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1988 Pazz & Jop: Dancing on a Logjam
When last we sat down for a serious chat, it was the end of the world as we knew it, and I felt fine. The Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll, conceived as a goof and evolved willy-nilly into a barometer, was plainly in a jam — a “logjam.” On the album chart, which dated back […]
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“Whitney” Soars When It Lets Its Subject Speak and Sing for Herself
Whitney tells a maddeningly familiar story: the one about talent squandered on drugs; the one about a bright, brilliant girl who became a spent woman. Church solos beget record deals beget sold-out stadiums. A meteoric rise; a swift crash and burn. All the greatest hits. It’s a well-worn tale, but that doesn’t diminish the scale […]
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Ruben Studdard
The portly American Idol alum’s commercial moment may have passed, but he’s still doing fine work: His cover of Extreme’s “More Than Words,” from 2009, was a gorgeous country-soul gem, and the upcoming Letters from Birmingham includes a luscious version of “Rock Wit’cha” by Bobby Brown. The cabaret look could be a good one for […]