The ladies rule!

The latest album from one of music media’s ultimate darlings, and a retrospective CD from the current undisputed Queen of R ’n B make for great music buys. It’s Gwen Stefani’s The Sweet Escape and Mary J. Blige’s Reflections that share the spotlight as women rule this week’s reviews.

Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape (MCA Universal)

It was at a recent awards show that I first caught Gwen Stefani performing Wind It Up, the carrier single off her new CD, The Sweet Escape. With a hilarious nod to the Sound of Music and Swiss yodeling, the song was a refreshing melange of that curious music style and her contemporary mix of hip-hop and Top 40 music. Collaborations with artists such as Pharell and Akon show the roots of her current musical direction, and they provide both relevance and commerciability.

Flourscent is my current favorite track, and while there are songs and shifts in style and tempo that remind one of Madonna, there’s always a modern sensibility to the approach, and the music never meanders into retro territory. The "key" motif of the CD has to do with Harry Houdini and his infamous escape artistry, so is it any wonder that the motif had me thinking that Gwen is making her own declaration that one can never pin her or her music down? This time out the never-ending change of hairstyles and innovative videos don’t detract at all from the quality music that’s on display.

Mary J. Blige – Reflections (A Retrospective) (MCA Universal)

Mary is hands down the current unofficial Queen of Hip-hop Soul. Without attempting to wrest the throne or eclipse the reputations of such institutions as Aretha Franklin, Mary has carved an enviable reputation and seems to be enjoying the status accorded royalty. In the retrospective album, we get an inkling of just how deserving Mary is. It’s a sort of greatest hits package that shows the strength of her pipes, and how everyone on the planet wants to do collaborations with her. George Michael enlists her for his interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s As, there’s One with U2, MJB the MVP with 50 cent, and Method Man gets into the act in the medley of I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By.

The great thing about Mary is that she seems to take all the accolades that have built up over her 15-year career with a grain of salt. While songs like Family Affair and No More Drama show how well they can stand the test of time, it’s one of the four fresh tracks, a duet with John Legend, King and Queen, that’s my most-played cut. To be honest, Mary was more like someone I was conscious of but had never really checked out, and the CD is a welcome "wake-up" call.