The Dana Owens Album

1	Baby Get Lost 3:42
2	I Put a Spell on You 3:08
3	Simply Beautiful 4:11
4	The Same Love That Made Me Laugh 3:53
5	Moody's Mood for Love 3:59
6	Close Your Eyes 2:55
7	California Dreamin' 3:42
8	Hard Times 5:21
9	Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 3:27
10	Hello Stranger 3:00
11	If I Had You 4:04
12	Lush Life 4:25

Barnes & Noble

Can she pull it off? Maybe the question should be: Is there anything that Queen Latifah can’t do? Having exhibited her fine voice and high style in such film as the blockbuster Chicago and the underrated Living Out Loud, it comes as no surprise that Dana Owens, a.k.a. Queen Latifah, has produced an album of pop standards that establishes her as a full-fledged contemporary diva. Casting a wide net, Latifah digs into material previously associated with, among others, Bill Withers, the Mamas and Papas, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, James Moody, Barbara Lewis, Cannonball Adderley, and Dr. Buzzard and the Original Savannah Band, stamping her own personality on it all. She’s got the range, the swing, and the heart to bring a mesmerizing quality to even the most unlikely choices. No celebrity ego trip here --this girl can sang! William Pearl

All Music Guide

The hooks on the rap records indicated it could be possible, the roles in Living Out Loud and Chicago made it possible -- the first record in which Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah, does nothing but sing. On The Dana Owens Album, she takes on vocal standards and an unlikely array of blues, pop, and soul classics that were adaptable to this intimate setting. The worst thing about it? It makes you upset that it isn't her seventh or eighth record in this vein. Owens' seasoned voice isn't the only attraction. This is a big-time production with a cast of all-star support that includes Arif and Joe Mardin, Herbie Hancock, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, and John Patitucci. And then there's Al Green, who steps in to duet on a sizzling and delicately playful cover of his "Simply Beautiful." The range of material is very surprising. The assurance in Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" is all the more spooky given Owens' poised quietude; Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Hard Times" (!) is one or two production tricks away from sounding like a missing cut from a '70s Rufus & Chaka Khan record; the version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" is so faithful and knowing that a young Owens must've worn out her parents' copy; the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'," unlike so many other versions, doesn't sound ironic or willfully corny; and most fitting of all is Joe Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," in which Owens is able to let loose and belt it out a little. Through and through, this is a real delight -- very classy and a whole lot of fun. Owens has been a busy woman the past several years, whether in front of a camera or behind the scenes, but she really ought to consider doing this type of thing more often. Andy Kellman