The E-Critic  

HAS HILLARY FINALLY SHOT HERSELF IN THE FOOT?

            Apologies notwithstanding, there are some things you just do not say in a Presidential campaign.  It doesn’t matter how hard you work; how tired you are or what is on your mind.  There are some things that demonstrate conclusively that the speech you are engaging in is in bad taste, is improper and at the best can be called poor judgment.  The kind of poor judgment that indicates you are not really and truly qualified to be President of The United States. 

            Hillary Clinton said just such a thing today while in South Dakota, meeting with the Editorial Board of the Argus Leader newspaper, in advance of the June 2d primary in South Dakota.    She was defending her position to stay in the race until June, possibly until the time of the convention, when she stated history was on her side as evidence of past nominating time periods not wrapping up until June, “My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary, somewhere in the middle of June, right?" Clinton said in an interview with the Argus Leader newspaper editorial board.

"We all remember, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California, I don't understand it," Clinton said.

The remarks can be read to say that Mrs. Clinton is remaining in the race, just in case someone assassinates Barack Obama, and that history shows that it is possible to obtain the parties nomination as late as June for that reason, even if you are behind.  Remarks of this type do not belong in a Presidential campaign.  Whether she meant to or not, this sounds like the kind of wishful thinking that has caused our country to loose great men in the past.  Whether she meant to or not, this is the kind of statement that can jar the imagination of persons less than stable.  This shows bad judgment at a time when we need our political leaders’ best judgment.  This raised a question about her fitness to lead, her political judgment, her ability to answer that 3 am call; to be ready to lead on day 1.  Or any other day for that matter.  This points out why she is called “the most divisive figure in American history.  In this campaign, she has try to divide the country by race, by sex and by class to obtain what she seems to feel is an office that she is entitled to.  She has misstated her popular vote figures, her delegate figures, and the actual figures need to win the nomination.  There has been a constant threat to drag out the process through the convention, and the Rules Committee to obtain what she wants.  There have been made statements from the Clinton camp acting as pressure points to accept her as the Vice Presidential nominee.  You cannot help but form the impression that she and her campaign, her husband and Mr. Harold Ickes, will stop at nothing to achieve their objective of moving back into the White House in 2009.

But this time she went too far.  The Obama campaign was quick to respond, “"Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign."

This is not the first time she has made similar remarks during this campaign.  After the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, she stated, “"Sometimes you gotta calm people down a little bit. But if you look at successful presidential campaigns, my husband did not get the nomination until June of 1992.  I remember tragically when Senator Kennedy won California near the end of that process."

In fact, the assassination/nomination idea was first raised in this campaign on January 8, when a Clinton introducer, a retired teacher from New Hampshire, brought it up before Clinton spoke. "If you look back, some people have been comparing one of the other candidates to JFK, and he was a wonderful leader. He gave us a lot of hope," the retired teacher said. "But he was assassinated, and Lyndon Baines Johnson actually did all of his work and got both the Republicans and Democrats to pass those measures."

Do we really want a President or a Vice President who thinks in such terms?  All of the angles include succession by assassination, so that why I opposed to people trying to push me out of the race?

In fairness, Mrs. Clinton did issue an apology, “"I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to and I'm honored to hold Sen. Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate in the state of New York, and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family."

This is too little, too late.  A small sampling of the response to her remarks by the general public can be found on MSNBC’s website.  Here is just an example, “This is unreal.

"Hand the nomination to me, even though I can't win, because you know the black guy's going to get shot."

The Clintons have done and said enough insulting things throughout this campaign to keep me from ever supporting any member of their family in any political endeavor for the rest of my life. This is abhorrent. The supers need to shove her out of this race, now.”

Or how about this one, “Every time I think she can't stoop any lower, I am proven wrong. Hillary Clinton is despicable. The Super Delegates new to quit being such cowards and endorse Obama now. If this doesn't shut up all those people claiming an Obama/Hillary ticket is a "dream ticket" then nothing will. It is absolutely disgusting that Hillary would try to use the assassination of RFK to advance her already pathetic arguments, likely requiring a response from the Kennedy family, especially in light of what they are already going through. She is either a truly vile human being, or she needs mental help.”

To use the assassination of man who may have been one of the greatest leaders in American history as an example of a reason to stay in a race, where mathematically, you cannot win is one of the poorest justifications of all time.  Another great, insightful man who could bring about badly needed change to our nation is poised to take the nomination.  Barack Obama has consistently exercised good judgment, and has demonstrated the intellect and temperament consistent with the office of President.  Hillary Clinton is not worthy of your vote, and she is not worthy of holding either the office of President or Vice President.  Bill wants her to be one heartbeat away from obtaining the office? Who thinks like this?  What conversations has she had with her husband and campaign staff that connects the thoughts, she make a good Vice President and let’s see if he makes it to Denver?  Expect the undecided Super Delegates to become Obama supporters very soon.  And Hillary, while you are issuing apologies, how about one to Barack and his family?  Or didn’t you think that far ahead?

Music Review:  E=MC²

The Entertainment Critic Music Review By James Myers

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E=MC²

Format: CD

Release Date: 04/15/2008

Label: ISLAND

Catalog No.: 001027202

UPC: 602517507586

Sales Rank: 18

Album Credits

Performance Credits 

Mariah Carey:  Primary Artist, Background Vocals

Crystal Johnson:  Background Vocals

Technical Credits 

Mariah Carey:  Producer, Executive Producer

Jermaine Dupri:  Producer

Bernie Grundman:  Mastering

Benny Medina:  Management

James Poyser:  Producer

L.A. Reid:  Executive Producer

Manuel Seal Jr.  Producer

Scott Storch:  Producer

Damian "Junior Gong" Marley:  Guest Appearance

Kuk Harrell:  Engineer

Michael Richardson:  Management

Chris "Tricky" Stewart:  Producer

Doug Joswick:  Package Production

Brian Garten:  Engineer

Swizz Beatz:  Producer

John Horesco IV:  Engineer

Bryan-Michael Cox:  Producer

Tor Erik Hermanson:  Instrumentation

Mark Sudack:  Executive Producer, Management

Kelly "Becky 4 Real" Sheehan:  Engineer

Carol Corless:  Package Production

Derrick Selby:  Engineer

Mikkel S. Eriksen:  Engineer, Instrumentation

B.M.C.  Instrumentation

James "Scrappy" Stassen:  Engineer

Nick Banns:  Engineer

Bishop Clarence Keaton:  Guest Appearance

Gina Rainville:  Management

Melissa Ruderman:  Management

E=MC² Tracks

1 Migrate / T-Pain 4:17

2 Touch My Body 3:24

3 Cruise Control / Damian "Junior Gong" Marley 3:32

4 I Stay in Love 3:32

5 Side Effects / Young Jeezy 4:22

6 I'm That Chick 3:31

7 Love Story 3:56

8 I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time 3:01

9 Last Kiss 3:36

10 Thanx 4 Nothin' 3:05

11 O.O.C. 3:26

12 For the Record 3:26

13 Bye Bye 4:26

14 I Wish You Well 4:35

E=MC² DEBUTED AT NUMBER ONE ON THE BILLBOARD 200 WITH 463,000 COPIES SOLD, MAKING IT THE BIGGEST OPENING WEEK SALES OF HER CAREER. WITH SIX NUMBER ONE ALBUMS, CAREY IS NOW TIED WITH JANET JACKSON IN THE U.S. FOR THE THIRD MOST NUMBER ONE ALBUMS FOR A FEMALE ARTIST, BEHIND MADONNA WITH SEVEN AND BARBRA STREISAND'S EIGHT CHART TOPPERS. IN ITS SECOND WEEK, THE ALBUM TOPPED THE CHART AGAIN WITH 182,000 COPIES SOLD. E=MC² IS CAREY'S FIRST ALBUM TO SPEND TWO STRAIGHT WEEKS AT #1 SINCE 1995'S DAYDREAM.  THE ALBUM HAS SOLD 827,000 COPIES TO DATE.

ON THE UK ALBUM CHART, IT DEBUTED AT NUMBER THREE, SELLING 34,800 COPIES. THIS WAS HER HIGHEST PEAK POSITION IN THE UK SINCE BUTTERFLY, WHICH PEAKED AT NUMBER TWO. IT DEBUTED AT THE TOP ON THE UNITED WORLD CHART WITH 617,000 COPIES SOLD AND HELD THE TOP POSITION FOR ANOTHER WEEK, SELLING 1,075,000 UNITS TO DATE.^[ IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE ALBUM REACHED GOLD STATUS SELLING OVER 15,000 COPIES IN JUST EIGHT DAYS.

ON APRIL 15, 2008, THE SAME DAY THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED, MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA PROCLAIMED APRIL 15 OFFICIALLY AS "MARIAH CAREY DAY" IN LOS ANGELES. IT WAS IN PART OF CELEBRATING CAREY'S EIGHTEENTH NUMBER ONE SINGLE, "TOUCH MY BODY".  ALSO, ON APRIL 25, 2008 THROUGH APRIL 27, 2008; THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WAS LIT UP IN CAREY'S MOTIF COLORS — LAVENDER, PINK, AND WHITE — IN CELEBRATION OF HER ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC. CAREY IS THE FIRST PERSON IN HISTORY TO BE HONORED IN THIS EVENT.

            The issue with Mariah Carey has been and always will be the same; is she a great pop artist and singer, or is she a diva with too much pretense and French pastry in her music to be taken seriously?  All too frequently in the past, the gifted singer with the 8 octave range has taken us on a joyride, a “need to decorate every damn song with more octaves than Maria Callas,” and very little emotion or substance.  Her last album, The Emancipation of Mimi was a near perfect album that featured more of her emotional rather than her vocal range.  E=MC²  is a better album, if that is possible, where we see a free and easy Mariah, that has produced a pop album, that is, "equal parts levity and gravity.”  If Mimi was her coming out party, than E=MC² is her coming home party; an artist that is in control and is totally comfortable in her skin.  To be blunt, this is one of the year’s best.

E=MC² is the eleventh studio album by American pop and R&B singer Mariah Carey. The album was released on April 15, 2008 in the United States.  The album name means "(E) Emancipation (=) equals (MC) Mariah Carey (²) to the second power". It is a play on Einstein's famous mass–energy equivalence formula and is the sequel to her 2005 album, The Emancipation of Mimi. 

            The album's music appeals to a lot of genres such as Pop, R&B and Hip hop, but some of her songs also include Gospel and Reggae beats. She experiments for the first time with reggae tones on "Cruise Control" and also uses a Jamaican patois during the second verse. On "Side Effects" she speaks about her marriage to Tommy Mottola describing it as a "private hell", the "emotional abuse" she saw during this time and the side effects from which she still suffers. MTV's author Jennifer Vineyard said it's "like a rock power ballad" and compared the music style to that of Bonnie Tyler and Pat Benatar. Two songs from the album sample melodies of other songs: one of them is the Seventies-soul-recalling "I'm That Chick" which samples Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall". The other song is "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," which samples DeBarge's "Stay with Me" and recalls the melodic riff of the "Hill Street Blues" theme music.  Her second single "Bye Bye" is about the loss of her father, Alfred Roy, who died of cancer in 2002, and his absence during her childhood. Although the lyrics of the song mostly seems to be personal, she tries to keep the topic universal, so that everybody "who just lost somebody" can refer to it. The closing track "I Wish You Well" is a piano ballad kept simple with gospel influences. In the song she quotes some parts from the Bible.

            Her music has this floating, ethereal quality to it.  It is a soothing experience that makes you feel rested, peaceful.  A fluttering warbler, this music soars.  It is a quiet, reflective, emotional experience that leaves you wanting more.  Mariah dresses like a diva, but she sings like an angel; a gift that reminiscent of some of the best female singers of all time.  A girls girl, her personality and warmth is reflected in ever single song.  Guaranteed to make you imagination drift, this one is like a warm summer breeze.  One of a kind, dreamy and romantic, Mariah the singer has finally emerged. 

Music Review:  Hard Candy

The Entertainment Critic Music Review By James Myers

www.theentertainmentcritic.com

www.theentertainmentcritic.net

www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com

HARD CANDY

Format: CD

Release Date: 04/29/2008

Label: WARNER BROS / WEA

Catalog No.: 421372

UPC: 093624988496

Sales Rank: 6

Album Credits

Performance Credits 

Madonna:  Primary Artist

Stevie Blacke:   Strings

Wendy Melvoin:   Guitar

Dan Warner:  Guitar

Hannon B. Lane:  Keyboards

Timbaland:   Drums, DJ

Andrew Coleman:   Guitar

Justin Timberlake:   Guitar, Background Vocals

Monte Pittman:   Guitar

Technical Credits 

Madonna:   Producer, Executive Producer

Chris Gehringer:   Mastering

Mark "Spike" Stent:   Engineer

Hannon B. Lane:   Producer

Timbaland:   Producer

Andrew Coleman: Engineer

The Neptunes:   Producer

Justin Timberlake:   Producer

Giovanni Bianco:   Art Direction

Ron Taylor:   Digital Editing

Alex Dromgoole:  Engineer

Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica:  Engineer

Hard Candy’s Tracks

1 Candy Shop 4:15

2 4 Minutes / Justin Timberlake 4:03

3 Give It 2 Me 4:47

4 Heartbeat 4:03

5 Miles Away 4:48

6 She's Not Me 6:04

7 Incredible 6:19

8 Beat Goes on / Kanye West 4:26

9 Dance 2night 5:03

10 Spanish Lesson 3:37

11 Devil Wouldn't Recognize You 5:08

12 Voices 3:39

REGARDED AS "ONE OF THE GREATEST POP ACTS OF ALL TIME", SHE HAS BEEN DUBBED THE "QUEEN OF POP" BY THE MEDIA

BEGINNING WITH THE RELEASE OF HER SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM IN 1983, MADONNA ROSE TO STARDOM PRODUCING THREE CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE STUDIO ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200; LIKE A VIRGIN (1984), TRUE BLUE (1986), AND LIKE A PRAYER (1989). THOUGH THE ENTERTAINER FACED COLDER CRITICAL RECEPTION AND MORE MODEST SALES ON SUBSEQUENT ALBUMS EROTICA (1992) AND BEDTIME STORIES (1994), SHE GARNERED CRITICAL ACCLAIM WITH THE RELEASE OF HER SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM RAY OF LIGHT (1998), WHICH OPENED AT NUMBER TWO. MADONNA CONTINUED TO REMAIN IN THE FOREFRONT OF POP MUSIC WITH FOUR MORE CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE STUDIO ALBUMS; MUSIC (2000) AMERICAN LIFE (2003) CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR (2005) AND HARD CANDY (2008).

MADONNA IS RANKED BY THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AS THE "BEST SELLING FEMALE ROCK ARTIST OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY" AND THE SECOND TOP-SELLING FEMALE ARTIST IN THE UNITED STATES (BEHIND BARBRA STREISAND) WITH 63 MILLION CERTIFIED ALBUMS. ACCORDING TO GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, SHE IS THE "WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL FEMALE RECORDING ARTIST OF ALL TIME” AND THE TOP EARNING FEMALE SINGER IN THE WORLD WITH AN ESTIMATED NET WORTH OF OVER $400 MILLION, HAVING SOLD OVER 200 MILLION ALBUMS WORLDWIDE. BILLBOARD REPORTED THAT HER 2006 CONFESSIONS TOUR HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST GROSSING CONCERT TOUR BY A FEMALE ARTIST. ON MARCH 10, 2008, SHE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.

MADONNA MADE HER ACTING DEBUT WITH THE LOW-BUDGET FEATURE FILM A CERTAIN SACRIFICE (1979) AND WENT ON TO STAR IN THE 1985 BOX OFFICE HIT DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, HER FIRST STARRING ROLE. SHE THEN STARRED IN THE RELATIVELY UNSUCCESSFUL SHANGHAI SURPRISE (1986), BODY OF EVIDENCE (1993), THE NEXT BEST THING (2000) AND SWEPT AWAY (2002) — IN ADDITION TO NUMEROUS SUPPORTING ROLES AND CAMEO APPEARANCES. SHE ALSO STARRED IN THE BOX OFFICE HITS DICK TRACY (1990), A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992) AND EVITA (1996) — BASED ON THE MUSICAL OF THE SAME NAME, WHICH EARNED HER A GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS - MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY.

HARD CANDY SOLD 100,000 COPIES IN THE UNITED STATES UPON ITS FIRST DAY OF RELEASE

THIS CD IS THE 7^TH WHERE MADONNA HAS DEBUTED AT #1

THE RECORD IS HELD BY BARBARA STREISAND WITH 8 #1 DÉBUTS

THE ALBUM HAS SO FAR DEBUTED AT NUMBER ONE IN 27 COUNTRIES

“Borderline feels like I’m going to lose my mind
You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline”

                                    Chorus from Madonna’s “Borderline”

            There are 2 distinct phases to Madonna’s career; the first was her wildly popular dance music of the 1980’s when we first meet the free spirit, sexy dresser that revolutionized women’s popular music; the second is the social, modern impressionistic political/religious commentary that many of her older listeners struggled to understand.  Her new album, Hard Candy, represents a fusion of the 2 with a return to definite dance music, mixed with deep, searing lyrics that may be best listened to alone at home in the dark. Dance fever meets the urban legend in Hard Candy. This is her last studio album to be released under her contract with Warner Brothers, and last week it debuted at # 1 to an accepting audience that has been waiting for her eventual return to moving dance and pop music.

            Not that this album doesn’t have a hip hop feel; it clearly does, but at its heart it is a pop/dance record with “an urban direction.”  Her collaborator, Justin Timberlake in a recent interview stated, “It's kinda like 'Holiday' with an R&B groove." He went on to say "It’s an R&B/pop/dance record, but it’s still Madonna... A couple of times I pushed her in a direction where it took a minute before we saw eye to eye. Her approach was, 'Well, I just haven’t done that' and I was like, 'Yeah, that’s why you should do it.'  This is why the album has pop/dance music reminding us of her origins and sharp, edgy, pointed lyrics that make you feel ever so slightly uncomfortable.  But as a mix, it works and for those old dance music fans, it seems to be close enough.

            The album features vocal appearances by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Kanye West along with production credits from Timbaland, Timberlake, The Neptunes, and Nate "Danja" Hills as well as co-production from Madonna. Wendy Melvoin is guest guitarist on "She's Not Me".

            My favorite song on the album is "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake. "4 Minutes" has reached number one in twenty-three countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Greece, Switzerland and Norway and the United World Chart. Madonna holds the record for the artist with the most number one hits worldwide.  The beat and production are unmistakably Timberlake, and this one borders on a rocker.

            The other great songs on this one are “Candy Shop” and “Give it to me” which will be released as a single in July.  “Candy Shop” in particular proves my point.  It has a dance number sound that reminds you of songs, “Like A Virgin” and “Material Girl,” but if you listen closely to the lyrics and check out the Madonna the sadist bombshell on the cover, (did you know that she is 49 years old, sure couldn’t tell by that cover), you get the feeling that we are discussing dominatrix behaviors, and thus she has somehow managed to maintain her controversial content.  The first time you hear, “Give it to me” it definitely identifies itself right away as a classic Madonna song.  Rhythmic, moving and fun, this one sounds like a perfect dance number; one you will be hearing blaring out of car windows all summer long.  It has that “let’s play it again,” over and over and over quality to it.  I may well be the biggest smash on this CD. 

            Overall this album is off the hook.  You cannot listen to the music and sit still and maybe that’s what her fans want from her.  Rolling Stone said it best, “Hard Candy is the work of "a songwriting team of American chart royalty" that help "revisit her roots as an urban-disco queen.”  Watch for her new tour to start around August.  For all you dance fans, the material girl is back, but she’s leaner and meaner; older and wiser.  I think you’re going to like it all the same.  This one is a reminder of the original greatness of a uniquely American artist that had young girls all over the country “Going Madonna.”  This one is a keeper for a hot, summer day.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7s1q3L-S0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCdXCKor6B0