Whitney Houston

[DonGately]

With all the hype one might expect the album to be an anticlimactic, lackluster affair, but the surprise is that Whitney Houston (Arista) is one of the warmest, most complex, and altogether satisfying rhythm and blues records of the decade and Whitney herself has a voice that defies belief. From the elegant, beautiful photo of her on the cover of the alsum (in a gown by Giovanne De Maura) and its fairly sexy counterpart on the back (in a bathing suit by Norma Kamali) one knows that this isn't going to be a blandly professional affair; the record is smooth but intense and Whitney's voice leaps across so many boundaries and is so versatile (though she's mainly a jazz singer) that it's hard to take in the album on the first listening. But you won't want to . You'll want to savor it over many.

[DonGately]

(Because I couldn't find the Genesis thread)

Imperial Bedrooms comes out next week.