Hurray! a B Minus!

PERFORMER: MARIAH CAREY

ALBUM: MUSIC BOX

LABEL: COLUMBIA

THE BOTTOM LINE: Mariah Carey could be a pop-soul great; instead she has once again settled for Salieri-like mediocrity.

WHY DOES A SINGER AS TALented as Mariah Carey continue to limit herself to churning out generic pop songs? Her self-titled debut displayed great promise, showcasing her gospel energy and vocal range on such hit songs as Vision of Love and Vanishing. songs as Vision of Love and Vanishing. But Carey's third full album, Music Box, seems perfunctory and almost passionless . . . and that raises a lot of other questions.

Which of...

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