Just Whitney - Whitney Houston

On first looks this golden bronze packaging might impress, but inside it's a different story altogether.

Whitney, in recent months, has been the number one anticipated album since her success in 1998. The special edition pack on review included a 10 track audio cd and a dvd. While 10 tracks totaling some 39 minutes on an audio cd might seem somewhat skimpy by today's standards, the album features mid tempo R&B numbers that for Whitney lovers will play on forever. We all know the talented Whitney as one with the vocal prowess but some of the material here leaves much to be desired. Considering her previous success, the album could have done better with some slow ballads. You will like the Missy Elliot produced "Things you say," a soulful slow jam and the Babyface production "Try it on my own." "You light up my life" a duet with her husband, Bobby Brown seems like a joyless affair and can't come close to 1998's "I will always love you". Quite a contrast, and you'll understand why if you've been reading about Whitney over the years. The only number getting some worthy airplay is "Whatchulookinat."

The DVD, albeit a filler for the skimpy audio cd, includes videos of "Whatchulookinat" and "Megamix" along with some behind-the-scenes footage.

While fans waiting since 1998 would probably love this album and its DVD, casual listeners may do better avoiding it. For Whitney however, this album is a strange step backwards.