The Ballads

by Mariah Carey

Overview

In 1998, it would have been a cheap joke to say that Mariah Carey had no other kind of hits than ballads, but in the ensuing decade she steadily remade herself into an R&B diva, obscuring if not quite erasing the well-mannered adult contemporary singer of the '90s. The 2009 compilation The Ballads -- released just before Valentines Day 2009 -- attempts to turn back the clock by focusing just on those AC tunes -- 18 of them, in fact, including such mammoth hits as "Hero," "One Sweet Day," "Vision of Love," "I'll Be There," "I Still Believe," "Dreamlover," and "Always Be My Baby." Of course, this concentration on middle of the road ballads is a side effect of label affiliation: The Ballads is a product of Sony, who had Mariah during the '90s, before the club R&B overshadowed these office-friendly hits, so it's easier for them to cobble together a comp of Carey at her most sentimental. And that's what The Ballads is: nothing but big love songs sung in a big voice. For fans who have missed this side of Mariah in the 2000s, this is a welcome reminder of what they used to love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2014
Label:	Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music
UPC:	0888430563728

Tracks

1. Hero
2. One Sweet Day
3. Vision of Love
4. Without You
5. Can't Let Go
6. Love Takes Time
7. Thank God I Found You [Make It Last Remix]
8. Endless Love
9. I Still Believe
10. My All
11. The Roof
12. When You Believe
13. Anytime You Need a Friend
14. Always Be My Baby
15. Dreamlover
16. How Much
17. Reflections (Care Enough)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mariah Carey   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Joe   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Westlife   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Whitney Houston   Primary Artist
Usher   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Boyz II Men   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Luther Vandross   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Nas   Featured Artist
Trey Lorenz   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Narada Michael Walden   Rhythm Arrangements,Arranger,Producer,Audio Production
Jermaine Dupri   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Phil Collins   Composer
Poke & Tone   Producer,Audio Production
Nathan Morris   Composer
Walter Afanasieff   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Rhett Lawrence   Producer,Audio Production
Mike Mason   Audio Production,Producer
Hal Davis   Composer
James Harris   Composer
Willie Hutch   Composer
Antonina Armato   Composer
Tom Evans   Composer
Manuel Seal, Jr.   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Bryan-Michael Cox   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Teddy Riley   Composer
Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer
Babyface   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Bob West   Composer
Cory Rooney   Composer
Terry Lewis   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Ben Margulies   Arranger,Composer
Wanya Morris   Composer
Ricky Rouse   Composer
Lionel Richie   Composer
Jonathan Cain   Composer
Mariah Carey   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Stephen Schwartz   Composer
Steve Perry   Composer
Keith Sweat   Composer
Kejuan Muchita   Composer
James Harris III   Composer
Tyrone Wrice   Composer
David Hall   Arranger,Producer
Jean-Claude Olivier   Composer
S. Barnes   Composer
Pete Ham   Composer
Jimmy Jam   Producer,Audio Production
2Pac   Composer
Stevie Jordan   Audio Production
Pierre Philippe   Composer
Michael McCary   Composer
Chris Toland   Arranger
Beppe Cantarelli   Composer
Alexei Hay   Photography
Darryl Harper   Composer
Dave "Jam" Hall   Composer,Audio Production
Albert Johnson   Composer
Shawn Stockman   Composer