Mary J Does Led Zep

I'm a late-comer to the Mary J Blige party. I went with Chris to see her at the O2 a couple of years ago, curious as to what I might see and hear and in the space of two hours she converted me and I've been exploring her work ever since.

Mary J's new album, 'Stronger withEach Tear' has just been released in the UK and seems to be getting mixed reviews. I'm just listening to it for the first time and it works for me, a mix of styles and sounds unified by her voice and themes. The surprising thing is that it includes TWO Led Zeppelin covers - 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Stairway To Heaven'. What's that about? Is there some kind of Led Zep revival going on that no-one's told me about (not that I'd care too much, to be honest). Mary J with two songs on the album, Pink playing a Led Zep in the 'Funhouse' tour ... what next? And can I say that I *love* her version of 'Whole Lotta Love'? She takes it to places it's never been before and her performance is flawless.

I need to listen to the album again to get a proper feel for it but I'm enjoying it on a first listen. Give it a try.

An abiding memory is seeing MJB give the performance of her life with 'No More Drama' at The O2, draining me of emotion, down on her knees and singing her heart out. The video is powerful too.