HOUSTON HAS NO PROBLEM
WHITNEY Houston broke seven years of musical silence this week, unveiling nine of the 11 tracks for her much delayed album “I Look to You.”
The disc, infused with a very ’90s R&B quality that leans on vocals rather than distracting strings, was played by Whitney’s guru Clive Davis at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room.
Here’s a quick preview of the album, which is set for a Sept. 1 release.
1. “Million Dollar Bill” — Written by Alicia Keys for Houston and produced by Swizz Beatz, this is the freshest and most aggressive tune on the record.
2. “Nothin’ But Love” — Her strength lies in the growly mid-range she uses well here to deliver a pleading element.
3. “Call You Tonight” — With a pretty melody and straightforward vocals, this is one of the simplest songs on the record.
4. “I Look to You” — An old-fashioned, booming gospel ballad.
5. “Like I Never Left” — This breakup to make-up song finds Akon dueting with Whitney for a bouncy pop track.
6. “A Song for You” — Why cover this Leon Russell song and try to soup it up into a disco piece?
7. “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” — This ballad, written by sap queen Diane Warren, seems to chronicle Houston’s well-publicized marital and drug problems. It’s a hokey, pokey stumble.
8. “Worth It” — The answer song to “How Will I Know” (the huge hit of Houston’s youth). Good melody and lyrics in this up-tempo tune.
9. “Salute” — This drag-beat R. Kelly composition has Whitney talking her way through the song. While it isn’t an outright ballad, the synthesized melody has a repetitious, molasses tempo.
