"Doo Wop (That Thing)

Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) (1998)

"Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in."

Both in appearance and sound, this video and song live in two worlds. The high piano, backing vocals, most of the drums, left side of the video, and horn riffs are pure girl group gold from the Motor City. On the right, and comprising the bass, @10% of the drums and Ms. Hill's blasting lead is a late 90s post-gangsta screed against materialism, duplicity, thuggish behavior and lack of self respect.

The album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill began in NYC but quickly moved to Kingstown Jamaica. There has been a lot written and a law suit involved over production, writing credits and royalties, so we'll just say that the book says Lauren had assistance with writing the track, but produced this one her self. Personnel notes state that there were four backing vocalists, two drum machine programmers, a DJ, a saxophonist, a string quartet, a keyboardist, a trumpet player, and a trombone player. As far as the video is concerned, the most repeated (and yet surprisingly true) piece of trivia is that Lauren was six months pregnant when they shot it.

"Breakdown"

Mariah Carey - Breakdown (1997)

Mariah Carey's prophetic hip-ballad.

OK, let's get this out of the way. The looped bird sounds through the entire song? Ruin it. It's hard to focus on anything else. It's like walking through a Disney rain forest exhibit in the 80s. Her vocal choices in the song obviously owe a lot to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony; two members of which are featured on this track. In fact, it's odd that they are not mentioned in the top. Most songs with this much collaboration would make use of the "featuring" credit. But this one does not. Or at least, the book doesn't think so. The internet seems to think the featuring credit is due. Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone, nice job.

High hat drum machine, really simple piano part (played on a synth, but on the piano setting as far as I can hear) and occasionally a bass comes through. Mostly the song is about the vocals of the three performers. Oh, and the damned bird sounds. Mariah Carey has an amazing voice on the straight sung parts, and she admirably handles the blended rap sung parts. The two members of Bone Thugs handle the short rap portion of the song keeping it tight. The producer chose to use all three of their voices throughout the sound as their own background singers and it works.

The song is about the trouble one goes through when your lover decides it's over. Mariah Carey always claimed it wasn't autobiographical. It's a darkly beautiful lyric and a great song. But I will never listen to it again until I can find a remix without the bird calls.