The Ballads

Mariah Carey

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 2009)
• Original Release Date: January 27, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B001KL3GYU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,781 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Ballads features nine #1 hits and other instantly recognizable songs which showcase the depth and breadth of Mariah Carey's career. This CD is truly the ultimate collection of ballads for any Mariah Carey fan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars elegance, talent and graceful self-confidence--it's Mariah at her best, January 20, 2009

By	Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Mariah Carey has always been a wonderful singer; and this CD offers us many of her best hits with a few lesser known numbers all on one single CD. The quality of the sound is excellent and I really like the artwork as well. Mariah can take a song and infuse so much energy and emotion into it that you can instinctively tell she possesses a singular talent. This is a great CD for her fans and anyone just getting to know the artistry of Mariah Carey.

"Hero" is a major highlight of this album; Mariah sings this with great sensitivity and I really like "Hero." The music that accompanies her fits in just right with her vocals, too. Then we get "One Sweet Day;" this ballad tugs at my heartstrings whenever I hear it and I could never tire of hearing Mariah sing this--and she gets wonderful help from Boyz II Men. Listen also for "Vision Of Love;" this elegant love song features Mariah squarely front and center--right where she deserves to be! Mariah performs "Vision Of Love" without a superfluous note.

"Love Takes Time" has Mariah singing her heart out; and that's grand. The music fits in perfectly; I love that percussion in particular. "I'll Be There" gets a very tender interpretation from Mariah who aces this seemingly effortlessly. Of course, we know it really wasn't so easy--but Mariah Carey's talent always carries her through. Similarly, Luther Vandross joins Mariah for a sensual duet on "Endless Love;" and "Endless Love" is also another highlight of this CD.

"I Still Believe" is simply awesome to hear; and I really like "When You Believe" which features Whitney Houston singing with Mariah for quite a positive effect. "Anytime You Need A Friend" is a very pretty melody with a very fine choir to backup Mariah--not that she needs backup, but it does sound great. There's also "Always Be My Baby" with its awesome beat; Mariah sings this special type of love song with great finesse and a certain sensitivity that I rarely hear or enjoy.

"Dreamlover" also boasts a great beat as Mariah sings her heart out; she gives blood to make "Dreamlover" a truly wonderful number; and the CD ends strong with Mariah performing "Reflections (Care Enough)." "Reflections (Care Enough)" is a most tender ballad that leaves me wanting more!

Every once in a very long while all the stars in all the heavens align just so--and a true star is born. Such was--and is--the case with Mariah Carey. We are all so much better off for Mariah's sharing her talents with us; she is a special entertainer who has immense promise for the future, too. I highly recommend this album for Mariah's fans; and people who enjoy timeless love songs will not be disappointed.

Thank you, Mariah!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good album but for those who want more...you may want to look towards the 2001 Greatest Hits release, January 29, 2009

By	Dennis A. Amith (kndy) (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

During the 1990's, I was a big fan of Mariah Carey's music. I absolute loved her music, her voice and I just felt that she was just a beautiful person gifted with an amazing voice.

And with her domination throughout the years when she was part of the Columbia label, there were so many ballads released during that time period which I have listened to so many times. I tend to feel that these older classics really showcased her vocals. Songs such as the elegant track "Hero", to the sad but wonderful duet with Boyz II Men for "One Sweet Day", her remake of Nilsson's 1972 hit "Without You" which she brought such an amazing emotional depth to and just to think that she decided to cover the song after hearing it at a restaurant. Then there's "Endless Love" which features a duet with Luther Vandross, her cover of Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe", the beautiful acoustic and slow beat "I Give My All" and the remarkable duet with Whitney Houston for "When You Believe".

The compilation also features live tracks and upbeat tracks. The live performance of Mariah Carey's "I'll Be There" is included especially memorable upbeat tracks such as "Dreamlover", "Always Be My Baby", "Thank God I Found You" featuring Joe and Nas which takes the music and "Make it Last" words from the old school jam by Keith Sweat but with new lyrics and the upbeat "How Much" with Usher and many more.

So, there are a lot of hit songs on this album!

"MARIAH THE BALLADS" is a fantastic compilation. But is it worth it if you own her other albums or her greatest hits album? First, there are some ballads that are missing such as "I Want to Cry", her cover of the Journey song "Open Arms", her cover of the Phil Collins hit "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" which she did a duet with Westlife and truthfully, a lot of these songs on this album and songs that are not on this album can be found on her 2001 "Greatest Hits" album which has more songs, on two discs and because it's an older album, you can find it much cheaper these days.

So, unless you are a hardcore Mariah Carey fan and must own everything, you're probably going to buy it anyway. It's a very good album but in the long run, you can probably save more money by purchasing her 2001 "Greatest Hits" album online. But nevertheless, this album contains a lot of her fantastic, chart-topping hits. Despite it being called a ballad album, some of her faster, upbeat tracks are on this album. But on its own, it's a pretty awesome compilation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The power of perfect pitch, February 19, 2009

By	N. Y. Richardson (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mariah Carey has perfect pitch and you can hear it as she uses exact keys and incredible range throughout "The Ballads." I really like the duet with Whitney Houston. They sing, "When You Believe," which was written by Stephen Schwartz and Babyface. It's a well-written song that allows both singers to showcase their talents.