Aretha Franklin was clearly the queen of 'em all, y'all, at VH1's first Divas Live concert. So much so that even with her absence from the second, the finest musical moment comes on one of her classics. Mary J. Blige teams with a surprisingly gritty Whitney Houston to deliver a more than respectable take on "Ain't No Way." Many of the remaining performances on Divas Live/99 are perfectly competent, but inevitably uninspiring except for the biggest fans of the artists. Brandy stands out thanks to the relative unfamiliarity of her hits next to warhorses like Tina Turner's "The Best" and Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time." Otherwise, the clever choice of Elton John to round out the party proves inspired as he duets with Turner on "The Bitch Is Back" and solos on his hardy anthem "I'm Still Standing." --Rickey Wright