Reflections (A Retrospective) (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Mary J. Blige (background vocals); Chucky Thompson, Bryan-Michael Cox, E. Hudson, Jimmy Jam, Babyface, Terry Lewis (various instruments); Raymond Hinton, Paul Pescoe, Mike Scott , Ron Fair, Sharief Hobley (guitar); Gloria Agostini (harp); Regina Carter, Diane Monroe, Lesa Terry (violin); Eileen Fiolsom (cello); 'Prince' Charles Alexander (flute); Vincent Henry (alto saxophone); Mark Ledford, Bruce Purse (trumpet); Daniel Hall, Keyon Harold, Adam Burton, Jarell Banks, Eric Hall (horns); Lenny Underwood (piano); Jim Wright (organ); Young Smoke, Fred McFarlane, Loren Dawson, Mark C. Rooney, Camara Kambon (keyboards); Eric Hudson, Robert 'JJ' Smith, Mike Elizondo, B. Cox, Victor Bailey (bass guitar); Kevin 'K-Dog' Johnson, Rexell Hardy (drums); Mark Morales (drum machine); Frank Colon (percussion); Alex Richburg, Avenue (Rhino) (drum programming); Tabitha Brace, Jessyca Wilson, LaTonia Hughes, Jewelynn Green, Latonya J. Blige, David Hughes , David Hurst, Terri Robinson, James "Big Jim" Wright (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Wyclef Jean (vocals); Method Man (rap vocals); John Legend (background vocals).

Mary J. Blige began her reign as the queen of hip-hop soul in 1992 with her debut, WHAT'S THE 411?, and continued it over the course of seven studio albums, along the way throwing in remixes, live recordings, and virtually non-stop appearances as a guest artist on the albums of contemporaries. THE BREAKTHOUGH (2005) was one of Blige's most accomplished and acclaimed albums, and she continued to maintain her high profile on awards shows, in videos, and on the charts. The time was ripe for a greatest-hits package, and 2006's REFLECTIONS: THE JOURNEY fits that bill.

Blige placed 16 Top Ten singles on the R&B charts, and the best-known of those--"Be Without You," "Real Love," "Be Happy"--are present on REFLECTIONS. Rather than packing all the singer's hits onto one disc, however, REFLECTIONS also includes new material (in an effort, one can assume, to appeal to long-time fans who already own her studio output). In this way the set may come as a disappointment to those awaiting a pure blast of the best from this diva, but REFLECTIONS balances the old and new beautifully. As always Blige's top-tier productions; emotive, confessional lyrics; and stirring, agile vocals astonish, making REFLECTIONS a must for the devoted and the uninitiated.

From 1992's "You Remind Me" through 2006's "Take Me as I Am," Mary J. Blige netted 16 Top Ten R&B singles, making the end of 2006 the ideal time to produce an anthology collecting the singer's biggest hits. A 16-track disc with nothing but Top Ten hits would be undeniable -- though, admittedly, not faultless since the 15 years of highlights cannot be contained on one disc -- a rather thorough and pleasing collection that would have no problem selling steadily for several years. Unfortunately, Reflections (A Retrospective) is nowhere close to being that straightforward. A mere handful of the Top Ten hits are included; while obvious picks like "Be Happy," "Real Love," "Not Gon' Cry," and "Be Without You" are present, a casual fan could rattle off just as many well-known songs that are not. (For starters, there are "You Remind Me," "Sweet Thing," "Deep Inside," "Love @ 1st Sight," and "Take Me as I Am.") Part of why the disc is missing so much is because over a quarter of it consists of new material; since Blige was still very active in 2006, the label found it necessary to maximize the sales potential by targeting the serious fans as much as the casual ones. By no means are the new songs poor, but none of them stand up to Blige's best singles. The same can be said of 2000's "911," where Blige guests for Wyclef Jean -- a well-chosen disc of Blige's best collaborations wouldn't include it. The other glaring gripe is the favoring of "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"'s "Razor Sharp Mix" over the original. With all these issues, it's impossible to not think of the disc as a first volume in desperate need of a follow-up. One of many things authenticating Blige's greatness is that this disc, for all its foul-ups, remains a completely enjoyable (if not completely satisfying) listen. ~ Andy Kellman minimize