Richard Parks Favorite Album

It was a dreary summer afternoon and I had just arrived at Wal-Mart with my family. There wasn’t anything particularly unique about the day except that I would soon discover one of the most mesmerizing albums that I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to and owning. I was casually strolling through the music isle, looking for interesting album cover graphics of the artists’ work that I enjoyed at the time. All the time, I had been searching for a certain album with a vision of a woman laced in gold, hair blowing in the wind, standing firm and confident against what seemed like an abysmal background. At last, I came across it and nearly knocked down the stand as I snatched it from its resting place. Excitedly, and with disbelief, I read the title to myself: “The Emancipation of Mimi by Mariah Carey”. As a struggling 6^th grader, still mooching off of my parents, I rushed to their side begging and pleading to allow me to purchase the treasure. Seeing as I had relatively straight A’s, my parents agreed to it.

                Without wasting any time, I savagely ripped open the album as soon as I swung the car door shut and eagerly offered the disk to my parents to play for the entire family to hear on our way home. I had heard a few of the songs off the album from the radio, of course, but I had a pleasant surprise of experiencing a slew of entirely new songs. The first time I heard the album, that’s just what I did, “hear” it. It wasn’t until I was isolated in my room, replaying the entire collection repeatedly, reading the enclosed pamphlet of song lyrics to each song, when I actually listened. The sweet, smooth, rhythmic tracks would motivate me to perform daily tasks, as well as lull me to sleep each night, for weeks on end. I had never felt such a connection with a collection of sounds, before. The music not only became a source of entertainment, but a comfort zone, I had never known. Apart from the unconditional love of my parents, this album was the one I could turn to when I was confused, sad, mad, frustrated, or simply lost. This album taught me how to love music, not just experience it.

Growing up as a singer, I was always inspired by smooth, soulful, harmonious music with jazzy undertones. This album was the very epitome of everything that attracted me to music. Not only did it contain the qualities that got me excited about music, it used them in varying ways through the execution of a balance of fast and slow-paced songs that meshed together to create a great piece. For this reason, The Emancipationof Mimi by Mariah Carey will forever be solidified in my heart.