(2 of 2)
Just Whitney...has loads of energy. Negative energy. The first single, Whatchulookinat, is a letter to the editor of the National Enquirer disguised as an R.-and-B. song. "Messin' with my reputation, ain't even got no education," sings Houston. "God is the reason my soul is free, and I don't need you looking at me." Few of Houston's lyrics are so specifically barbed, but she has a rare gift for imbuing even the blandest cliche with disdain. Houston is still one of the dozen best singers in the world, and her defiance would be worth slogging through if she'd just ululate a little. But with the exception of On My Own, an elegant twist on Diana Ross's It's My Turn, those magical BOOM! "and ayiiiii-eeeeyay..." moments never come. Instead, Houston talk-sings over a series of dry R.-and-B., pop and gospel riffs. Whether her reluctance to hit the top of her range is a sign of a deteriorating voice or an unwillingness to please is hard to know.
The best songs on Charmbracelet and Just Whitney...are covers. Carey does a terrific remake of Def Leppard's Bringin' on the Heartbreak, and Houston turns the cheeseball standard You Light Up My Life into something vaguely moving. Both have succeeded with covers before--Houston famously with Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, Carey with Journey's Open Arms and her near-cover of Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love. Perhaps when your own life is unbelievable, it's easier to sing as someone else.