Various Artists
VH1 Divas Live/99
Label: Arista
Genre: Rock, Pop
File Under: The bitches are back
Rating: 73


By all backstage accounts, this year's edition of VH1 Divas Live was considerably bitchier than its predecessor, what with Tina Turner and Elton John (the night's designated div-o, according to Whitney Houston) feuding with Turner, Cher and John snubbing the rest of the bill by opting out of the all-star finale reprise of "I'm Every Woman."

None of that makes it to the disc, of course; VH1 Divas Live/99 is a ladylike lovefest, with Turner thanking John and Cher for backing her on "Proud Mary" (which she introduces as "the oldest diva of all"), Brandy offering innocuously scripted praise for Faith Hill after they duet on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," and headliner Houston paying respect to all of her cohorts and to Aretha Franklin, whose smoky "Ain't No Way" she and Mary J. Blige deliver with scorching intensity.

It's Houston's show, in fact; following solid performances from her fellow divas, she delivers a career rendition of her mega-hit "I Will Always Love You" and then brings on Chaka Khan for a thumping take on "I'm Every Woman," the Ashford & Simpson song they each turned into a hit — and showing the good taste to give leave plenty of space for Khan's vocal pyrotechnics.

The rest of the album is nothing if not exuberant, with all of the divas generally rising to the nationally spotlighted occasion (the Behind the Music Foundation benefit was VH1's highest rated show ever). Turner and John cook as they trade verses during "The Bitch Is Back," and "Proud Mary," while not quite the barn burner of yore, still packs a punch. Hill's rendition of "This Kiss" is revelatory, and even comparative lighter weights such as Brandy and LeAnn Rimes shine on their numbers. John's rocking self-affirmation anthem "I'm Still Standing" feels out of place, though — not because he's a guy but because it comes from an entirely different sonic sensibility than the rest of the album. That may be appropriate, though; on a night for the divas, the div-o should probably be supplicant before them.
— Gary Graff