Since the release of his first record in the early nineties, R. Kelly has become the most consistent hitmaker in contemporary R&B music. In the U.S., all six of his albums have been certified platinum or multiplatinum and worldwide sales total more than 27 million. R. Kelly has had more Top 40 hits in the past 10 years than any other male solo artist. His songwriting magic has also sparked the careers of dozens of artists as he has written and produced smash singles for Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, B2K, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Mary J. Blige, Luther Vandross, P. Diddy, Syleena Johnson, B2K and many others. 27 million recordings sold. Countless awards and accolades. Songwriting successes for dozens of artists. R. Kelly is truly one of the greatest artists in the history of R&B and pop music, and this fall, in celebration of the first ten years of his career, Jive Records will release The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. I, featuring all of the biggest hits of the first ten years of his career and one of the most potent and imaginative R. Kelly singles yet, "Thoia Thoing." As an added bonus, there will be a limited edition version of this collection, available on cd only, which will contain remixed tracks! R. Kelly - The next ten years promise to be the best!
R in R&B Collection 1,R. Kelly,R. Kelly,Jive,Adult Contemporary,Contemporary R&B,Neo-Soul,Pop,Pop-Rap,R&B,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban
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Breakfast in Bed
Joan Osborne Manufacturer: Time Life Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000O78KZG Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- I've Got To Use My Imagination
- Ain't No Sunshine
- Midnight Train To Georgia
- Baby Is A Butterfly
- Breakfast In Bed
- Cream Dream
- Natural High
- Heart Of Stone
- Sara Smile
- Eliminate The Night
- Break Up To Make Up
- I Know What's Goin' On
- Alone With You
- Kiss And Say Goodbye
- Heat Wave
- What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
Amazon.com
On Breakfast in Bed, her first release on Time Life Records (yes, that Time Life) Joan Osborne tackles a crop of hand-picked soul and R&B favorites with equal parts sass and sensitivity. Long an underappreciated artist, Osborne is a performer with the wisdom to exercise vocal restraint for an effect that's more Dusty Springfield than Christina Aguilera. Her fine previous outing interpreting soul standards was aptly titled How Sweet It Is, and witness her contribution to the terrific 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, where Osborne's astute readings of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Heatwave" outshone performers like Ben Harper and Gerald Levert (happily, both songs are included here). The title track and Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile" are both canny choices that play to her strengths in delivering credible blue-eyed soul, and six new Osborne-penned songs fit neatly into the record. If her compositions pale a bit next to the classics she covers (with the sultry and slithery exception of the excellent "Eliminate the Night"), give Osborne credit for bravely placing herself side-by-side with songwriting luminaries like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Bill Withers. Breakfast in Bed makes for a leisurely listen on a sunny Sunday morning, so put up your feet and stay awhile. --Ben HeegeAlbum Description
Joan Osbourne's recently recorded album pays homage to the great Soul and R&B songs of the late '60s and early '70s. The album features a unique combination of unforgettable interpretations of timeless R&B classics. Her first single to radio will be "I've Got to Use My Imagination."Customer Reviews:
Brerakfast in Bed.......2007-07-27
You can't go wrong........2007-07-25
News from VT.......2007-07-24
Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers is the only cover ever I've heard that even rates. My sister and I wore Bill's 45 out 2 or 3 times when we were kids. The originals powerful bass line is absent here but Joan's production showcasing drums and of course, her voice makes my memory of Bill's version fade. Joan redefines it without overshadowing it. This is true for many of the covers. The title track I could do without though. Breakfast in Bed was a walk through. A strong cup of coffee....and. Eliminate The Night would work for me as a title tune and an opener. I've Got to Use My Imagination, Midnight Train to Georgia and Sara Smile are renewed and fresh. Heat Wave and What Becomes of the Brokenhearted are repeated from Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Take note of this CD with other Motown covers by Ben Harper, Chaka Khan and Bootsy Collins among others.
Originals Baby Is a Butterfly, Eliminate the Night & I Know What's Goin' On are ones I've heard live before and they have matured.
I'd like to hear a raw & nasty version of Eliminate the Night live. She's playing Concord New Hampshire's Capitol Center for the Arts this November. It's a small venue that's perfect for Joan to showcase her work. Think about getting her Early Recordings CD before you go. If you haven't seen her headline a show in the past and live in New England then take the trek, you won't be disappointed.
I hope she hasn't let Andrew Carrillo get away. Her guitar player on much of her past work has appeared in recent live shows but he's missing here. He joined his brother Frank Carillo & The Bandoleros on their 2005 release Bad Out There. Well worth a listen.
Breakfast in Bed doesn't suffer any though I wonder what's up. He gets my vote for the title "Master of the Telecaster", given to greats Roy Buchanan, Keith Richards, Albert "The Iceman" Collins, Danny Gatton and few others. The "Tele" was the first solid body electric guitar mass produced and while it's design has been copied and modified over the years the standard set-up used by Andrew defined much of Joan's earlier work.
When I hear Joan's new CDs one or two tunes demand notice. Further listens and the whole work becomes seamless.
Joan takes her time between releases. There could be two CDs here. A few more originals could be made into to one CD and the covers working separately as another disc. I don't know if it's production advice, recording contracts or a lack of confidence by Joan on about her own writing but a real Joan Osborne collection hasn't been released since Righteous Love. Relish and Righteous Love mixed in covers but little enough that Joan's own songs made a greater statement. I'm going to make compilations of all her work when I figure out how to use my Ipod.
I have to admit a big bias here. I see Joan Osborne music or concert listings and shell out cash. It's a shame that when I mention Joan I am met with blank looks. Who? Mention What If God Was One Of Us people take note. Really the least important of her work it now sounds like weak pop to me. It may sound as familiar as Stairway to Heaven to many who don't even recognize her name. That song seems to pop up everywhere. If you love this CD and haven't heard others check out her collection. Start with Early Recordings, Relish Righteous Love, or How Sweet It Is.
I do look forward to seeing some more raw, throaty and hard driving music by Joan. But, in 1975 I was listening equally to Carly Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd. My friends thought I was nuts!
Don't miss Breakfast in Bed but, take care of it or buy two you might wear this CD out and end up asking yourself what happened to Bill Withers?
Exactly as advertised.......2007-07-22
A couple of the originals are really excellent, stay in your head tunes. I'd say if your having Breakfast in Bed, it works. But it's not an all occasions, "hey check this out" kind of release.
Joan O. has got it.......2007-07-19
The first time I saw her was pretty much by accident. I wound up crossing through the front of a very large crowd between acts at a Woodstock reunion in Bethel, NY (not Pepsistock in Saugeraties), in the late 90's. Then Joan and her band came on and I'm front and center and she blew me away with St. Teressa or something like that. I've been a fan ever since.
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In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
R.E.M. Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000CC6QF Release Date: 2003-10-28 |
Tracks:
- Man on the Moon
- The Great Beyond [from Man on the Moon soundtrack]
- Bad Day [previously unreleased]
- What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
- All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)
- Losing My Religion
- E-Bow The Letter
- Orange Crush
- Imitation of Life
- Daysleeper
- Animal [previously unreleased]
- The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
- Stand
- Electrolite
- All The Right Friends [from Vanilla Sky soundtrack]
- Everybody Hurts
- At My Most Beautiful
- Nightswimming
Amazon.com
How do you condense 15 years of music down to 76 minutes? In the case of this survey of the second phase of R.E.M.'s career, the answer is: Exceptionally well. The dangling carrot for diehards is two new songs; the rapid fire "Bad Day" hurtles along like the kissing cousin of "It's the End of the World as We Know It," while "Animal" is anchored by a majestic drone reminiscent of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." In a surprising, but gratifying move, the rest of the program shortchanges the band's breakthrough, Out of Time (no "Shiny Happy People"), to better accommodate movie soundtrack contributions, and spotlight gems from the less commercial, post-Bill Berry albums Reveal and Up; with its baroque piano and multi-tracked vocal harmonies, the Beach Boys homage "At My Most Beautiful" is particularly gorgeous, while the burbling keyboards and slightly dazed singing of "All the Way to Reno" will appeal to Flaming Lips fans. --Kurt B. ReighleyCustomer Reviews:
good stuff.......2007-07-18
GOOD MUSIC.......2007-05-16
R.E.M. Rocks.......2007-05-13
Good Collection Of Hits.......2007-05-12
R.E.M? G.O.O.D........2007-03-30
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Songs in the Key of Life
Stevie Wonder Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004SZWD Release Date: 2000-05-02 |
Tracks:
- Love's In Need Of Love Today
- Have A Talk With God
- Village Ghetto Land
- Contusion
- Sir Duke
- I Wish
- Knocks Me Off My Feet
- Pastime Paradise
- Summer Soft
- Ordinary Pain
Tracks:
- Isn't She Lovely
- Joy Inside My Tears
- Black Man
- Ngiculela/Es Una Historia/I Am Singing
- If It's Magic
- As
- Another Star
- Saturn
- Ebony Eyes
- All Day Sucker
- Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)
Amazon.com essential recording
Songs in the Key of Life (1976) was the highest high point of Stevie Wonder's career. More sprawling than Innervisions and Talking Book, this two-LP-plus-EP was also less of a consistent stunner than either of those masterworks. That Songs retains an enormous amount of visionary relevance, though, is demonstrated not only in Coolio's borrowing of "Pastime Paradise" as a template for "Gangsta's Paradise," but in the cold-as-ice synthesized string quartet of "Village Ghetto Land." This is Stevie, so naturally that cut's anger is balanced by the ultra-buoyant "I Wish," "Sir Duke," and "Another Star." The 2000 reissue boasts radically improved remastered sound. --Rickey WrightCustomer Reviews:
I Love Stevie.......2007-07-27
My first choice for a desert island.......2007-07-08
The definition of music at its best........2007-06-17
Most artists these days stick to one type of music, rarely trying something different. Wonder, on the other hand, has mastered not only his usual R&B and funk songs such as "I Wish," but on this album he also throws in some Latin, classical and funk/rock fusion twists, and he delivers them just as well as his usual genre.
Wonder without a doubt has talent in songwriting. He sings about almost everything that you can sing about, such as world peace ("Love's In Need Of Love Today"), love ("Knocks Me Off My Feet"), heartbreak ("Another Star"), world problems ("Village Ghetto Land") and equality ("Black Man") to name a few. No matter what he sings about he delivers some of the best vocals, lyrics and composing of all time. Most of his songs are upbeat and danceable, such as "Ngiculela" and "Sir Duke." "As" and "Summer Soft" are the most beautiful, poetic songs on the album and the music accompanying them are just as extraordinary. The funk songs Wonder is known for are also here. "I Wish" and "All Day Sucker" are funkier than "Superstition" from the album "Talking Book." "Ebony Eyes" is a very fun song that has a slight Beatles feel to it.
Wonder also includes two instrumentals: "Contusion" and "Easy Goin' Evening." Both of them show Wonder's skill with instruments, especially the harmonica (in "Easy Goin' Evening") which he is very well known for. "Contusion" is a great display of R&B/rock fusion and is very fun to dance to.
With twenty-one songs on this album, each of them some of the greatest songs ever, it's difficult to not like the album. This is music at its absolute best.
You Can't NOT Give This Album 5 Stars.......2007-06-08
stevie really wonder.......2007-05-13
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In My Songs
Gerald LeVert Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000LV6RGO Release Date: 2007-02-13 |
Tracks:
- IN MY SONGS (ALBUM VERSION) [w/ Eddie Levert intro]
- I DON'T GET DOWN LIKE THAT
- DJ DON'T
- WANNA GET UP WITH YOU
- FALL BACK
- DEEP AS IT GOES
- HANG IN THERE
- SWEETER
- WHAT CHA THINK ABOUT THAT
- TO MY HEAD
- M'LADY
- IS THIS WAY TO HEAVEN?
Amazon.com
In My Songs is soul man Gerald LeVert's final farewell, a collection of vintage-sounding R&B equal to any of the discs he put out in his 20-year career. Only, of course, sadder: Prior to track one, Gerald's legendary father, the O'Jay's Eddie LeVert, reminisces momentarily about the months leading up to this album and his son's pride in presenting it; shards of that short speech linger through songs like "Sweetness," in which the man who was called "Teddy Bear" before Ruben Studdard was a twinkle in Paula Abdul's eye promises to "be sweeter tomorrow than I was today," and "Hang in There," a soulful plea sent out to a sulking lady friend. Two upbeat songs break the solemn mood midway through--"DJ Don't" molds itself to fit old-school party-night sensibilities, and "Wanna Get up with You" whisks the ladies off to the dancefloor--but even those tracks can't help going bittersweet around the edges. They represent LeVert's lost magnetism, after all. And they're reminders that the man who once promised to "sing it to you time and time again," won't. --Tammy La GorceAlbum Description
Gerald Levert's last studio album.Customer Reviews:
R.I.P. Gerald aka The Teddy Bear.......2007-07-12
2. I Don't Get Down Like That
5. Fall Back
6. Deep As It Goes (my all time favorite!)
12. Is This The Way to Heaven?
I wish Mr. Levert could have given us more of his singing talent but God called him home for His purpose and we have to accept that fact. Thank you Gerald for giving the R&B world what it really needed: true talent. Rest In Peace.
Thanks For The Memories!.......2007-06-26
I still miss him.......2007-05-29
A collection item.......2007-05-16
Life isn't just for the living........2007-05-09
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The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
Johann Sebastian Bach , Léo Delibes , Gabriel Fauré , Erik Satie , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Edvard Grieg , Johann Pachelbel , Claude Debussy , Felix Mendelssohn , Camille Saint-Saens , Henryk Gorecki , Antonio Vivaldi , Edward Elgar , Jocelyn Pook , Sergey Rachmaninov , Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni , Luigi Boccherini , Jules Massenet , Ludwig van Beethoven , Jacques Offenbach , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Giacomo Puccini , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Alexander Borodin , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Samuel Barber Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000I93Z Release Date: 1999-03-30 |
Tracks:
- Air 'On the G String' - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- Morning - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- Canon In D - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- Gymnopedie No.1 - City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
- II. Andante - Stephen Hough
- Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
- In Paradisum - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
- Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
- II. Andate - Yehudi Menuhin
- The Swan - Osian Ellis
- II. Lento E Largo - Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
- II. Andantino - James Galway
- II. Largo - Yehudi Menuhin
- Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
- Blow the Wind - Pie Jesu - Jocelyn Pook
- Variation 18 - Cecile Ousset
- Pavane Op.50 - Gareth Morris
Tracks:
- Zion Hort Die Wachter Singen - South German Madrigal Choir
- Adagio In G Minor - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- Minuet - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- II. Largo - Andrei Gavrilov
- Meditation - Hans Kalafusz
- I. Adagio Sostenuto - Dame Moura Lympany
- Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
- II. Andante - Nigel North
- II. Adagio - Jack Brymer
- Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
- I. Moderato - London Chamber Orchestra
- O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
- Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Sinfonia Of London
- II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) - Cecile Ousset
- Nocturne - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
- II. Adagio (Opening) - Julian Bream
- Adagio For Strings Op.11a - The Philadelphia Orchestra
- Entr'acte To Act III - Orchestre National De France
Amazon.com
You want relaxing classical music that'll soothe your soul but won't lull you into sleep? Here's a double CD for you. The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World ... Ever! does its best to cover both well-worn classical favorites (Bach's "Air on the G String," Pachelbel's "Cannon," Debussy's "Clair de Lune") and some eclectic left-field choices (an excerpt from Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Jocelyn Pook's "Blow the Wind," and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The performances of most of these excerpts are top-notch--artists include Sir Neville Marriner, James Galway, Jacqueline du Pré and the Philadelphia Orchestra--and there's enough variety here for everyone. --Edward GarabedianCustomer Reviews:
Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's........2007-02-04
Good for relaxing pregnant women.......2007-01-17
Too much opera.......2007-01-10
Does what it set out to do, very well.......2006-11-15
That said, i totally adore this set because i have learned to take it on its own terms. These discs weren't meant for expert classical listeners, so a review from that sort of mindset is useless. This set was meant for pure, easy listening, and for a basic starters kit for classical newbies. Most of all, it was just meant to do what the title says, to relax the average human being. classical expert or not.
Yes, some of these pieces have been altered or shortened, like Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto Andantino, but they have been edited for a good enough reason: the full versions would have been too long to flow with the rest of the album. And also, the full versions contain so much development that they don't become easy listening anymore. The shortened versions work in the context of the album. Most essentially, the shortened versions on the discs still convey the main flavor the composers were going for. The melodies and themes remain unchanged.
To sum up, it is true that when i want to actually listen deeply to classical music, this album would never be a choice. I would want to hear the complete works like the composers intended. But at certain times when i simply don't mind about that stuff, when i just need to loosen up and free my mind of stress with some nice melodies, this set does the job well enough.
Last but not least: being a purist and a classical buff, i am very particular about performance quality. I was very glad to find that EMI did not get lazy about this. All the artists are world-class, and all the performances are at least exceptional. Some performances are even quite excellent, like the Clair De Lune, which is one of the best i've heard. (Credit to Dame Lympany, the pianist.)
So once again, recommended for its stated purpose, to relax. I am a purist, a classical buff, and i still enjoy this disc. That says something.
TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written........2006-11-10
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!
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Dangerously in Love
Beyoncé Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000099T2L Release Date: 2003-06-24 |
Tracks:
- Crazy In Love
- Naughty Girl
- Baby Boy
- Hip Hop Star
- Be With You
- Me, Myself And I
- Yes
- Signs
- Speechless
- That's How You Like It
- The Closer I Get To You
- Dangerously In Love 2
- Beyonce Interlude
- Gift From Virgo
- Daddy
Amazon.com
The perfect timing of Beyonce Knowles' career moves continues with the release of her debut solo album. Dangerously in Love's best music is wildly up-to-date, craftily designed for both maximum street acceptance and positioning as some of the most cutting-edge stuff on current radio. The brash first single, "Crazy in Love," melds Jay-Z with an unstoppable Chi-Lites horn sample, shape-shifting into something brand new. Collaborations with Outkast's Big Boi and Sean Paul also prick up the ears, while changes of pace like "Be with You" and "Speechless" achieve their aim with credibility. The disc becomes far too ballad heavy in its second half, but the key stuff is the noise she brings. --Rickey WrightCustomer Reviews:
DAM GOOD!!!! .....No matter what , some of the other reviewers have to say!!.......2007-06-08
The other tracks most people know... Be With You, Me Myself And I, Baby Boy, Naughty Girl, Dangerously In Love and Work It Out, more or less in order of quality, bonnie and Clyde with JayZ are all good songs, making this cd a must have.
mixed reviews, I'll give it a 3.5.......2007-04-27
If you're a fan of beyonce, I guess you will enjoy this album a lot, but I prefer the B'day album so much more, I can listen to that from start to finish without getting bored, while with this CD I can't sit through the whole thing though the songs I do love are well done.
3 1/2 Stars...Not Great But Better Than B'day.......2007-03-16
2nd time buying.......2007-01-10
Dangerously in love is still my favorite.
Thanks B.
I love this CD, but B'Day is better!.......2007-01-07
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Out Of Africa: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
Manufacturer: Mca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002O4X Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Main Title (I Had A Farm In Africa)
- I'm Better At Hello (Karen's Theme l)
- Have You Got A Story For Me
- Concerto For Clarinet and Orhestra
- Safari
- Karen's Journey - Siyawe (African Traditional)
- Flight Over Africa
- I Had A Compass From Denys (Karen's Theme II)
- Alone On The Farm
- Let The Rest Of The World Go By
- If I Know A Song Of Africa (Karen's Theme III)
- End Title (You Are Karen)
Amazon.com essential recording
The great irony of John Barry's Academy Award-winning score for Out of Africa (which also took the Oscar as Best Picture) is that it almost never was; director Sydney Pollack had originally envisioned the film with native African music, going as far as laying the indigenous score down as he was editing. But the weight of John Barry's arguments--not to mention his considerable track record and composing gifts--held sway, and the composer delivered on his intent: a lush, romantic masterpiece for the ages. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
Simply beautiful.......2007-01-11
CD has missing track.......2006-12-03
I was puzzled to learn that some time between my buying the LP record and the issuing of this CD, the track "The Music of Goodbye (love theme from Out of Africa)" was omitted. It's not that this song, sung by Melissa Manchester, is a must-have; it's more that it's sneaky to leave off tracks when you reissue a soundtrack in another format.
Disappointed.......2006-11-10
Worth Buying!.......2006-11-06
Great Album.......2006-11-04
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In My Own Words
Ne-Yo Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CQM4ZQ Release Date: 2006-02-28 |
Tracks:
- Stay
- Let Me Get This Right
- So Sick
- When You're Mad
- It Just Ain't Right
- Mirror
- Sign Me Up
- I Ain't Gotta Tell You
- Get Down Like That
- Sexy Love
- Let Go
- Time
- Bonus Track 1
Amazon.com
You may not have heard of the name Ne-Yo before, but you've more than likely heard some of his lyrics--specifically, on Mario's massive hit, "Let Me Love You." This talented musician wrote for a number of chart-toppers before the age of 22, penning songs for Mary J. Blige, B2K, and Faith Evans as well. After working for others, Ne-Yo--a.k.a. Shaffer Smith--decided to focus on his own career. Judging by the quality of songs on this debut, his creative well is not running dry anytime soon. The kick-off single, "So Sick" showcases the same tenderness evident in his Mario hit, as does much of this slow-jam heavy CD. Smith also shines on the Michael Jackson-esque "Sign Me Up," giving props to the icon in the chorus by singing "I just wanna rock with you" with beat-fueled bravado. Ne-Yo's songs come from a love of seventies and eighties soul; as a result, his music contains some unique samples, including an O'Jays lick (on the sexy "Get Down Like That," and a Switch snippet (on "It Just Ain't Right"). Surprisingly, for such a hooked-up songwriter, he has limited the number of guest performers on the disc to just one--rapper Peedi Peedi performs on the disc opener, "Stay." The depth of the final track, "Time," clinches the hunch; In My Own Words is an impressive debut for a seasoned songwriter, likely to make memorable music for years to come. --Denise SheppardAlbum Description
A master in the art of storytelling, Ne-Yo began writing at an early age. A vivid imagination and creative energy has allowed Ne-Yo to write songs for multi-platinum artists such as Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans, and Musiq. When asked about writing number one hits for other artists, simply put, Ne-Yo said, "I feel there is always room for good music. I want to reach people's soul with my lyrics through whatever vessel God chooses." Set to release his debut album In My Own Words on Def Jam Recordings, this dynamic entertainer is ready to deliver. Infusing pop melodies to rich, soulful production the album is sure to score with fans and critics alike. Relying on mostly his own in-house crew Compound, Ne-Yo creates both a unique sound and sentiment for his records. Songs like the first single "Stay" (featuring Peedi Crack) exemplify Ne-Yo's nuanced, layered vocals and sample free production. "So Sick", a beautiful track in which he laments hearing love songs on the radio due to the feelings they conjure, reveals his voice to be clean and almost elated, but rich and weathered at the same time. But true to his charismatic character, the album shows many sides of Ne-Yo and even finds him lighter, more playful, even coy, on "When You're Mad." Sure cello hits move the track as Ne-Yo floats above, telling his woman that she's even more beautiful when she's mad. With In My Own Words in the chamber, ready to go, Ne-Yo now just has to prepare himself for the stardom that is sure to follow. "The toughest part has been getting used to being known," he confesses, "I've always been the writer, the guy in the background, but being the actual artist is a whole new experience for me." Citing Prince, Marvin Gaye, the Rat Pack, and Stevie Wonder in his list of favorite entertainers, Ne-Yo's album invokes a nostalgic feeling, a renaissance if you will. Whether it's the bedroom or the dance floor, Ne-Yo's songs are filled with passion and intense energy that pulls (you into the music) and puts you into a zone. Ne-Yo is taking the music industry by storm, as he graces and challenges popular music with his writing and vocal talents. Much more than today's male singer, Ne-Yo is a rare artist; expressing creativity through drawings, paintings, martial arts and song. He is distinguished by youthful energy with in-depth lyrics that touch the soul.Customer Reviews:
Not Ready For Prime Time.......2007-07-30
Ne Yo is obviously a talented cat, but his delivery and overall presentation leave a lot to be desired. R+B and Soul come from having some history, having some real pain, having lost your woman the night before your wedding, having your man two time you all over town. No matter what, you need to go through the pain to sing and write about the pain.
Ne Yo comes off like a teenager, with immature experiences and no street cred. Maybe someone that is 13 and is breaking up with their girl of 6 weeks can realate...but I need Teddy Pendergrass, Anthony Hamilton, Marvin Gaye, James Ingrim, Johnny Gill...or anyone else that keeps it real to tell me whats up, not some kid whining on track after track.
Ne Yo may grow into a solid performer, but for now he should stick to MTV and pop radio...cause he just doesnt stand up in the midnight hour like R+B singers that I know and love.
EXCEPTIONAL MUSIC THERAPY.......2007-07-25
PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL,
MONESHIA PERKINS
FRESNO,CALIFORNIA
Superior Product.......2007-07-17
Definitely worth buying..........2007-06-26
"Stay"
"So Sick"
"When You're Mad"
"It Just Ain't Right"
"Mirror"
"I Ain't Gotta Tell You"
"Get Down Like That"
"Sexy Love"
Disclaimer: The entire album is HOT! But these are some favs.
POOR!!!.......2007-05-19
I just had to write a review because I was so disappointed in the almum as whole and I did not want another person to fall into the same trap I did, due to the hype around this guy. So if you have been into r&b like me from the early 90t's, and you have alot of cd's and you have reached a stage were, if you are going to spend your money on a cd, all or at least 8/10 tacks must be good, then take your time before you decide to buy this cd. When he comes up with a great cd with more than two or three songs I will be one of the first, to get online and say so.
Having said all that, he just writes better songs for other people, so If you like his music, I highly recommend...Save The Last Dance 2 Soundtaack, he does some of his best work on it.
We are not all the same, so what ever I say may or may not help you but, if you are looking for something different(and you are say over 30) to the everyday music or some good of the past, check out my other reviews to get the artist names and check them out, example Dwele and Raul Midon.
Average customer rating:
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Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music
Ray Charles Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000032B4 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Bye Bye Love
- You Don't Know Me
- Half As Much
- I Love You So Much It Hurts
- Just A Little Lovin'
- Born To Lose
- Worried Mind
- It Makes No Difference Now
- You Win Again
- Careless Love
- I Can't Stop Loving You
- Hey, Good Lookin'
- You Are My Sunshine
- Here We Go Again
- That Lucky Old Sun
Amazon.com essential recording
Ray Charles is the Genius of Soul, but he's always had a bit of country boy in him, too. Between playing hillbilly piano when he was a kid and landing several duets on the country charts in the '80s, Charles released this 1962 classic, taking 12 country standards and proving that great songs can remain great, no matter what the setting. Behind blaring brass and thrilling strings, Brother Ray transforms "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "Bye Bye Love" into big-band swing; "You Win Again" into the Nashville Sound; and "I Love You So Much It Hurts" into the most elegant of pop. "I Can't Stop Loving You" was the big hit, but everything else here is just as timeless and beautiful. --David CantwellAmazon.com
Ray broke barriers. In the '50s he invented soul by mixing the sacred and profane of black music: R & B and gospel. In 1962 he went completely crazy, interpreting classic country. It was one of his finest moments. From the start the record is an oddity. A big band pumps, female background singers rip through a chorus of "Bye Bye Love," and Ray brings high energy to the Everly Bros. teeny-bop lyrics. Some songs suffer from syrupy choir and string arrangements, but Ray is always there to set things straight. He gives country some funk, and erases, for a day, all questions of black and white. --Steve TignorCustomer Reviews:
Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music.......2007-03-16
Ray's C&W.......2007-01-10
RAY COULD DO IT "ALL".......2007-01-10
Don't be turned away by the title.......2006-06-16
Broke the Rules and Reinvented Them.......2006-04-24
Yet the record itself is not strictly a crossing between R&B and Country. Ray chose the Big Band approach to the songs. His take of Country was more the classic American Songbook view. Ray was not new to Jazz, having recorded in the medium before. Back at Atlantic he worked with parts of the Basie Orchestra and Quincy Jones on Jazz Standards. So he felt quite at ease here. He wasn't new to Country either. He'd grown up with the Grand Ole Opry shows on the radio and allegedly worked as a piano played in Hill Billy bands down south. His comfort with both styles shines through on this record. Here Charles reworks Hank Williams and Don Gibson classics as You Win Again and I Can't Stop Loving You and creates new rules in the process.
A couple years down the line the mixture of Black and White music would become very common. Record labels as Stax and Hi Records in Memphis build there house styles around in it. Fame studios would excel in it. When Ray dropped this gem on the market it hit like a bomb. Modern Sounds became one of his biggest selling records ever and artistically one of his most compelling.
Average customer rating:
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Songs in A Minor
Alicia Keys Manufacturer: J-Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005JXS6 Release Date: 2001-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Piano & 1 (intro)
- Girlfriend
- How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
- Fallin'
- Troubles
- Rock Wit U
- A Woman's Worth
- Jane Doe
- Goodbye
- The Life
- Mr. Man (featuring Jimmy Cozier)
- Never Felt This Way (interlude)
- Butterflies
- Why Do I Feel So Sad
- Caged Bird (outro)
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
She may be beautiful, but Alicia Keys is a musician first and foremost. She plants herself firmly behind the piano keys on her debut, unlike many of the booty-waggin' junior divas who are crowding the R&B videoscape these days. Though many of the tracks on Songs in A Minor are embellished with adolescent angst, this 20-year-old's substantial, gorgeously soul-drenched alto putties the cracks between notes with astonishing ease. "Fallin'," the album's first single, showcases Keys at her best. She wails plaintively and passionately over rolling blues chords, in the tradition of the greats that this young talent clearly wants to align herself with--Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Aretha Franklin. She swoops and soars over the spicy, flamenco-fueled melody that opens "Mr. Mann," one of the many winning tracks gathered here. And she digs deep into a remake of the beloved Prince B-side, "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" packing more heat into her melismatic wails than most singers twice her age. --Sylvia W. ChanCustomer Reviews:
A strong force in the music world.......2007-06-01
Doesn't get any better than THIS!!!.......2007-01-31
Songs Of A Classic!.......2006-10-28
"Fallin'", the classic R&B/Soul #1 U.S. smash hit piano ballad that solidified Alicia Keys as a force to be reckoned with, tells the story of a woman indecisively caught up between leaving or staying with her man, and with a combination of ethereal choir background vocals and moody violins towards the end of the song, it's definitely one of the best tracks on the album ; "A Woman's Worth", another masterfully arranged classic R&B/Soul where piano keys and wah wah guitar strings (amongst other instruments) are used in all the right places, finds Alicia Keys soulfully singing about how a real relationship is nothing without respect and how materialistic offerings won't always make the cut ; "Troubles", with its true-to-life lyrics and darkly moody instrumental arrangements, sounds both depressing and uplifting at the same time ; "How Come You Don't Call Me", a self-explanatory piano ballad written by none other than the Purple man himself Prince, finds Alicia Keys effortlessly pushing her powerful vocals to extraordinary heights with emotion and passion ; the huge assortment of instruments on the production of "Rock Wit You" is downright amazing if not a bit too lengthy ; "Mr Man", one of my album favourites, is a classy duet violin ballad with forgotten R&B/Soul singer Jimmy Cozier (the album's only guest artist) ; "The Life", another piano-driven ballad, finds Alicia talking about life (obviously) ; and the Hip-Hop-lite production from Jermaine Dupri supports Alicia Keys' feelings of envy and jealousy against another woman on "Girlfriend".
Alicia Keys, being the multi-talented songstress she is, has managed to create a wonderful debut that has "classic" written all over it. Perhaps the album's only weak points lie in the following two songs - "Butterflyz" & "Caged Bird". The former track lacks the lyrical complexity and genuinely captivating realness of the other tracks, while "Caged Bird" falters with its overly mellow production. However, such flaws can be excused because Alicia Key's vocals are so vibrantly soulful and hypnotic that such flaws fly past with little to no notice. Definitely 5 stars!
5 Best Tracks:
"Fallin'"
"A Woman's Worth"
"Troubles"
"How Come You Don't Call Me"
"Girlfriend"
Album Favourite:
"Mr. Man (feat. Jimmy Cozier)"
Honourable Mentions:
"The Life"
"Rock Wit You"
Very listenable.......2006-10-23
Lastly, I just want to address a comment made by previous reviewer: I think most people recongize the beginning of the Piano & I comes from Moonlight Sonata. Brahms didn't credit Beethoven either when he wrote Symphony no.1 either - but who care? Everybody already knew. The fact she used a segment from Beethoven does not mean lack of originality.
Anyways, I know some of the reason I like this CD is like duh! But it's really impossible to put music preference into words anyway, so just listen and enjoy the CD!
nice CD.......2006-08-20
Christian Music:
- R. Kelly
- Rainbow
- Rapture
- Rhythm Nation 1814
- Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
- Share My World
- Star Time [Box set]
- Stoned
- The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol.1 [Extra tracks] [Original recording remastered]
- The Best of War and More
Christian Music
The Essentials [Original recording remastered]
Tender Young Flesh [Explicit Lyrics]