Mariah Carey Daydream CD

Personnel: Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men (vocals); Dave "Jam" Hall, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal (various instruments); Dann Huff, Tristan Avakian (guitar); Terry Barrus (piano); Lori Holland (Hammond B-3 organ); Babyface (keyboards, background vocals); Walter Afanasieff, David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie, Dan Shea (keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Steve Thornton (percussion); Gary Cirimelli, Randy Walker (programming); Kelly Price, Melonie Daniels, Shanrae Price (background vocals).
Producers include: David Hall, Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, David Morales.
Engineers: Jay Healy, Kurt Lundvall, Andy Smith.

All songs co-written by Mariah Carey except "Open Arms" (S. Perry/J. Cain). Samples included "Genius Of Love" (as performed by Tom Tom Club).
Personnel: Mariah Carey (vocals, background vocals); Boyz II Men (vocals, background vocals); Dann Huff, Tristan Avakian (guitar); Terry Burrus (piano); Loris Holland (organ); Dan Shea (keyboards, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, programming, drum programming); Walter Afanasieff (keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, programming, drum programming); David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie (keyboards, bass synthesizer, programming); Babyface (keyboards, background vocals); Steve Thornton (percussion); Dave Hall, Randy Walker, Gary Cirimelli (programming); Shanrae Price, Kelly Price, Manuel Seal, Jr., Melonie Daniels (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: David Sussman; Jay Healy; Mick Guzauski.
Recording information: Crave Studios, NY; DMH Studios; Hit Factory, NY; Quad Studios, NY; Sony Studios; Wallyworld.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Dan Shea; Gary Cirimelli.
Arrangers: Dave Hall; David Morales; Jermaine Dupri; Mariah Carey; Walter Afanasieff.
Mariah Carey certainly knows how to construct an album. Positioning herself directly between urban R&B with tracks like "Fantasy," and adult contemporary with songs like "One Sweet Day," a duet with Boyz II Men, Carey appeals to both audiences equally because of the sheer amount of craft and hard work she puts into her albums. Daydream is her best record to date, featuring a consistently strong selection of songs and a remarkably impassioned performance by Carey. A few of the songs are second-rate -- particularly the cover of Journey's "Open Arms" -- but Daydream demonstrates that Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R&B/pop diva. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
DAYDREAM was nominated for 1996 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Album. "One Sweet Day" was nominated for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals; "Fantasy" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; and "Always Be My Baby" was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
On DAYDREAM, Mariah Carey's singing expands the panorama of its emotional release--her voice, having been a strictly powerful pure instrument, now taking on the thespian strategies of great vocalists. She has added subtle understatement to her bag of tricks. On the hit single "Fantasy," a groovin' piece of soulful pop based on a sample of the Tom Tom Club's "Genius Of Love," the chorus layers generous helpings of her voice. But rather than featuring the high-pitched lead she's famous for, the vocal parts reflect off each other in penetrating harmony. When she gets to cooing the key "I'm in heaven..." refrain as the fade-out hook, Carey's voice carries an enticing faux-innocence to match any of Madonna's good girl/bad girl come-ons. There is also her cover of Journey's "Open Arms," on which the a capella opening drifts into the stardust sound effects and the electric piano accompaniment, and the singer pours herself into a striking, minor-key declaration.
There's also a more obvious modern R&B sheen to DAYDREAM than any of Carey's previous work. "One Sweet Day," her collaboration with Boyz II Men, sways with the sugary gospel cum synth-soul feel of the Philadelphia quEntertainment Weekly (10/13/95, p.76) - "...it's easily the best collection Carey has put out since her self-titled 1990 debut, the album DAYDREAM most resembles in its emphasis on R&B grooves..." - Rating: B
New York Times (Publisher) (1/6/96, p.C16) - Included on Stephen Holden's list of the Top 10 Albums of `95 - "...her newest album carries choral rhythm-and-blues to new heights of sophistication..."