be to Christmas as Whitney's "TSSB" will always be to US patriotism. (Saturday 24 November 2012; 3:02)

Bob, be respectful to the late Whitney please. (36,791) by Edward from USA Whitney Houston may have gone through hard times with drugs and all, but she was loved for her contribution to music. We all waited for her full rehabilitation, since we knew her talent, but sadly it never happened. Nobody is perfect and only she knew what she went through and how she resorted to drugs. Bob, it's easy to judge, but if you were to take a look at yourself, you would realize that you have had your personal demons too, just like the rest of us. I don't do drugs or alcohol, but I'm not quick to judge, because every case is different. I couldn't even imagine what would be like to be ridiculed, to know you have lost a voice like that, and not being able to walk away from that type of life. As outsiders we all seem to have the solution to other people's lives, but do we? If you're fat, don't eat, if you're on drugs, go to rehab, if you're bulimic, don't throw up, if you're gay, go to church, pretty easy right? People pay tribute to Whitney the artist, her contribution to music, her legacy, not her way of life. I've seen people from beautiful and loving families go to waste due to drugs and alcohol, so nobody is exempt. Some are addicted to food, sex, shopping, etc., and the solution is not as easy as money and treatment, sometimes is goes as far as rooted unresolved issues from their childhood. (Tuesday 20 November 2012; 0:47)

Will, I couldn't agree with you more (36,740) by Edward from USA There’s a huge engine behind an artist success and Mariah is not the exception here. Mariah is not being successful these days because she's not being played on the radio. Tommy made sure her music got played, just the same way he sabotaged the Glitter album by allowing JLo use that sample when he clearly knew Mariah was already using it, and using his connections to make sure her music wasn’t played. Record labels and management companies with their guidance, programming and strategies are responsible for a great part of an artist success. For TEOM there was heavy promotion and a sense of wanting to make things work. LA Read had meetings with important stations, DJ’s and Mariah to make sure she had a chance. If LA hadn’t told Mariah to go back and work with JD more, the standout tracks on TEOM wouldn’t have been there, so his guidance was important. I don’t like Tommy, but I don’t underestimate what he and Sony did for Mariah. Thanks to them, her music was available to us, and her voice was well taken care of. It's true Mariah had a great voice and talent, but it's not less true that Tommy made sure that talent was heard. Look at Obama crying with gratitude while addressing his campaign team. Like when Cindy Burger snatched the microphone off Mariah's hand when she had the breakdown and was talking senselessly, there's a lot going on behind an artist pretty face and talent. (Thursday 15 November 2012; 4:18)

Bring It On Home / JD's "Y'all know what this is" (36,695) by Edward from USA I haven't heard "Bring It On Home" yet, but if it's true that it has a Daydream feel to it, I can't wait to listen to it this evening to celebrate Obaman's Triumph while listening to her and having a cup of wine. As for JD, I've never had a problem with Mariah collaborating with JD, that wasn't the case. I do have a problem with him being all over Mariah's songs promoting himself or his label, that's all, I hate it. For me his rants kind of ruined "Thanks 4 Nothing". Mariah starts the song with "Y'all know what this is", which would be appropriate just like when other artist say "Darkchild", but that wasn't enough, he also kicks in and doesn't shut up till the end of the song. I think that by doing that he looks desperate. (Wednesday 7 November 2012; 18:09)

E=MC2 wasn't, and it won't be! What would you tell Mariah? (36,636) by Edward from USA With all respect, some fans are becoming repetitive when it comes what E=MC2 should've been but wasn't. I think the album did what it was going to do, that's it. Yes, we were disappointed, but that's mostly because we were still riding on the EOM high. I just think Mariah has to find her muse again, for some reason her heart is more into the diva attitude than the music itself. If you were a good non-bs friend of Mariah's, what 10 things would you honestly tell her about her music? Here are mine: 1. Videos are becoming cheap and repetitive. 2. We know you're Sandra Dee, we got it. 3. Drop the diva attitude, being a little modest is better. 4. We know you're a singer, writer and producer, so sing, write and produce, you don't have to regurgitate it to us, it makes you look desperate. 5. I want to hear you sing, whisper is ok as an ornament. 6. Not to overproduce doesn't mean to underproduce. 7. R&B's almost out, you won't save it, use it, don't abuse it. 8. Trust your writing abilities, you've produced some of the greatest songs out there, you don't need a writing posse. 9. Don't let JD ruin your songs by voicing "Y'all know what this is" all over them. We're your fans, not his. 10. Never be a guest on your own song again, you did it before on "If We" and it clearly didn't work. (Wednesday 31 October 2012; 17:46)

Should Mariah include Triumphant in the new album? (36,625) by Edward from USA I think she shouldn't include Triumphant in the new album. It would definitely be a reminder of the bitter taste it left in most of her fans and the general public. At this point she has recorded according to her about 100 songs, and she's still recording. I hope that the songs she and Walter worked on bring back the Mariah we've been waiting for. (Monday 29 October 2012; 14:03)

Whatever happened to concept videos? (36,607) by Edward from USA I miss Mariah with meaningful videos like "Butterfly" or "Through the Rain". I'm tired of Mariah videos lying down, caressing her boobs, I mean, her hair and face. She could do that, but a story line would be very nice. "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That" were nice videos too. (Friday 26 October 2012; 2:21)

John/I Only Wanted (36,606) by Edward from USA John, you're so on point about the lyrics on I Only Wanted. The parts of that song you quoted are the epitome of great writing. I always loved the lines: "Farewell, fairweather friend abandonment returns to taunt me again" and "Foolishly I romanticized someone was saving my life for the first time". I might be wrong, but I think Mariah wrote it all by herself. I think she has lost confidence in writing on her own. On Butterfly, most songs were written by Mariah only. You can tell the difference, because she seems to connect better when she dominates the song on the writing process. She should go back to basics. (Friday 26 October 2012; 1:51)

It's just simple tact or plain common sense! (36,530) by Edward from USA Simple common sense would tell you that if you were to go to a Madonna's messageboard and placed her as your 12th best, people would jump on your throat and that's to be expected. I don’t buy the lame excuse of the computer shutting off. We fans are somewhat biased towards our favorites. You can be sure that if Whitney or Celine were my favorites, I wouldn't be posting here, that's all, or at least I would be tactful. Mariah, Whitney and Celine are the divine trinity, but I prefer Mariah over them and that's why I'm here. We all here argue, fight and disagree, but we all share love for Mariah, and that's why we keep coming back here. I assume she's our favorite. I've been coming to this messageboard for 14 years now, and apart from her list, Desiree is the first fan that has stated preferring Whitney over Mariah. She's been rather tactless when it comes to realizing that this is a Website dedicated to Mimi. I don't find anything wrong with liking other artist, I love Eva Cassidy, Whitney, and Celine myself, but this is not just a random site. Instead of encouraging Desiree to keep doing the same, we should encourage her to realize where she's posting, and to have a little consideration for us who have Mariah as number one on our lists on a site clearly devoted to her. Peace. (Thursday 18 October 2012; 3:13)

Desiree: Aplogy not accepted! (36,520) by Edward from USA We don't accept your lame apology. I don't know how by your computer shutting down on you Mariah ended up at the last place on your list. So, you've been vanquished. Lol. (Monday 15 October 2012; 3:20)

Desiree: You've got to be kidding! (36,508) by Edward from USA Desiree, you got some nerves. I don't believe in picking on anybody, but give us a break. Not only you placed Mariah at the end of your list, but you don't even acknowledge her legacy and voice. You might as well put Diane Warren there too, right? That's ridiculous. I love Whitney and Celine, but I'm first and foremost a Mariah's fan. So, I think you should take your message and take it to a Whitney Houston messageboard. I"m pretty sure they'll love you there. (Sunday 14 October 2012; 4:03)

Whitney didn't influence Mariah's music. (36,470) by Edward from USA I don't recall one instance where Mariah has stated that she was influenced by Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was a huge phenomenon due to the quality of her music, interpretation, and her voice, and she set the bar very high while paving the way for every female singer who came after her, including Mariah Carey. She has her merit, and we all know there was only one Whitney Houston. Mariah, I think, was more influenced by Minnie Ripperton, hence the whistle register, and thank God for that. The whistle was, I think, what set her apart from Whitney Houston and gave her a place in music. Not only the texture of her voice, but her nuances, melodies, and background vocal layering. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Whitney's voice was stronger than Mariah, but Mariah voice was more versatile. Mariah played more with choruses, melodies and hooks. Whitney could take anybody's song and make it her own as if she had written it herself. I thank God for "When You Believe", but I would've liked to hear them sing a different sung. Probably a song written by Mariah would've done it. (Wednesday 10 October 2012; 6:44)

Mariah's hanging out with JD too much (36,421) by Edward from USA I'll always have Mariah's back, but it bothers me the fact that when you see her these days, she has to sound like JD all over people's records, regurgitating the same "I'm a song writer, I'm a producer, I'm a singer" statements. We know Mariah's a song writer, producer, vocalist, a true artist. Why does she have to say it every time she has the chance, specifically when talking about anything related to American Idol? She doesn't have anything to prove, her legacy is there. She sounds desperate every time she does that, it actually bothers me. Mariah's demeanor on the show and on the last few interviews has come across somewhat pretentious, pedantic. I think that Mariah had a beautiful demeanor when she was in her hey days. Now the diva attitude truly gets on my nerves. (Friday 5 October 2012; 2:02)

To Desiree / I completely agree (36,398) by Edward from USA I don't think Mariah is in any position to save the dying R&B genre. If she were hot like in the 90's when she could do no wrong, it would be a different situation. Memoirs had some good R&B tracks on it (BGK, IAR, TI, AC) but people were not feeling her on that. She has her fans, her lambs and the people who would buy her music when it's catchy, melodic and fun. I do think that a Jazz album should be a side project like her second Christmas album just in case it doesn't perform. Every time one of her albums doesn't perform, it's a dent in her music carrier, considering that she's in her 40's and America doesn't care much for female artists once they hit the four decade mark. I hope Mariah balances things out with this new release since it could make her or break her, just like Janet (Damita Jo, 20 Y.O., Discipline). Many people would say: Oh, it doesn't matter, she's a legend. But if Mariah doesn't have a certain level of success, we won't be hearing from her much in the future. She should go back to basics: pop, pop with R&B infusions, and make it about the voice. (Wednesday 3 October 2012; 7:46)

Remembering 1994-1996 (36,338) by Edward from USA Watching the "Dreamlover", "Without You", "Hero" and "Endless Love" videos. In those videos Mariah looked innocent but with such confidence, I would say effortless, it was about her instrument. I remember getting my walkman and listening to her for hours. At times I'd play some recordings of her I had made from the radio, and my mother would come and say: Here you are again, listening to this woman nobody understands what she's saying, lol. My mom didn't speak English, and I was learning secretly mostly by listening to her songs and reading the lyrics that came with her CD's. Word like relinquish, rhapsodize, emblazoned and thee were all introduced to my vocabulary through her lyrics. I guess what I miss most from her is the way she would sing a song effortlessly, without head turning, hand waving or recordings. It was as if she was saying: Oh, you thought this was only in the studio, look at my face and let the voice reach your soul. That's how I killed the haters back then, I used to play her live performances and look at them open mouth, then I would say: Can Whitney or Celine do that? I don't think so. "Underneath The Stars" and "Open Arms" were food to my soul, I could say those were magical moments in her career. Even though I don’t want Tommy in her career whatsoever, I thank God things happened the way they did. You have to take the good with the bad, life is not perfect. She lived it, benefitted from it, found her voice, punished him and kind of moved on. (Sunday 16 September 2012; 1:37)

MORE MESSAGES