Back To Basics

I know this album by Christina Aguilera had been out for ever (just under 4 years), but I just recently delved into it, after only hearing a couple songs back in the day. I liked them then and really enjoyed her mixing a swing jazz vibe with and R'n'B.Hip-hop vibe! After she had her son Max (also the name of my youngest), I went back to "Back To Basics" and really noticed that this 2-cd album is really well thought out and well performed.

Aguilera took inspiration for the production of the album from Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. Aguilera was exposed to soul, jazz and blues records when she was a child because her mother used to bring her to look for vintage records. The songs in the two-disc album are constructed in different style. The first disc is a throwback album with elements of '20s, '30s, and '40s blues and jazz with a modern-day twist, largely produced by beat-oriented producers, like DJ Premier. It is also more "beat-driven" (as Aguilera stated on the Back to Basics CD enhanced video). Most songs employ record sampling except "F.U.S.S.", "Without You", and "Still Dirrty". The second disc is kept authentic, sticking to a really raw, old-soul sound. The songs are all live records except "Candyman", and were mostly written by Aguilera and Perry; however, the theme remains vintage. "There are no samples - It's all live music", Aguilera related about the second disc. The record also use elements with a 1920s circus theme.

"The first half of the album is kind of a throwback with elements of jazz, blues and soul music combined with a modern-day twist, like hard-hitting beats. And for the second disc, we [Aguilera and Perry] creatively went into our own zone and our own world together. There are no cover songs, so we made more of a '20s, '30s vibe with an authentic and organic twist. There are no samples — it's all live music. One of the songs sounds like you entered a 1920s burlesque club, another song sounds like it was actually recorded in the 1920s, using a vintage microphone, so it's exciting stuff."—Christina Aguilera, MTV

The videos from this release are nothing short of jaw-dropping. "Candyman" is one that I can't take my eyes off, as well as "Ain't No Other Man". She was certainly on her game with this one and hopefully, will stay there!