In a rather transparent attempt to cash in on Mariah Carey’s pre-borderline “Columbia Years,” ex-hubby and company have unveiled Greatest Hits just in time for Christmas. It seems like only yesterday that we were served with the self-congratulatory #1’s, a collection of Carey’s record-breaking string of chart-toppers, but the 27-track Greatest Hits is the singer’s first proper hits compilation. Indeed, Carey’s “greatest” hits have often fallen short of the Billboard perch. The uptempo “Make It Happen” (from 1991’s Emotions), a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” and the Daydream album cut “Underneath The Stars” have certainly earned their spots next to more banal hits like “Hero” and “One Sweet Day.” But the inclusion of tracks with less-than-stellar chart performances (“Butterfly,” “Sweetheart,” “Can’t Take That Away”) render omissions of career highs like “The Roof” and “Breakdown” (both from 1997’s Butterfly) even more glaring. Carey’s debut hit, “Vision of Love,” her “Unplugged” rendition of “I’ll Be There,” and the campy “Fantasy,” however, sound as fresh as ever. In light of Carey’s post-Columbia track-record, Greatest Hits may be all one needs to get their Mariah fix.
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