Without You, which gave Mariah a huge hit. This song was released as part of the double-A single with…. There’s an element of ballad-by-numbers and in its chorus it reminds me of Boyz II Men‘s hit End Of The Road, which he also co-wrote and produced. This is a collaboration between Mariah and producer Babyface, and it kind of shows. Never Forget You opens with a big country music ballad sound. This is the most dance-y I’ve ever heard Mariah, and whilst this is pretty much a complete contrast to anything so far on this album, Mariah’s vocals make light work of the dance vocals. The tempo is up here, and gives Mariah a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Cathy Dennis or Dina Carroll album. Next up is Now That I Know, a song co-written with and produced by the men of the moment, David Coleand Robert Clivillésof C + C Music Factory. The song focuses on Mariah’s soft, breathy vocals, and gives her plenty of space to show this off, with the song barely registering a pulse. This song begins as a very basic track, with finger clicks and bass joining in for the second verse. Mariah ‘ oohs‘ and ‘ umms’ her way in in a way that would have done Whitney Houston proud. The track opens with… yes, you guessed it… a music box playing a lullaby. Title track Music Box follows this, marking the first non-single track of the album. The song plods along, although at times the vocals feel a bit rock. Next up is the fourth and final single taken from the album Anytime You Need A Friend, which is another ballad, but this time it features a gospel choir that works perfectly in contrast to Mariah’s vocals, allowing her to focus on hitting some incredibly high notes with the strength of the choir behind her. Again, her vocals here are flawless, and the song flows perfectly along with her. This track begins with Mariah pitched against a piano, as bass and light percussion gradually builds up. This is followed by Hero, the second single from the album, which gave her a #7 UK hit. This is a wonderful song, and is, in my opinion, Mariah at her peak, although sadly it got stuck at #9 in the singles chart. Mariah’s vocals here are confident, strong, and also perfectly partnered to this chilled out track. It’s backed by a gentle bass and guitar riff. A fantastic slick RnB beat kicks in with a wonderful snare. The album opens with the gentle tinkling start of lead single Dreamlover, and the trademark high-pitched note from Mariah. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this album – I had it about 20 years ago, and when I saw it again, I decided I’d give it another go.
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