Next

by

Vanessa Williams

Edit

Vanessa Williams has got to be the most underrated singer on the pop/R&B scene today. She may not have all of the vocal acrobatics that other singers have today, but her voice is so technically refined and smooth. It's a shame that her last two albums have been virtually ignored and left to collect dust on the racks. "Next" targets a more mature audience and contains several really good songs. She keeps the pace mid to down tempo on most of the album. "Who Were You Thinking About?", "And My Heart Goes" and "First Thing On Your Mind" are strong midtempo cuts. Also, "Happiness" borrows a familiar sample from 80s pop group Nu Shooz's hit "I Can't Wait" which really works to nice effect. "Someone Like You" and "And If I Ever" stand out as ballads, while "Oh How The Years Go By" is a sequel to her #1 smash "Save The Best For Last" and probably had the best chance at radio if the label would have backed it up. This album is great for a relaxful evening at home or driving to work. Hopefully its lack of sales won't hurt Vanessa's singing career, because she is a true talent.

"Next" was Vanessa Williams last effort under Mercury Records before her brief, non-album stint under Island Records before moving on to Lava Records. This album had huge publicity since she just divorced her first husband, but the record label completely ignored any promotion for this album once it appeared in late Summer of 1997.

The album starts with the catchy pop tune "Who Were You Thinkin' 'Bout?" as Williams sings about her unfaithful lover. The next song on the album is the smash hit "Happiness" followed by the sexy mid-tempo "And My Heart Goes." The song "And My Heart Goes" ranks up there with her timeless hit "The Comfort Zone" as this tune has a deep bass line, excellent vocals from Williams and lush background vocals. "First Thing On You Mind" sound somewhat generic and I would suggest seeking out the house remix of this tune by Jonathan Peters instead. "Crazy 'Bout You" suffers from having a generic, forgettable sound to it as actually most of the album possesses. Most of the album actually sounds somewhat over produced and this is to be expected as the same people, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who have done the same thing on Janet Jackson's last several albums, produced most of the tracks here.

Two other stand out tracks found on this album would be Williams cover of Van Morrison tune "Someone Like You" and her 1995 hit also found on the NBA soundtrack, the tune "Oh How The Years Go By."

This album lacks upbeat tunes minus the hit "Happiness" and this is a trend Williams has done on albums since, but I hope someday she can find a better balance between the ballads and up-tempo tunes. Ultimately, Williams vocals makes the over produced tunes sound interesting enough, but not enough to make the songs memorable.