Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 16 October 1997 — Page 7

The Muncie Times, October 16,1997 • Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT

Vanessa Williams’ 12-song collection is fourth Mercury disc

“My life has been an interesting series of events and circumstances. This album is simply what’s... next.” Indeed, Next, Vanessa Williams’ fourth Mercury disc, is more than just another album; it is a musical earmark in a brilliant, multi-faceted career that continues to unfold with the verve and grace that made the Grammy-nominated artist and entertainer an international superstar. The 12-song collection, for which Vanessa serves as Executive Producer, along with Mercury Sr. Vice President of A&R, Bruce Carbone and Vanessa’s management team of John Dukakis and Qadree ElAmin, was created by a stellar group of songwriters/producers, such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who produced the delightfully funky “Happiness,” the album’s first single, and including, among others, hitmakers R. Kelly, Barry Eastmond and Vanessa’s longtime collaborator, Keith Thomas. During Next, Vanessa moves effortlessly between the sultry hip-hop of “Surrender,” the breezy, pointed almost theatrical “Who Were You Thinkin’ ’Bout” and the melodic, hookladen “First Thing on Your Mind” with equal grace. The album takes some flavorful, moody turns, such as the stark, insistent “And My Heart Goes” and the introspective “The Easiest Thing,” while tender melodies such as “Crazy ‘Bout You,” “Oh How the Years Go By,” “Lost Without You” and “And Iff Ever” are the kind of airy love ballads, almost autobiographical in nature, that have established Vanessa as one of modern pop’s most

compelling interpreters of a great song. Indeed, during Next, Vanessa exudes a vocal and emotional clarity that effectively tugs at the heart. “I’d like to think every album I’ve recorded has been a step up,” says Vanessa. “I certainly feel that way about this one. There’s a certain vocal maturity here that actually started with the last album. The Sweetest Days. This project is also a little more urbansounding than my last record.” The creative process that yielded Next began in 1996, just after Vanessa completed filming “Eraser,” the action movie in which she co-starred with box-office heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger. Vanessa, who in the past has contributed to her albums as a songwriter, this time chose to let the writers interpret her ideas. “Most of the songs were written for me. I’d share my ideas about various subjects with a producer or songwriter and they’d work from there. “Who Were You Thinkin’ ‘Bout” is a perfect example; I didn’t write the song, but those were my sentiments.” Afctfjoins Vanessa’s triad of hit Mercury albums, including The Right Stuff, her 1988 debut, which produced the hit singles, “Dreamin’,” “Darlin’ I” and the funky title track; 199l’s The Comfort Zone, featuring “Running Back to You,” which reached #1 on Billboard’s R&B and Dance charts and “Save the Best for Last” (Vanessa’s biggest single to date), which was #1 on Billboard’s Pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, and 1995’s The Sweetest Days. Combined, the albums have sold more than four million

copies, garnering nine Grammy nominations along the way. Vanessa’s performance of “Colors in the Wind,” the theme song from the 1996 Disney box office smash Pocahontas, which Vanessa performed at the ’96 Academy Awards presentation, won an Oscar. Meanwhile, Star Bright, her 1996 collection of standards and holiday classics songs, is poised to become an annual favorite of the yuletide season. Her success as a recording artist laid the foundation for a remarkable multi-faceted film, television and stage career that has gone into overdrive since 1994, when Vanessa was offered the title role in the hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Kiss of the Spider

Woman. That she was invited run of the legendary Chita to complete the three-month see vanessa on page 14

Vasilis Makris, M.D., P.C. Diseases and Surgery of the Eye 288-1935 3300 W. Purdue Avenue

I recently had cataract surgery, and my friends tell me that I’m not supposed to rub my eyes when they itch of a morning. Would gentle pressure damage my implants?

If the surgery is performed with the latest techniques, the incision should be small enough that it closes spontaneously when the cataract removal instrument is withdrawn from the eye. The advantages of small incision surgery are self evident, in that the smaller the incision the quicker the healing, and the fewer the restrictions. If the surgery is performed using the small incision, eye rubbing will not hurt the incision or the implants, and you can immediately bend over and lift weight, without any fear of the incision opening. You can also get your new glasses approximately 2 weeks after the surgery in most instances. We will be offering free cataract and glaucoma screenings at our office on Wednesday, October 29th from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. No appointment is necessary. If you have an eye-related problem or question you would like to see addressed in this column, please mdl " o: 3300 W. Purdue Avenue • 288-1935 Visit us on the internet at http://www.siaweb.com/eyel.htm