Track Listing

1. Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue)
2. Obsessed
3. H.A.T.E.U.
4. Candy Bling
5. Ribbon
6. Inseparable
7. Standing
8. It's A Wrap
9. Up Out My Face
10. Up Out My Face (The Reprise)
11. More Than Just Friends
12. The Impossible
13. The Impossible (The Reprise)
14. Angel (The Prelude)
15. Angels Cry
16. Languishing (The Interlude)
17. I Want To Know What Love Is
18. Obsessed (Cahill Radio Mix)
19. Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
20. Obsessed (Jump Smokers Radio Edit)
21. Obsessed (Friscia and Lamboy Radio Mix)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4742 in Music
• Released on: 2009-11-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .16 pounds
• Running time: 72 minutes

CD Description
Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel is the twelfth studio album from Grammy Award winning R&B star Mariah Carey. Produced mainly by Terius 'The-Dream' Nash and Tricky Stewart, the album sees Carey taking the reins as main songwriter and using the ups and downs of her own life as inspiration. Backed by slick R&B and hip hop production, Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel is another solid addition to Mariah Carey's impressive back catalogue. The single "Obsession" is featured as well as a cover of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is".

Customer Reviews

an album for fans
I got a really nice surprise last night, I was gutted to see here on Amazon the new November 16th release date. I checked other online music stores who still had the 5th of October date. I was confused but then, I went to itunes (Irish store) and saw the album was available for download yesterday! I don't know was this a mistake or what but I downloaded the album straight away and here's what I think after listening all last night/ day today...

Firstly, vocally Mariah is definitely on form this time out... I don't care what some people say... Mariah is singing the songs this time out, NOT whispering them like she did around Glitter/ Charmbracelet... sure in some songs, she starts out soft but she builds to a strong finish every time and is not holding back at all.. you don't sense a weakness in her voice that you did around Glitter/ Charmbracelet or that she is ever holding back... she still has it, she just knows not to oversing from beginning to end every time because then her vocal strength loses impact/ effect. Vocally, Mariah delivers as good as she did on 2005's mimi.

Musically, this album definitely is very cohesive and you can sense a tight, fully rounded collection of songs... It is certainly reminiscent of 1997's "Butterfly" in this regard.... I think it was a good idea that she stuck with The Dream and Tricky only for this album.... The songs definitely flow and nothing sticks out like a sore thumb.. sometimes, Mariah's leanings towards hip hop tracks really jars an albums flow for me anyway... this album is very much a soothing, smooth rnb album about losing loving and finding it again.

It really doesn't venture into hip-hop much which I am thrilled about... since rainbow in 1999, every Mariah album has featured lots of collaborations with rappers... and often, these rappers over ran her tracks... this was something I always thought was a flaw with her albums...I'm not a rap fan but don't mind if a rapper raps a little in the middle of a song as a guest, but they do get tedious talking about their "cash, cars blah blah" and really I have found them to detract from Mariah's songs generally. So, gladly there are no collaborations this time out... Mariah is really given her fans what they really want, pure uninterrupted Mariah.. This was a brave move for Mariah, I know she had Gucci mane on the remix to obsessed but it's great for once to listen to a Mariah album without any other artist/ rapper dominating her song with adlibs all over it from start to finish.

My favourite tracks so far:

I want to know what love is: I have been dying to get my mits on this song.... It is a great choice for second single.. its so soothing at the start yet so powerful by the time it ends with the gospel choir.
My one complaint is that it seems a little short... this version is perfect for radio but I had hoped that the album version would be a little more epic, the end seems rushed and it seems to fade out very early after the choir joins to back Mariah.
Still, Mariah knows that to get radio airplay, it needs to be short and snappy... this is one of Mariah's best covers I believe. Her best since Without You for me.

Betcha goin' know: a solid start to the album, you get the sense straight away that this album is going to be intimate as Mariah sings about getting her own back on a cheating lover. Mariah doesn't hold back here, the tune is carried by a strong piano riff and heavy beats.

Obsessed: I loved this track all summer, it's so catchy, her best up-tempo since mimi's Get Your Number. Although the concept of the idea I didn't approve of originally, I wish Mariah wouldn't even engage in anything eminem has to say or do, she is far too classy to even be responding to his garbage.. but the song is just so infectious and catchy... I don't understand how this didn't enjoy more success in Europe..

HATEU:
This is another really catchy track, very strong beat propels this song on. I could see this as a strong single choice.

Candy Bling:/ The Impossible
Candy Bling is a really smooth song, very reminiscent of "the Fourth of July" from Butterfly, Mariah sings about how things were back in the day.. it feels very nostalgic... it's just such a dreamy song... very smooth. The Impossible is similar in that nostalgia feel, very like that rnb vibe from butterfly.

Ribbon:
I wasn't too sure at first about the distorted voice at the start but once this gets going, it's another fine up-tempo track. I love the strength of the beats The Dream and Tricky have given Mariah... these songs all sound so strong and catchy.

It's a wrap:
I love the start to this... Mariah's vocal acrobatics are classic Mariah...
A very old school rnb track. Mariah again can't be accused of whispering. This song sees her singing and not holding back.

Up Out My Face:
Another piano led track, a catchy uptempo/ midtempo track, again you can feel old style rnb not modern hip hop.
The reprise is a really catchy recall of the songs chorus, I love the drums and trumpet used... its like a marching band..


Mariah does deserve a success with this album, she hasn't just rehashed Mimi again like many felt she did with E=MC2. Those two albums were great fun but they were very mixed in terms of song type and this album is much more unified in sound and doesn't try too hard to pander to what is hip or fresh at the minute like those two albums before did I feel. This time, Mariah's true fans really are treated to what they wanted... Mariah performing by herself, Mariah using her voice to it's full potential/ strength and not holding back (not always belting the songs out but saving it for appropriate moments in songs), and lots of Mariah ballads and dreamy rnb that will evoke nostalgia for Butterfly fans that feel Mariah lost herself a little after butterfly in a sea of hip hop. Im sure she will collaborate again, but this really feels like an album that is for the fans...a moment to enjoy Mariah by herself. I don't know if it will be as commercially successful as mimi or e=mc2 as it doesn't genre hop as much as those albums... so it will probably appeal to a narrower audience in ways, to true Mariah fans though.

Finally, I can't believe the album has been delayed again for Europe and now won't be released until the week of 16th November... U.S fans think they were bad with their 3 release dates... this is the 5th date for Europe ... I get it though, Mariah has pencilled in 2 weeks around the 16th of November for European promotion and she needs to do some serious work... obsessed didn't chart very well surprisingly and I want to know what love is has been sent to European radio since late august but hasn't gotten much support yet.. it is a hidden jem sadly for the time being ... hopefully this will change...One problem with this date is Leona Lewis releases her new album that week in Europe, I suspect Mariah may not get a look in from the UK media that week ....I just hope this album gets a good chance and is promoted well.

average
Being a long time Mariah fan it pains me to say that this is probably one of her worse albums. After 2 comeback albums which were good Memoirs of an imperfect angel seems to have ben a troubled project. A myriad of delays in its release couple with re recording sessions only highlights the albums troubles. The whole album is prod by Terius "the dream" nash and tricky stewart which is unusual these days for an rnb album as it normally has various producers chipping in..as such nash and stewarts songs arent strong enough to sustain a whole album and usually with mariah albums you get one standout classic like Hero,Honey,Emotions,Fantasy etc etc..there is not one classic track on this album !!!. Probably the 3 best tracks are the first single Obsessed , Hate-u and up outta my face. the rest are very very bland indeed and are all the same tempo and pace..tracks merge into one another and you'd be hard pressed to tell where one ends and the other begins. A poor effort indeed and i hope mariah rehires the likes of jermaine dupri,The Neptunes or even old stalwart walter asanaffiaf to get her going again..avoid this and get an earlier album

Just Coasting
How do you solve a problem like Mariah?

(Apologies to Mr Hammerstein II!)

This album should have been great -shouldn't it?
A new release by one of the finest voices on the planet?

As a long-time admirer (I emphasise "admirer" rather
than devotee) I find myself more than a little disappointed
by 'Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel'.

Truth-be-told Ms Carey is coasting with this one.
A lacklustre, unswervingly mid-tempo, middle-of-the-road
collection of mundane and unimaginative material.
The lack of variation in pace prevents the work from
catching fire. There is little dramatic or dynamic tension
to make this even remotely possible.

Here and there a good idea emerges and Ms Carey sings like
her heart might be in it but the effort is not sustained.

'Inseparable' is about as good as it gets. I like the piano's
edgy and unusual chord progression and open rhythmic
structure which gives the voice room to shine.

'It's A Wrap' begins with a sound like someone dropping their
dentures into a tumbler of water but Ms Carey sings the song
soulfully and well so I must believe that she achieved
this fine performance with her teeth in situ.

'Angels Cry' has some persuasive celestial squeaks to beguile us.
Another pretty composition; uncluttered and convincingly sung.

For the rest I remain unpersuaded.

Antonio Reed's bland co-production fails to lift
the project higher than halfway up the mast.
I found my interest flagging quickly too.

The three young ladies on the front page photo seem
to be enjoying themselves far more than I was able.
With a cold snap nearly upon us they would do well to consider
wearing something a little warmer than their vests however.

Sadly Lacking.