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Frequently Bought Together
Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. We're Getting Stronger |
| 2. Million Dollar Bill |
| 3. Nothin' But Love |
| 4. Call You Tonight |
| 5. I Look To You |
| 6. Like I Never Left |
| 7. A Song For You |
| 8. I Didn't Know My Own Strength |
| 9. Worth It |
| 10. For The Lovers |
| 11. I Got You |
| 12. Salute |
Product Description
Review
In spite of Whitney Houston’s recent soap opera of a life providing considerable entertainment, it’s good to be see her back on television for the right reasons and doing what she ought to be doing, and judging from recent photos she looks astonishing and serenely comfortable with life. It seems the elder stateswoman of big-voice pop/soul is self-assuredly better looking and sounding than any of her apparent R&B rivals, which makes it a bit of a shame the album doesn’t display that same confidence all the way through.
It all starts off well enough, with the opening track, Million Dollar Bill, setting the singer against a very modern-sounding background, but one with enough depth and actual musical substance to balance the size of her voice. It’s like old-school soul only with up-to-date instruments. It’s so precisely where Whitney should be that she sounds totally energised, sparring with the backing vocals and having fun inside a superbly funky arrangement. The next track, Nothin’ But Love, takes a sparser, synthier approach but provides more than enough to give her a decent platform to work from and keeps things up-tempo fun and vocally playful.
In this setting even the comparatively anorexic third track Call You Tonight, which is little more than generic RnB, is sung so superbly it reinforces the fact that she’s vastly superior many modern stars putting out material of a similar compositional standard. Then, just as audience and artist are revelling in Whitney Houston for the 21st century, we’re yanked back in time with a series of identikit power ballads. True, this sort of thing is her trademark and people will expect it, but they say nothing about Whitney Houston that we didn’t already know. They could’ve come from any of her albums from the last 25 years – under other circumstances, titling one of them Like I Never Left might be considered ironic.
Although I Look to You does drag itself back to the present day with later tracks Worth It and For the Lovers, on which she sounds like she’s enjoying herself again, especially on the elastic grooves of the latter, at this point it only shows up that middle section retreat into her safety zone as being even more unnecessary. --Lloyd Bradley
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CD Description
The long-awaited seventh album from international R&B superstar Whitney Houston, entitled 'I Look To You', comes as a bold statement from this most influential of artists. Houston's voice is as ethereal and virtuosic as ever, but the songsthemselves take on something of a new persona - gutsy, impassioned and sassy. The writing talents of R. Kelly and the ubiquitous Akon give the record a distinct modernity for an artist whose back-catalogue is so associated with the past, and the result is a truly updated Whitney.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The the world can be a cold and unforgiving place sometimes.
Ms Houston has had her fair share of glory's glare but has
doubtless also stared into the darkness of the abyss.
That her instincts have not always been a reliable guide is
evident in a career which has, to my ears and eyes, never
seen her quite comfortable in her own skin.
Slave to the 80's dancing-disco-diva-machine; the
tight squeeze of Hollywood in the 90's; the lacklustre
last two albums 'My Love Is Your Love' and 'Just Whitney'.
One of the great voices of our time needed a whole
lot more nurture than both the industry and her
more fickle devotees were prepared to give her.
Finally that voice has found a home.
'I Look To You' is a revelation.
It is the recording she was born to make.
It is crucial, if you have not yet heard the album,
that you disregard observations that her voice is no
longer a worthy instrument. That she reaches for those
stratospherically high notes less often is eminently
sensible for a singer approaching her autumnal years
with dignity. The tone has deepened; the middle and
lower registers now carry the weight of both dynamic
power and expression. It is gloriously unforced.
She has chosen some great songs for her renaissance.
Two of the finest torch-songs of her late-flowering
are here. Mr Kelly's marvellous 'I Look To You' and
Diane Warren's 'I Didn't Know My Own Strength' are
both given blisteringly heart-felt emotional performances.
Hard but beautiful truths.
Up-tempo energy isn't lacking either : Mr Russell's
'A Song For You' is given a treatment every bit as
good as her account of Ms Lennox's 'Step By Step'.
It is a stomping and storming highlight.
So too the wonderfully funky gospel energy of 'For The Lovers'.
That Ms Houston is back is good reason to celebrate.
Nothing to apologise for and certainly nothing to forgive.
After all these years this is the real deal.
Essential.
Ms Houston has had her fair share of glory's glare but has
doubtless also stared into the darkness of the abyss.
That her instincts have not always been a reliable guide is
evident in a career which has, to my ears and eyes, never
seen her quite comfortable in her own skin.
Slave to the 80's dancing-disco-diva-machine; the
tight squeeze of Hollywood in the 90's; the lacklustre
last two albums 'My Love Is Your Love' and 'Just Whitney'.
One of the great voices of our time needed a whole
lot more nurture than both the industry and her
more fickle devotees were prepared to give her.
Finally that voice has found a home.
'I Look To You' is a revelation.
It is the recording she was born to make.
It is crucial, if you have not yet heard the album,
that you disregard observations that her voice is no
longer a worthy instrument. That she reaches for those
stratospherically high notes less often is eminently
sensible for a singer approaching her autumnal years
with dignity. The tone has deepened; the middle and
lower registers now carry the weight of both dynamic
power and expression. It is gloriously unforced.
She has chosen some great songs for her renaissance.
Two of the finest torch-songs of her late-flowering
are here. Mr Kelly's marvellous 'I Look To You' and
Diane Warren's 'I Didn't Know My Own Strength' are
both given blisteringly heart-felt emotional performances.
Hard but beautiful truths.
Up-tempo energy isn't lacking either : Mr Russell's
'A Song For You' is given a treatment every bit as
good as her account of Ms Lennox's 'Step By Step'.
It is a stomping and storming highlight.
So too the wonderfully funky gospel energy of 'For The Lovers'.
That Ms Houston is back is good reason to celebrate.
Nothing to apologise for and certainly nothing to forgive.
After all these years this is the real deal.
Essential.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The songs are great, very inspirational. It's like she has never been away. Wecome back Whitney, God Bless.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is vintage Whitney at her best. All those reports that others have made saying this does not match her earlier work must be hard of hearing. Sure, her voice has changed,given the challenges she has faced, anyone's would, but she is still remarkably Whitney and only she could have the gift for pulling this one off. The tracks are current and leave all those rapp artist left looking very inadequate. This lady can and always will be head and shoulders above the so called superstars of today. They should listen to how it should be done. Buy this album-it really is a joy to hear.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
CD I look to you
I found the album very disappointing and for me it was a non event and it definitely will not be played a great deal.
Published 1 month ago by Arthur
whitney just great!
so sad to hear of her passing so decided to reintroduce myself to her music so glad i did you forget how great she really was a fantastic singer!
Published 1 month ago by jane aire
Superior
I bought this CD a couple of weeks ago as a memory of one of the greatest female performers ever. I already own most of her older CDs. Read more
Published 1 month ago by P.G. Johnson
boppy whitty
on my first impressions of listening to this album,i wasnt dissapointed,although you can tell whitneys voice is somewhat more of a husky range. Read more
Published 2 months ago by hollys yummy mummy
A fantastic buy
Glad I purchased this CD. A fantastic album from a unique artist. Every track on the album makes great listening. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miss Smartshop
I Look to You
I bought this cd mainly for the title song, I look to you, which is an incredibly beautiful and emotional song. Thanks to a beautiful and talented performer. Read more
Published 2 months ago by musicmate
WHITNEY
I saw the video shortly after Witney died, and it was hauntingly beautiful, almost spiritual in the words of the song I look to you.
Published 2 months ago by Mr. R. C. Osborne
Inspirational, personal. I love it
Love this album. I personally like whitneys voice, it has depth, feeling and she still has the ability to make the hairs on my arms stand up. Read more
Published 2 months ago by manda moo
whitney houston i look to you
fast service info on site correct disk in very good condition will recomend the disk to other ppl who love the voice of a sentational artist
Published 3 months ago by kenton
Niceee!
Bought for my daughter inlaw , she says its really good but not as good as her others! ...I suppose thats a matter of opinion , whitneys gonna be good at her worst!!
Published 4 months ago by mookie
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