Eshelby, M. E

One of the great decade-long singles runs is straightforwardly documented on Respect M.E., a compilation distributed throughout Europe and, unfortunately, not released in the States. From 1997 through 2006, Missy Elliott's work – often the product of a partnership with producer Timbaland – was in steady rotation on the radio and on video programs. Nearly every time out, she came up with something fun, inventive, out of this world, and lasting, charting alternate paths for pop music while also projecting the image of a fully empowered plus-size woman in a mainstream populated by females who tended to be anything but. Although each one of Elliott's albums is well worth owning, nothing can deny the need for this release, which includes almost every noteworthy track she released during the period, from "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" through the underappreciated "Teary Eyed." The most significant omissions are "Lick Shots" and "Take Away": hardly deal breakers. An ideal companion release would contain the hits Elliott wrote and/or produced for other artists, such as Aaliyah's "One in a Million," SWV's "Save Me," 702's "Where My Girls At," Nicole's "Make It Hot," Total's "What About Us," Monica's "So Gone," and Tweet's "Oops (Oh My)." During these years, there was no greater force in popular music.

It’s impossible to have a conversation about the power metal revival of the early millennial era without Freedom Call receiving at least a passing mention. They stood apart from the pack of German speed metal informed acts by taking the lighter elements of Helloween’s Keepers Of The Seven Keys sound to their logical conclusion, almost to the point of coming off as AOR with an occasional Gospel flavor played at a faster tempo. The magic that made their unique take on the style so auspicious laid mostly in guitarist/vocalist Chris Bay’s prowess as a studio engineer (he simultaneously gave Saxon’s 1999 smash album Metalhead an upgrade with his capability on the keyboards) and his uniquely light and airy voice, though the driving fury of Dan Zimmerman’s kit work and his then ongoing stints with Gamma Ray and Iron Savior definitely helped to promote the Freedom Call brand from the get go…