Dreamgirls
The big question about this soundtrack is: how's she doing? No, not Beyoncé, silly--how's Jennifer Hudson doing? And more specifically, how's she doing by "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"? To this reviewer's ears, she doesn't top the original Effie, Jennifer Holliday--or even Lillias White, from the 2001Dreamgirls in Concert. On the other hand, Hudson isn't afraid to pullout all the stops, whipping herself up into a total diva frenzy as the song getscaught up in an unstoppable crescendo. As for Beyoncé, she adapts superbly to the 1960s- and 1970s–tinged material, though "Listen"--a ballad that also appears on her ownB'dayalbum--lacks the spirit that infuses the classic tunes on this album. For make no mistake: this is hard-hitting, high-octane music, infused with an urgency and passion that makes most contemporary R&B albums sound timid. When Hudson and Beyoncé duke it out on "It's All Over," or when the "One Night Only" ballad gets reinvented as the dance-floor burner "One Night Only (Disco)," the sheer energy flowing from the speakers is transporting.Note that the two-CDDeluxe Editionfeatures a larger booklet and additional tracks, including dance remixes of "One Night Only" and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," as well as composer Henry Krieger's demo of "Patience."--Elisabeth VincentelliMore from theDreamgirlsCastB'day, BeyoncéAmerican Idol season 3: Greatest Soul Classics, (Featuring a track from Jennifer Hudson)Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx