Hmm....This Must Be Pop

Paula Abdul went away with the early-90s Dance-Pop movement. Now pop has returned. There are an interesting number of similarities between Abdul and current pop princess Britney Spears. Both have subpar singing voices, but try to make up for it by cooing and whispering their way through songs. Both have good figures and can dance. Both have absolutely nothing interesting to say, and are mere commodities.

"Spellbound" is one of the very first CDs I ever bought. I have some pleasant memories that go with it. If I heard it for the first time today, without the nostalgia, I probably wouldn't reccommend it. But I am. There are some genuinely pretty musical moments hidden amid the generic dance tunes. The violin part on "Rush, Rush", the way the acoustic guitar comes in on the second verse of "Blowing Kisses in the Wind", the harmonica solo on "Will You Marry Me?". I realize this album in stupid, and I very rarely listen to it, but I enjoyed dusting it off and hearing it again (in preparation for this review). I guess I'm not as tough a critic as I thought. I guess I'm just not as into Deep And Important Music as I thought.

Or maybe I'm afraid of what Paula Abdul's rabid fan base will do if I give this a bad review. They'll hack into my computer, find out where I live, break into my house, and skin me alive while blasting "Cold-Hearted Snake" on my stereo. Hey, it could happen.

I'm not saying she has talent or anything, but her handlers wrote some good songs on here. So, everyone, take it easy on me.