Jessica Simpson Irresistible CD

Incl. Duet W/ Marc Anthony

Personnel includes: Jessica Simpson, Marc Anthony (vocals); Mats Berntoft, Chieli Minucci (guitar); Paul Sheyne, Jeanette Olsson (background vocals).
Producers include: Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake, Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins.
Engineers include: Dave Scheuer, Steve MacMillan, Paul Foley.
Personnel: RL (guitar, programming, drum programming); Chieli Minucci, Ira Segal, Mats Berntoft, Marcelo Berestovoy (guitar); Stockholm Session Orchestra (strings); Walter Afanasieff (keyboards, drums, programming); Greg Bieck (keyboards, programming, drum programming); Louis Biancaniello (keyboards, programming); Troy Oliver (keyboards, keyboard programming); Corey Rooney (keyboards, drum programming); Loren Dawson (keyboards); Bernard Belle (bass guitar); Richie Jones (drums, percussion, programming); Jason Bonilla (programming); Eric Kupper (keyboard programming); Sharlotte Gibson, Sam Watters, Janie Barnett, Kandice Love, Margaret Dorn (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Dan Hetzel; Mick Guzauski; RL; Richie Jones; Tom Bender; Tony Maserati.
Recording information: CelloStudios, Hollywood, CA; Murlyn Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; Sony Scoring Stages, Culver City, CA; the Record Plant, Hollywood, CA; WallyWorld Studios, CA.
Photographers: Alberto Tolot; Jeff Bender.
Arrangers: Sam Watters; Corey Rooney; Loren Dawson; Louis Biancaniello; Rhett Lawrence; Richie Jones; William Ross; Walter Afanasieff.
Jessica Simpson pretty much throws out any aspirations to be mature with her second album, Irresistible. And, in a sense, who could blame her? Her debut, Sweet Kisses, was pretty much stalled on the charts until the dazzling, "Jack & Diane"-sampling neo-bubblegum "I Think I'm in Love With You" was promoted to the stratosphere (hitched to Dawson's Creek, among other things), thereby proving the axiom that teens singing teen pop should be marketed to teens. So, that's what Irresistible is, at least on the surface, with Simpson looking like she stepped out of a Maxim photo shoot on the cover, filled with frothy, sugary pop tunes. There still are remnants of the middlebrow Simpson showcased on Sweet Kisses, notably in a fine duet with Marc Anthony called "There You Were," plus a misguided cover of the gospel standard "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" that concludes the record. Still, this takes up very little of the actual record, since these two cuts are surrounded by glossy teen pop that is designed to sound state-of-the-art, but winds up sounding curiously dated, as if it should have been released two years earlier than it was. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, at least on the surface, but apart from the opening double-punch of "Irresistible" and "A Little Bit," none of the songs register as songs -- they're just stylish background music. So, it's a bit of the inverse of Sweet Kisses, which was too heavy on ballads, and, like that record, this is the work of pros, so it sounds fine as it plays but it lacks a song as strong as "I Think I'm in Love With You" to anchor it -- so it floats away from memory. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Jessica Simpson was just 17 when she made her successful debut album. This followup makes it plain that she and her music have matured, with tracks ranging from straight-up, danceable pop to harder, groove-laden funk, R&B, ballads, and even gospel. Collaborating with such notables as Marc Anthony, Nick Lahey of 98 Degrees, Walter Afanasieff (Celine Dion) and Corey Rooney (Jennifer Lopez), Jessica is claiming her stake in the industry with this release.
The title track lives up to its name, a slice of hook-filled R&B-flavored pop. The same goes for "A Little Bit," where Simpson demands that her man takes care of his share and that "a little bit goes a long way." "There You Were" (a duet With Marc Anthony) is a well-crafted ballad. The other ballads hold up just as well, particularly "For Your Love," in which JQ (Summer/01, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Not bad at all....'A little Bit' and 'What's It Gonna BE' are multi-layered treats..."