Back to Basics

Look I was never going to be super into this. I've never been an Aguilera fan really. I can appreciate some hits but generally it's just not my thing. This went on a bit. Bit long.

An undoubtedly quality pop album that unfortunately doesn’t do much for me. Genuinely impressed by how daring some of these instrumentals are and how conceptual the album can get. Wish it wasn’t 80 minutes long.

This album was on the "long" side (over an hour). As the first half played I wasn't wowed. Sure, Aguilera has a great voice, but all of the songs blended together and sounded like the same mediocre pop from my teen years (the early 2000s was an uninspired time for pop, IMO). The second half of the album, however, was surprisingly fun. I loved the vintage tones and vaudeville vibes. It was almost as if the first half of the album was made to appease the masses and the second half was Aguilera asserting her artistic voice. Overall I don't think I'll reach for this album much because of the bland first half, but it gets a solid "three" rating because of the second half.

🎧Christina sure has pipes. Although this album goes off the rails a bit in the second half, and it’s overlong, overall it was a decent listen. Worst track: Enter the Circus

good

First listen. A bit repetitive, but not strictly bad.

Ok but what was with that track with all of the fake reviews praising her for being perfect

2.5

She’s got pipes, but I don’t think the rest of the music and production makes this nothing special. It’s also way too long, shouldn’t have been a double album, I just found myself bored

First? 3/5 Again? 2/5

Instantly the production stands out, it definitely reminds me of hip-hop and her voice is pretty. Makes me wanna pray had a great beat and her voice definitely is great on this track. Back in the day has somewhat of a corny and unimportant subject matter; however good production and voice. Ain’t no mother has a great chorus and production. Oh mother is good too and On Our Way is good too. A main flaw of this album is that it has no strong theme connecting every track and that every track blends together with a few highlights. She has good production, chorus writing abilities, and voice; she needs to have actual substance and theme now. 2nd disk has a stronger theme and has more unique songs, but weaker production and vocal performance; she has the opposite of her problem now. Hurt is really good. Save Me from Myself is not good. Overall, a decent album; she clearly has talent and hit making abilities, it’s just that there is too many similar tracks with not enough of a strong central theme. Initial listen: 6/10 or 3/5.

Wow, too bad about the second disc of this album. First disc is probably 4 stars, but it gets so bad after that

The vocal instrument is quite powerful but used as a blunt instrument and not to anything like subtle effect; one feels bludgeoned rather than sung, too, really. Hello Traffic sample? Sorta interesting, but not really.

OK, so Christina has an excellent voice, but this album went all the way up its own asshole and cant find the exit. It sounds like the same track all the way through - Its not a bad track, but it gets really old about 20 minutes in. Plus 2 stars for her voice and the production, both of which are very good. 3/5

It's a perfect dance/pop album with great vocals. The production is top notch but all maybe just to shiney and perfect, so quite quickly it becomes a bit sterile and samey. So maybe it's not so perfect after all.

Nimensä mukaisesti aika basic albumi, siis siinä mielessä kuinka soulia on tuotu hyvin helposti sulatettavaan poppiin. Aguileran ääni on upea. Tätä kuuntelee mielellään, muttei ehkä jaksa kerta toisensa jälkeen, sillä kerrokset erottaa jo ekalla kuuntelukerralla.

Back to Basics was certainly an interesting album. Unlike other double albums which despite being double albums, do tend to rely on the same sound. This one drastically changed it's sound towards the 14th song with it changing from a more hip-hop/R&B style album to a more orchestral album towards the end. It does go without question that i do prefer the first half and that's mainly because DJ Premier produced a lot of that section and he is a beast of a producer who did an immensely good job there. This album is a decent one and i can appreciate it for changing up it's sound but the change does feel very jarring. Best Song: On Our Way Worst Song: Nasty Naughty Boy

Not my style at all and I hated this music at the time it came out. I will say that Aguilera is so talented and has a beautiful voice and her talent has stood the test of time, in my opinion. With that being said, 1h18min runtime is ridiculous, we don't need 22 of these songs. Someone tell her and Martin Scorsese that length does not matter, sometimes shorter is better.

Christina has an excellent voice and her singing is quite soulful. There is a lot here to enjoy. When she turns on the R&B it's on point. It was an enjoyable listen.

I really liked the background music and the production but the Lyrics and the Voice just didn't work for me.

Ain't No Other Man aside, I drastically preferred Disc 2, it feels much more "back to basics" than the first disc. Disc 1: 2 Disc 5: 4

of the female pop vocalists who came to prominence in the early to mid 90’s, i.e. mariah carey, britney spears, christina aguilera… in my mind, christina aguilera was probably the most under appreciated. her voice is soulful without over singing, like carey. and she didn’t do the breathy thing that spears does when she sings. this album is full of throw back retro music spanning jazz to show tunes as aguilera pays homage to her musical influences. its very well produced and her talents shine. this album is very listenable and blends vintage sounds with modern music… and some of the songs are even a little racy (“put your icing on my cake”… oh my). highlights: “back in the day” “oh mother” “nasty naughty boy” “hurt”

not as bad as i feared. i think i would quite enjoy the music without her voice :D

better 2000s hip hop pop stuff w some surprise

Some of this is quite annoying - the fucking circus one ffs - but overall good

Much better than expected but also very long which only fans wouldn‘t mind

There are two Christina Aguilera albums in this book. I probably would not have included this one, though I know there is a need to update the book with "new" albums. It's not bad. There is a significant amount of yelling and singing but not too many of the songs grabbed me. Like most double albums this was probably a better single album. Makes Me Wanna Ain't No Other Man Slow Down Baby Oh Mother On Our Way Still Dirrrrty Candyman Nasty Naughty Boy Hurt Mercy on Me Save Me from Myself This would be a strong album and could even still be on the list, though I am still not sure it SHOULD be on the list. Credit to Xtina for trying to have a different sound and she succeeded on that front. This isn't for me though.

Rock, Pop, Soul, RnB, 2006 -> 3

My guess: the second record is the one someone wanted to make, but everyone thought it was too risky by itself. For me, it was the better, more interesting half.

Disc 2 was much more enjoyable than the first. I had no idea she was such a good singer. Still, a lot of the music's just not for me. 3.5*

absolutely not my style at all, ended up giving me a headache halfway through lol very much a loudness wars thing going on here with the production on some of these songs can't deny her talent, the high points are spectacular best song: hurt worst song: still dirrty

Pop, R&B. Ni fu ni fa.

Enjoyed. 3/5

Pop music isn’t my thing and never will be especially this era of 2000s music. Now there were still some decent cuts. “Understand” “Thank You (Deduction to Fans…) “Save Me From Myself” It was never boring or making me roll my eyes but it’s just not made for me. Really enjoyed the overall theme it had with having an old school sound. 3/5 (2.5 by my standards because beside a few tracks I wouldn’t listen again)

Soulful but very shout-y. It's clear why she was a big star but why this era of pop (even including neo-R&B, a mostly likable genre) was so disappointing and obvious and excessive in so many ways. Less musically-driven than commercially-oriented.

high energy pop anthems which incorporate elements of 90s pop with hip-hop, latin, and RnB

I expected nothing from this album, but am 5 songs in and absolutely jamming. Girl's got pipes and the (very) 90s production is actually quite solid here. Yes it is hyper-polished, but the instrumentals and vocal layering are well done and interesting. On production/mixing, there is some clipping in her voice + distortion at the upper end of her range, which can be a bit jarring (especially noticeable on Slow Down Baby). Sounds like this is a song that Eminem ripped off for the cadence in the "chorus" elements of Marshall Mathers. Interesting return to basics on Candyman and Nasty Naughty Boy back to back. The former that interpolates jazzy-swing and the latter that goes full big-band crooner. Both equally horny. Full star reduction for Candyman alone. >>> 3 hours later <<< Well that was a lot of time sunk into a 90s R&B space. Honestly I think if they left it aat the first disc and threw Hurt higher up in the mix, this would be an easy 4. But the playtime was faaaaaaaaaar too long and I found myself literally tired by the end (even with breaking this up). Buoyed by the strength of the first half, I will give this the lightest of possible 3s.

Long ass album. Her voice is impressive so I'm giving this 3.5 stars. I see the appear but not my jam.

Man that was a long boi of an album. Christina is definitely my favorite of the 90s pop singers I would say and she proved it again here. I just didn't really need to listen to her for almost an hour and a half

Fun and sexy.

1e helft was stiekem erg goed, 2e helft teveel gekunsteld retrogeluid,

Honestly, preferred her "oh so naughty pop pixie" phase, but there's no denying Xtina can sing. Remember from the time that it was very different to what was around at the time and to what she'd previously released. Worthy of inclusion on this list, probably not? Worthy of the hate and scorn seemingly poured it? Also no. 2.5 stars rounded to 3 (loses a half star for not being dooooooorty enough)

People are judging this album based only on the first half. Honestly, that half was okay, but didn't really stand out. The second half of Back to Basics shows more range than I ever though Christina Aguilera had. I always though of Christina as a solid vocalist with some catchy 2000s songs. After listening to Back to Basics, it's clear that she has an amazing voice and can sing ballads and pop hits. This shattered my expectations of what I thought Christina Aguilera did. While I ended up liking this album, it is so bloated. I wish they would have cut it back to basics and kept only essential songs or turned this into two separate albums; 1 focusing on personality, emotions and sentimentality, and the other being a fun, sexy, R&B album. Putting all of the songs together makes the project feel disjointed. Best Songs: Slow Down Baby, Welcome, Hurt, Mercy on Me, Save Me from Myself Worst Songs: Makes Me Wanna Pray, Still Dirrty, I Got Trouble

Some facts about this album: Christina Aguilera can sing, the featured artists were wisely chosen, the length is absurdly long, I can’t imagine myself listening to this again in its entirety for any reason. In many ways it reminded me of Amy Winehouse’s similarly named Back to Black, a contemporary of this album, but also maybe an inspiration for its retro vibe. While that album achieved the timeless style of the greats it sought to emulate, this one is merely an updated copy.

Not bad. 7/10 prob

Actually good pop music but way too long. Stand-out: Candyman

Side A floored me. Despite being a millennial and knowing the hits from side B, I was amazed at how soulful every song was. Side B was a little meh lyrically. 5/5 for A, 2/5 for B

I don’t hate pop music and there are many great pop albums out there imo. This one is not though. It has great songs on it, she’s a great and unique singer but the whole thing just doesn’t fit together very well or I‘m not getting it. Still a 3 for me because of the good songs.

I think she was an Avril Lavigne type, but she’s really that Alicia Kets type. Not bad.

Side 2 was much more interesting than the first & got ya an extra star Xtina

et Christina halt, aber Jeanny in der Flasche war halt doch ihr größter Hit

My ex was Xtina’s #1 fan and always put up this album as the evidence of her quality. She sings quite good, but the ideas are not so and the album is loooooong. 1 additional star for her

Pretty good actually, enjoyed it 6/10

First disc of this is surprisingly excellent, some really inspired and exciting production! Not so much a fun or the second disc tbh, and it’s already running a bit long at that point so I’m docking points for that…

Read Nick’s review that mentioned the dropoff in quality between discs and as I was listening I was like “no way, this is so good” and immediately did. 2 had me like “okay nick, my bad”

Can’t help but agree with the crew, disc one was really fun and awesome and there is an extreme drop off. Woof

10 different producers, over 20 songs, around 750,000 credited songwriters, and a run-time longer than some Oscar winners - if that doesn't sound like a star who got to big to be told "no", I don't know what does! The songs themselves are (mostly) ok, there's just too many and no particular theme, other than Christina expressing every thought she has ever had over whatever music happened to be cool at the precise second she decided to hit record. Not a bad album, just sloppy and unfocused, and one that would have benefitted from a (solo) producer who wasn't afraid to disagree. Unfortunately, the first thing he said "no" to was buying his own plane ticket!

Surprisingly listenable, even if she does start with a track thanking God for her life and end with a track talking about how shes still dirrty.... This high-concept pop probably paved the way for Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience.

Damn girl, who hurt you

This looks terrible - and it’s a double album. Ok I’m half way through. The word that keeps coming up in my head is unnecessary. This record is not needed on this list. This record is not needed by society. The over singing by CA is unnecessary. I’ll stick it out. About 40 minutes left…back half of the album I was looking up song credits. The lead singer from 4 non blondes wrote a lot of it and she is apparently a song writing machine for lots of people. At least I learned something from this listen.

Welcome to this review. Have some Mercy On Me because I’m not very good at writing these. I hope you’ll Understand because I’m Here to Stay.

A few great songs and a lot of amazing singing paired with mediocre lyrics and uninspired melodic lines.

Not my cup of tea really, but you can't deny that she is a force. A couple of cool songs even if the whole thing seemed a bit repetitive. I bet all the naysayers on here would like "Mercy on Me" if it was Fiona Apple instead. 3.5 stars

Yes, outstanding voice.

This album was better than I was expecting, but it was just so long - I'm not sure it needed to be a double album. I enjoyed the drumbeats and whatever is said about her, Christina has a great voice. A little too much overreliance on her lung-busting warbles though.

Intro was intresting but something about the ending caught me off guard on the first listen but I didn't notice it again on the second listen. Anyway, nice voice, but not for me. Standouts for me were Thank You, and The Right Man.

A pop double album didn't exactly fill me with excitement, but fortunately this wasn't too much of an ordeal - probably in large part because it came out after my media bubble had solidified, so there were no tracks I'd already been wretchedly overexposed to. Still, this is not for me. I guess I should take a moment and be thankful that Robert Dimery treats pop as such an afterthought because I don't think I'd enjoy this project nearly as much if he took it seriously and had a couple of hundred extra pop entries. Fave tracks - eh, "Makes Me Wanna Pray" from disc 1 - anything is improved with a gospel choir slapped over it. And "Candyman" from disc 2, for that old timey feel.

Surprised by this album as a whole had only hear I song as a single becuase its not the music I listen to but this album was big surprise. Aguilera which I feel has the best pop voice along with Beyonce gives us a flawless record with a vocal range that can compete with anyone in history. I find the first half of the album too similar to beyonce in style but still is amazing to listen and the transition from song to song is absolute perfection. The second part of the album is pure perfection. The jazz big band vibe and the lyrics are superb. First half pop album which sounds generic pop killed the chance for this album to be a 5 star but 3.5 is my final score

Undoubtedly a great voice, but I need more.

Besides "Aint No Other Man" and "Oh Mother" Disc one is just o.k. for me. Disc two alone would easy be a 3+ pop album. But both discs together are way too much! favourite: "Candyman", "Hurt" 2,5

ok

Christina Aguilera has an amazing voice. But I have never cared for her aesthetic or vibe, in any permutation, including "Baby Jane" here. And there is way too much Christina here. Especially when she gets carried away with "yeahs" and "ohhhs" and "heyyys." But don't get me wrong, there are actually some enjoyable pop/R&B songs on "Back to Basics," and when she belts, the potential of her voice really shines. Neither Aguilera album on the list is still in the book. Britney Spears' only entry (her debut), has also been removed. There are no late 90s boy bands. The TRL-fueled late 90s and early 00s is one of my least favorite eras of music, and most of it lacks critical acclaim, but it was huge at the time and it feels underrepresented in this tour of music history.

Look there is no denying Christina has a great voice. Its up there with Mariah Carey but I greatly prefer Christina's full throated and sometimes growly delivery to Mariah's breathy whistle notes. That being said, many of these songs are kinda boring, it took me so long to get to Mercy Me which is maybe the low key best track on this album. Side note, how does Christina have two albums on this list and Whitney Houston has NONE?!

Christina has a great voice. Maybe top 3 in the 1001 so far. This is an ambitious undertaking with 78+ minutes of music. I liked the second jazz inspired disc more than the R&B inspired first.

Previously rated: Stripped (3/5) ******************* I was leaning towards a 4/5 for this one. What she does, she does well. No auto-tune is a big plus. Over the course of 118 minutes though, the vocal gymnastics get old and annoying. Second half isn’t nearly as good as the first. I’m not a fan of tracks where she feels the need to address her critics. Favorite track: Still Dirrty

I had heard quite a bit of Christina growing up, and this album really doesn't take you back to the 20s. I understand the entire project is a callback and its own interpretation of the 20s, and enjoyable to listen to for it being that. outside, however, most if not all the songs on the list sound trapped in their own time and are not going to be remembered after a few years.

Way more fun than I expected especially the second part

This Aguilera album is kind of all over the place as it sets up that it’s a throwback to classic pop and R&B (as opposed to her harder, more hip-hop inspired sound from Stripped) but doesn’t always stick to that concept. This is especially confusing when the second side of the album introduces a second circus concept that is then pretty much abandoned after two songs. Very weird and too long and repetitive BUT there are some great songs on here, most notably Ain’t No Other Man which absolutely slaps

The 90s-00s pop movement never really caught me as I was too busy being young and punk at the time to care for it. I was aware though that Christina could sing so I was open to this album when it came across my feed. The first disk didn't really do anything for me and became quite repetitive in it's styling . Conversely the second one had a far more varied sound and I caught myself enjoying a good number of them. Particularly Save Me From Myself, I really dug the sound. Her rendition of Candyman was quite fun as well. Giving 3 out of 5 though it's more like a 3.5 Far better than her contemporaries.

If an artist creates music that all sounds the same but people continue to buy it, who's the fool?

Listened Before? N Honestly, I missed this one when it was released. I don't believe I've ever heard any of these songs. It was a good listen. I like the throwback vibe here, and Ain't No Other Man is a scorcher. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Ain't No Other Man

I can do without the circus music and the talking. Other than that it was an okay album. Maybe a bit long. The best song was Without You.

I was reading about this album on Wikipedia and found out, sadly, Christina Aguilera is not single. My heart is shattered. But in all honesty, this album shows a range and depth to CA that I didn’t know she had. I knew she was in Burlesque, and think I heard one of her sultry songs when that came out, but this album showcases just how good her voice is and how many genres she feels comfortable in. When reading the album Wikipedia, there was a section that said the album was met with positivity, only garnering criticism on the album length. I can’t agree more. A few songs on the back half of the disc one side could have been taken off the core album with saving them for a re-release or extended cut version and I honestly think this album would be a four for me. A competition of songs that don’t necessarily tell a story or seem to be a concept album doesn’t need to be nearly 90 minutes long.

High 3! I think the hit to song ratio is too low, but there are a couple of songs I hadn’t heard before that I liked as well. The hits were bangers!

Couple high school throwbacks, couple hidden gems, couple fuck you tracks, a thank you song that in hindsight probably would have put up NUMBERS on 2006 YouTube, and more than a few that could have been left off. Christina’s voice is absolutely incredible and I never got bored with it, i just felt like I could have used that extra half hour differently. I also got the style this album was going for (Ain’t No Other Man and Candyman make so much more sense with that context), but I still found the intro to the second disk unnecessary. A three that could have been a four.

I don't hate it. I actually kinda like it! Christina Aguilera has an amazing voice. To be honest, it's been so long since I've heard one of her songs I forgot what she sounded like. I really like the sound of this album. The R&B pop blend works really well, and I like the throwback sounds of the second half. The length on the other hand does not work. Just split it into two albums! There's a clear distinction between the first and second half. 1h and 20min is just too much. Especially when this was made during the popularity of my least favorite music trend. The early 2000's female lead singing OooOOoOOOooOoOOo yeahhhHHhhhHHHhhhhhHHH.

This is my least favorite era of music, but I liked this more than I expected. Christina has a powerful voice with some gravel in the back when she wants it which adds a lot to the songs. Some funky backing tracks that get moving too were good. Overall a great time, and now I know why Christina was a judge on the voice.

Wasn't so keen on the pop songs, but quite liked the R&B and Jazz-Blues songs.

I didn't hate it, and I really wanted to hate it. But, early 2000's pop royalty diving deep into a classic big band era style album whilst including a new fresh look. Frankly, to say this album is bad is a lie. But, on the other hand to say this album is a must listen before you die, I doubt it big guy. But whatever floats your boat.

not bad, definitely overlong and it steps a little too much into perhaps my most hated genre, electroswing, but overall pretty enjoyable

Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera, originally released in 2006. Oh boy, a double album in the CD era. Never really gave Christina Aguilera a fair listen, and this wasn't bad. She has a great voice, but I feel she falls too often into the "Competition Music" category. Like songs that are meant to be sung on shows like American Idol to show off the singer's voice. Songs that lack emotional depth and are meant to flex singing chops. This album was interesting enough. I see what she was going for, paying homage to her musical influences with callbacks to soul, jazz, and funk. This is something that Amy Winehouse would do much better the same year. Some of the songs veer dangerously close to electroswing territory (*shudders*). Overall, there are some good tracks on here but I feel that this album is pretty bloated.

Good voice but way too long

while i don't really turn an eye to aguilera's works, this vintage inspired hip-pop album is an example of how her voice can work somewhat well depending on genre. when she's not singing country, her pop material is confident, loud, and her style is... fascinating to listen to. the main problem with aguilera is that while other artists just sing straight up, she constantly feels the urge to let all her listeners know that she can, in fact, sing. every single track just has constant and neverending adlibs and runs that more often than not break the immersion for me. don't let her sing the national anthem because this woman will spend 10 minutes trying to infinitely run instead of finishing the song. the production really saves this album from lower ratings i feel, it's probably the best part of the album.

Points for at ramme zeitgeist og udgive denne samme år som Back to Black kom ud. Der er nogle kæmpe bangers på tbh, og jeg synes dobbeltalbumkonceptet fungerer fint Hun er en rigtig god sanger, men når det er sagt, så er hun hård at lytte til i 78 minutter når der bare er fuld energi på hele vejen! Kontrast til Mariah Carey albummet, en anden utrolig dygtig sanger, men som kan finde ud af at modulere sin stemme og ikke bare køre 120% hele vejen igennem

Må overraskende erklære at det var cool! Ja, den er alt for lang, men i det mindste er de to disks meget distinkte og jeg synes begge to virker, fed DJ Premier på disk 1 (men for lang), fed big band på disk 2 (men for lang)

Ok pop music the second album appears to have more of a theme to it but my interest overall had waned to the point that it felt annoying and a indulgent ask of my patience.

Eschewing the then-prevalent ultra sleek bombast of the mid-2000s sound, Christina Aguilera opts to take us on a journey back to fifty/sixty years past; to a time where innovation and authenticity amongst singers and musicians were standard fare and the pinup image was something to aspire to. The first disc is a flawed attempt to fuse big band era jazz with boom bap hip-hop before devolving to basic pop and R&B. The second disc is a little more interesting as a whole and it probably saves the record from being somewhat of a nebulous failure. Overall, Back to Basics is a rather bold enough statement for its time but it is ultimately another musical shift in a career full of them. Favorites: Disc One - Makes Me Wanna Pray, Back in the Day, Ain't No Other Man, Understand, Slow Down Baby, On Our Way. Disc Two - full listen.

Given the change in tone midway through, it easily could've been two separate albums. The second half is the stronger of the two, with the older and slower songs better put together than the poppier ones. Her vocal style can be a bit much on certain tracks, especially early on, but when she pulls the acrobatics back, it reminds you just how much talent she has. By no means am I going to revisit this one, but it wasn't the worst listen.

Side 1 is a 4, side 2 is a 2.

Much of this album was a great, big pile of meh to me and the sampling of old recordings was downright cheesy. However, the last third of the album had some good songs. I enjoyed Welcome and The Right Man a good deal. So, I think this album ended up being right down the middle for me. I’ll never love this kind of pop, but there is some cool stuff here.

It's weird having similar reactions for both (yep, there's two!) Christina Aguilera's albums on here: Christ, that's long. I've docked better albums for being double albums, and the other record (I think "Stripped"?) was over 70 minutes. That being said, I do like the "modern" (for the time) retro aesthetic. The 2010s graced us with a pop star trying a similar tactic (though more vocal pop than jazz era), and I dislike her immensely, but enjoy this quite a bit. Aguilera's range is, as always, impressive, but gets a little tiring on a double album. It is interesting, however, how disc two starts so *fucking horny* and follows it up with a track that asks Jesus for forgiveness. Rambling aside, it's fine. Nothing I think I'll ever get back into, but I've heard significantly worse. Favorite tracks: "Still Dirrty", "Mercy On Me"

While I didn't particularly enjoy this one, it was absolutely fine, which is way better than expected. When reviewing her previous album, Stripped, I noted she's a good singer, but that everything about the album was entirely artificial and devoid of any soul and meaning. This one is also way over-produced and severely lacking in personality. But Christina stands out much more as a singer and the music and compositions aren't quite as sterile. This is still highly superficial music, but at least the singing is very good.

I'll start with the obvious: she has an incredible voice, and she mostly avoids over-singing here. Her vocal performances are uniformly astounding. Second obvious point: this album is way too long. The length does it a great disservice. If you pick one song out from the first half, it's probably a perfectly enjoyable, even impressive pop song. Across 22 tracks, something gets lost. The second disc is significantly better. I wish this album was just the second half.

I can enjoy most pop music but sometimes wonder a little too much about how rough the industry seems to be. I wouldn't want to be a pop star.

had some scariness

When I saw the album cover, I was sure it would be another 1 star that got a spot on the list just to be removed some years later. However, to my surprise, I kind of enjoyed the album. Aguilera's voice is something unreal, and I think this is not a discussion, but her singles normally don't catch my attention in any way. Listening to the full album, I found some cool songs on CD 1 and CD 2. Of course, I agreed with some of the critics I saw on the Wikipedia page, like the fact that the album is lengthy and the emulation of the 1920s–1950s idols is sometimes just fake, but overall, I found it pretty enjoyable. I still think that it's an album that will be replaced on the 1001 list soon, but now I guess it will last at least for 2 or 3 editions, at least it deserves.

Never knew her whole vibe was this soul influenced, the more you know 🌈

Interesting album! Did it need to be this long? Lots of burlesque type songs (probably a preview for her future album/movie). Also I started realizing she could have killed as a country singer. She sounds a lot like Carrie Underwood in some of these. I love her voice but don’t really connect to the songs. I did keep Slow Down Baby.

Although not for me, I do get the album. It sounds pretty good and she is a very talented singer. The issue is that this album is so long!

I think most double albums are self-congratulatory, over-reaching, pretentious and unnecessary. Back to Basics is no different. Four songs in I was giving it a five. Sexy...hot...fire. But as much as I love hearing Christina call me Daddy and beg for a spanking, the second album totally loses the plot, and wouldn't have been heard by anyone if not for its pairing with the first. And sadly, not even her planet shatteringly incredible voice can save it. 3.5

There's some real nice stuff in here but man if it isn't bloated as hell

Gadd ikke å høre hele

I liked this more than I thought I would. I thought it was going to be much more straight 2000s pop, and was not expecting a really solid R&B album. I have a new respect for Chritina Aguilera. Album cover: B- . Looks like a corny local dad's rockabilly band's cover.

This album is immediately not what I expected. It is very soulful. Makes Me Wanna Pray is a banger. Slow Down Baby is great. This isn't really my style of music, but it is very good. I'm seven songs in and starting to get a little bored of the sound. There's another fifty minutes to go. Still Dirrty is fun, I wish there was even more horns. OK, we might be changing it up completely for Disc 2. Circus theme? I'm back in. This side of the album is way better. Welcome and Candyman were great. The rest of Disc 2 got a little same-y again, although I did generally like it more than Disc 1. I probably wouldn't ever put this on again, and I'm going to rate it based on that, but I did like this album! 6/10

She is more talented than I was expecting. Good singer and album

Голос у неё конечно сильный, хороший. Альбом так себе, где заунывно, где весело,ну попса и попса, хотя у неё там жанров понамешано

It was fine

Back To Basics is an album of almosts and nearlys. It's good but too long, her voice is incredible but all too often brought down by the way she adds in woahs and ohs and ahs along the way (just grates on me), and while she tries to present herself in a different, rehabilitated and mature image showing deference to those that came before her, it feels really forced at times and not really natural or authentic. It's a very listenable 3 with some impressive highs but you feel a bit short changed because it doesn't realise its potential.

I honestly didn't hate this as much as I expected to. It's definitely cringey in places, and it feels like maybe she is trying to be like a wholesome Amy Winehouse. I don't think she quite pulls it off. She has a great voice though that I never really appreciated until listening to this. I also never realized she wrote and produced her own stuff, so a bit of respect for that.

Fair enough had a good time despite some shite

Might get better rating because of the DJ Premier beats on disc 1. But disc 2 is just not really great for me. She’s an amazing talented singer and songwriting is excellent, I just wouldn’t listen to this again.

She's got better albums... but this was more than a one-hit album.

So apparently I like Christina Aguilera. Not super surprising since her sounds can sometimes sound a little JT, sometimes a little Janelle Monae, but I never listened to this album when it came out. Not every song is great, and it being a double album there ended up being a lot of fluff to get through, there are definitely a few songs on here I would listen to again one-off. 3.4/5

This was alright 3*

Definitely grew on me as the album went on. Maybe I had to get into the mood.

No

5/10. Her voice is great and unique. Stylistically there is some clever pieces to the album. But overall thematically and lyrically corny to me. And a lot of it got dull.

First CD was painful to listen and so awfully boring, just ooohs, yeeeahs, woooahs and other types of whining with some beat in the background. Second CD? - now, that sounds like an actual music. I don't understand why they are combined into one album.

Can't belive it was this and not stripped

I expect this to get low reviews because people love hating on female pop stars. This by no means is an amazing album and it's really not my style but you cannot deny her talent. He voice is amazing, she's very sexy, and she really nails that female pop star vibe. The album is a bit long and the songs kinda start to sound similar. I don't really care for the subject matter either but it is a solid pop album. I do like how the second LP is so different from the first LP and I much prefer the style of the second LP. Wow Nasty Naughty Boy was pretty damn sexy.

This was kind of sweet! The first half is fine. Its kind of what you think you're going to get. Her voice is undeniably good, but the second half is where things get buck wild. It's super good! It's just a full on blues, big band and jazz. The first half seems like it was for the money and the second half was for herself. I also like that she just continued writing sexy songs, but did it in a really interesting style. Probably won't revisit this one, but glad I went through it!

Well, I expected to be awarding a straight 1 but apart from being too long and wildly inconsistent this record was actually enjoyable.

Aguilera has great command of her voice and can at least mimic really good R&B/soul. The record drags despite the high degree of energy in much of the music because it’s a lot more of the same. A song at a time might be good. A double album is self indulgent.

3/5

I don't get this list sometimes. If you want a Christina album that pushed boundaries, was unique, and/or showed off her talented voice then why not go with Stripped? That album has come to be highly regarded (and should be for all the reasons above) even if reactions were initially polarized, while this album has only ever been regarded as a B-. I don't hate this album, but it's a little all over the place especially when you throw in disc 2. It's nothing more than average pop fare. I always liked the maturity and fun factor of Ain't No Other Man so good for her to keep growing up on this album. And there are other good songs (Oh Mother, FUSS, Here to Stay, Hurt, and maybe even the blush-worthy bugle boy ripoff Candyman - at least it's fun). But there's a million other pop albums equally as average as this.

oo-ee-oo-ee-ah wo-oh-oh-ooh-ah ye-ah-yeah-ee-yeah-uh. Yeah, her singing is a little much, but I'll give her credit - she has a powerful voice for a 5' 2" frame. The album wasn't terrible, but it was a little long. I liked the first disc better - more modern. I get that the second disc is supposed to be a throwback to the past, but in that case I'll just go listen to the classics. This album is the definition of a 3 for me. Didn't mind hearing it, don't need to hear it again. Favorite tracks: Makes Me Wanna Pray, Back in the Day, Slow Down Baby, Here to Stay, Save Me From Myself.

Good voice playing homage to classic standards

I like how Aguilera attempts to separate out two distinct elements of this album onto separate discs. The first half of each disc are very distinct in style, but the second halves are largely interchangable. The first disc is a good modern soulful pop record, and what a voice! The second disc was intended as a retro 1920s - 40s style jazz and soul influenced record. It achieves this to a degree, but still keeps a comtemporary pop flavour. Again, the vocal elevates it. The second disc is the better and more interesting of the two. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Ain't No Other Man Date listened: 24/05/24

Okay

I enjoyed the listen. Just not sure what made it 1001 worthy.

A very talented musician singing songs that I just don't care about.

Interesting in that there’s two concepts, but still plenty of filler. Ok for a pop artist?

I couldn't quite make it through the whole thing. She has an amazing voice but not my preference for music.

cool cool

Gosh she's a great singer. Technically. Her Talent is definitely undeniable as a singer, but her writing is just a little lacking in my opinion. I think she could also use some emotion when she’s projecting. I don’t know. I guess I just think of how Amy Winehouse can belt one out but she still sounds angry or sad or whatever emotion she was trying to convey in that song. Christina is just the same on all of them. Loud. I think the biggest differences I feel like I’m being sung at instead of being sung to

Surprisingly good after only ever listening to the hits. Great voice!

first listen great vocals and the production is mostly good, but the first disc of double LP kinda all sounds the same and the second disc is wildly all over?

I love me some Christina, she really does have such a great voice. Her songs are so intimate & painful, she can really emote & you know she's right there in the trenches of heartbreak & loss with you. This album would be a 4.5 if it was half the length - as long as they kept Ain't No Other Man, Candy Man, Mercy On Me. He voice is so overwhelming that she needs strong songs and a shorter album to showcase it.

I get a funny giddy thrill when I first heard Xtina's voice. It is pretty unique and quite impressive for a bit. I'd give this 4 stars if I could actually eat the whole album in one bite, but is just a bit too much.

Good stuff just not crazy about it

I am honestly outraged by two things: 1) Christina Aguilera having not one, but TWO double albums on this list, and 2) Why the fuck she decided to release the first disc of Back To Basics??? Disc two is absolutely fantastic and captivating, but disc one has nothing to offer. The exception of course being the vocals. I mean, most people are bad at taking compliments, but Aguilera decided to just slap on a song telling all of us how awesome her fans think she is ('Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)'). Probably the most frustrating listen so far - mainly because disc two really is amazing and showcases her immense talent.

The fact that the people behind this list looked at each other with a straight face and included not one but two double albums by Christina Aguilera baffles me. It’s absolutely ridiculous. The first side is just a plain ol’ Aguilera pop album; great production, some hip hop beats and a strong vocal. It’s fine but nothing extraordinary. The second side sees Aguilera experimenting more with a whole new sound. And while the first part of it is borderline sleep inducing, the final half is great. There’s no reason for this to be a double album. It’s a sign of a complete megalomaniac who’s never told a “no”. But with those harsh comments in mind, I find myself a bit confused that I never really hate Back To Basics - at the same time it’s way too unfocused for me to love it.

Outside of the overly sexualized songs I liked the throwback sound on the album. She has a great voice.

Better than I was expecting it to be. She's got some pipes, but there's only so much "weee-oooohhh-eeee-oouuuwwww-ah!" you can stomach - and that's decidedly less than the 2+ hours this seems to last for. OK, so it's actually 1h18m - that's still about 45 minutes too long.

Excellent vocal performance by Christina and it is an easy listen. Not hard to understand why this style was so popular at the time even though it is not my thing. 3/5

Liked it more than expected

Ok

A generous 3, there's some great stuff here but WAY overlong despite Aguilera's virtuosic performances. Get this down to a single disc and it's one of the best of it's era.

There's no doubt Xtina can sing anything she wants. This just isn't my type of music and it was entirely to long. I couldn't get through the whole thing.

Look, I'll be honest. I don't want to listen to another Christina Aguilera album, nor do I want to listen to another pop icon album from the early 2000s. I just feel like this genre is over-represented on this list, and this was a particularly bad era for pop music. This album is fine. It's a Christina Aguilera album, and she has an incredible voice and has the level of production and song crafting that you expect from this type of prominent pop album. I don't know that there is anything else to say about it 3/5

This one surprised me a bit. It's not really my preferred genre, but the various samples on the first half kept things interesting. The second half was more of what I was expecting. She is very talented and her voice is great, so I respect it. But it's not something I see myself coming back to much.

I’d guess this gets a lot of hate. Sure, it’s dated feeling. But I'm not gonna tell Christina how to express herself and her sexuality. Get that bread!

3.5

For all that I've seen her name in the news and on the screen, I had no idea what her music was like, or for that mater even heard any of her songs (at least knowingly). Based on the Wikipedia article, this seems like a good selection for Christina Aguilera (somewhat surprisingly for this project), but I can't say it really stood out in any particular way, except (unfortunately) for how *long* the double-CD album is. Aside from Aguilera ("Baby Jane"?) fans, there's really no need for so many songs, and while the two discs are somewhat distinct from each other, there just aren't that many good songs in this album. I enjoyed at least parts of a few of the first disc's songs, likes "Makes me Wanna Pray" and "Ain't no Other Man", and "Candyman" is pretty catchy, so there's that. And I appreciated it that she was so involved in the production and songwriting and styling.

great voice wish she had better taste

3/5 Pretty good overall, not my style but liked it for what it was

3/5

Good

It's a fine pop album; couple good songs here and there but lots of meh. The thank you to the fans one was kind of weird.

It's giving Quentin Tarantino

It's a well made album, but pretty self-congratulatory. And was the inspiration for hundreds of Idol, X-Factor yowlers?

Meh

Much better than I thought it was going to be. For a 2000s album, it's aged pretty well. It's not really my type of music, but I can see how people enjoy this.

This album had some highs for sure - a lot of big hits from the early 2000s. It was pretty funky and jazzy, too. There are a few weaknesses. Though it is a double album, the album is bloated at 1 hour and 20 minutes. Length isn't necessarily an issue, but there needs to be variety to keep the audience engaged. I think this was accomplished musically on this album, with jazz, strings, soul, funk, hip-hop coming together well. Christina's vocal delivery is just identical on every track which is grating given the length. Also the fact that she is so rooted in her inspirations on this album makes the whole thing come off as a bit derivative. There are a few notable stinkers on the album as well, with Thank You and Nasty Naughty Boy coming to mind. All in all a good album but would give a 3.4/5 given the above considerations. Rounded down: 3/5.

Actually, not bad.

I like her voice but I'm not sure I love the album

She has a beautiful voice. This was the revamp of the belting singers!

Was the inclusion of a second Christina Aguilera album really necessary? Like Stripped, this is too long, with some moments that don’t work at all, for me. It also contains fewer bona fide hits than that album. I get the sense that her songwriting and musical ideas/concepts are just a bit… basic (no pun intended) when compared to certain other pop artists out there. On the plus side, it’s probably more consistent than Stripped, and the classier production on this album suits her vocals pretty well (she can sing, no doubt about that). In fact, Disc 2 was mostly pretty enjoyable. Let’s call it a 2.5 / 3

Great voice and the album was easy to listen too.

Good, but no stand-outs.

The queen of the call back, the vocal runs, the showroom, dancehall, stripclub BADABOOM melodies with in-your-face gravitas. It isn't sweet enough to be sugar-pop and not really gritty and soulful enough to be R&B... it is something in between that may be best blended into DJ mixes and/or adapted into a Broadway play.

Sometimes the inclusions on this project confuse me. I absolutely understand Christina Aguilera's inclusion, as she was very influential in the 90s pop diva movement. That said, the album that the author has chosen to include is the album where Aguilera's influence is not really on display, as it mostly pays tribute to those who came before -- namely, jazz and R&B artists of the 1950s and earlier. Now, I will say, it is impressive that Christina was able to pay this kind of tribute with an album full of original work. Most artists attempting this kind of album would rely somewhat, if not heavily, upon covers. But there is not a single cover to be seen on this album. This really isn't my preferred Christina Aguilera "form", but she does a good job at it.

I kind of like Ain’t No Other Man, Still Dirrty, Candyman, and I Got Trouble

This one held a few surprises - not a pop guy by any means, but the slick production and Aguilera’s bountiful energy carried my interest for much longer than I would’ve thought. The album’s runtime is too long, stretching the songwriting thin in spots throughout, but thankfully Christina’s vocals and adequate instrumentals make this less of a slog than it very well could’ve been.

Xtine made a big splash in 2002 with her seminal album Stripped, so for her to go "back to basics" with a double album feels like a way to outdo herself. This is a lot of Aguilera. I do not care much for double albums but there's no doubting the quality of the songs on here. It's clear she has a lot to say and a lot to say it with. If you're boiling it down then disc 1 is better than disc 2, and that's because disc 1 is incredibly good. Great production, pacing, performances, everything comes together. It it even ends so well that I would consider that an album all on it's own. Disc 2 has some good songs on it but quality is a bit more spotty. It's also weirdly themed around pre-war American culture before switching back to normal pop on Hurt. Either way, this is perhaps the most impressive pop double album I've ever heard. Aguilera brought her a-game for most of Back to Basics. The only trouble is the spottiness on Disc 2.

She has a very good voice but in the end it is just a generic pop album which I feel like I’ve listened to 10,000 times

3/5

Ehjä kokonaisuus. Hyvää peruspoppii

I think Christina Augilera is super talented. She has a great voice, but I'm not a big fan of the style of music she normally produces. The music on this album is more interesting to me, but still not a fan of overdoing it on the vocals. By that I mean the vocals fill in all the open space, and she squeezes in 3 notes when it could just be one. The album is also too long. Overall though, this is pretty good and I'm glad I listened. 3 stars.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this album, Christina has a fine voice and the songs are all good dance tunes. Not really my thing, so I wouldn't listen to this again, but might get on the dance floor if I heard one of these tunes again

OK, I kinda groaned when I saw this one. But the reality is I've never listened to Aguilera and didn't know what I was getting into. And... she's pretty good. I thought this would be some bullshit pop and this soul/jazz pieces were alright.

Pretty much as expected. Nothing special

3.75

"Back to Basics" is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It is a double album with the first disc/side being a fusion of old-school R&B, soul and jazz with hip-hop and pop elements and the second disc/side being pop with original songs. Aguilera was the executive producer and used a wide range of producers including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson and Linda Perry. Commercially, it hit #1 both in the UK and US and critically had generally favorable reviews. The first song "Intro" starts with a guy taking. Hip hop beats, soulful singing. Aguilera is paying respects to everyone before her. This leads into "Makes Me Wanna Pray." Yeah, Aguilera can sing and sing forcefully. A gospel choir and very high production. The first single "Ain't No Other Man" comes out with horns. A jazzy vibe with scratching. Start-stop with the drums. A catchy song. Horns highlight "Slow Down Baby." Another strong open. More in the R&B area. "Oh Mother" slows it down. Piano, dramatic and melancholy. About her childhood with her abusive father. "Candyman" is one of the highlights of disc/side two. It's swing music. The beats. The horns. Poppy and catchy. I mostly always appreciate stripper music at some level and "Nasty Naughty Boy" has it throughout. Horns. Jazzy. Playful in the lyrics and singing. Another big hit off this album was "Hurt." Slow, a ballad, piano. Aguilera's voice soars. It's about the loss of a loved one. This album really was the tale of the two sides. The first side was high in production, technically sound in music and showed Aguilera's powerful and at times soulful voice. But, even though it's solid it didn't really totally grabbed me. Side two was much more fun with playful lyrics, looseness and music...but, definitely had some filler. Overall, this album was way too long and should have been trimmed. However, this is solid pop music and a good representation of pop music in the 2000's.

Oookaaay. Why?

Similar reaction to her last appearance on this list: as a signer she certainly has the goods, and some kind of elite crack team assembled these pop missiles. But it's all too slick and overproduced for me. Some essential component of soul is muted. A lot of the lyrics are really on the nose too- no nuance. I don't dislike it but I wouldn't seek itnout.

Not bad at all! I think I would’ve given this one more star had it not been so incredibly long and had it not gotten quite a bit weaker towards the end. Nice job, Xtina.

Pas aussi mauvais que j'aurais penser pour être franc. Il y a du bon la dessus, du back to basics.... blues, gospe etc. elle a une belle voix mais c'est pas vriament mon style de voix ni de chant. 3.25

Pyöräytetääs levy ihan alusta ja lyöttäydytään kuuntelu päälle... Vaikuttaa olevan ihan hyvää musiikkia mutta aika tasapaksua r&b... Kuitenkin hyvin tehtyä.. eleganttia ajateltua ja eikä liian siroa.. vaan perus early 2000's rohkeaa.. Jotenkin tähän aikakauteen liittyy se oma rohkeus ja luotto poppiin.. Poppi sanaa käytän aina negatiivisessa mielessä reviews ellei kyse Pet shop boys.. detached dance-pop... TÄMÄ PUOLESTAAN ON NIIN PERKELEEN KIINNI KAIKESSA:: ON FANEISSA KIINNI JA NIITÄ YLISTELLÄÄN KESKEN ALBUMIN JA ON HAUREUKSIA JA ON SIVEETTÖMYYTTÄ!!! HIENOA!! HIENOA!! VITUN HIENOA!!!

I think she has a terrific voice and is a talented pop star. The music was alright, although this isn’t a genre that I enjoy. I didn’t listen to the whole album as it was a bit too long for my taste.

Starts so well with a diva/hip hop/bluesy style that recalls the power and skill of Mariah Carey, but with good songs and seemingly fewer annoying vocal theatrics than Mariah even though it is actually full of the same vocal tricks I disliked with Mariah! All good for the first disc until the awful and ugly ego trip of "Thank You" - not actually a dedication to her fans, but all about how "wonderful" Christina is to all the people that left her messages - so ugly and disappointing given the decent quality up to then. Second disc is interesting in its links with roots and older styles, but I mostly prefer the hip hop/ blues/soul songs in the first half. Ultimately it suffers from being too long. 3.5

Just a really expansive album. She demonstrates her range and skill and talent across the entire album. The challenge is listening to her moan and grunt and yell on every song. Just too talented for me to appreciate.

A high amount of polish and Christina's voice is powerful and can be amazingly soulful. The album starts well for me (Make Me Wanna Pray), but doesn't carry it much higher than that. No songs I love or want to repeat, and its gets pretty samey after 22 songs.

Too long for a pop album in my opinion. The amount of variety is impressive though. Many of the tracks are very catchy and feature some cool eclectic production.

3.4 - Such a phenomenal voice. She clearly had fun making this album. Maybe too much fun. Someone should’ve shown some mercy and told her rein it in a little. Lots of cringey moments, especially on side B with its stretch of olde timey jazz revival. Most of the songs sound like cheap facsimiles of other female artists like Fiona Apple, En Vogue, Evanescence, Lauryn Hill. Still a fun listen but she sort of indulges her worst Karen instincts and goes a bit overboard.

This is fine, good even, but clocking in at almost two hours is a no-go from me.

Oli kyllä parempi albumi kuin olisin odottanut. Vaikkakin ihan liian pitkä. Voittaa kuitenkin monet alt rock mölyämiset mitä listalla tähän asti on tullut.

It's solid, and I like the throwback style. But holy bloat, Batman.

Bloated into like 3 separate albums, but I liked one of them.

Christina is a vocal powerhouse. I think she was underrated in the context of the bubble gum 1990's pop because she could reeeaallly sing. This album backs up that claim with strong tracks that maintain her vocal prowess already 5 albums into her discography up to this point. This is however one of those instances where I question an album's selection on this list due to the artist having other albums that far surpass the current one. IMO this isn't anywhere close to her self titled (with "Genie In a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", "I Turn to You", and "Come On Over on it) or her album "Stripped" (with "Fighter", "Dirrty", and probably my personal favorite CA track, "Beautiful" on it), and yet roughly halfway into this list we haven't heard either of those yet. Track 2, "Makes Me Wanna Pray" is a fantastic second song. There's gospel in there, there's a super tight band behind her, and it's a perfect platform for her to get up to the mic and do her thing. I love her riffs and rubato-ing in the last minute or so of the track. Great energy. Unfortunately I can't STAND those weird static-y sounds that are panned hard right and hard left here. I think it's some like faux vinyl crackle which would fit this nostalgic / "back to basics" / throwback idea that she is going for, but it's just a little too heavy handed in the mix. This was a nice listen. Again, I can't help but feel that this is at the very best her 3rd best album though.

She has quite a soulful voice, strong range too. Pleasantly surprised about this one! 3.5

Qui tingués dubtes sobre la veu de Christina Aguilera, hauria d'escoltar aquest treball. Sembla un catàleg d'exposició de la seva potència, versatilitat, flexibilitat i solvència a l'hora d'afrontar qualsevol génere. Les composicions, la majoria r&b contemporani més aviat genèric, no acompanyen el suficient, però tot i la seva duració, és suficientment variat i interessant com per fer-se un lloc entre els discos a tenir en compte de la segona meitat dels 00s

I like the idea of this vintage framework on an album and Christina Aguilera certainly has the vocal chops to do something ambitious with it. But the concept, such as it is, is uneven and not fully fleshed out. The samples and other bells and whistles were mostly just annoying to my ears. Christina is obviously an extremely talented vocalist and her performances are technically excellent here. But she’s very much a belter who relies on volume rather than nuance, and I needed her to dial that back. To paraphrase another reviewer, you can name check other/better singers all you like, but you’d better be prepared to serve up something remarkable, and I don’t think she has here. A second disc was unnecessary and should have been shelved or worked into a separate album. Fave Songs: Understand, Hurt, On Our Way, Oh Mother, Here to Stay, Without You

Loved it, thought it was recorded terribly at first due to (what could be regarded in the modern era as) a dusty vinyl rip. But I guess that’s the point, it’s back to basics!

Second half was much more interesting than the first

Better than I thought. Cool samples and production. But very long.

I don’t have a comment on the album as a cohesive unit because I listened to this over two days split up into several listening sessions There were songs I quite liked, especially in the first half of the album, but also songs I skipped about halfway through

I hate albums with a thank you song. Her songs are not good enough for an album this long.

Ok, too long and too poppy. She has a really strong voice and there are some really good songs on there though.

If this were just disc 1 I'd give it 4 or maybe 5. She's got the pipes and this is great 2000s pop! Ain't No Other Man is one of my favorite pop tracks of the era. But this album is nearly 90 minutes long and the entire second disc is disposable.

This is definitely NOT back to basics. It's a very ambitious album with loads going on. I think she's got a great voice (but would like to hear more calm) and I enjoyed this more than I expected. The main problem for me is just that it is far too long, lacks a bit of cohesion or direction, and she repeats a lot of the lyrical themes so much throughout. I reckon you could make a great 35 min album from this but 78mins? Nah.

First of all, the production is like nails on a chalkboard. Especially the S-sounds and some of the percussion. That being said, she has a good voice. The songs would have been good with a more organic production. The arrangements are too tight, too perfect, emotionless. And it's longer than it should have been. Apparently this record is not in the latest editions of the book anymore. There's other records I would remove before this one, despite the obvious shortcomings. Favorite song: Oh Mother.

There are some great tunes here, and I like the production choices and instrumentation, especially in the first half. But damn the album is too long.

Decent album but again there just seems something missing, shame that they tried so hard to have her capitalize on the RnB craze back then

Tremendous voice and some catchy songs, but ultimately felt that the album was too long. Pretty much quintessential 2000s pop. 6/10.

I only knew Christina Aguilera by name. I probably heard a bunch of her songs before but wouldn't be able to name a single one. I must admit I was skeptic before listening to it. I even thought about skipping it all together. After some thought I did force me to listen and it was.. Good? It's far from what I listen usually, but I really enjoyed it. No songs really made an impression on me, but I still spent a nice moment listening to it. It's a 3, but it very well could have been a 4

Dit is het soort artiest dat ik totaal niet volg. Zo iemand die uiterlijk altijd verstopt gaat onder een laag plamuur, glitter en nep, bah. Toch is dit in muzikaal opzicht wel een aardig afwisselend album, veel verschillende stijlen en allemaal wel leuk gedaan. Maar ja, ik knap af op die track 'Thank you' (met allemaal slijmerige fans) en al die andere zelfverheerlijking. Puntje eraf daarvoor.

Twee cd's vol zuurstok-hip-pop-n-soul. Ze heeft wel een dijk van een stem, dat valt moeilijk te ontkennen. Maar waarom wil ze dat continu etaleren op volume brandweer zonder daadwerkelijk enige vorm van tekst? Wohohoho yeaheaheah! Steeds maar weer willen laten zien hoe goed je hard kan zingen. Muzikaal zit het verder wel goed in elkaar, uitstekend gebruik van beatjes en toeters om de boel aan te kleden. Alhoewel Christina zichzelf liever uitkleedt sinds haar gebooste plastic zelfvertrouwen. Een degelijke 3, al blijft ook nu weer het probleem dat een dubbelalbum volstrekt onnodig is.

And here we have the most overt pop album I've done so far. It was also released the year I was born! Anyway, this one's okay. I think Christina is a really good singer. Her voice lends well to these songs. The writing and subject matter is a bit basic, though. The album is a bit too long, but unlike the last album I listened to, LCD Soundsystem's "American Dream," that comes from the amount of songs, as opposed to the length of the songs. Something interesting about this album is the clear split between the first and second halves in terms of tone. The first half is fairly consistent, with the same general sound and use of horn samples throughout. The second half started by feeling pretty unique, then it made me uncomfortable, and it ended fairly strongly. Overall, nothing amazing, but a pretty decent album all things considered. 3/5.

Pop, R&B. Ni fu ni fa.

Good!! Candyman is my fave track.

Un mix de old school jazz et de soul à la sauce moderne. Cool style. Y'a des tounes ça faisait longtemps j'avais pas entendu.

Solid

Very strong first half. If you just look at that disk 1 it's probably 8/10. The second half makes the album pretty bloated. A lot of highs, and a lot of filler

2.5

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Ain’t no other man

Not my style, but she's great at what she does.

Stripped has been one of my most unexpected highlights of this process. Realising that I'd missed a truly brilliant album out of snobbery at the time. This, the follow up, is less great. Both sides have a single banger (Ain't No Other Man and Candyman) and there's good bits - a twelve bar blues gone 00s pop, an odd duck with a 50 Cent sample and an opener with Steve Winwood! But it's overlong, overstuffed and a bit of a slog overall

Had some Christina Aguilera songs I had heard before like Ain't No Other Man but I hadn't heard the majority of the songs before. Some good songs but not all my style.

We got Aguilera's Stripped on my birthday just a couple of months ago and my review then mentioned being put off by the 78-minute running time. And here we are again with another 78 minutes of music. And again still, I am impressed with Aguilera's voice but I find a lot of these songs very samey and not my thing at all. My ears perked up a bit with the first few old-style tunes on disc 2 but then we were back to mostly full-throated melisma eventually. I wish this album was about half as long.

It's not necessarily an album that I would relisten from top to bottom, however there are few songs that I discovered and added to my playlist I enjoyed them especially Slow Down Baby & Still Dirrty.

I listened to it as duty calls me to. It's competent but 100% not my thing. Idk.

5/10. There were some nice old fashioned Soul/R&B sounds in there, and I respect her for taking those and doing something new with them, but I'll admit I would've probably liked the album more if she hadn't. And why was there a clown-music song on this album? She's not even British.

Some songs on this album are quite good - Aguilera recruited a group of talented producers and they generally delivered. However, this album is way too long. And part of its central theme is calling back to past classics. I’d certainly rather be listening to any of the artists that she name drops than this album. The second half of the album also felt entirely superfluous to me. Side note: the album cover is one of the worst I’ve seen in over 900 projects on this list. 6/10

I actually liked some of this album. Incredible voice with some riffs on old school standards

Meh.

not bad tbh

6th September 2023 Listened mainly on the drive to and from Costco. Christina brings her pop vocal prowess to play with a big band. Results are strong.

Shows off her talent, but it goes on a little too long. The "Thank You" track was probably well-intentioned, but comes off a bit cringey, like testimonials for the Christina Aguilera brand.

She has a great voice, not really my bag, but a real talent. 3 stars.

Nou, ik zal eens gul doen.

It has some fun pop bops on it. I can't listen to a whole album of it really though.

Never thought I would enjoy but this one is her best album. Amazing voice

idk why but i thought christina aguilera was a pop artist. it was good but nothing really special. a little long

I prefer this to Christina's earlier 1001 release. Her jazzy, bluesy voice is firing on all cylinders, and she's much more listenable than singers I'd lump in the same category, like Britney or Mariah. The songs shoot off in Different directions and the production, is, at times, downright edgy. My million dollar question though, is why do so many superstar female vocalists, from Christina to Beyonce to Madonna share song writing credits with many, sometimes more than a dozen, guys?

Accomplished, but just not my thing.

3.5

Pop. Bastante mejor de lo esperado.

Excelente voz femenina. A ratos sensual, en otras con más timbre. Canciones fáciles de escuchar. En la primera parte del disco, canciones con más ritmo. En el segundo CD, se luce y se aprecia más su voz

Eine gute Stimme, nicht meine Musik

rare bullshit

It’s not bad but a double album is a bit much. Some cool takes on vocal jazz and blues styles. But it’s too much Xtina.

Same year and same producer as Back to Back. For the frist half before ALL the filler - Take back to black, take out the actual instrumentation and just some early aughts drum beats - look honestly, it isnt as bad as i thought it would be. I actually kinda enjoyed it. But it is WAY to long and then the second half is so lazy, so self indulgent and so much filler.

Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera (2006) I'm underwhelmed by the lack of cohesion this album lack. Aside for being long, it felt like I was in the escape room with every door leading to no where. Every track felt disconnected to its predecessor in both Disc. But I was drawn to the second disc better and I liked "Save me from Myself". It's not bad of an album but overrated to include it in "1001 Albums". Nothing so special about just a typical pop album. a 2

it was fun to listen to but didn't really love any songs, the cirus one was cool

good voice. too long.

Blah- not my thing. Christina can belt it out certainly, but not in a way that I enjoy.

A couple of retro singles aside ( ain't no other mam and candyman) aside there really isn't a lot here. Limited in scope and the difficulties are with all teenybop singers are do they disassociate themselves from their past and move to more grown up songs. This is neither really

Nope.

She's obviously got an incredible voice, but the songs are just.... All a bit boring. They're good and fine, but they're just missing that something special.

She have a nice voice. But this type of music os not really my pair of shoes. It od boring after few songs simmilar to one another.

Ugh. Nu-R&B sucks, and especially when the same vocal gimmicks permeate the entire album. Probably was worth a listen when this kind of thing was fresh, but ain't no more.

Can’t deny the strong vocal range here, but her style has never resonated with me. Props for attempting a concept album, but others have done this style better.

This was a slog to get through. It’s clear that she’s got an incredibly strong voice with a huge range, but how would I even know that since all she’s doing is shouting at me. She needs to settle it down, soften it up and maybe try giving a proper nod to those famous singers that she is obligatorily just name dropping to check the box. For a much better album that gives a nod back to the influences while pushing the sound into a modern world, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is way better.

I listened to this on a road trip to the beach and my son vomited on himself. Hey Xtina - do less. 2.5/5

Meh 2.5/5

For a start, insanely long. This should not be a double album. It should barely be an EP to be honest, because so much of it is absolutely identikit. Also, it's weirdly dated much more than most pop of the era. I didn't like it, is what I'm saying. The singles are vaguely enjoyable, I guess, but a lot of the time it's just Xtina warbling over Generic Backing.

I felt this when it came out, and I still feel it: this album takes every minor annoyance about a Mariah Carey album, and exxagerates it immensely. Way too much melisma, too many vocal overdubs, and just generally too busy. A basket of white gospel R&B cliches. It's a shame, as she has phenomenal talent, spoiled by a myriad of arrangement and production choices.

Way too long

what a mess of an album. the last track on disc one is an homage to fans, but comes off as a narcissistic back patting. so many samples and nods to old music that seems better done by those ancient acts. its pretentious and dumb at the same time. there were some moments and samples that were “fun” in a way, but the album is mostly a slog. i dont get it. she can sing, though.

Checks notes. No, I didn't need to listen to that. I heard enough of her over played, over produced music in the early 2000s.

fühlt sich bissi an wie kulturelle aneignung?? idkkkk also all in all nit schlecht aber is so soul jazz type. all in all idk 2.5/5? stabile mitte würd i sagen. also wieder mal nit schlecht. aber nur ein zwei songs de mi richtig catchen. aber fast alle auf disc 2 tbh: hurt, mercy on me

A very noughties r&b album

I gave it a chance but it just didn't click with me. It's one of those albums that I can see why people like it, but it just isn't for me.

not for me unfortunately

Enjoyable, but, definitely not my wheelhouse. I can appreciate her artistry, even if the music doesn't really click.

Are there good tracks here? Yes. But good lord, this album is far, far too long. Anything good is diluted down. This album vastly overstays its welcome. Its a shame, I really wanted to like this :( 2/5

Not my thing

Amazing voice but I couldn't really get into the music – too calculated in its production

album se sastoji od dva dijela. prvi mi je bio dosljedno blago nepodnošljiv pop s elementima arenbija. drugi mi je bio nešto bolji s pokojom dobrom stvarju (»hurt«), ali ima zbog krindža teško slušljivu pjesmu »nasty naughty boy«. i malo je album sve u svemu predug. bilo bi bolje da sam preslušao samo drugi dio, onda bih možda dao i trojku. ovako je dojam za dvojku. šteta jer je glas dobar

Christina has an unreal voice. Shame that this record is a clusterfuck of overproduced poo. Could have been half the length, and feel like her talent is wasted on some of these numbers.

I didn't have a 2006 Christina Aguilera double album on my bingo card this morning, but here we are. I think Christina has an amazing voice. It's strong and confident, and she has the ability to modulate it to convey many different styles. Ultimately though this album isn't my style, and I am not particularly interested in repeat listens.

Não consegui ouvir todo, achei muito repetitivo

Toooooo long and repetitive

I'm probably never listening to this again, but it's a well-conceived, constructed, and performed pop album with some real depth. I admit I didn't realize what a vocal powerhouse she is.

I’m sorry that was just too much Christina Aguilera all at once

disc 2 is the only part worth listening to

I really dislike this style of singing. It's about as pleasant as listening to fingernails being drawn down a blackboard.

Christina! The album's too long Christina!

Not for me, only a couple songs I found interesting. She has a good voice but it gets a bit boring after about 30 minutes. Feel like this should have either been two separate projects or condensed into one better short album. No need for a double disc