tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881947954811377122024-03-11T03:45:08.813-04:00The QH BlendQHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-2141023274920393722013-02-26T20:49:00.000-05:002013-03-15T22:12:54.990-04:00Welcome to The QH Blend Archives 2008 - 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello everyone! First thing is first, please bookmark this link: <a href="http://theqhblend.wordpress.com/">The QH Blend</a>. It is the new location of the ongoing space where The QH Blend will be continuing in its next incarnation. This site has now transitioned into "The QH Blend Archives 2008 - 2012," collecting the first five years of my online work.<br />
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The switch to a new site was simply because I'd outgrown this arena and desired a broader space to continue. That said, without these five years I wouldn't have had the chance to do that. Here you can enjoy the older work and still follow my new exploits at the link above. This site will still be maintained in terms of keeping the links and videos active and moderating comments. Thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way. I hope you enjoy the remainder of the ride. Q.</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-23855396176800963312012-12-09T14:40:00.000-05:002012-12-31T19:20:12.369-05:00The QH Blend's Records of 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzuapNJYu5S75s7Hlt26NLp2OFKBObJvFzdAvweAeWURS7eWrefMemVeahNPC_-r5JZBbjlJ2YgYCVoRfYBlrcFcmeN3BwWJo-jhhSfKJzB3zgwfkIylB9G3RYutf9Vc1VUuJmpOaGTV3/s1600/CDs-compact-discs-shiny-side-refracting-light-1-DHD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzuapNJYu5S75s7Hlt26NLp2OFKBObJvFzdAvweAeWURS7eWrefMemVeahNPC_-r5JZBbjlJ2YgYCVoRfYBlrcFcmeN3BwWJo-jhhSfKJzB3zgwfkIylB9G3RYutf9Vc1VUuJmpOaGTV3/s320/CDs-compact-discs-shiny-side-refracting-light-1-DHD.jpg" width="320" /></a>Another year, another batch of records released into the world to soundtrack our lives. This year held several surprises and made the case that there is <i>always</i> something to discover under the surface. One simply has to look beyond what is provided. The QH Blend took to a simpler and all-inclusive approach for 2012.<br />
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Below the records of the year are split into five sections: "Hits," "Almost, but...," "Misses," "Honorable Mention," and "Considerations." For the latter, I buy all of my music legally and sadly I can't buy every record within the year of its release. See the mentioned category for a full listing of artists considered. For previous entries on The QH Blend for year-end reviews, see the following hyperlinks: <span style="font-family: inherit;">[</span><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2008/12/qh-blends-records-of-2008.html" style="font-family: inherit;">2008</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">] [</span><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/12/qh-blends-records-of-2009.html" style="font-family: inherit;">2009</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">] [</span><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2010/12/qh-blends-best-in-music-of-2010.html" style="font-family: inherit;">2010</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">] [</span><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-qh-blends-year-in-music.html" style="font-family: inherit;">2011</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">].</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Hits</b></u></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EhMNtmNIORLLmRuU1DszGHTW_5T9Kryl5td_lYC7ptNQRZafTZS_5l2QgCb-OCJToSISmswY29MgDD6KiWoFn0V2P3QJ4H1YSXRnpiq_NdEvBfozFO1LNoNDQ2O15w3L50afKTn22x8y/s1600/2012Selection9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EhMNtmNIORLLmRuU1DszGHTW_5T9Kryl5td_lYC7ptNQRZafTZS_5l2QgCb-OCJToSISmswY29MgDD6KiWoFn0V2P3QJ4H1YSXRnpiq_NdEvBfozFO1LNoNDQ2O15w3L50afKTn22x8y/s200/2012Selection9.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Record of 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Vows (Warner Bros.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally making its (complete) global debut this year, New Zealander Kimbra’s <i>Vows</i> is the dynamo of 2012. Each song is its own mini-epic guided by the insanely adaptable voice of Kimbra, the featured vocalist of Gotye’s Stateside hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” From the freestyle meets Motown zing of “Cameo Lover” to the power ballad “Old Flame,” Kimbra’s pop is all heart and art, accept no substitutes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHV04eSGzAA">Listen/Watch “Settle Down” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69K482Xp0Mce8HuG1ySGfvpHAhj6RvIiBas0MTvMwTJtetH4QRrWyM4lb_oXvsJ0DJRTBq6UGS48ymVQ33qQNP3Gw2mG9tCnmgH4HbW1JxILSVIresQsVY6kcbmea3kx1QWDD5eJkh7EH/s1600/2012Selection5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69K482Xp0Mce8HuG1ySGfvpHAhj6RvIiBas0MTvMwTJtetH4QRrWyM4lb_oXvsJ0DJRTBq6UGS48ymVQ33qQNP3Gw2mG9tCnmgH4HbW1JxILSVIresQsVY6kcbmea3kx1QWDD5eJkh7EH/s200/2012Selection5.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Return to Paradise</b>* <b>(Island Records)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sam Sparro’s Prince influences are exchanged, with an exception to the acid cool of the titular cut, for a D-Train meets Deee-Lite pattern. <i>Return to Paradise</i> takes the best from throwback disco heat and pairs it with early ‘90’s dance music with a modish pulse. Sparro is in fine voice throughout on “Paradise People,” the lovechild of Blondie’s “Rapture,” and the cruise ‘o’ funk of “Let the Love In.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/40875356#">Listen/Watch “Happiness” here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy2QS29JDdGPNCFpiVRvDn0T6n5H2CelsyrH0o5bn7l0LbD9sb7t3RZ37x6AKUdiLSIq4sU3h3rAnLoVtfC6W8VNksKrL7wQIn0Pw-9I3CuSdsSGcv-8j4YPZX4pMmeAcvQWAuqg4gexv/s1600/2012Selection6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy2QS29JDdGPNCFpiVRvDn0T6n5H2CelsyrH0o5bn7l0LbD9sb7t3RZ37x6AKUdiLSIq4sU3h3rAnLoVtfC6W8VNksKrL7wQIn0Pw-9I3CuSdsSGcv-8j4YPZX4pMmeAcvQWAuqg4gexv/s200/2012Selection6.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In Our Heads (Domino)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hot Chip, England’s favorite acerbic pop outfit, is back with their fifth album, <i>In Our Heads</i>. If the title is correct, what is in Hot Chip’s head is a mesmeric brew of S.A.W., Zapp, and Daft Punk styles that combine pop, dance, and electronic music across eras. These genres, contrary to popular opinion, don’t always run together. Here however, they sashay and strut together on “Motion Sickness” and “Don’t Deny Your Heart” with sickening ease.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxg2JbWA7Nk">Listen/Watch “Night & Day” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyWLaBsiO_r6cUpWOJWMgA0D5CbvpDvoyIClyWJNI9Yq8aiTZKTRthY6p_2Aiy44hBkjN_S448kiivKaO8hAGxyHP4rD82TycDLtpVwathPFp4fPclN3rIiaWOMRNaG8ojPw94e3O65fG/s1600/2012Selection15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyWLaBsiO_r6cUpWOJWMgA0D5CbvpDvoyIClyWJNI9Yq8aiTZKTRthY6p_2Aiy44hBkjN_S448kiivKaO8hAGxyHP4rD82TycDLtpVwathPFp4fPclN3rIiaWOMRNaG8ojPw94e3O65fG/s200/2012Selection15.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Covered (429)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Macy Gray continually defies the genre gravity of R&B that grounds her peers. <i>Covered</i>, Gray’s first covers album was a revelatory read into Gray’s own eclectic tastes. The material is performed with care, humor, and acuity that prove that Gray isn’t showing signs of slowing down. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/03/covered-review.html">Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qr0D5S2GxE">Listen/Watch “Smoke 2 Joints” here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_GNRBQMFl0Nv6IQKSRWmz-tUFJHYdRz1dEiYBNHAVyE7XLA2MNw-eGo1yj_AmNHaiARlhJNYMNAycWTgD7hSRukhxKGhQlvkwjHG610YpcIKd1t4g6NJ4Kw6f6pYVn0xN2WGC99tvO67/s1600/2012Selection3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_GNRBQMFl0Nv6IQKSRWmz-tUFJHYdRz1dEiYBNHAVyE7XLA2MNw-eGo1yj_AmNHaiARlhJNYMNAycWTgD7hSRukhxKGhQlvkwjHG610YpcIKd1t4g6NJ4Kw6f6pYVn0xN2WGC99tvO67/s200/2012Selection3.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Two Eleven</b>^ <b>(RCA/Chameleon)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Norwood's sixth LP <i>Two Eleven </i>is a<i> </i>fantastic interplay of contemporary and established aesthetics. La Norwood navigates soundfields of hip-hop aggression (“Put It Down”), sensual soul (“Paint This House”), and riveting R&B (“Wildest Dreams”) with her familiar peppered tones.<a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/10/brandys-two-eleven-hits-spot.html"> Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh25aap8gH8">Listen/Watch “Wildest Dreams” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUKdBD0vNmlcpYoAt888LaHzx4iR6ThNO3_sMYCjv2hmPnZITGpPoBxsQlcdQ_dOIWCNo3lbQdLT-aAZh3gyyrF7Q53b0lyJVYXywWejmmeSKN9x0j3PBs41cM4cnCNFFqZSZ_kZcs98T/s1600/2012Selection7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUKdBD0vNmlcpYoAt888LaHzx4iR6ThNO3_sMYCjv2hmPnZITGpPoBxsQlcdQ_dOIWCNo3lbQdLT-aAZh3gyyrF7Q53b0lyJVYXywWejmmeSKN9x0j3PBs41cM4cnCNFFqZSZ_kZcs98T/s200/2012Selection7.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>channel Orange</b>^<b> (Def Jam)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stepping out into his own spotlight, Frank Ocean created the conversationalist music piece of 2012 with c<i>hannel Orange</i>. A difficult, but consistent medley of post-modern R&B, Ocean is strong as a singer and songwriter in his own right. Matching every ounce of hype generated, <i>channel Orange</i> is sure to be remembered as Ocean’s brave first moment in a string of accomplishments. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/07/oceanic-exploration-frank-oceans.html">Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s26qTrH2atA">Listen/Watch “Pyramids” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3atCVYPlxg9R1h3DH_R4LnstoYLTu5vtfG5cMghlpla22frb_ON3VPrnH55OG4fXCej9PisZk5GqvTQ3o_83q2bhd-ETaeDZW2waOC-qN883Kw6nvAI3HkxWXbogStCgTIVZtpK8SumB/s1600/2012Selection11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3atCVYPlxg9R1h3DH_R4LnstoYLTu5vtfG5cMghlpla22frb_ON3VPrnH55OG4fXCej9PisZk5GqvTQ3o_83q2bhd-ETaeDZW2waOC-qN883Kw6nvAI3HkxWXbogStCgTIVZtpK8SumB/s200/2012Selection11.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Push & Shove (Interscope)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Absent for 11 years, No Doubt’s sixth album </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Push and Shove</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was highly anticipated. The gang delivered on the promise of accomplished musicianship, if not acquiescing to the climate driving popular music in 2012. Their most personal album to date, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Push and Shove</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>isn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> as racket ready as some of their punky past efforts, but a few rollicking numbers in the title track and “Settle Down” more than make up for the patient pace of the LP. </span><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-doubts-return-with-push-and-shove.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb_zZ3xItPI">Listen/Watch “Settle Down” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ8TdcLZqkdDNGSDCeWcmmix4soBBlDaMM7nx91ogpEcnz38niLH6zMgAeCb2p49zhLwf6qyya7A5nzxHKNCaWKacSgxxCIBHzsxZ9gn822Ub3KG0uIfInSnrFPirR405puFZNecE3C7N/s1600/2012Selection14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ8TdcLZqkdDNGSDCeWcmmix4soBBlDaMM7nx91ogpEcnz38niLH6zMgAeCb2p49zhLwf6qyya7A5nzxHKNCaWKacSgxxCIBHzsxZ9gn822Ub3KG0uIfInSnrFPirR405puFZNecE3C7N/s200/2012Selection14.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Words & Music by Saint Etienne</b>*<b>^ (Heavenly/Universal)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The pristine pop trio Saint Etienne returned with <i>Words & Music</i>, an epic tour de force that combined varying elements from British pop past, present, and future. Sarah Cracknell, the female vocalist of the outfit, is still the pink plush realness when handling the electro-acoustic fantasias of “Haunted Jukebox” and “Heading For the Fair.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MQmsHPwLvU">Listen/Watch “I’ve Got Your Music” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fb_mTo0nWnw_PrrpF1eApbZiVhWKTv86SpYB7YknSmAcmaYxKB1BqJ5NDvfH3XGnYzCygwUoNSNnH8hZ-V2taYAZoR7giCn5Y_I8Ouns6P2J2E85hkqgjXB8Ph8WRD7VcP3iF4Rn-DMV/s1600/2012Selection17.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fb_mTo0nWnw_PrrpF1eApbZiVhWKTv86SpYB7YknSmAcmaYxKB1BqJ5NDvfH3XGnYzCygwUoNSNnH8hZ-V2taYAZoR7giCn5Y_I8Ouns6P2J2E85hkqgjXB8Ph8WRD7VcP3iF4Rn-DMV/s200/2012Selection17.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Spirit Indestructible</b>^ <b>(Interscope)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Striking a balance between the conformity of <i>Loose</i> (2006) and the expressive highs of <i>Whoa, Nelly!</i> (2000), <i>Folkore</i> (2003), and <i>Mi Plan</i> (2009) <i>The Spirit Indestructible</i> is a pop record that is proper due to its kaleidoscopic range. Whether cathedral cathartic (“Spirit Indestructible”) or knowingly placing her hip-hop-lite tongue in cheek (“Big Hoops”), Furtado is confident and in control.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjvXmpOTtdQ">Listen/Watch “Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0WUSnzVetboH0Aa5ZjVnG0FdLeC6Laf-2uDYtoWSb06eJpjsF9Y31rweK4BVRdMJesdP1WrWDUaGUPZO-bK7Au766EWKr3Pbr7BHqdrow3wdczcT7JRaAIM7gDmsP6UIeCJegZE5iIeH/s1600/2012Selection8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0WUSnzVetboH0Aa5ZjVnG0FdLeC6Laf-2uDYtoWSb06eJpjsF9Y31rweK4BVRdMJesdP1WrWDUaGUPZO-bK7Au766EWKr3Pbr7BHqdrow3wdczcT7JRaAIM7gDmsP6UIeCJegZE5iIeH/s200/2012Selection8.JPG" width="200" /></a><b style="font-family: inherit;">Havoc and Bright Lights</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">^ <b>(Collective Sounds)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Morissette’s musical compass has consistently been set to her truth. That kind of uncompromising honesty is rarity in popular music regardless of the style. <i>Havoc and Bright Lights</i> largely picks up where 2008’s <i>Flavors of Entanglement</i> left off, dealing with fragile concerns of the human experience with gentle, but probing candor. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/09/alanis-morissettes-continued-havoc-and.html">Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0reAgBMYA">Listen/Watch “Guardian” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTbvxv7QqaiiX3rc0ZjKjCjqjyDVTxthBwowm0hZB5OAVafOuj_UOwy5pRqYwJPkk0GCIRHPI7tuyBeyYkyBe7FPt623gOMqVotdhwfj2SstZCOfWADkiacefR2zYIN4Vsc_p1nGTs98f/s1600/2012Selection2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTbvxv7QqaiiX3rc0ZjKjCjqjyDVTxthBwowm0hZB5OAVafOuj_UOwy5pRqYwJPkk0GCIRHPI7tuyBeyYkyBe7FPt623gOMqVotdhwfj2SstZCOfWADkiacefR2zYIN4Vsc_p1nGTs98f/s200/2012Selection2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Radio Music Society (Heads Up International)</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Spalding’s transition from an instrumental artist to vocalist has been completed with her fourth album, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Radio Music Society</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Building on the classical black pop of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Chamber Music Society</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (2010), </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Radio </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">infuses a healthier amount of jazz and adult R&B influences led by Spalding’s pretty and pleasant voice. Solid with its original fare in “Radio Song,” an understated cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” also makes Spalding a fantastic interpreter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5d3VDrcjOo">Listen/Watch “Radio Song” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01kInvoPmfTOMGFmZKYE5tKN-hcOZ61RxnwsqkpWzGyZs20ssNJPMVLft8qVTcW4bA58e96g71He66_6fG8197yAOdcDdssVhEGqMMHjLrygi-aP4GjV4UAtY3IGESpeeG_GoZLJzocyo/s1600/2012Selection10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01kInvoPmfTOMGFmZKYE5tKN-hcOZ61RxnwsqkpWzGyZs20ssNJPMVLft8qVTcW4bA58e96g71He66_6fG8197yAOdcDdssVhEGqMMHjLrygi-aP4GjV4UAtY3IGESpeeG_GoZLJzocyo/s200/2012Selection10.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Not Your Kind of People</b>^<b> (Stunvolume)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the monotonous treading of <i>Bleed Like Me</i> (2005), Garbage seemed to be confined to the alterna-pop history books. While <i>Not Your Kind of People</i> isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, it does update their raucous power pop for a new generation and eye Garbage’s finest records <i>Version 2.0</i> (1998) and (the underrated) <i>beautifulgarbage </i>(2001) in the metal dance floor filler “Automatic Systematic Habit.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvZlDa_pILU">Listen/Watch “Big Bright World” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON87kl_fiG06lEndMoLLkbxPoLNF2zw5SoacZmH84ApacdutPfrpTaW6Q9RK1Sy-vhvrTiYm1sbdKMJ5VAuC53545ZJuqzTPVjaQL21MsH9LW3QAzgiofh9Vqivq4yB2-k3MoaxbodYjP/s1600/2012Selection13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON87kl_fiG06lEndMoLLkbxPoLNF2zw5SoacZmH84ApacdutPfrpTaW6Q9RK1Sy-vhvrTiYm1sbdKMJ5VAuC53545ZJuqzTPVjaQL21MsH9LW3QAzgiofh9Vqivq4yB2-k3MoaxbodYjP/s200/2012Selection13.jpg" width="196" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Stages</b>* <b>(Red Girl Records)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For former Spice Girl Melanie C, <i>Stages </i>is her first records of covers. The concept behind this project is the songs of the stage, lovingly paid tribute to. The star of the album is Melanie C herself, in her subtlest voice she delivers astute and competent performances on classics like “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” and “Maybe This Time.” <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-stages-of-melanie-cs-new-lp.html">Read the full QH Blend review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eO0hhfq5RM">Listen/Watch “I Know Him So Well” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHi1pCFjZfOPqVz317aEPfX7c4kTINZjFEmQol6A411QAv8maiE5ahUSPL9CF-kqix43kWvhN-zpnhbdFWpjJSyHbDPad1rkjvD0y9RM0jD1fuqj2cq5x4WHNf1TzDk4vmga3F-T49w2nn/s1600/2012Selection12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHi1pCFjZfOPqVz317aEPfX7c4kTINZjFEmQol6A411QAv8maiE5ahUSPL9CF-kqix43kWvhN-zpnhbdFWpjJSyHbDPad1rkjvD0y9RM0jD1fuqj2cq5x4WHNf1TzDk4vmga3F-T49w2nn/s200/2012Selection12.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Elysium (Parlophone)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the most hailed duos in pop music, the Pet Shop Boys effulgent and opulent music is again reimagined on their newest album. “Leaving” ranks as one of the Pet Shop Boys solid pieces of mood music committed to record thus far. Mirroring <i>Yes</i> (2009) in terms of its clarity, if not tone, <i>Elysium</i> is self-deprecating wit and pathos played to the nines.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U81VoqHxIp4">Listen/Watch “Leaving” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzH51yI7QwipjbzNUYxsUOpevnFOOq2z1U87p4-mS4bfecWRcJ61_4nN5GxlVs0D2YpXJR8WIYgrkP7qQWLjzf70JH0KFoKkiZDzlJpqei0ficZwWp38WX0CGDGJ3DUktasykzYbBeTixn/s1600/2012Selection1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzH51yI7QwipjbzNUYxsUOpevnFOOq2z1U87p4-mS4bfecWRcJ61_4nN5GxlVs0D2YpXJR8WIYgrkP7qQWLjzf70JH0KFoKkiZDzlJpqei0ficZwWp38WX0CGDGJ3DUktasykzYbBeTixn/s200/2012Selection1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note/EMI)</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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With <i>The Fall</i> (2009), Jones began shaking the sleepy time jazz-pop that had become her calling card. <i>Little Broken Hearts</i> may appear calm on its surface, but the quiet riots that readily rear their heads in “Happy Pills” and “Take It Back” suggest that heartbreak does Norah Jones good for inspiration.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9s0DCQJq4I">Listen/Watch “Happy Pills” here</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiD2Tvg6eQrWD4OiNQbfrr8J1imvaX4KBdPi97aNmnXfnxjjrbz9NFtr3pRKBT39_QSbX4D3grpXrWgjQ95fFZveF9pqMytF6lN5hZNqDZEc9bJ_sH7Knu8V8MaCp05TYekJAJz4dq3DXQ/s1600/2012Selection16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiD2Tvg6eQrWD4OiNQbfrr8J1imvaX4KBdPi97aNmnXfnxjjrbz9NFtr3pRKBT39_QSbX4D3grpXrWgjQ95fFZveF9pqMytF6lN5hZNqDZEc9bJ_sH7Knu8V8MaCp05TYekJAJz4dq3DXQ/s200/2012Selection16.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Roses (Downtown Records)</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cranberries dreamy alternative pop-rock may be from a period bygone to some. For others, their first album since 2001’s</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Wake Up and Smell the Coffee</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Roses</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">is a comforting reach around to the sounds of their groundbreaking debut</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1993).</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thankfully, there are a few colorful detours that break the monotony and echo the experimental reaches of</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Bury the Hatchet</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1999) and the mentioned</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Wake Up</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jek51dK-7A">Listen/Watch “Tomorrow” here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ5xir66IZ0_YmPbSORDIJ3AlYfHAcXAzzulz9-cQx3ND9GrDglPbSIZH4IvWHDKtrdM3kX-fl5GUkdoFUIMqUCjFkUf1crP6T2bCS8B9QM980Ae5UYMOtW6vhWTyCWKWKHLj_yGzatub/s1600/2012Selection4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ5xir66IZ0_YmPbSORDIJ3AlYfHAcXAzzulz9-cQx3ND9GrDglPbSIZH4IvWHDKtrdM3kX-fl5GUkdoFUIMqUCjFkUf1crP6T2bCS8B9QM980Ae5UYMOtW6vhWTyCWKWKHLj_yGzatub/s200/2012Selection4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Strangeland</b>^ <b>(Island Records)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dogged by comparisons to Coldplay since their start, the gentlemen of Keane have tried their best to beat back the criticisms without appearing too self-conscious. After the misunderstood <i>Perfect Symmetry</i> (2008) and <i>Night Train</i> EP (2010), Keane regrouped and took a slightly back to basics feel with <i>Strangeland</i>. Not a complete rewrite <i>of Hopes & Fears</i> (2004), the album deals in meditative ballads and (some) unexpected moments.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfUHkPf9D9k">Listen/Watch “Disconnected” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Almost, but…</b></u></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvNL29z0k4EQvJarhoJd01SCbxmsiCfk7-iN7RlICY4qbuJJI7oYQRInqhYvKTIekxn3uechjlE6_b8r93Z4BURWpYeyhNoQSfirhpsEdM6_FYuBQJ26jZM3CvnWoqYGweND7xu1_mCcH/s1600/2012Selection18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvNL29z0k4EQvJarhoJd01SCbxmsiCfk7-iN7RlICY4qbuJJI7oYQRInqhYvKTIekxn3uechjlE6_b8r93Z4BURWpYeyhNoQSfirhpsEdM6_FYuBQJ26jZM3CvnWoqYGweND7xu1_mCcH/s200/2012Selection18.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost, but...of 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>MDNA</b>^ <b>(Live Nation/Interscope)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Queen Mother of Pop Madonna returns with <i>MDNA</i>, her 13<sup>th</sup> album overall, a welcome earwash to the aural mess of 2008’s <i>Hard Candy</i>. Not to state that <i>MDNA</i> is perfect, there are several blunders that make navigating the album perilous, but the salt (“I’m a Sinner”) and sugar (“Masterpiece”) contained within the album more than make-up for the mistakes. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/03/mdna-of-pop-returns-madonnas-latest.html">Read the full QH Blend Review here.</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItHOl5LRWg">Listen/Watch “Give Me All Your Luvin’” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6bU0mjjHQvC7AOjGnUy8BB9e96fq9gsHS2Llbb8FZUig0JSIQmw7nM_JKapw3WDVFU92ijgMejpKG0KdUg0B6Gb2AzfLSeSQj7s6H4raVLUYloPQzqaqel1aBknaUjSoQhGZds7HADv/s1600/Leona_Lewis_Glassheart_Deluxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6bU0mjjHQvC7AOjGnUy8BB9e96fq9gsHS2Llbb8FZUig0JSIQmw7nM_JKapw3WDVFU92ijgMejpKG0KdUg0B6Gb2AzfLSeSQj7s6H4raVLUYloPQzqaqel1aBknaUjSoQhGZds7HADv/s200/Leona_Lewis_Glassheart_Deluxe.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Glassheart*^ (Syco/RCA)</b><br />
Lewis courts the same kind of sound expansion that helped Will Young shake off his reality television inception curse. Much like Young's junior effort <i>Keep On</i> (2005), Lewis' <i>Glassheart</i> is an intelligent and sensitive appropriation of contemporary and (surprisingly) classic adult-pop bathed in Lewis' vocal restraint versus overindulgence. Her need to please the charts at times impedes her ("Stop the Clocks"), but with compelling entries like "Trouble," "Fireflies," and "Colourblind" the lady shows that she's more than just a voice, she's a person with a story to share.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5U6CaNlyEQ">Listen/Watch "Trouble" here</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz33nnG_O_Wja6A6U6aKJUhyyXkEY5QZZM1MqoEjUVb9PV3AmyxUMEvTjSVLL_64RLMnnzKD7rx0ZG77HywhHiTlPlCpTXep3xyAFxbGckGFLPWzN-DlfMmyxeZpapFyyi_gHAkIAVxk4/s1600/2012Selection19.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz33nnG_O_Wja6A6U6aKJUhyyXkEY5QZZM1MqoEjUVb9PV3AmyxUMEvTjSVLL_64RLMnnzKD7rx0ZG77HywhHiTlPlCpTXep3xyAFxbGckGFLPWzN-DlfMmyxeZpapFyyi_gHAkIAVxk4/s200/2012Selection19.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Perfectly Imperfect (RCA)</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a pin-up for alternative soul, nor a lemming for contemporary R&B, Elle Varner’s appropriately titled debut is an album that concerns itself with finding a voice between the two extremes black music has found itself caught between. Excusing a few unnecessary numbers (“Oh What A Night”) sexy boasts (“Sound Proof Room”) collide with self-confessionals (“So Fly”) with electric after effects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AygETHUAZY">Listen/Watch “I Don’t Care” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXF_iWBduToMD9RFtUBF3Kvob9P6G_z1AIobr58gRpMvTxbHpFLZ_H6PgPP8NgqypFXtBkNM3OK61WI_btuIqHFLixjOD3fi-yU0R6LD7Y8-WkMQGh00NAn76TbuTAZrj1ES06v20q03s/s1600/2012Selection20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXF_iWBduToMD9RFtUBF3Kvob9P6G_z1AIobr58gRpMvTxbHpFLZ_H6PgPP8NgqypFXtBkNM3OK61WI_btuIqHFLixjOD3fi-yU0R6LD7Y8-WkMQGh00NAn76TbuTAZrj1ES06v20q03s/s200/2012Selection20.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>All of Me (Warner Music/Atlantic/Homeschool)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Freak” and “Fall In Love” preceded British rapper/singer Estelle’s third album by two years, unfortunately neither song appears on the general version of the album. Despite this, <i>All of Me</i> is a great stride forward, tempered by a cool mood that lends even the Mary J. Blige swag attack of “The Life” a head bopping gravitas. Only bogged down by several pleasant, if unneeded, narrative interludes, Estelle’s third LP is great modern soul (“Love the Way We Used To”) and hip-hop music (“Speak Ya Mind”) done right. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEmsBpLvVcU">Listen/Watch "Back to Love" here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvra4WEgGOVcChRsXqaGQOR6GZ8-5x4oTA3l5iH1KsIfTJ9bTRXqfX_iTfNe99x_-Oe22c5mRI3eSlvzI9t1K-XWHzfW4Og5Npa4T2g1YEaiRmwipLti7Ez90VfIXTvoFpOZU-RtxH6uu/s1600/2012Selection21.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvra4WEgGOVcChRsXqaGQOR6GZ8-5x4oTA3l5iH1KsIfTJ9bTRXqfX_iTfNe99x_-Oe22c5mRI3eSlvzI9t1K-XWHzfW4Og5Npa4T2g1YEaiRmwipLti7Ez90VfIXTvoFpOZU-RtxH6uu/s200/2012Selection21.PNG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The MF Life</b>^ <b>(SRC/Universal Republic)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Canadian soultress Melanie Fiona is taking music matters into her own hands with <i>The MF Life</i>. Still cutting up in the retro lane, as heard on the roller boogie of “Watch Me Work,” Fiona spliced in a few “now” flavors on “This Time” with a feature from J. Cole. Mentioning duets, those are the only dull points on <i>The MF Life</i>, with a pass issued to the John Legend assisted “L.O.V.E.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSszAGZtK2M">Listen/Watch “This Time” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIu8uuPlghhs1Lpuy3bfr_zOlW0DfPIi3WXbuRDHmpH1pJShqGm-VLLO4JonErslhhPsRZsuhl_dOU1WQYBciXwO2DF3VCcU_Xnol8RaZqPxjno3yK_4MbXsguVHDRcz7A8Q0_k2JGTkpd/s1600/2012Selection22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIu8uuPlghhs1Lpuy3bfr_zOlW0DfPIi3WXbuRDHmpH1pJShqGm-VLLO4JonErslhhPsRZsuhl_dOU1WQYBciXwO2DF3VCcU_Xnol8RaZqPxjno3yK_4MbXsguVHDRcz7A8Q0_k2JGTkpd/s200/2012Selection22.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Magic Hour</b>^ <b>(Polydor)</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That this album has wrapped on the somber note of an extended hiatus makes it that much more frustrating. Feeling like an extended hangover from 2010’s superior </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Night Work</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Magic Hour</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> does have several moments to cheer for. The tribal groove of “Keep Your Shoes On,” the "slippery when wet" vibe of “Let’s Have a Kiki,” and the irreverence of “Shady Love” evidence that the Scissor Sisters pop purity will be missed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCD4xb-Tr8">Listen/Watch “Let’s Have a Kiki” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjQd6N8nc91UatvoMhYNIpU0EY4EQcYPsW1uzNJnOFc8FESqxNAGbEwTemydqXtGeauR6MOe8uTn-LbcYU9WbQrGxYBP7_IVNWjGPcs40DrgznUYDS_MmpXPjf3ioA0W-eeHSCXYvT9uY/s1600/2012Selection23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjQd6N8nc91UatvoMhYNIpU0EY4EQcYPsW1uzNJnOFc8FESqxNAGbEwTemydqXtGeauR6MOe8uTn-LbcYU9WbQrGxYBP7_IVNWjGPcs40DrgznUYDS_MmpXPjf3ioA0W-eeHSCXYvT9uY/s200/2012Selection23.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Soul 2 (Reprise)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seal shares his second album of covers and only slightly improves upon the mistakes he made with <i>Soul</i> (2008): song selection and arrangements. In part, the return of his former principal producer Trevor Horn (alongside David Foster) helps give a better backdrop to Seal’s fantastic voice on a show stopping take of the Rose Royce classic “Wishing On a Star.” Seal will one day create the proper “covers album,” until then with work starting on his follow-up (with Trevor Horn), all one can do is wait.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=451oexmeGKY">Listen/Watch “Wishing On a Star” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Misses</u></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wo_W8x0Gajgqp88Pw38oRpVNnvN_LxmhzfVr8cRZG1IOZnbSBOyl2JBQxGeQ1tpVnBNXSlJHHH4MWAsDOBUShwMJfp0ZAVP5jZj7TlZRqDtdprVA7Zl3sWY-y7HBqYHZ-AObwmRTp6oe/s1600/2012Selection25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wo_W8x0Gajgqp88Pw38oRpVNnvN_LxmhzfVr8cRZG1IOZnbSBOyl2JBQxGeQ1tpVnBNXSlJHHH4MWAsDOBUShwMJfp0ZAVP5jZj7TlZRqDtdprVA7Zl3sWY-y7HBqYHZ-AObwmRTp6oe/s200/2012Selection25.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss of 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fortune</b>^ <b>(RCA)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Brown needs to find new roads to travel musically, as his electro-soul sneaks have worn thin on <i>Fortune</i>. Granted, from a production standpoint Brown remains unmatched as heard on the ear shattering “Bassline.” Yet, without a lyrical net to support the sonic structure, the songs collapse into mean, muddy murk. The likable and artistic Brown heard on <i>Exclusive</i> (2007) and <i>Graffiti</i> (2009) is long gone and if he wants his legacy to extend beyond the lesser fare here, he must return to putting his songwriting first.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQWG8BVeryU">Listen/Watch “Turn Up the Music” here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_BIz0yfVWYuTyhm0yTq8tpgQuhqTN2agF6pWF4mHyMMzAtuex0I51p9z-Sn1rHcmvaKKzJpiIAF8BlVa1GzGnPDwojCQiUvT7kDaoPtdalMqL9JdPGNK1lO_cNd-70XBn9et95q3z-Rh/s1600/2012Selection24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_BIz0yfVWYuTyhm0yTq8tpgQuhqTN2agF6pWF4mHyMMzAtuex0I51p9z-Sn1rHcmvaKKzJpiIAF8BlVa1GzGnPDwojCQiUvT7kDaoPtdalMqL9JdPGNK1lO_cNd-70XBn9et95q3z-Rh/s200/2012Selection24.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Secret Symphony</b>* <b>(Dramatico)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The House</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (2010), Katie Melua gave an awe inspiring </span>face-lift<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to the sweet, if sagging jazz-pop that had defined her previous work. Instead of continuing in the forward momentum, she back tracked with the pretty, but pedestrian </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Secret Symphony</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It is a covers record and Melua is in fantastic form (voice wise). The arrangements </span>aren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> terrible, but </span>they've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> been heard on her first three albums, which is what makes it a slight decline following </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The House</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZCGeu6STwg">Listen/Watch “Moonshine” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwc8Tma9Z46378B9Dio2FiQRF8rkTmfD2xluWntTbS8p_I3se3WQ099AtFnTZQa2s3i04ugnAQ4rm9ULgaKVGEvDVS1RiRgnbQOvCPQinAo2Xwmz2hjDsGWU_WNHPiVL4hpNGyjKYok9h/s1600/2012Selection26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwc8Tma9Z46378B9Dio2FiQRF8rkTmfD2xluWntTbS8p_I3se3WQ099AtFnTZQa2s3i04ugnAQ4rm9ULgaKVGEvDVS1RiRgnbQOvCPQinAo2Xwmz2hjDsGWU_WNHPiVL4hpNGyjKYok9h/s200/2012Selection26.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Cherry Thing (Smalltown Sound)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Both darlings of their respective fields, alternative soul/pop icon Neneh Cherry teamed with the Norwegian/Swedish hipster group The Thing to create </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Cherry Thing</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. This follows their 2011 effort </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Mono</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Cherry’s </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Man</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> from 1996. What sounds good on paper </span>doesn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> always translate and the album suffers under the pretensions that ersatz, erratic noise patterns equal expression. To be fair, this avant garde music has an audience and “Cashback” showcases Cherry’s fantastic pen. An acquired taste.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovsxh8FeYo">Listen/Watch “Accordion” here</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F7KtVOJjK6XMf9Eg9s63iPOwRDcxtuHl4fNM824yJ0UWX5j0b_2Ceoyijx1agbNp728zygHaDwYhHix3ifpHx_47hyphenhyphenEIGK6hiN65-DIq_oefdNyH_i4Y4Jq2-rQQnHgSgDuVCoEZRkQX/s1600/2012Selection27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F7KtVOJjK6XMf9Eg9s63iPOwRDcxtuHl4fNM824yJ0UWX5j0b_2Ceoyijx1agbNp728zygHaDwYhHix3ifpHx_47hyphenhyphenEIGK6hiN65-DIq_oefdNyH_i4Y4Jq2-rQQnHgSgDuVCoEZRkQX/s200/2012Selection27.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part 1 (1st & 15th/Atlantic)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lupe Fiasco has had a time handling the success of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Food & Liquor</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (2006), the debut that placed him at the forefront of a movement that birthed B.o.B. and Kid Cudi. Along the arc that led to this, Fiasco’s fourth LP, Fiasco bravely handled an ambitious sophomore slump and a label assassinated third effort. It isn’t that Fiasco lacks ability; his intelligence and heart imbue “Bitch Bad” with a lost sense of communal responsibility missing in hip-hop. It’s the music, here reduced to mixtape flatness, that </span>doesn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> support his large lyrical precepts. With the proper accompaniment Fiasco will achieve a longer reach of greatness versus bursts of genius.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3m3t_PxiUI" style="font-family: inherit;">Listen/Watch “Bitch Bad” here</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Honorable Mention</b></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DHfC0W4qWKZYj9zSxVH8XHmHrA1kQVeKN9zRyOi2pMrjiIEtkVFq1Xp5qCNLKqrCNJBn9vs4Yk-Fsf_cr-JhFZFi0s_d5A7iH44llKIFyGFRMVqb888M4yFZIwsAzF9r-oAx9V0mG_v-/s1600/KylieTheAbbeyRoadSessionsCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DHfC0W4qWKZYj9zSxVH8XHmHrA1kQVeKN9zRyOi2pMrjiIEtkVFq1Xp5qCNLKqrCNJBn9vs4Yk-Fsf_cr-JhFZFi0s_d5A7iH44llKIFyGFRMVqb888M4yFZIwsAzF9r-oAx9V0mG_v-/s200/KylieTheAbbeyRoadSessionsCover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Abbey Road Sessions (Parlophone)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another highlight in the event marking Minogue’s 25<sup>th</sup> year in music, a collection of her reworked classics, and a castoff from ‘07’s <i>X</i> (“Flower”), performed against either orchestral or acoustic canvas’ is breathtaking. Minogue has long since been successful at reinterpreting her work in live environs, here she recreates “The Locomotion” in a ‘60’s soul-pop paean it finally deserves and delivers more poignancy (if possible) to one of her iconic ballads, “Finer Feelings.” Some of the song selections are a bit too predictable (“I Believe In You” should have been exchanged for “Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi”), but Minogue services almost every facet of her fan base with this fine piece.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et-RT1INf7c">Listen/Watch "Flower" here</a></span><br />
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<b><u>Considerations of 2012</u></b><br />
Christina Aguilera<i> Lotus</i>, Andy Allo <i>Superconductor</i>, Tori Amos <i>Gold Dust</i>, Eric <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Benét <i>The One</i>, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Céline Dion <i>Sans Attendre</i>,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> Melissa Etheridge <i>4th Street Feeling</i>, Vivian Green <i>The Green Room</i>, Alicia Keys <i>Girl on Fire</i>, Diana Krall <i>Glad Rag Doll</i>, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">Maroon 5 <i>Overexposed</i>,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> Mint Condition </span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Music at the Speed of Life</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, Monica <i>New Life</i>, P!nk <i>The Truth About Love</i>, Angie Stone <i>Rich Girl</i>, Joss Stone <i>The Soul Sessions Volume 2</i>, Tamia <i>Beautiful Surprise</i>, Karyn White <i>Carpe Diem</i>, Robbie Williams <i>Take the Crown</i></span><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>[Editor's Note: ^=Denotes expanded/alternate edition was reviewed. See respective social media outlets for each artist for further information. *=Denotes album is an import, not a domestic U.S. album. Special thanks to Andrew Bird, Darren Spence, and Frank Coleman Jr. for their tireless enthusiasm and help. Special thanks to Everybody's Records in Cincinnati, Ohio that made it possible to buy & own these LPs.-QH]</div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-57280751333655521662012-11-13T10:30:00.001-05:002012-12-20T19:12:55.827-05:00Serious Music: Hall & Oates '72-'79<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hall & Oates in the '70's</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Daryl Hohl (later Hall) and John Oates, two Temple University kids, met at the Adelphi Ballroom in 1967, the partnership they struck became legend. Christened “the most successful recording duo in American music” by </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Billboard</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, Hall & Oates have become a staple of popular music and culture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before “You Make My Dreams” and “Maneater” however, there was “Sara Smile” and “Rich Girl.” The latter two songs were from Hall & Oates ‘70’s stretch. Forty years ago, Hall & Oates were adventurous enough to criss cross their love of classic R&B with pop, folk, rock, and every other genre imaginable. The result of Hall & Oates first decade of work was a string of youthful records that defied the rules. Not always full of “hits” like their self-produced output from 1980 through 1988, their ‘70’s material had them learning and trying new things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Hall’s own words, he summed up their first decade of recording,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I went back and listened to our ‘70’s music and I’m hearing us as these guys who came out of Philadelphia, were influenced by people around them there, like (Kenneth) Gamble and (Leon) Huff. And then we went to New York, where we came under the tutelage of Arif Mardin and all those musicians. Then we took the Philly thing to California where we mixed and matched those sensibilities.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Hall & Oates first recorded release, The QH Blend looks back to the decade where two men took <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2011/04/14-blue-eyed-soul-paladins.html">their brand of blue-eyed soul and pop</a> on a decade long road trip that shaped their career, and others, for years to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIfwHo5VcG73tle8qwjM898rVXXk4d-Myyxjs3Gpd6GNWTK24MHWRNOnDe5MvxYAXaHE5kHgMyyQHED0mx9YNvkcHNkr7KgtmbJ8iS5QMylFzytoVCBprj9lr9623-KfRmRY4ALWEAtqC/s1600/MI0001893752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIfwHo5VcG73tle8qwjM898rVXXk4d-Myyxjs3Gpd6GNWTK24MHWRNOnDe5MvxYAXaHE5kHgMyyQHED0mx9YNvkcHNkr7KgtmbJ8iS5QMylFzytoVCBprj9lr9623-KfRmRY4ALWEAtqC/s200/MI0001893752.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Whole Oats</b></i> (Atlantic, 1972)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Proudcer</b>: Arif Mardin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: A well-paced set of quiet, reflective pop tempered by R&B and folk dominated <i>Whole Oats</i>. Both Daryl and John had pleasant pipes, Daryl possessed an immediate commercial charm whereas John’s voice held an odd, inescapable quality. “Fall in Philadelphia” and “I’m Sorry” were handsome blue-eyed jewels that sparkled. The pensive “Lilly (Are You Happy)” and comforting “Goodnight and Goodmorning” proved the Hall & Oates pen was sensitive, smart, and accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxpjj3Bp5zg">Listen to “Fall In Philadelphia” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftY4OxuFmDEECs1blyIqIqSOi04SNwdwmzh-XlqvKyjLF7d_aaRi0t9KEWOwFqEKxp4WcUBRcnT45Jr0grVG8BpAFEPrvKaQPHQJUUMn_cgiMEkOPW2gGl-BziHblJtJKut1cDsqNHozD/s1600/MI0001609025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftY4OxuFmDEECs1blyIqIqSOi04SNwdwmzh-XlqvKyjLF7d_aaRi0t9KEWOwFqEKxp4WcUBRcnT45Jr0grVG8BpAFEPrvKaQPHQJUUMn_cgiMEkOPW2gGl-BziHblJtJKut1cDsqNHozD/s200/MI0001609025.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Abandoned Luncheonette</i></b> (Atlantic, 1973)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: Arif Mardin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: A dreamier album manifested on <i>Abandoned Luncheonette</i>. Dual sun rising classics shone on “When the Morning Comes” and “Had I Known You Better Then.” Groovier undercurrents steered “Las Vegas Turnaround” and “She’s Gone.” The latter saw covers by Tavares, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Lou Rawls from its release here onward. The Philly color was making itself known here, though a rounded trio of aural pop cinema in “Lady Rain,” “Laughing Boy,” and “Everytime I Look At You” closed the record on an empirical note.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWx6VFa5HcE">Listen to “Las Vegas Turnaround” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DW4PtiPoGiqGanafpqZYwLa3JYjPOuij2smLH1jckOVXjMkKGhke9aUFIoUIy9FJC4ilfuJg2tIk9PODFq5FyJu43sQZcq8bfDY9xzv7dtcY9hBerRo4VofsUOJpf2v0C3IniFoCNweS/s1600/MI0001865311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DW4PtiPoGiqGanafpqZYwLa3JYjPOuij2smLH1jckOVXjMkKGhke9aUFIoUIy9FJC4ilfuJg2tIk9PODFq5FyJu43sQZcq8bfDY9xzv7dtcY9hBerRo4VofsUOJpf2v0C3IniFoCNweS/s200/MI0001865311.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>War Babies</i></b> (Atlantic, 1974)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: Todd Rundgren<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: On Hall & Oates first charting album (U.S. #86), a dramatic shift occurred. A rockier affair than their last two hushed efforts, <i>War Babies</i> made guitar and drums the core of its sound on the aptly titled “I’m Watching You (A Mutant Romance).” Shout-outs to the downright ephemeral post-psychedelic R&B of “Can’t Stop the Music (He Played It Much Too Long)” and “You’re Much Too Soon” that softened the cynical crunch ‘n’ munch of <i>War Babies</i> harder numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hZ6myKnEw">Listen to “You’re Much Too Soon” here </a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZWmMVlBNyYo9vvv71HKL48FdKcjk_4DDCPdVNtf8bk08HrvvbR-yUer8U0ObYn7_c9czrlaokDoJWAQqA5oA2rfFiqy6dYTfQkpzEMYlFgrKYC5gqfsh-D1Wqo_ZE_DCIORs8GCdfzPw/s1600/MI0002111392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZWmMVlBNyYo9vvv71HKL48FdKcjk_4DDCPdVNtf8bk08HrvvbR-yUer8U0ObYn7_c9czrlaokDoJWAQqA5oA2rfFiqy6dYTfQkpzEMYlFgrKYC5gqfsh-D1Wqo_ZE_DCIORs8GCdfzPw/s200/MI0002111392.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Daryl Hall John Oates</b></i> (The Silver Album) (RCA, 1975)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: Christopher Bond<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: New label, new look, (sort of) new sound. Referred to commonly as “The Silver Album,” it was the long player that landed Hall & Oates one of their first hits (“Sara Smile”) and struck a balance between the rock 'n' roll of <i>War Babies</i> and the calmness of their first two efforts. Hall & Oates were wearing their soul influences proudly (“Alone Too Long”) and alternated between confessionals (“Out of Me, Out of You”) and comedy (“Gino The Manager”). Consistent and fulfilling, Hall & Oates had made one of their first declarative statements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSQiFKj-AvA">Listen to “Alone Too Long” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneJh533GCdFYf6_p-79VccwcBxkiHtO3V9BwcH04yZ67fCY7NtWyXWI8j7yRXCltjMz-tzzhVym0uw6vM7ufmh6GLNVrfBeHvE-WphYY82JfUIBBv0Du0q71O-XXztMcGQL7_KefPjPBo/s1600/MI0000823188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneJh533GCdFYf6_p-79VccwcBxkiHtO3V9BwcH04yZ67fCY7NtWyXWI8j7yRXCltjMz-tzzhVym0uw6vM7ufmh6GLNVrfBeHvE-WphYY82JfUIBBv0Du0q71O-XXztMcGQL7_KefPjPBo/s200/MI0000823188.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Bigger Than Both of Us</b></i> (RCA, 1976)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: Christopher Bond<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: Delivering another hit with “Rich Girl,” <i>Bigger Than Both of Us</i> had the boys in full control of their skills. A “Mach 2” variation of <i>Daryl Hall John Oates</i>, the white street soul of “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” and “Back Together Again” played well against the radio friendliness of “London, Luck, & Love.” Closing on the high drama of “Falling,” it pointed to the next direction of the Hall & Oates journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AJ-Pjyax5g">Listen to “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM5aEKy1vU9PzpfK6CZgU6rajbEFAgt4DAafkJR1-vA6tZ-KS6Gp3JmfnhQmdAd1z-JrsFqz5FHLKGWALYKgXsjbG8iMxsgfHFEHu7-bpBcQ_EEjKdcJjtE9NvlSul3yZvzwAZTCOSY6V/s1600/MI0002454895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM5aEKy1vU9PzpfK6CZgU6rajbEFAgt4DAafkJR1-vA6tZ-KS6Gp3JmfnhQmdAd1z-JrsFqz5FHLKGWALYKgXsjbG8iMxsgfHFEHu7-bpBcQ_EEjKdcJjtE9NvlSul3yZvzwAZTCOSY6V/s200/MI0002454895.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Beauty on a Back Street</i></b> (RCA, 1977)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: Christopher Bond<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: The last of the Bond trio, <i>Back Street</i> lived up to its ominous title by returning to the harshness of <i>War Babies</i>, but with the slick soul harmonies of <i>Bigger Than Both of Us</i>. In fact, the title track to Hall & Oates last LP appeared here and is the only song that offered a respite to the rough, experimental edges (“Bad Habits and Infections,” “Winged Bull”). An interesting fusion of doo-wop and bar rock claimed a revival vibe on “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts?” and made <i>Back Street</i> a curiosity worth discovering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMO8XAgi5pY">Listen to “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts?” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvcKYcMgPvxD7hHjKS7gBzDdXqPHq-7t0z5x_EVpFJiyrF7u2G3CGv2Kcikz9_N9yRpbunssjpmQYKmDXkHJzTiZ240GAOj92f0eZB2OpJXEEr_XXFgzBJF6CijfHZzL1X64eJ-U8pBW4/s1600/MI0002513133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvcKYcMgPvxD7hHjKS7gBzDdXqPHq-7t0z5x_EVpFJiyrF7u2G3CGv2Kcikz9_N9yRpbunssjpmQYKmDXkHJzTiZ240GAOj92f0eZB2OpJXEEr_XXFgzBJF6CijfHZzL1X64eJ-U8pBW4/s200/MI0002513133.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Along the Red Ledge</i></b> (RCA, 1978)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: David Foster<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: Not as heavy as the record that preceded it, <i>Along the Red Ledge</i> made its case as a straight ahead pop record. Plays in T-Bird rock (“Pleasure Beach”) and posh Philly treats (“Have I Been Away Too Long”) rode alongside the beautiful balladry of “It’s a Laugh” and the remarkable cool of “Serious Music.” With its smart interpolation of George Gershwin's “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Serious Music” had Hall & Oates still trying on sounds but working toward an overall identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDTaw3F3oc">Listen to “Serious Music” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa4pywuUlmfe2itDiGVzdP5_xR_i7P2M-nqLR6SRi9aPfzis29tjXouXVTGwJt7w0Hmi60n85oXLS4Gee7vsL4d0pRoo8hemQ0MJwDHlUoVxGWEzxm6omSh5s6GPWttcsJU6I0Sa0f_7K/s1600/MI0001948603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa4pywuUlmfe2itDiGVzdP5_xR_i7P2M-nqLR6SRi9aPfzis29tjXouXVTGwJt7w0Hmi60n85oXLS4Gee7vsL4d0pRoo8hemQ0MJwDHlUoVxGWEzxm6omSh5s6GPWttcsJU6I0Sa0f_7K/s200/MI0001948603.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>X-Static</i></b> (RCA, 1979)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Producer</b>: David Foster</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: Who’s afraid of the big bad disco/punk wolf? Not Hall & Oates. After spending the decade working as pop pioneers of the musical outback, Hall & Oates tackled the scenes of popular music with their Philly soul as the primer. Whether giving that classic ballad (“Wait For Me”) or fussing with dance (“Running From Paradise”), Hall & Oates located their formula. See “Portable Radio” for even more fun details. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqOvKyWukIU">Listen to “Portable Radio” here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> [Editor's Note: All of the records here are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Hall+%26+Oates">in print physically & digitally</a>, with an exception to <i>Whole Oats</i>. <i>Whole Oats</i> can be </span>located<span style="font-family: inherit;"> for an affordable price used. See <a href="http://www.hallandoates.com/">Hall & Oates Official</a> for tour events & updates.-QH]</span></o:p></div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-75169791363789322022012-10-13T16:11:00.000-04:002013-03-02T21:48:19.228-05:00Brandy's "Two Eleven" Hits the Spot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandy, Circa 2012</td></tr>
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How do you follow up one of the best R&B recordings of the last decade? When <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2008/12/brandys-human-experience-on-new-lp.html"><em>Human</em> </a>(Epic), Brandy Norwood's fifth album, released at the end of 2008, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/dec/05/urban-brandy-norwood-human">it was to acclaim if not sales</a>. Norwood's continued commercial slide owed to a climate that eyed her age (29 at the time) as a "deciding" factor to her relevancy rather than her art. <br />
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<em>Human's</em> honesty in its vulnerability made it an easy target for scapegoating, and Norwood, being the sweet, if at times insecure woman she is, bought into it hook, line, and sinker.<br />
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The three years separating <em>Human</em> and <em>Two Eleven </em>were filled with speculation. What direction could Norwood take her music in? Desiring a chart score without losing her core (read: adult) audience of 18 years, Norwood had a fine line to walk. A duet with longtime colleague/competitor Monica earlier this year, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk7P1lKkCG0">It All Belongs to Me,"</a> left feelings of fear in the place of anticipation due to its inane nature. Norwood's first RCA outing, <em>Two Eleven</em> takes its name from her birthday and the date her mentor/friend Whitney Houston died.<br />
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Norwood requested the assistance of individuals to capture the scene of black music in 2012 and fit it to her. A cross section of the producers and songwriters include: Bangladesh, Chris Brown, Sean Garrett, Dem Jointz, Mario Winans, Danja, The Bizness, Rico Love, Frank Ocean, Mike City, and Warryn Campbell. For those that have been into R&B and hip-hop in the last five years, a bulk of the names on the list will not be unfamiliar. The exciting names to see Norwood bring back aboard were two former <em><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/01/completing-cycle-brandys-full-moon.html">Full Moon</a></em><br />
(2002) principals (Campbell and City) and Ocean. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/07/oceanic-exploration-frank-oceans.html">Ocean already in a big year himself with his debut</a>, his background with Norwood extended to two of <em>Human's</em> shining stars: "1st & Love" and "Locket (Locked in Love)."* Norwood's association with the old and new promised she'd take care of business.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandy in Blue</td></tr>
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With a surface luster that is haughty, but irresistible, <em>Two Eleven</em> is (almost) all killer no filler in its retrofit of contemporary R&B to the Brandy personae. Norwood's voice, at its most cavernous and cool, saves the obvious commercial contender (currently U.S. R&B #3), "Put It Down." Chris Brown steps from behind the mixing board to drop in a funky rap that didn't clutter Norwood who straddles and guides the burping synth track.<br />
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In fact, her voice<em> is</em> the melody of "Put It Down," its additional seasoning making the track bearable to those not keen on Norwood's most chart aimed song thus far.<br />
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Elsewhere, Norwood acquits herself to the luxurious and galactic material that uses everything from up front guitar and rippling synth lines, layered versus superfluous. The discernible edge that characterizes the rugged "Let Me Go" and "So Sick" have their eye on the aggressive sides of <em>Full Moon</em> and <em>Afrodisiac</em> (2004). Closer inspection to the form fitting video game soul of "Slower," courtesy of Chris Brown's production and Norwood's pen, proves <em>Two Eleven</em> as the proper experimental follower to <em>Full Moon</em> in place of <em>Afrodisiac</em>.<br />
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The decadent trio of sonic erotica Norwood shares ("Paint This House," "Can You Hear Me Now," "What You Need") might make Janet Jackson envious. The trio position Norwood into tastier waters without reducing her to trash. The only complaint leveled at <em>Two Eleven</em> is that it's too immaculate, a listen to the honey soul of "Music" reveals an icy, detached feeling underneath it. The arctic chill may not bother some, it does immediately set <em>Two Eleven</em> a distance away from <em>Brandy</em> (1994), <em>Never Say Never</em> <br />
(1998), and (of course) <em>Human</em>. <br />
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She only gets warmer with two lone numbers, "Wildest Dreams" and "Scared of Beautiful." "Scared," the Ocean/Campbell contribution, is a lovely self-styled duet with herself that Norwood sends into the stratosphere. "Wildest Dreams," the second single, is undeniable with its razor sharp hook of "<em>Ooooh, ne-v-er</em>" snaring ears within the first few moments of play.<br />
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"Put It Down" w/ Chris Brown
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<b>Directed By</b>: Hype Williams<br />
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In all, <em>Two Eleven</em> is a claim for Brandy Norwood as the premier interpreter of her era. <em>Two Eleven</em> also is an anomaly for an artist of Brandy's caliber who readily could have gone into a rightful veteran streak. Somehow, in plunging headfirst into the tepid soundverse of modern R&B, Brandy carved a record that was thoroughly her own and relevant without sacrificing consistency or class. Four and a half out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: Deluxe version of <em>Two Eleven</em> reviewed here. *-"Locket (Locked in Love)" only available (physically) on the Japanese pressing of <em>Human</em> or the U.S. iTunes edition. Blue wash photograph of Brandy courtesy of Andrew Bird. For more information on Brandy and <em>Two Eleven, </em>visit <a href="http://foreverbrandy.com/">foreverbrandy.com</a>-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-24687158024849735152012-09-25T11:01:00.000-04:002013-08-21T12:35:16.845-04:00No Doubt's Return with "Push and Shove" Examined<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the set of the "Settle Down" video</td></tr>
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Blondie's reconvene in 1982 with <em>The Hunter</em>, despite possessing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7gqErYW0K0">a few underrated moments</a>, was a turning point for the group. Undeniably, Blondie had embodied a certain point in popular music history and their gusto to dare was infectious. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2010/02/autoamerican-effect.html"><em>Autoamerican</em> (1980) made them pop savants</a>, <em>The Best of Blondie</em> (1981) closed their first run, but was preceded earlier in 1981 by Deborah Harry's avant garde album <em>Koo Koo</em>.<br />
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When <em>The Hunter</em> dropped, it happened when Blondie's music and image (whether right or wrong) was no longer the "go to" for popular music stimulus. At this point I'm sure many readers are wondering why I'm discussing Blondie in what seems to be a No Doubt review? All of this is because No Doubt follows a hauntingly similar trail to their punky predecessors. Like Blondie, No Doubt was led by an electromagnetic lady in Gwen Stefani, but she was not the band itself. The men were as integral to the mix as Stefani: Adrian Young (drums), Tony Kanal (bass), and Tom Dumont (guitars).<br />
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No Doubt's last record, 2001's <em>Rock Steady</em>, like <em>Autoamerican</em> saw No Doubt's artistic ambitions ripen outside of the genre of ska where they originated. Later, No Doubt wrapped up their initial run of singles (see <em>The Singles 1992-2003</em>), and Stefani released <em>Love. Angel. Music. Baby.</em> (2004) and <em>The Sweet Escape</em> (2006). Stefani's confessed "<a href="http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/celebrity/gwen-stefani-the-solo-records-were-never-meant-to-be-taken-seriously-1.1080158">art projects</a>" endured acclaim and derision, and her band mates themselves stayed busy with their own gigs in the interim. So when No Doubt began the touring rounds three years prior to the release of <em>Push and Shove</em>, their sixth album and first in 11 years, questions hovered. How would a group so attached to a past period find audiences (core, casual, and nonplussed) in 2012? Could they beat the same fate that befell Blondie when they decided to get back in the ring?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Adrian, Gwen, Tony, Tom</td></tr>
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<em>Push and Shove</em> only makes <em>one</em> mistake: its title. Presentation is everything. While it is a great title, it doesn't sum up the whole of the album once consumed. To explain, the record doesn't "push and shove" as much as it gives off a "sparkle," ironically a song title on the project. <br />
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<em>Push and Shove's</em> mass deals in a shiny batch of new wave, alternative '80's and '90's pop-rock gloss so well prepared that the previous acts that have used the techniques cannot be recalled. The tricks though, chiming synths, layered vocal swatches, and perfectly placed guitar/drum accents, are as magical as they ever were. <br />
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The mood of <em>Push and Shove</em>, reflective and melancholy, matches <em>Return of Saturn</em> (2000) slightly for somberness with beguiling ballads like "Easy," "Gravity," and the curtain closer "Dreaming the Same Dream." Whereas <em>Return of Saturn</em> dealt with fear of the unknown adult world, the emotional undercurrent of the new LP is grounded in reminiscing. Remember, all four members of No Doubt are married with children now. The lyrics, Stefani can still pen pensive, make the album's release during the first week of autumn prime for looking back to the recently departed summer. Stefani hasn't lost her vocal energy, one of the last jewels in the rusting American pop crown, she catwalks her band's musical paths.<br />
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No Doubt get rowdy on a select section of cuts for those worried that <em>Push and Shove</em> might be too mellow. The first single, an already definite No Doubt classic, "Settle Down" is a dually Asiatic and Jamaican baked good that knocks, rolls, and rides as confidently as "Hey Baby" did in the fall of 2001. The title track, with toasts from Busy Signal and Major Lazer, kicks out a pronounced ska-lite rhythm. The kick is thanks to the two "phantom" members of No Doubt: Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair. Tour mainstays since the mid-<br />
'90's, their trumpet and trombone are staples of the No Doubt sound and dance on the titular cut and "Looking Hot's" middle eight with welcome joy.<br />
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"Settle Down" <br />
<b>Directed By</b>: Sophie Muller<br />
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Thankfully, not a trace of the streamlined "thump-a-thump" of current Top 40 is heard, but there is a careful commercial sheen (courtesy of co-producer Mark "Spike" Stent) present. Such patience to not "rock out" (frustrating) or "sell out" (commendable) will land No Doubt somewhere in the middle of the 2012 popular music landscape. <em>Push and Shove</em> is a record about relevancy based on No Doubt's perfected talents. Four out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: <em>Push and Shove</em> is available in all music retailers, for information on different editions and other No Doubt updates visit <a href="http://www.nodoubt.com/#!news">No Doubt Official</a>.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-87705263699356846852012-09-23T13:33:00.000-04:002012-12-20T19:45:47.155-05:00The "Stages" of Melanie C's New LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Chisholm Has Arrived</td></tr>
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Melanie C does <em>standards</em>? Correction, Melanie C peers into the classics of the stage for her sixth solo recording and situates herself exquisitely. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PArTdhNda7k">In a year that has seen the Spice Girls reappear in the popular music and culture landscapes</a>, the timing of Melanie C's newest album <em>Stages</em> couldn't be better. Then again, Melanie C has been at it as her own woman for over a decade now.<br />
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<em>Stages</em> follows behind <em>The Sea</em> <br />
(2011), Melanie's fifth record that gave a knowing kiss to the genre hopping that put her debut <em><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/10/melanie-c-northern-star-10-years-later.html">Northern Star</a></em> on the map in 1999. Prior to <em>The Sea</em>, Melanie embarked on a journey to the West End, one that took her back to her pre-Spice Girls roots in studying theatre. Appearing in the Willy Russell produced musical<em> Blood Brothers</em> as Mrs. Johnstone, the six month gig in 2009 gained Melanie a "Best Actress in a Musical" Laurence Olivier Award nomination. Currently starring as Mary Magdalene in the U.K. arena tour version of <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em>, Melanie has got her authentic threads adorned to pull this record off.<br />
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Paired with producer Peter John-Vettese who has worked with Melanie on her past endeavors, as well as her former group mate <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/08/happy-birthday-ms-geri-halliwell.html">Geri Halliwell</a>, Vettese took the task of bringing life to known classics with reverence and vitality. The cast of <em>Stages</em>: "Maybe This Time" (from <em>Cabaret</em>), "Another Hundred People" (from <em>Company</em>), "I Know Him So Well" (from <em>Chess</em>), "Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?" (from <em>The Shocking Miss Pilgrim</em>), "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (from <em>Jesus</em> <em>Christ Superstar</em>), "Both Sides Now" <em>(Priscilla, Queen of the Desert</em>), "Ain't Got No/I Got Life" (from <em>Hair</em>), "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" (from <em>Shout! The Mod Musical</em>), "I Only Have Eyes For You" (from <em>Dames</em>), "Tell Me It's Not True" (from <em>Blood Brothers</em>), "My Funny Valentine" (from <em>Babes in Arms</em>), Something Wonderful (from <em>The King & I),</em> and "Anything Goes" (from <em>Anything Goes</em>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Lloyd Webber & Chisholm in 2012</td></tr>
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The selection is strong and varied, some already pop classics before they transitioned to theatre or found life outside that medium. Specifically "I Only Have Eyes for You," with a stamped take by The Flamingos, and "Both Sides Now." "Sides," made a hit by Judy Collins in 1968, was written by Joni Mitchell who created her own great turns on <em>Blue</em> (1971) and <em>Both Sides Now</em> (2000).<br />
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Restraining her powerhouse inclinations, Melanie paints in a subtle and soft tone never encompassed over an entire long player before. It is that knowledge of song reading that makes <em>Stages</em> capture and captivate, because Melanie applies her voice correctly to each song. From the slow dance sway of "Maybe This Time," complete with golden horns and brushed drums, Melanie's never been so seductive. The pace elevates on the dynamic rush of "Another Hundred People" before segueing into the duet calm of "I Know Him So Well." <br />
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Partnered with her former group mate Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), it actually is not their first collaboration. In the past they teamed on a colorful cover of The Waitresses chestnut "Christmas Wrapping," the flipside to the Spice Girls single "Goodbye." Melanie also appeared on backing vocals for Bunton's solo tune "(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind" in '99, a lost soundtrack gem that found life as the b-side to her '01 hit "What Took You So Long?" The arrangement is a bit too washed out (if pretty), something that plagues only a few cuts on <em>Stages</em> ("I Only Have Eyes For You" notably). Still, Emma and Melanie's interplay is so relaxed and intoxicating, it will delight longtime Spice fans.<br />
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<strong><i>Stages</i> EPK Circa 2012</strong><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional Shot for <em>Stages</em></td></tr>
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Elsewhere, Vettese and Melanie collide and spark madly as heard on the initial single "I Don't Know How To Love Him." Melanie C matches the changing moods of the score with conviction, infusing it with passion and power. <br />
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The song that bears a true seal of emotion is her take of "Both Sides Now." The words hold meaning for the woman singing them, who has openly struggled with self-love, and recently the separation of her longtime partner Thomas Starr. The eloquence, elegance, and heartache come across clear and realized. <br />
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Whether taking a vivacious bite out of "Ain't Got No/ I Got Life" or burnishing the perennial "My Funny Valentine" with an unexpected introduction, Melanie is in versatile form throughout. Cover records are never easy, but <em>Stages</em> is rare in that it includes comfort and surprise tucked away if one listens closely. Four and a half stars out of five.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: <em>Stages</em> is available in all digital outlets, "Anything Goes" is an iTunes bonus track only, the version reviewed here is the physical edition. To obtain a physical version, visit your local indie record store or <a href="http://melaniec.net/">MelanieC.net</a> where current updates are available.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-26951661582173220802012-09-18T18:46:00.000-04:002013-04-21T00:10:16.212-04:00A-Z, The QH Blend's 22 Female Singer-Songwriters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girl Power</td></tr>
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The female singer-songwriter ideal isn't one that is removed from clouded perception. Is she, the female artist in question, to be sitting on a stool, cardigan fitting her just so, a guitar resting on her knee? Or is she supposed to be stripped of all make-up, all feminine sexuality, a raw visage with no airs? <br />
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Unlike the male singer-songwriter, a rarely discussed boxed convention in and of itself, women are expected to occupy a certain space as artists. They can only be <em>so</em> sexy, <em>so</em> smart, <em>so</em> accessible, and in some instances, they can only be <em>one</em> color and age. Being a male feminist and a longtime admirer of female artistry in popular music, I sat down and thought about which female singer-songwriters move me? Which ones are likely not to be mentioned, which ones usually are (rightfully so), and which ones normally wouldn't intersect in discussion? <br />
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The list presents at least 22 of my favorite female singer-songwriters across a spectrum of music. These women all work with words and music to translate their experiences, and those of others, into real aural pieces that people can step into. It goes without saying that all of these ladies are beyond exceptional, they're extraordinary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-wqxziYrtrnkIpo2bbCubnnvHw87kiRFRHml31dMRisLHCW8oGho_ofiALHKksNPufeUMmtxi4zGkFl3dLiV0KpqkkOGcvL_cufyX1MVFgqkm0kbUHP9E-EsvYYEW_TGsxvmNRKCDTjl/s1600/13+-+Tori+Amos.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-wqxziYrtrnkIpo2bbCubnnvHw87kiRFRHml31dMRisLHCW8oGho_ofiALHKksNPufeUMmtxi4zGkFl3dLiV0KpqkkOGcvL_cufyX1MVFgqkm0kbUHP9E-EsvYYEW_TGsxvmNRKCDTjl/s320/13+-+Tori+Amos.png" width="263" /></a></div>
Born Myra Ellen Amos, Amos came out of the womb to portents that predicted greatness for her art later in life. Her father a minister and mother a teacher, Amos bounced between the two extremes while showing proficient skills in piano playing. Taking the name Tori Amos, she found out the hard way what happens when you aren't true to your artistic spirit (see <em><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/y-kant-tori-read-mw0000199588">Y Kant Tori Read</a></em>, 1988). Later, she forged ahead to her own truth and with her debut <em>Little Earthquakes</em> (1992), Amos helped reintroduce the piano back into popular music for women. Amos' works are noted for their fascinating, if difficult inclusions of folklore, modern day politics, religion, and sexuality, all allusions to the general human experience. Keeping her piano as the center of her music, her sound has transformed through the years.<br />
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Performing "Black Dove (January)," Circa 1998<br />
Pulled off of <i>from the choirgirl hotel </i>(1998) <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OJ0f8KDQmwU" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Scarlet's Walk</em> (2002)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of</strong> <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tori-amos-mn0000792530"><strong>Tori Amos' Works</strong></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-C_-64hPj186uF4Ho0qRZV86Y7HpyZ1zAdj7GBGTt_aZRSqzsiVOq-tFQAc_AWWIM4iKve30x3F8zWlgKlp2POyYff7vBzR2D8NmOF3aqk3UEFpDapcjIMksYLAHvOJb2tpzMg35bg-o/s1600/vanessa+carlton.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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Along with Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne, Vanessa Carlton became one of the bright faces to characterize the decidedly girlish approach to the Venus songwriting archetype in the early '00's. "A Thousand Miles," from her first album <em>Be Not Nobody</em> (2002), will be forever remembered. Label politicking cost her dearly when her second album, the fine and fair <em>Harmonium,</em> released in 2004 to little fanfare. Undaunted, Carlton continued to put out records as recently as last year with the mind blowing <em>Rabbits on the Run</em>. With her tender, youthful vocalizing matched with her virtuosic piano playing, Carlton's sound is instantly recognizable.<br />
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Performing "White Houses," Circa 2007<br />
Pulled off of <em>Harmonium</em> (2004)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yeSGOMdGBAY" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Rabbits On the Run</em> (2011)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/vanessa-carlton-mn0000839432">Vanessa Carlton's Work</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbgPq5i9hnso0nLQpLd1y8BwUqwzzschf3js7S-SbWOm_yUoUC-VRgR5-Suuawwq8VevY6oYbTz_17_avCZJqJ_affgP1rsJ54LBSh1xWbyEgSGSb_MCLWggQaVI4znOQUUchWZiR3lQR/s1600/19+-+Sheryl+Crow.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbgPq5i9hnso0nLQpLd1y8BwUqwzzschf3js7S-SbWOm_yUoUC-VRgR5-Suuawwq8VevY6oYbTz_17_avCZJqJ_affgP1rsJ54LBSh1xWbyEgSGSb_MCLWggQaVI4znOQUUchWZiR3lQR/s320/19+-+Sheryl+Crow.png" width="263" /></a></div>
From music teacher, to commercial jingle and background singer for Michael Jackson, Crow later made her mark with <em>Tuesday Night Music Club</em> (1993). Initially, Crow balanced weekend escape from weekday wear with cursory introspection turns. As she sauntered further into the '90's, Crow's music absorbed a wealth of influences and made her lyrical observations open wider. Crow's introspection became as prominent as her recreation retreats, tempered no doubt by bouts with love and cancer: <em>Wildflower </em>(2005) and <em>Detours</em> (2008). Now a single mother of two, Crow's music may not take as many chances as it did earlier in her career, but it remains compelling and comforting.<br />
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Performing "Good is Good," Circa 2005<br />
Pulled off of <em>Wildflower</em> (2005)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lWjBzVm_vM8" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Wildflower</em> (2005)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sheryl-crow-mn0000080780">Sheryl Crow's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xCwyifW9OcGpSOcOEk_uoCFAnUC4WFOVcQsmwMcJnSGBNdzYgifoBp7-O5bH3Y6dxBeQWODx8wkLW5x4u_tbrwGbi_CWCdDJcncJo8nemOQSFXHlI2ABMPQQI4qnXFednQQkHiYgTVgb/s1600/melissa+etheridge.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xCwyifW9OcGpSOcOEk_uoCFAnUC4WFOVcQsmwMcJnSGBNdzYgifoBp7-O5bH3Y6dxBeQWODx8wkLW5x4u_tbrwGbi_CWCdDJcncJo8nemOQSFXHlI2ABMPQQI4qnXFednQQkHiYgTVgb/s320/melissa+etheridge.png" width="262" /></a><strong></strong><br />
Melissa Etheridge released a trio of intense rock recordings from 1988 through <br />
1992, all hailed for their power. Etheridge then broke into the mainstream with her fourth long player <em>Yes I Am</em> (1993), a title that played on the question of her sexuality. Etheridge did come out the same year as <em>Yes I Am</em>, becoming one of the great GLBTQ figures in popular music. Surviving cancer in late 2004, Etheridge is a fierce artist whose music deals in the complexities of human attraction and the consequences of said attraction.<br />
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Performing "Your Little Secret," Circa 2001<br />
Pulled off of <em>Your Little Secret</em> (1995)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N8yfilkj_8c" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Lucky</em> (2004)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/melissa-etheridge-mn0000345355">Melissa Etheridge's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWy8DZeEI7Wtcb6OIuxoq9XvQfxTNRY9cQIx87SERwTYmySZdZa7sUr3gpoy-smmWt5cm-fHWXoQJSTymtyJgxatr2wQfIH1MiIZKi3ukuzmkuimF6UTeD1xVfJzqTn98yiV4r-nFiURg/s1600/Adriana+Evans.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWy8DZeEI7Wtcb6OIuxoq9XvQfxTNRY9cQIx87SERwTYmySZdZa7sUr3gpoy-smmWt5cm-fHWXoQJSTymtyJgxatr2wQfIH1MiIZKi3ukuzmkuimF6UTeD1xVfJzqTn98yiV4r-nFiURg/s320/Adriana+Evans.png" width="262" /></a>The daughter of jazz great Mary Stallings, goddaughter of saxophonist Pharaoh Saunders, Evans seemed destined for greatness when she started working the music scene in Los Angeles. There, she met her musical/romantic counterpart Dred Scott, the co-producer of all her output. Her eponymous first album, that dropped in 1997, held a lush mixture of bright hip-hop and vintage, melodic R&B. It got lost in the neo-soul shuffle. Her experimental second affair <em>Nomadic</em> appeared in 2004. Television and film director Patrik Ian-Polk ushered in the next phase of Evans career. "Remember the Love," from <em>Nomadic,</em> became the theme to Polk's <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah%27s_Arc">Noah's Arc</a></em>, the first black-gay drama in 2006. Exposure from <em>Noah's Arc</em> helped bring this stimulating soul chanteuse to more ears.<br />
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Performing "Seein' Is Believing," Circa 2011<br />
Pulled off of <em>Adriana Evans</em> (1997)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8tTlQmV7jCw" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Walking With the Night</em> (2010)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/adriana-evans-mn0000502319">Adriana Evans' Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1_TVJqogs3ToXP-cPB2rLoZ0_lLRrZz8pFXsLkwdSYFeTvjH_us8tfoqLLzJzZ0mA3IuQiNaYaq_QWj9FbxVOvrn48t56AZtoPPOebR3RJyMA7oFS-F-lbhEYkSym6gFzIDXFSFm4Kx5/s1600/IndiaArie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1_TVJqogs3ToXP-cPB2rLoZ0_lLRrZz8pFXsLkwdSYFeTvjH_us8tfoqLLzJzZ0mA3IuQiNaYaq_QWj9FbxVOvrn48t56AZtoPPOebR3RJyMA7oFS-F-lbhEYkSym6gFzIDXFSFm4Kx5/s320/IndiaArie.png" width="262" /></a><strong></strong><br />
India Arie Simpson, to become India.Arie, used her reflective brand of R&B to fight ahead of the pack 11 years ago with <em>Acoustic Soul</em> (2001). The Grammy winning LP set expectations high for Arie, who consistently met the bar she created with the three follow-ups to <em>Acoustic Soul</em>: <em>Voyage to India</em> (2002), <em>Testimony Volume 1: Life & Relationship</em> (2006), and <em>Testimony Volume 2: Love & Politics</em> (2009). The acoustic guitar is a principal player in Arie's sound, but she dabbles in other musical templates along the three mentioned records.<br />
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Performing "Ghetto," Circa 2009<br />
Pulled off of <em>Testimony Volume 2: Love & Politics </em>(2009)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GlCZoIot5sw" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Testimony Volume 1: Life & Relationship</em> (2006)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/indiaarie-mn0000084446">India.Arie's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHDTBj4sL6TlKbOdJAK11Yr1EcYs-F_lpncU11nO_MTFKbobzn_lzaOjSWmLdj5w28DEHrzpTIho8Nnu8ZzUKviAwz1S3y-_krIxesmECD6R9eiE2tdZD6k3GPBGVKdJwg7T37zonzFWc/s1600/18+-+Jewel.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHDTBj4sL6TlKbOdJAK11Yr1EcYs-F_lpncU11nO_MTFKbobzn_lzaOjSWmLdj5w28DEHrzpTIho8Nnu8ZzUKviAwz1S3y-_krIxesmECD6R9eiE2tdZD6k3GPBGVKdJwg7T37zonzFWc/s320/18+-+Jewel.png" width="266" /></a>Now known for straight ahead country-pop and children's recordings, when Jewel Kilcher arrived in 1994 she was a fresh faced neophyte. The female singer-songwriter movement was doing quite well by the mid-'90's, but her first album <em>Pieces of You</em> (1994), became one of those hit records many only dream of. The singles "Who Will Save Your Soul?," "You Were Meant For Me," and "Foolish Games" became instant staples.<br />
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Eager and natural, Jewel's voice held a power that demonstrated she'd be more than just a one-genre ingenue in waiting. She quickly followed up <em>Pieces of You</em> with <em>Spirit</em> (1998), an ambitious recording with a cache of influences. Although the road from <em>Spirit</em> fell fraught with criticism of her authenticity, (2003's excellent <em>0304 </em>remains divisive among fans), Jewel showed no fear to take her voice and heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics to new horizons.<br />
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Performing "Intuition,"Circa 2006<br />
Pulled off of <em>0304</em> (2003)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FtzmKOUr1gE" width="420"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>This Way</em> (2001)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of </strong><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jewel-mn0000347151">Jewel's Works</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx-LzKcCgAFkzMQbwfhYHULhoBTfYHCui70_kBqqOY93Ul1EBFemOmrHD0FkulfBMu2HCehl9QeQT6N7n8u1CfTGdCjYapmYP37PDzA9RsSADxlbRMK-yoH2eZBKWMhTiGj3MM3b6KG7P/s1600/carole+king.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx-LzKcCgAFkzMQbwfhYHULhoBTfYHCui70_kBqqOY93Ul1EBFemOmrHD0FkulfBMu2HCehl9QeQT6N7n8u1CfTGdCjYapmYP37PDzA9RsSADxlbRMK-yoH2eZBKWMhTiGj3MM3b6KG7P/s320/carole+king.png" width="262" /></a>Carole Klein, known as Carole King, created the blueprint for women in songwriting in the modern music world. Originating as one of the "Brill Building" writers with her first husband Gerry Goffin, King helped create the American songbook by writing "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?," "The Locomotion," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Later, relocating to Californian shores from New York, King began the tentative steps to her solo work with the (still) under appreciated starting point LP <em>Writer</em> (1970). Its follow-up, one of, if not <em>the </em>leading record of the female movement, <em>Tapestry</em> (1971) became one of those larger than life albums. Think Fleetwood Mac's <em>Rumours</em> (1977) or Michael Jackson's <em>Thriller</em> (1982).<br />
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Though the bulk of the albums that came after <em>Tapestry</em> were accomplished (most superior to <em>Tapestry</em>), the unending success of King's sophomore recording led to an impromptu halt to her work in 1983. After spending the '80's in relative obscurity as an eco-political actvisit, King returned with <em>City Streets</em> in 1989, and embarked on a still continuing trail of recognition and celebration of her earthy-pop talents.<br />
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Performing "Jazzman," Circa 1981<br />
Pulled off of <em>Wrap Around Joy</em> (1974)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KjeXYbZ4Nd8" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Fantasy</em> (1973)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/carole-king-mn0000174557">Carole King's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrmgES1Hx6pSfTxAM-2FNPdglP61J_utYQ_CqS4-XHfP8WLjfIsM359S2BiDplJ7xO1hXsEDwuDsRqsRhnV51YveQC8OPgs-jU9jAvYd021PwI6rJ3RCLVXNdEiQ7Pg0x991FL-Tk0dos/s1600/Cyndi+Lauper.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrmgES1Hx6pSfTxAM-2FNPdglP61J_utYQ_CqS4-XHfP8WLjfIsM359S2BiDplJ7xO1hXsEDwuDsRqsRhnV51YveQC8OPgs-jU9jAvYd021PwI6rJ3RCLVXNdEiQ7Pg0x991FL-Tk0dos/s320/Cyndi+Lauper.png" width="262" /></a></div>
Former Blue Angel member and enduring MTV generation icon Cyndi Lauper has worn many hats and made a career of doing it. Musically speaking. In her own unique niche, a portion of her hits ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "All Through the Night," "True Colors") were not written by her. A prolonged glance into her discography reveals not only hits, but a wide selection of albums and songs that signal Lauper's ability to write varied tales of her own. The ode to self pleasure in "She Bop," the dark, celebratory tale of drag queen transformation in "Ballad of Cleo and Joe," and the dance floor fury of "Into the Nightlife" are all wholly Cyndi Lauper, boasting longevity and relevance in abundance.<br />
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Performing "Sisters of Avalon," Circa 2008<br />
Pulled off of <em>Sisters of Avalon</em> (1997)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H2F0MAAzV3w" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Hat Full of Stars</em> (1993)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cyndi-lauper-mn0000122754">Cyndi Lauper's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdB-ESYqdFiP__eYEqxlYK3_xJ08Qpl0zk902oG0Dqz5nKodEfToVer9Em_UkmujYS0kV13kDZQk00gUwwRxIVTikA8lgV7-SJ0l-Nj4HHJoJso5QmSZf77lV0jf7hNcCim69XAYSRrby/s1600/01+-+Lisa+Loeb.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdB-ESYqdFiP__eYEqxlYK3_xJ08Qpl0zk902oG0Dqz5nKodEfToVer9Em_UkmujYS0kV13kDZQk00gUwwRxIVTikA8lgV7-SJ0l-Nj4HHJoJso5QmSZf77lV0jf7hNcCim69XAYSRrby/s320/01+-+Lisa+Loeb.png" width="263" /></a></div>
A patient voice, Lisa Loeb's duality was enigmatic in that she was removed, but engaged in her singing practices. That unaffected slant brought across her writing flavors where blends of confrontation, confession, and story telling swirled easily. Loeb later fleshed out her sound, a good thing, giving it dimension outside of its guitarish beginnings. <em>The Way It Is,</em> her fourth and last long player of original art, hit in 2004. It prompts one to insist on Loeb's return, where she can share her exciting cerebral pop challenges.<br />
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Performing "I Do," Circa 1997<br />
Pulled off of <em>Firecracker</em> (1997)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OiwX2-0RZdg" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Cake & Pie</em> (2002)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-loeb-mn0000296802">Lisa Loeb's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdqqUidTBNXaga3qeMz-dGxoVEZD2ZhicBiPjzKqq9CCJucCpkry6eb14E9dI6fC_ziOu0cSYZ7MJi9pSmIpGnUGWc8Der1EsfYvV4VeEfaJyA8KICYzLRzXvkPpAP2_ZU40RGj9QABkO/s1600/07+-+Teena+Marie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdqqUidTBNXaga3qeMz-dGxoVEZD2ZhicBiPjzKqq9CCJucCpkry6eb14E9dI6fC_ziOu0cSYZ7MJi9pSmIpGnUGWc8Der1EsfYvV4VeEfaJyA8KICYzLRzXvkPpAP2_ZU40RGj9QABkO/s320/07+-+Teena+Marie.png" width="265" /></a></div>
Mary Christine Brockert didn't begin as the tornado of creativity which embodied her stage name Teena Marie right away. Under the guidance of Rick James, Brockert flourished. <em>Lady T</em> (1980), her sharp second project would be the last to not bear her name on the producing, arranging, composing, and writing tags. Teena Marie's albums overflowed with literal poetry, her own usually appeared on the inner album jackets, and of course there were the actual lyrics of the songs themselves. Referencing everything from Maya Angelou to John Lennon, or films like <em>Sparkle</em>, Marie worked within the arenas of analogy and allegory almost unmatched.<br />
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Performing "Casanova Brown," Circa 1990<br />
Pulled off of <em>Robbery</em> (1983)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfQ_y6ThAMo" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Robbery</em> (1983)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/teena-marie-mn0000018258">Teena Marie's Work</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UBst_RHqlf1ifvvLNAQPRGyEZKYFHzzw0TpSt8Hmcb-UI_zaqV9vldWSuY75fgL9vGbXEkcZKwEk9l7uY12ktr4CJUvaHr-1xE0JARn8d5JTqxAh5Y_aVcyJohYsCapwtyXFjumaOOFx/s1600/20+-+Joni+Mitchell.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UBst_RHqlf1ifvvLNAQPRGyEZKYFHzzw0TpSt8Hmcb-UI_zaqV9vldWSuY75fgL9vGbXEkcZKwEk9l7uY12ktr4CJUvaHr-1xE0JARn8d5JTqxAh5Y_aVcyJohYsCapwtyXFjumaOOFx/s1600/20+-+Joni+Mitchell.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UBst_RHqlf1ifvvLNAQPRGyEZKYFHzzw0TpSt8Hmcb-UI_zaqV9vldWSuY75fgL9vGbXEkcZKwEk9l7uY12ktr4CJUvaHr-1xE0JARn8d5JTqxAh5Y_aVcyJohYsCapwtyXFjumaOOFx/s320/20+-+Joni+Mitchell.png" width="263" /></a>Roberta Joan Anderson, the Canadian charmer that became Joni Mitchell, remains a stalwart for women in popular music culture. Mitchell's uncompromising nature infuriated and enraptured die-hards, critics, and peers. <em>Shine</em> (2007), Mitchell's last affair to date due to health concerns and her ire at the music industry's (continued) sexism, achieved what Mitchell's best records often did: dividing and conquering minds in analysis like good art should.</div>
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Performing "Coyote," Circa 1980<br />
Pulled off of <em>Hejira</em> (1976)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DHQfIwyEVzY" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Hejira</em> (1976)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joni-mitchell-mn0000270491">Joni Mitchell's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0AvMoP7v49SRC77iaDmkSg9Wmf6paW69sTE5Zu7JRm3WtnukZ4fsODUBmRIf8RgB_ubmWfPw45cFXf7AuVMSPbqcwMsflpi3cn4kqusOel7szoi01PxX2FloZe50qePOiaCVIlHnnWE/s1600/10+-+Mandy+Moore.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0AvMoP7v49SRC77iaDmkSg9Wmf6paW69sTE5Zu7JRm3WtnukZ4fsODUBmRIf8RgB_ubmWfPw45cFXf7AuVMSPbqcwMsflpi3cn4kqusOel7szoi01PxX2FloZe50qePOiaCVIlHnnWE/s320/10+-+Mandy+Moore.png" width="266" /></a>An unlikely candidate for inclusion to this list when considering that Moore had materialized as one of the four blonde bombshells to assault pop at the tail end of the '90's. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/05/evolution-of-mandy-moore.html">Careful reinvention</a> birthed <em>Coverage </em>(2003), a stellar set of covers from the '70's and early '80's with emphasis on the songwriter medium. Moore's sweet and sturdy voice fit the covers better than the dance-pop she'd peddled prior, with an exception issued to the blasting Canto-pop of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkKOybWbUNM">"In My Pocket."</a> In the wake of <em>Coverage,</em> Moore revealed her talent at writing her own music with <em>Wild Hope</em> (2007) and the awing <em>Amanda Leigh</em> (2009). Barring where she started, Moore has come into her own.<br />
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Performing "Merrimack River," Circa 2009<br />
Pulled off of <em>Amanda Leigh</em> (2009)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Na8qtXYT6tg" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Amanda Leigh</em> (2009)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mandy-moore-mn0000673933">Mandy Moore's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeTGMTQrXN-yik55Uf-1RJciLOiHniqjhx-yIYGei6o4s6q-hYYw5CKCeCrQKbqg0O01KYb68W-V3PaENpu7tZOHzAv5wz6jcSjIoNzkZVFGYm92Hp9Hd67xVbm8Nnb56NuBFojTn-uXF/s1600/17+-+Alanis+Morissette.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeTGMTQrXN-yik55Uf-1RJciLOiHniqjhx-yIYGei6o4s6q-hYYw5CKCeCrQKbqg0O01KYb68W-V3PaENpu7tZOHzAv5wz6jcSjIoNzkZVFGYm92Hp9Hd67xVbm8Nnb56NuBFojTn-uXF/s320/17+-+Alanis+Morissette.png" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXCe1rL23iOBt64U39SDICN2wztJGVEgDCrUbG1uwxTBZli6nVSBX6z-x_EKRlR-P4w0SUFoTmqaclJ6ABGQerrt4gbBwOS65GYSRtV1O6hk1jSGOz3ALTQEa14q30xzM4lXwOcwIqfSF/s1600/17+-+Alanis+Morissette.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>One time dance-popper, Morissette issued her third long player <em>Jagged Little Pill</em><br />
(1995) to acclaim critically, commercially, and creatively. Morissette had been quickly acquired to record <em>Jagged</em> for Madonna's now inert label Maverick, a branch-off from Warner Brothers. Morissette had the misfortune to be immediately pigeonholed after<em> Jagged's</em> win. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2012/09/alanis-morissettes-continued-havoc-and.html">Fearless, Morissette tracked her own travels based on her emotional integrity</a>. It did not always win her favoritism, but it allowed Morissette to escape the traps that a few of her colleagues fell into in the last decade.<br />
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Performing "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man," Circa 2008<br />
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Pulled off of <em>Flavors of Entanglement</em> (2008)</div>
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<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Under Rug Swept</em> (2002)</div>
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<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alanis-morissette-mn0000932665">Alanis Morissette's Works</a></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2obKdslMbQB8Bx7S6t1MbTygv6ovDoWsjLbgvhBbgbwAUIUkY3UhIrj9M8s7pkJwspx2FYg3Tsz8mwff22B-4rmxg81dIDOsANhe1eBTtNKeNs2UvOKNtHXWljtImxEtLRpa-0Zfb99_/s1600/Meshell.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2obKdslMbQB8Bx7S6t1MbTygv6ovDoWsjLbgvhBbgbwAUIUkY3UhIrj9M8s7pkJwspx2FYg3Tsz8mwff22B-4rmxg81dIDOsANhe1eBTtNKeNs2UvOKNtHXWljtImxEtLRpa-0Zfb99_/s320/Meshell.png" width="262" /></a>Her roguish blend of hip-hop, jazz, funk, R&B, and pop is Prince-like in its reach. Michelle Johnson, to become Meshell Ndegeocello, is the other individual also signed to Maverick Records by the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. Dealing in the politics of sexual orientation (Ndegeocello herself identifies as bisexual) and race, Ndegeocello never shied away from controversy with songs like "Deuteronomy: Niggerman" and "Leviticus: Faggot." Her handling of romance is detailed too. A visit with her junior effort <em>Bitter</em> (1999) will prove its worth as a permanent soundtrack to the brokenhearted. Ndegeocello functions as an highly sought after musician, working with the previously mentioned Madonna, Zap Mama, and Vanessa Williams among others.<br />
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Performing "Fool of Me," Circa 2009<br />
Pulled off of <em>Bitter</em> (1999)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HF4GmR-xkHo" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Comfort Woman</em> (2003)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/meshell-ndeg%C3%A9ocello-mn0000402351">Meshell Ndegeocello's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ty1iu7xqkyGOzJX57gr9Buseoyu1tzFEVOLET6gAubNTDYS7FczT0fl_zHD2xiwrnUgpuofqtrOrQtZyFtRjyBMNgkEaJK0VJd_ij2zmeC8xMBuBmprHlWVd1emLwqHl0LuWfaeTsQzi/s1600/stevie+nicks.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ty1iu7xqkyGOzJX57gr9Buseoyu1tzFEVOLET6gAubNTDYS7FczT0fl_zHD2xiwrnUgpuofqtrOrQtZyFtRjyBMNgkEaJK0VJd_ij2zmeC8xMBuBmprHlWVd1emLwqHl0LuWfaeTsQzi/s320/stevie+nicks.png" width="262" /></a>Almost nothing short of mystical, Stevie Nicks' weathered and warm voice has been behind a bountiful selection of striking songs in pop and rock. Sustaining a career in both Fleetwood Mac (she joined in 1974) and her own solo path (which began in 1981), Nicks flitted between both with an acute knowledge of her abilities in sound progressions. Despite having her personal ills nearly derail her life in the mid-'80's, Nicks never stopped channeling her experiences into her music. Such sincerity made works like "Edge of 17," "I Can't Wait," and "Rooms on Fire" as fantastic as her non-single material.<br />
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Performing "Every Day," Circa 2001 <br />
Pulled off of <em>Trouble In Shangri-La</em> (2001)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5Tf1Zxmt0vw" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation: </strong><em>Trouble In Shangri-La</em> (2001)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stevie-nicks-mn0000936190">Stevie Nicks' Music</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehAkQuzDAFBrhISP_7uVH-YZA3-RAmW_wm0Mt-7rRjtGxKOZUJ__PNn2Aq8ohTB2eEhuRp8Re6nTBT5i3RgHX1cAUgGue07D0r8bQC7SypYQUlXMz_ID2W7n-v1Le_EKlo4Xv30YdGKtc/s1600/Laura+Nyro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehAkQuzDAFBrhISP_7uVH-YZA3-RAmW_wm0Mt-7rRjtGxKOZUJ__PNn2Aq8ohTB2eEhuRp8Re6nTBT5i3RgHX1cAUgGue07D0r8bQC7SypYQUlXMz_ID2W7n-v1Le_EKlo4Xv30YdGKtc/s320/Laura+Nyro.png" width="262" /></a>Laura Nigro (reconstructed to Nyro), a reserved New Yorker, penned tunes for other artists, notably the pop-soul quintet The 5th Dimension. Nyro shone when she decided to step out on her own path. Nyro's demure position was endearing, often bringing across her innate shyness. The crop of records Nyro recorded from the late '60's through the late' 70's are cherished by critics and fans alike. Cancer claimed Nyro in 1996, but her music stays immortal.<br />
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Performing "Save the Country," Circa 1968<br />
Pulled off of <em>New York Tendaberry</em> (1969)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jjdowef1oKE" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Christmas and the Beads of Sweat</em> (1970)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/laura-nyro-mn0000137474">Lauro Nyro's Music</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFSbSvnFZ8K5fFX30Qa_cf60Adgy3oo8G1ef9rVvpytw2rH7K6H2TZwy7zDJVYadGlwYpPL97qtM0HYW0CGlzz-jyd4BYfIMlMOXiXsA1UfsvQhspTNDOuSuMahoJqu9iHi0ja3WSgvhW/s1600/corinne+bailey+rae.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFSbSvnFZ8K5fFX30Qa_cf60Adgy3oo8G1ef9rVvpytw2rH7K6H2TZwy7zDJVYadGlwYpPL97qtM0HYW0CGlzz-jyd4BYfIMlMOXiXsA1UfsvQhspTNDOuSuMahoJqu9iHi0ja3WSgvhW/s320/corinne+bailey+rae.png" width="262" /></a>Like a brush of spring air, Rae's laid back phrasing and folk-soul propelled her to heady heights internationally. Rae, while riding high on the success of her self-titled debut, was struck down by an unimaginable blow: the sudden, tragic death of her husband. Rae took a few years off to realign herself before returning with the soul solid <em>The Sea</em> (2010), her follow-up to <em>Corinne Bailey-Rae</em> (2005/2006). Stronger in its artistic arc, despite its mild selling point, Rae's lyrical and vocal poignancy enthralled. Rae also bears an impressive interpretive stroke, having covered works by the likes of Prince ("I Wanna Be Your Lover"), Bob Marley ("Is This Love?"), and Björk ("Venus As a Boy").<br />
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Performing "Feels Just Like the First Time," Circa 2011<br />
Pulled off of <em>The Sea</em> (2010)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3Rg9DELhCkE" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>The Sea</em> (2010)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/corinne-bailey-rae-mn0000733717">Corinne Bailey Rae's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJVf-8EcmpBVKXcW7wTUSmz8LVe3qf9O-f-RkZwivicsgu-HlqhZ5Tn0OzN_vGl15FNNvt4WzX-TUfFqgqTfmf5BlhPfX3EU3aqT0nm2QkPxugTtOmW_ZE81SUvZunP-EhiwEbJ2YCZD0/s1600/Brenda.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJVf-8EcmpBVKXcW7wTUSmz8LVe3qf9O-f-RkZwivicsgu-HlqhZ5Tn0OzN_vGl15FNNvt4WzX-TUfFqgqTfmf5BlhPfX3EU3aqT0nm2QkPxugTtOmW_ZE81SUvZunP-EhiwEbJ2YCZD0/s320/Brenda.png" width="262" /></a>One of the women building bridges between mainstream R&B and jazz, Brenda Russell is a well kept secret in music. <em>Brenda Russell</em> (1979), a stunning stroke of a first album, laid bare Russell's quirky and impassioned voice. Musically, Russell's concoction of the aforementioned jazz/ R&B notions but with elements of European pop showed Russell's music, like the woman, is well traveled. Russell's pen has done well by other artists like Diana Ross ("Let Somebody Know"), Luther Vandross ("If Only For One Night"), Donna Summer ("Dinner With Gershwin"), and Oleta Adams ("Get Here"). Russell's compositions sometimes stand stronger, musically, than the cover as heard on her stark take of "If Only For One Night."<br />
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Performing "She's In Love," Circa 2000<br />
Pulled off of <i>Paris Rain</i> (2000)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M2sQYh9N40g" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Between the Sun and the Moon</em> (2004)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/brenda-russell-mn0000614823">Brenda Russell's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqmfkLUO94Z5kjN6n1qmWDvdh5EocN8D2iBxwYjL4FUL1jAT9Y0nj3McOzo8LeQ-hidYXhXHNiCVzW5O9kcBXM4Zk0rAXgIt-cRCPt0dV5xnycg1brCZIWFZ85bv17f4U4_1Ndc8h6F-b/s1600/16+-+Carly+Simon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqmfkLUO94Z5kjN6n1qmWDvdh5EocN8D2iBxwYjL4FUL1jAT9Y0nj3McOzo8LeQ-hidYXhXHNiCVzW5O9kcBXM4Zk0rAXgIt-cRCPt0dV5xnycg1brCZIWFZ85bv17f4U4_1Ndc8h6F-b/s320/16+-+Carly+Simon.png" width="263" /></a>Daughter of Richard Simon, co-founder of Simon & Schuster Publishing, Simon had to break out on her own to become the woman she is known as today. 1971 was the year Simon announced her presence with the single "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be," an intimate look at the whispers of a ruined relationship and an emergent feminine call-to-arms. Starting in 1975 through 1983, <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/01/carly-simon-75-83.html">Simon shed her folk-pop beginnings and embraced stylistic shifts that highlighted her songwriting in hues of reggae, jazz, disco, standards, and rock rhythms</a>. That kind of pop palette play allowed the ladies listed here (Sheryl Crow and Jewel) to take risks similar to the ones Simon did first. Her intellectual, sexual, and tender way with music carried Simon into her fifth decade of recording.<br />
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Performing "We Have No Secrets," Circa 1995<br />
Pulled off of <em>No Secrets</em> (1972)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/10JtEdqTCBA" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Spy </em>(1979)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/carly-simon-mn0000147635">Carly Simon's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpip4qeqDDfZEr6fTvPAUz4kmZxp-hcKR4XnjzJC5eyEvk0T4IY_c61mMq_o1ZLrE65P894sCXXX6yZOoDpz9g-SZXyLb2qe_dQe5LpUZL6j2bkP0gHzVU3wLDf6UzAlYiRNhkV_5_Jgl/s1600/21+-+Suzanne+Vega.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpip4qeqDDfZEr6fTvPAUz4kmZxp-hcKR4XnjzJC5eyEvk0T4IY_c61mMq_o1ZLrE65P894sCXXX6yZOoDpz9g-SZXyLb2qe_dQe5LpUZL6j2bkP0gHzVU3wLDf6UzAlYiRNhkV_5_Jgl/s320/21+-+Suzanne+Vega.png" width="266" /></a>Vega's appearance in 1985 was odd as the type of music she was waxing wasn't making ripples then. The sometimes solemn, but riveting story songs that lined <em>Suzanne Vega</em> drew acclaim and cult status. In 1987, seemingly out of nowhere, Vega's second album <em>Solitude Standing </em>hit big on the back of its singles "Luka" and "Tom's Diner." The latter song in its 1990 chill edit, courtesy of the dance production unit DNA, placed Vega before even larger audiences. Vega preceded the female singer-songwriters boom of the <br />
'90's by several years, recording as recently as 2012.<br />
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Performing (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May," Circa 2001<br />
Pulled off of <em>Songs in Red and Grey </em>(2001)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ESyPg5ag_V4" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Nine Objects of Desire</em> (1996)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/suzanne-vega-mn0000754251">Suzanne Vega's Works</a></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCquFI96mOJKU9nqMNr6y8r1taMwhlJn4ZI6oMrw6vRsgNWGLoiBBqzCKZHrhIsvhN8uzVim3a3EM3bpr9nIwTopis_Eo98YG-NFZZCDpIGaEw678h14refmznuSGr2Kvltood1uv7rCX/s1600/15+-+Wendy+&+Lisa.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCquFI96mOJKU9nqMNr6y8r1taMwhlJn4ZI6oMrw6vRsgNWGLoiBBqzCKZHrhIsvhN8uzVim3a3EM3bpr9nIwTopis_Eo98YG-NFZZCDpIGaEw678h14refmznuSGr2Kvltood1uv7rCX/s320/15+-+Wendy+&+Lisa.png" width="263" /></a></div>
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are the women that rounded out Prince's recording/touring group The Revolution for the better part of the '80's. Known for their distinct harmonies, this duo contributed to a series of Prince's best albums (<em>Purple Rain</em>, 1984, <em>Around the World in a Day</em>, 1985, <em>Parade</em>, 1986). After Prince disbanded The Revolution in late 1986, they followed with their breathtaking debut, <em>Wendy & Lisa</em> (1987). Four records, a lucrative career in session work, film and television scoring later, Wendy & Lisa are <em>still</em> the best at what they do.<br />
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Performing "Lolly Lolly," Circa 1989<br />
Pulled off of <em>Fruit at the Bottom</em> (1989)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8jYWOnEwE5A" width="400"></iframe><br />
<strong>The QH Blend Album Recommendation</strong>: <em>Eroica</em> (1990)<br />
<strong>Visit All Music Guide for a Tour of <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wendy-amp-lisa-mn0000244537">Wendy & Lisa's Works</a></strong><br />
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[Editor's Note: Artwork concept created by Quentin Harrison, artwork created by Travis Müller & Andrew Bird. It has to be said that the <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/">All Music Guide</a>, which I often use for information on this space, does not wholly represent The QH Blend's views of the women featured here. I do find them to be an excellent resource for people who need a good overview of an artist and their music's history, because of that they are used as the hyperlinks for overall discographies of the artists. Note, they (All Music Guide) are not always complete. An apt example is Wendy & Lisa's 2008 effort <em>White Flags of Winter Chimneys</em>, amongst others, is not featured on All Music Guide. Additional research may be required. Please contact me if you'd like more information on this work. Not all of the records by these women mentioned are in print, visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com">iTunes</a> for further information on availability.-QH]<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrlRKfy6AGorgy10FXZPf3lCYeBwue3ZYS9QxfkycY3gqfdHzpdx1Jm9ADuwEmYkW0KkOVyj_U4pRRM1giOdmxo9455RYK5DwD-dUZ9ySb3BHz1GHbcflgJH5XbsxKjmfkcTPbBuSe1QA/s1600/Brenda.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-83696008043300345142012-09-01T11:59:00.002-04:002012-10-09T14:06:27.284-04:00Alanis Morissette's Continued "Havoc and Bright Lights"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxwY-_B3TsWDdTma8KE5ZPpQY1EKJMYmeKycHSJWZTLAafvqfAks-XKAO0lpnqOZ7Uur0OtRSWtr9-LLeorfXiabiAi36hn8BnBHdsK3kL8BgK017wXw6J3q4VVSevrqegxpePBI4RV3I/s1600/Alanis+Morissette.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxwY-_B3TsWDdTma8KE5ZPpQY1EKJMYmeKycHSJWZTLAafvqfAks-XKAO0lpnqOZ7Uur0OtRSWtr9-LLeorfXiabiAi36hn8BnBHdsK3kL8BgK017wXw6J3q4VVSevrqegxpePBI4RV3I/s320/Alanis+Morissette.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morissette keeps looking up</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All right already, we know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jagged Little Pill </i>(Maverick, 1995) was the ‘90’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue</i> (Reprise, 1971), or Prozac. Like Joni Mitchell did post-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue</i>, Morissette followed up her third
album (if you’re counting her first two straight up pop records for MCA Canada:
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alanis</i>, 1991 and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now Is the Time,</i> 1992) with her own difficult diamond: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie</i> (Maverick,
1998). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a red haze of anger, it bled its complex emotional states all over
the wax messily. Thankfully, Morissette focused her feelings and found a bridge
between expression and contemplation with the remaining albums leading up to
her eighth LP, this year’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Havoc and
Bright Lights</i> (Collective Sounds).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, Morissette has had to fend off the nostalgia
nitpicking that plagued her when she refused to record <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jagged</i> Mach 2. Morissette clearly could care less if she is
pleasing or confusing a sect of her fans/critics that want her to retreat to
anger for anger’s sake. That freedom rings throughout <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Havoc and Bright Lights</i> which plows the fields of the human
experience that are not as easily resolved as a jilted heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknvVkVpaknq8Y6Xk9aZUkGgmMqCNcFDospc8P2DIyYItdIKb2jGAwNvzhsa4gcUXvOqIjhuDf7I_iOcbq62Q4ASWA0kfl155ZLVbmJ4aqeAZBTU6eYNgq973jnzPXHT7ZTxHR-6i1ent0/s1600/Alanis.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknvVkVpaknq8Y6Xk9aZUkGgmMqCNcFDospc8P2DIyYItdIKb2jGAwNvzhsa4gcUXvOqIjhuDf7I_iOcbq62Q4ASWA0kfl155ZLVbmJ4aqeAZBTU6eYNgq973jnzPXHT7ZTxHR-6i1ent0/s320/Alanis.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morissette with field & flowers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Working with Joe Chiccarelli and previous producer Guy Sigsworth
(Robyn, Madonna, Björk, Lenka) Morissette lays down a map of music that is all
at once kinetic, quiet, surprising, and acquainted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first song, and lead single, “Guardian” features a
colossal crash of guitar undercut with a piano echo that earnestly proclaims devotion to the art of guardianship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other
places, Morissette’s love of Eastern music pops up on the claustrophobic “Numb”
(lush violin work courtesy of Lily Haydn) or the shimmering “Guru” (a Target
bonus exclusive) featuring a rap from her current beau Souleye (real name Mario Treadway, father of her
son). The appeal of Souleye’s rap, which genuinely works rather than fails, is
based solely on the accessibility of the ear it greets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Guardian"
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Directed By</strong>: Baris Aladag</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7q0reAgBMYA" width="400"></iframe>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still operating her reverse syntax lyrical approach,
Morissette recasts her feminist position on the buoyant (if cerebral) “Woman Down,” and gives
her take on the “add a drop of water for fame” mentatility on the stinger
“Celebrity.” Whereas “Celebrity” is the closest to the classic sneer of “You
Oughta Know,” it’s the soothing “’Til You” and burst of contradictory bright melody
on “Spiral” that accentuate Morissette’s consolidation of her brand of alterna-pop
she’s been at since 2002’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Under Rug
Swept </i>(Maverick).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As seminal as <em>Jagged</em> remains, Morissette's recorded several
records that outweigh that one and deal in the harsher realm of human intimacy we rarely wish to
delve into<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. Havoc and Bright Lights</i>
is a fantastic, defiant addition to Morissette’s plentiful discography. Four and a half out of
five stars.-QH</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">[Editor's Note: <em>Havoc and Bright Lights</em> is available physically & digitally in several formats: deluxe, Amazon, iTunes, Target, and Japanese editions all include new tracks not on the standard issue of the LP. This review was on the Target version of <em>Havoc and Bright Lights</em> Visit </span><a href="http://alanis.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">alanis.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> for further information on the variety of formats.-QH]</span></div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-78587468191238924412012-08-09T13:08:00.000-04:002013-04-21T00:30:19.191-04:00Going Wild in Teena Marie's "Emerald City"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KGv7NZqakAuK4w0aqoo6E775zWnuwv8xBOwjdbHdqu4QgQYdT1dOWafVOf5P3Ws3Yqdnou7QOcxjigCfxVH3MY8kJLM-p4E6zZIQnoscKrqvH2_x_A8ptj8REeb6dashhwmZ7WZXMN4/s1600/Teena-Marie-Emerald-City---Gr-444817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KGv7NZqakAuK4w0aqoo6E775zWnuwv8xBOwjdbHdqu4QgQYdT1dOWafVOf5P3Ws3Yqdnou7QOcxjigCfxVH3MY8kJLM-p4E6zZIQnoscKrqvH2_x_A8ptj8REeb6dashhwmZ7WZXMN4/s320/Teena-Marie-Emerald-City---Gr-444817.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LP cover photograph by Laura Rossingol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Teena Marie, born Mary Christine Brockert, was a phenom when she first landed at Motown Records. Her 1979 debut <i>Wild & Peaceful</i> began a chain reaction of albums that would completely realign and restructure the delivery of rhythm and blues by those not of color. Despite Marie being white, her affinity for the African-American experience extended beyond just the music, and in turn made the music that much more rich.<br />
<br />
With Marie's passing two years ago, her music and legacy has come into sharper focus. An astonishing truth that materializes when discussing Teena Marie is how atypical said discussions on her music and impact are. <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2011/04/14-blue-eyed-soul-paladins.html">Here is the woman who put the previous model of blue-eyed soul singers on their head</a>, pushed R&B past its borders in her prime and remained a force into her veteran days. Yet, a generous search or reading into Teena Marie will find the same responses about her discography and history: <i>Irons in the Fire</i> (1980), <i>It Must Be Magic</i> (1981), Rick James, "Square Biz," "Fire & Desire," and "Lovergirl."<br />
<br />
This is not to say these albums, songs, or one individual do not play integral roles in Marie's lore, but that isn't all of her story. Yes, James was Marie's friend, flame, and mentor. Yes Marie took creative control on <i>Irons in the Fire</i> and produced, arranged, wrote, and composed every record that followed. But what about everything else? The narrative of Teena Marie needs exploration and the maligned <i>Emerald City</i> is the perfect starting point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmawh7_eb5RsrvjrS0v7sY3jH48seIbTIf6ObWVSxHs8s7vBi-iBqZVG5fOnC6m_Divi55yy1_oJqSEmQEWJeEL9WIhtAanHvops64JSjug5T8OPmpSRsgpB_Be0Ubei5JzyeZpeQDQtY/s1600/58473888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmawh7_eb5RsrvjrS0v7sY3jH48seIbTIf6ObWVSxHs8s7vBi-iBqZVG5fOnC6m_Divi55yy1_oJqSEmQEWJeEL9WIhtAanHvops64JSjug5T8OPmpSRsgpB_Be0Ubei5JzyeZpeQDQtY/s320/58473888.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teena, Circa 1985/1986</td></tr>
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When Marie's seventh long player arrived in August of 1986, she had clocked enough mileage to be considered an established, if not (yet) an iconic force. That appreciation was still a decade or so away. <i>Emerald City</i> itself was the third of five albums released during her tenure at Epic Records. <br />
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Marie's Motown exodus hadn't been gentle, though her time there was successful. A misappropriation of trust had made Marie a freedom fighter for artists everywhere and gave us <a href="http://betterment.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x75891">"The Brockert Initiative</a>." Afterwards she hit Epic with her tour de force, 1983's <i>Robbery</i>. The album song cycled her tumultuous on-again-off-again courtship to the late punk-funker Rick James and was equal amounts of heartbreak, funk, and confessional poetry. It also wasn't a hit: (#13 U.S. R&B, #119 U.S. pop). Rather, the accessible<i> Starchild</i> (1984) claimed sales glory with its lead single "Lovergirl," a likable fusion of (then) current rock-R&B-pop-new wave fizziness that gave Marie her first pop hit (#4 U.S. Pop) but kept her firmly entrenched in R&B's good graces (#9 U.S. R&B). <i>Starchild</i> did have other highlights to share ("Help Youngblood Get to the Funky Party," "Starchild," "My Dear Mr. Gaye") but they were obscured by banal numbers like "Jammin'" and "Out on a Limb."<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyUs20kXduKWRRFgzs6Z7DWJMUPTNRdhBL5IG7NQbcnSHCdeogP5jmDauXyVxEpHoOI90ABSoUV7XS8PYBzETnz7_nvLfZu8lDfcjDPi3GR14xOl35IhtbDFTgad9epyknrGmkEMdZtY/s1600/WizardEmerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyUs20kXduKWRRFgzs6Z7DWJMUPTNRdhBL5IG7NQbcnSHCdeogP5jmDauXyVxEpHoOI90ABSoUV7XS8PYBzETnz7_nvLfZu8lDfcjDPi3GR14xOl35IhtbDFTgad9epyknrGmkEMdZtY/s320/WizardEmerald.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Emerald City" as depicted in the 1939 film adaption of <i>Wizard of Oz</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Emerald City</i> took its name from L. Frank Baum and W.W. Denslow's classic tale <i>Wizard of Oz</i>, published in 1900 and turned into a Hollywood blockbuster staple in 1939. The city is usually depicted as joyous and full of light. On wax, Marie cast <i>Emerald City</i> as a modern city gripped in perpetual night, its green glow eerie, hypnotic, and dangerous. <br />
<br />
There, Marie herself became "Pity," a character created for one of her many poem stories that accompanied each record. Pity became an allegory for Marie's racial frustration of being accepted into black culture, with all its pros and cons when it came to her other musical interests. She revealed via an excerpt from the <i>Emerald City</i> poem, her feelings: <br />
<br />
<i>Of course she wanted to be green because she'd been all the other colors before, I mean, with her past lives and all. Now that people were saying she couldn't possibly be white, it seemed to be the natural thing to do. And anyways, since she hadn't seen any green people before, maybe she wouldn't run into any stereotypes and prejudices this time.</i><br />
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While R&B in the '70's and '80's was known for its multi-racial/gender bands, Marie was still a white woman in a predominantly male oriented field. Teena Marie didn't know how not to dare and so she went about assembling the crew to bring <i>Emerald City</i> to life.<br />
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Amid Marie's own primary writing, arranging, and producing, the players included: Bendrix (additional songwriting, bass), Allan McGrier, Stanley Clarke, Abraham Labanel Sr., Bootsy Collins, Gerry Brown (bass), Gary Grant (trumpet), Branford Marsalis (saxophone), Fred Mirza (horn arranger), Maxine and Julia Waters (background vocals), Randy Kerber (keyboards), John Bokowski (acoustic piano), John "JR" Robinson (drums), Brian Kilgore (timbales), James Allen (drum programming), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion), Michael Landau, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Nikki Slikk (guitar).<br />
<br />
The mentioned cityscape of <i>Emerald City's</i> urban sprawl gone mad is compelling when looking at the first side of the long player. Three songs in claim Marie's affinity to <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2010/08/qh-blends-ten-dance-lps.html">black dance</a>: the title track, "Once Is Not Enough," and "Lips to Find You". The title cut, with spoken word introduction by Bootsy Collins, spun in fits like a manic carnival groove. Marie's voice jammed all over the place <i>and </i> maintained a controlled pace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7Y17YuFgnJtiuEZqgYj8B3NsHuqXAFwXji1GcRXdFek4h8PkQzCJ9pzyPdqzo1PseP_9-WA3TYzx-lUemBd9ok3lhBdq_ud0MdKEVpr3eXa-fXj-1igxt_UqL9cQocr5giLLCSg3F2c/s1600/uj4am3j7ryvhvyj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7Y17YuFgnJtiuEZqgYj8B3NsHuqXAFwXji1GcRXdFek4h8PkQzCJ9pzyPdqzo1PseP_9-WA3TYzx-lUemBd9ok3lhBdq_ud0MdKEVpr3eXa-fXj-1igxt_UqL9cQocr5giLLCSg3F2c/s320/uj4am3j7ryvhvyj.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single cover to "Lips to Find You"</td></tr>
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On the insistent "Once Is Not Enough," Marie's desire was insatiable soundtracked with gritty beats that melded computerized and organic drums seamlessly. "Once" stayed elevated to keep the B.P.M. hearty for the feet on the floor, while the subject matter of "Lips to Find You" drew a sexual (but always literate) stalker poise.<br />
<br />
Marie shattered any competition that lay in wait when it came to her unparalleled lyricism. That lyricism drove home the booming drama of "You So Heavy," dedicated to her longtime muse Rick James in the liner notes, and the arid, Canto-soul of "Shangri-La". The former made analogies to love in withdrawal, while the latter used cuisine and spiritual references to present Marie in her darkest, most sensual moment (still) committed to record. The tropical "Batucada Suite," which upon first visit seemed out of place among the heavier dance and mid-tempo bedroom fare, refreshed. When taken literally from its words ("<i>Mary's into new things, got a brand new bag. Superficial living has made her life a drag...</i>) it played integral to the rediscovery Marie meant for <i>Emerald City</i>. The polished finish of the big ballad "Love Me Down Easy" hummed to be picked up at urban radio, while the closer "Sunny Skies" was a true classic. In the vein of her jazz jewels "You Make Love Like Springtime," "Portuguese Love," and "Shadow Boxing" the mournful track was the last of its kind until her recent jazz boomerang returned on <i>Congo Square</i> (2009).<br />
<br />
<i>Emerald City</i> wasn't wholly dissimilar from any of the work she'd cut up to that point. The general public didn't see it that way and the record met a cold reception. The album placed at #20 U.S. R&B, whereas the U.S. Pop #81 placement professed that pop audiences had returned to their dismissive opinion of Teena Marie. Two singles were pulled from the project: "Lips to Find You" (U.S. R&B #28) and "Love Me Down Easy" (U.S. R&B #76). The dance charts (surprisingly) showed no affection to "Lips," while R&B was stiff to the genuinely appealing "Love."<br />
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Promotional Video for "Lips to Find You" <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mKHn9CYfDeg" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Reasons? There were a few. Though R&B tended to embrace their acts eras aside, the genre still had a youth driven market. At 30, Teena Marie seemed old hat to some new ears. The urban danceability of <i>Emerald City</i> was <i>slightly</i> behind the ball in 1986. Black music had started another of its inexorable turns to broader dance characterized in freestyle, hip-hop, and house pioneered by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, etc. <i>Emerald City</i> book ended the mighty Minneapolis sound in its first incarnation. Had it arrived a year after <i>Starchild</i> in 1985, it may have found a wider audience.<br />
<br />
Guitar factored into <i>Emerald City</i> more than any other Marie album, but not so much that it earned the stature critic Chuck Eddy bestowed on it in his book, '91's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stairway-Hell-Chuck-Eddy/dp/030680817X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344114745&sr=1-1&keywords=stairway+to+hell">Stairway to Hell</a></i>. There, it was tagged with ninth place as "The Greatest Heavy Metal Album of All Time." All because of a scorching guitar solo by the late Stevie Ray Vaughn that closed "You So Heavy?" Electric as that solo was, it was tame compared to the heights scaled by the usual suspects in heavy metal.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWmllhXlHILvnNJUXBN_1F6tUOGiYH-XIt1AOzTPpvQ07WB57ak5JHLXVFgUEcQiWYfCa5wTUZrG7KgpRmOzAPLHv81MkKWhWVgOYulDzHe8cwFHVdqSP4hQPXCw7mVzMmrAPEaJFQeo/s1600/$%28KGrHqN,%21pkE7BcvhJ+hBP%219OkUKGg~~60_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWmllhXlHILvnNJUXBN_1F6tUOGiYH-XIt1AOzTPpvQ07WB57ak5JHLXVFgUEcQiWYfCa5wTUZrG7KgpRmOzAPLHv81MkKWhWVgOYulDzHe8cwFHVdqSP4hQPXCw7mVzMmrAPEaJFQeo/s1600/$%28KGrHqN,%21pkE7BcvhJ+hBP%219OkUKGg~~60_35.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backside of "Love Me Down Easy" 45" Single Sleeve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In times like these, what marked the zeitgeist of the period for people to classify or mislabel certain records? As a result of its relative commercial and <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/emerald-city-mw0000190931">critical failure</a>, <i>Emerald City</i> is still largely draped in literal shadow. Teena Marie rarely touched on it in interviews and historians write it out. <br />
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The follow-up, <i>Naked to the World</i> (1988), delivered the commercial goods to Teena Marie in her first R&B chart topper "Ooo La La La." The album owned a few tricks, but overall it was dreck done up designer. New Jack Swing had hit and Marie acclimated to it, the results varied from good ("Trick Bag") to messy ("Surrealistic Pillow"). The somewhat improved <i>Ivory</i> (1990) fell from the sales perch of <i>Naked to the World </i>and ended Marie's eight year run at Epic. Barring the independently issued <i>Passion Play</i> (1994), Teena Marie remained quiet for majority of the '90's. She returned in the '00's with a stream of safe recordings starting with the <span dir="auto">blasé <i>La Doña </i>(2004) and <i>Sapphire</i> (2006) on the Cash Money Classics imprint. Later, Marie signed to Stax/Concord for 2009's <i>Congo Square </i>that bore a stronger artistically aware vibe.</span><br />
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<span dir="auto">This year, via music critic mogul David Nathan's Soul Music label, <i>Emerald City</i> saw life again in remastered form in June. </span>Featuring liner notes, several instrumentals and 12" mixes, it tacked on two soundtrack gems from before and after <i>Emerald City's</i> genesis: "14k" from <i>The Goonies</i> (1985) and "Lead Me On" from <i>Top Gun</i> (1987). With that reissue, <i>Emerald City </i>is finally getting a chance to let listeners journey to a city where skin color didn't shut out the universal themes of unrequited love, unrelenting desire, and freedom. Five out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Emerald-City/dp/B0013AWWJ8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1344115093&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Teena+Marie+Emerald+City">standard version</a> of <i>Emerald City</i> is out of print, but as stated, the reissued version can be purchased from <a href="http://soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=3&T=36&ART=2552">Soul Music Records</a> directly or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Emerald-City-Teena-Marie/dp/B007XCH0UG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1344115093&sr=1-1&keywords=Teena+Marie+Emerald+City">Amazon</a>. It is also available digitally.-QH]<br />
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-44084489946149251482012-08-06T09:40:00.000-04:002013-03-02T22:12:26.530-05:00Happy Birthday Ms. Geri Halliwell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halliwell today</td></tr>
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Hailing from working class Watford, England, Geri Halliwell made up one-fifth of a defining female group in popular music: the Spice Girls. Along with Melanie's Brown and Chisholm, Victoria Beckham, and Emma Bunton, the Spice Girls hit the ground running with their cheeky, whip-smart pop tunes. <br />
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The drama that ensued after Halliwell's departure from the group in the spring of 1998 isn't unknown. It all ended up fine, <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2010/11/forever-spice-10-years-later.html">the Spice Girls went on as a four piece</a>, <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/10/melanie-c-northern-star-10-years-later.html">solo careers followed</a> sparked by Halliwell's own solo start in 1999. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_of_the_spice_girls">The Spice Girls formally reunited in late 2007</a> and wrapped their story on a high note. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/9357632/The-Spice-Girls-musical-girl-power-storms-back.html">Today, the Spice Girls music endures in many different forms</a>. Their legacy extends to the varied shapes of career paths each Spice Girl has carved out. Currently, Melanie C remains the sole active group member to continually release new music. Though Geri Halliwell has been inactive on the music front since 2005, her own discography is epic in its own right. Halliwell released three full length recordings: <em><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/06/schizophonic-geri-halliwell-10-years-on.html">Schizophonic</a></em> (1999),<em> Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</em> (2001), and <em>Passion</em> (2005). Two of the three long players met with commercial gains, <em>Passion</em> being the only one that was a disappointment sales wise at the time of its release.<br />
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Love her or loathe her, Halliwell's pop everywoman stature established her as the glamazon young women aspired to, gay men worshipped, and knowing (if embarrassed) music aficionados (silently) cheered for. Now, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagn8Wrmzuc">in the era of pop death we dwell in</a>, Halliwell's musical potency is being rediscovered. The enduring quality of her artistry, regardless of the limitation of her (pleasurable) husky tones, was that Halliwell knew how to dress her pop songs. Writing nearly everything she sang, her material sported a mixture of intelligence, sexiness, humor, and (good) camp that didn't sound like any other act hustling on the pop scene when she was active.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halliwell Through the Years</td></tr>
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As All Music Guide critic Jose F. Promis once remarked of Halliwell's music, "<em>This set (Scream If You Wanna Go Faster) is diverse, uplifting, and fun through and through, only the most hardened and cynical listener would be incapable of finding a song to tap their foot to."</em></div>
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Rumors have swirled, culminating this year, that Halliwell is considering a return to pop music. It's a different space than it was in 2005, now a mother, Halliwell has nothing to prove as her iconic place is secured. Yet, if Halliwell keeps her wits about her, the sky could be the limit. </div>
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Halliwell herself, via her second memoir <em>Just For the Record</em> (2003), humbly summed up her ethos as thus:</div>
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<em>"I love doing this (music). It's so cathartic just expressing where I'm at, which (in case you were wondering) is why I do it. Sometimes I get a little scared that I will be judged or criticised for being so honest and going on about myself. But actually, I have nothing to hide and in a way, I hope that when I share my experiences (good or bad), the message I will get across is that we're not alone in this thing called life. It's hard sometimes, it's funny, it's serious, it's ridiculous, but we're all in it together!"</em></blockquote>
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To celebrate Geri's 40th birthday, I've collected the nine singles from the three albums she has released. From "Look At Me" through "Desire," the trajectory of this clutch of pop classics will be examined. Happy Birthday to the one and only, Ms. Geri Halliwell.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Look At Me</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: May 10th, 1999</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: Remixes only</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #2</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Schizophonic</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: Halliwell's first single on her own was a sneering, jazzy, manic slice of runway attitude. On top of snapping horns, sampled bossa nova groove, Halliwell gave an aerobic vocal. The words of the track divided between clever commentary on opposite pairings and tearing down superficial perceptions. The middle eight contains a wacky funeral marching break that lends to the pop majesty of "Look At Me" which is all at once ridiculous, winning, and thoroughly Geri Halliwell.<br />
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Vaughn Arnell</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mi Chico Latino</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: August 16th, 1999</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "G.A.Y.," "Summertime"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #1</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Schizophonic</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: Adding her own take to the Latin pop craze that had taken the globe by storm in 1999, Halliwell contributed "Mi Chico Latino." The saucy cut brought to mind her self-confessed idol Madonna's own "La Isla Bonita". Whereas Madonna's cut relied on pathos that led to sensuality, Halliwell's cut dealt strictly in humid sexuality, tastefully.</div>
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<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>:<br />
<strong>"G.A.Y."</strong>: A slick, disco-pop anthem for her gay fan base that turned the simple acronym "good as you" into a rallying cry for independence and individuality.</div>
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<strong>"Summertime"</strong>: One of her strongest efforts, this psycho-sexual outcast played on analogies. Halliwell literally caught fire when she sang the line "<em>So dry your tears in the sun, burn your skin, we've just begun</em>". Dark and mysterious in equal doses.</div>
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Doug Nichol</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Lift Me Up</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: November 1st, 1999</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "Live & Let Die," "Very Slowly"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #1</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson, Tracey Ackerman</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Schizophonic</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong><em>: </em>A demonstration of Halliwell's penchant for slower fare and her pen's ability to craft genuinely moving works, "Lift Me Up" was plush. At this point, Halliwell's voice was still coming into its own, but she didn't lack for conviction. Much was made of the only "Solo Spice" chart battle between Halliwell and Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton's "What I Am," a pleasant cover of the Edie Brickel & The New Bohemians hit. Halliwell stole the pole position, while Emma received (graciously) the second place slot. Ms. Bunton would be rewarded with her own number one record in 2001, with "What Took You So Long?"</div>
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<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>:<br />
<strong>"Live & Let Die"</strong>: Halliwell's love of older pop was proven with her cover of Sir Paul McCartney and Wing's '73 James Bond film hit "Live & Let Die". Busy and dramatic, the track got away from Halliwell slightly, but her enthusiasm was no less contagious.</div>
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<strong>"Very Slowly"</strong>: A modish, urban growler, Halliwell vocally slinked and crept through the cut convincingly.</div>
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<strong>Directed</strong> <strong>By</strong>: Howard Greenhalgh</div>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: March 13th, 2000</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "These Boots Are Made for Walking," "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #1</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Schizophonic</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: The fourth and final single from <em>Schizophonic</em> was the best of the litter. The rhythmic, horn laced, glittery treat boasted some of Halliwell's best lyrics. The song, built for her seductive and sly vocal, presented the worn the "battle of the sexes" idea in a fresh and imaginative way.</div>
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<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>:<br />
<strong>"These Boots Are Made for Walking"</strong>: Returning back to the pop songbook of yore, Halliwell struck gold on this Nancy Sinatra hit. The arrangement stayed true to the original, which suited Halliwell's spiced approach perfectly.</div>
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<strong>"Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"</strong>: Reaching back (again) to Doris Day, Halliwell's delivery was spot on. Vintage and lively, she gave the cha-cha-cha backdrop of "Perhaps" an additional helping of salsa and made it her own. Of note, her former group mate Emma Bunton would also cover this Doris Day diamond on her third LP <em>Life In Mono</em> (2006).</div>
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<strong>Directed</strong> <strong>By</strong>: Dawn Shadforth</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>It's Raining Men</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: April 30th, 2001</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "Brave New World"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #1</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Paul Jabara, Paul Schaffer</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong><em>: </em>According to Halliwell, the recording of The Weather Girls camp classic "It's Raining Men," was done on the fly. It shows, in a good way. The vitality, immediacy, and accuracy of Halliwell's on target delivery made the song a surefire hit and relevant once more. "Raining" was included on the soundtrack to the film adaption of the Helen Fielding novel <em>Bridget Jones' Diary</em> (starring Renée Zellweger) and Halliwell's (then) upcoming second effort, <em>Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</em>.</div>
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<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>: <strong>"Brave New World"</strong>: On top of a rushing stream of lyrical psychology ("Ego! Bliss!") and electro cool, Halliwell unveiled the next phase of her musical travels on this nitro-fueled nugget.</div>
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Jim Canty & Jake Sebastian-Wynne</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: July 30th, 2001</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "New Religion," "Breaking Glass"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #8</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Rick Nowels</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: A stunning display of pop power the title track, and second single, from Halliwell's sophomore long player payed homage to fiesty '60's rock keyboards and trappings.</div>
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Lyrically, the song alluded to spiritual freedom, rebirth, and escape, her peppery vocals front and center. It's one of the truly underrated pop songs of the last decade.</div>
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<strong>B-Sides Synopsis</strong>:<br />
<strong>"New Religion"</strong>: Halliwell's '60's pop fetish didn't let up on this adventuring non-LP cut. Full of Beach Boys inspired guitar licks, hand claps, and pummeling percussion, Halliwell sparkled on this flirt of a song.</div>
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<strong>"Breaking Glass"</strong>: A mournful, tender opposite to "New Religion," Halliwell's introspective colors shone as brightly as her fluffier ones.</div>
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Jim Canty & Jake Sebastian-Wynn</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Calling</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: November 26th, 2001</div>
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<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "Getting Better," "Destiny"</div>
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<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #7</div>
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<strong>Writers</strong>: Geri Halliwell, Peter-John Vettesse</div>
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<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Scream If You Wanna Go Faster</em></div>
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<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: Autumnal and European, "Calling" stood as Halliwell's definitive moment as an artist. The song exemplified when Halliwell was left to her own devices, she produced the goods repeatedly.</div>
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<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>:<br />
<strong>"Getting Better"</strong>: "<em>I want attention, but not correction</em>." That line solidified Halliwell as the mistress of the stream-of-consciousness pop lyric on this thrift-groove b-side. Funny and touching all at once, Halliwell doled out advice and cheer with her spoon full o' pop sugar.</div>
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<strong>"Destiny"</strong>: Pert and perky in its disco-pop dolly lane, "Destiny" and its appeal rested solely on the easy vocal and quick hook it displayed.</div>
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Pierluca DeCario</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ride It</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: November 22nd, 2004<br />
<strong>B-Sides</strong>: Remixes only<br />
<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #4<br />
<strong>Writers</strong>: Ian Masterston, Josef Larossi, Andreas Romdhane, Geri Halliwell<br />
<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Passion</em><br />
<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: Two years after her last single and album, Halliwell hit the U.K. charts with "Ride It," a commercial surrender or restructuring? The unique acordion introduction, over which Halliwell harmonized beautifully, spilled into a general U.K. dance-pop romp. Not boring, nor exciting, it operated somewhere in the middle considering Halliwell's pop precision on past music.<br />
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Luca Tommassini<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Desire</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>Release Date</strong>: May 30th, 2005<br />
<strong>B-Sides</strong>: "True Love Never Dies"<br />
<strong>U.K. Position</strong>: #22<br />
<strong>Writers</strong>: Mathias Wollo, Terry Ronald, Henrik Korpi, Geri Halliwell<br />
<strong>Parent LP</strong>: <em>Passion</em><br />
<strong>Single Synopsis</strong>: "Desire," the second single from <em>Passion</em>, arrived in the late spring of 2005 and deserved a better fate than it received. It became her lowest charting affair to date. A daring mixture of an orchestral strike-up and a deep sea diving mechanism ping, Halliwell worked out the kinks in the layered seduction of "Desire".<br />
<strong>B-Side Synopsis</strong>: <strong>"True Love Never Dies"</strong>: A throwback to her '60's pop songbook musings, "True Love Never Dies" was an endearing ballad that was lovable, knowing adult schmaltz and sincerity.<br />
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Andy Marahan<br />
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[Editor's Note: Geri Halliwell's discography is in print <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Geri+Halliwell">physically & digitally</a>, and the prices for the physical discs are reasonable. For official & current information on Ms. Halliwell, visit <a href="http://gerihalliwellofficial.com/">Geri Halliwell Official</a>. Thanks to Andrew Bird for creating the Geri Halliwell montage art.-QH]</div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-61665390130161161482012-07-16T11:53:00.004-04:002012-11-13T10:28:37.159-05:00Oceanic Exploration: Frank Ocean's "channel ORANGE"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean in the depths</td></tr>
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Who isn't talking about this New Orleans originated upstart? <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/esther-armah/the-real-black-man-is-dead_b_1676873.html">With one confession of his bisexuality</a>, Ocean's (born Christopher Breaux) major label debut <em>channel ORANGE </em>(Island/Def Jam)<em> </em>is making waves. For a moment, if you remove the hype around his sexual orientation, it is clear that his debut is a product of several paradigm shifts in black music.<br />
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<em>channel ORANGE</em> isn't completely indebted to classic soul, nor is it so modern that it'd alienate an older audience. Its lineage can be traced back up and through the works of Prince and Stevie Wonder, who in turn influenced the likes of Erykah Badu and Maxwell; a sect of neo-soul members that defined the black music era roughly a decade ago. Their re-channeling and funnelling of older influences with their own set the stage for others to follow or break away from. <em>channel</em> <em>ORANGE's</em> main appeal is that it isn't trying to position itself to be regarded as "classic," "serious," or even "album of the year." The music itself happens to be strong enough to bring these ideas out in the audiences receiving the project. <em>ORANGE</em> puts the ideas of mainstream and underground R&B/hip-hop on its heads, and sends it spinning.<br />
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<em>channel ORANGE</em> is a difficult beast to tame with the ear. Deep, swirling, and subliminal, it requires returns to reach and search its murky depths. There are cascades of synths, discordant guitar feedback notes, smart samples (listen for the Playstation One start up chimes on "Start"). Once the listener embarks on the second to third listen, what comes to the surface is that Ocean has a voyeuristic and self-examining pen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean arcade style</td></tr>
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Songs like O<em>RANGE'S</em> nexus, "Pyramids," place Ocean as an observer to the fall of an ancient romance, which soon becomes an allegory for prostitution and love for said prostitute through the eyes of her pimp. The finger wagging soul-piano vamp of "Super Rich Kids" (w/Earl Sweatshirt) is brought across as a chastisement of <i><a href="http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/thelacomplex/">The L.A. Complex</a> </i>culture, something he clearly has lived and speaks on eloquently.<br />
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When Ocean is straightforward, the announcement of his same-sex attraction is poignant, beautiful, and (of course) tragic. Through "Thinkin Bout You," "Bad Religion," and "Forrest Gump" you can chart the reverse chronological flow of his journey. "Thinkin..." wields an odd blend of Kanye West flavored vocal cadence, but the mournful swells of the track keep it grounded in the lyrical narrative. "Bad Religion" is the requisite acknowledgement of sexual identity struggle strangling a fledgling romance. Lastly, "Forrest Gump," clutching to a bluesy, slow dance rhythm, is a tear inducing song that finds <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sylvester-mn0000756291">Sylvester</a> and <a href="http://auralexamination.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/keith-barrows-life-a-beautiful-song-unsung/">Keith Barrow</a> smiling down from heaven at their follower. Elsewhere, quirks hopscotch around, check the altered voice that cuts through at the end of the pseudo-tropical punch of "End/Golden Girl" or the pink-filled violin center that drops in from nowhere on "Sierra Leone."<br />
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With his handsome, unassuming vocal presence the record vibes at a frequency that's approachable to the Top 40 crowd, but will win discerning music fans. <em>channel ORANGE</em> has got everyone talking, from what generated it, to the music it contains. Importantly, and what is being missed, is that it's something wholly different to what came before it, or what will come after it. It's a product rendered out of the uncountable style switches of popular black music culture and one that will mark another twist in its story. Five out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: "End/Golden Girl" is only available on the physical copy of Ocean's new LP. For current information on Frank Ocean, visit him <a href="http://frankocean.com/">here</a>.]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-75214383415294306662012-07-05T16:08:00.000-04:002013-08-11T09:02:28.173-04:00Pop Noir: ABBA's "The Visitors" Revisited<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Visitors</em> LP cover, shot at Julius Kronberg's studio in Stockholm, Sweden</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Swedish quartet ABBA opened the 1980's with a sublime start in <em>Super Trouper</em>. Their seventh album continued their ongoing trend toward marked maturation without sacrificing their sublime poppiness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ABBA's mentioned sound growth evolved from the innocence that personified their initial post-Eurovision win. They accomplished this with <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2008/05/creative-light-of-abbas-album.html"><em>ABBA-The Album</em> (1977)</a>, a catalyst for their change and how ABBA continued to propel Euro-pop to new heights. As ABBA attained more success it took a toll on the interpersonal workings of the relationships that were core to ABBA's (marketable) appeal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before recording for their eighth album <em>The Visitors</em> started, Benny and Frida's separation landed a double blow to their '70's persona. Agnetha and Björn had preceded their groupmates in divorce around the <em>Voulez-Vous</em> (1979) period and commercially it hadn't shaken ABBA. </span>Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad all felt that ABBA could still push onward, despite their changing attitudes toward one another and the transforming musical climate.<br />
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Musically, their spirits were emboldened by the success of <em>Super Trouper</em> which had parlayed a portion of their stated personal ills into creative gold. <em>The Visitors</em> sought to achieve a similar balance, with Björn and Benny constructing the words and music for their former flames Agnetha and Frida to bring to life. Only a month after Benny and Frida's separation, the sessions began on March 16th, 1981 and concluded on November 14th, 1981. The wrap came just a few weeks shy of the album manifesting on November 30th, 1981. It would be ABBA's last record.<br />
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ABBA had been one of the few acts that transitioned seamlessly into the electronic ebb of the 1980's from the previous decade. Benny and Björn had never shied away from new technology and found ways to use it mutually with other organic sonics. That principal guided the overall vision of where ABBA's new album traveled. <em>Super Trouper</em> owned a mood swashed with occasional uptempo shifts, <em>The Visitors </em>however maintained a gloomy atmosphere. No strangers to story songs, ABBA sandwiched those along with telling songs that revealed the fragility of the group.<br />
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Political themes, specifically "Cold War" flavored, wove through the icy title track and the catchy cadence of "Soldiers." On the former, "The Visitors" featured an alarmingly claustrophobic vocal dressing the scene of a Soviet dissident under soon-to-be duress: <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>I hear the doorbell ring and suddenly the panic takes me. The sound, so ominously tearing through the silence. I cannot move, I'm standing numb and frozen among the things I love so dearly, the books, the paintings, and the furniture. Help me...</em></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQS0i3in3gHaIO7iHO3Tn7TsjenWSu-Gdj_iLKwvlkirZKJq_AQuO9LYYMLpK6NeKN5PeXpzK8TZhMSZ91PouQbpTsugft4K7WoftzujGj63MDPF7fBU_k56wB24MCQOWEemKhViQIt4/s1600/Headoverheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQS0i3in3gHaIO7iHO3Tn7TsjenWSu-Gdj_iLKwvlkirZKJq_AQuO9LYYMLpK6NeKN5PeXpzK8TZhMSZ91PouQbpTsugft4K7WoftzujGj63MDPF7fBU_k56wB24MCQOWEemKhViQIt4/s320/Headoverheels.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Heads Over Heels" single cover</td></tr>
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Adult narratives pulsed in other areas of the LP. The loss of childlike innocence ("Slipping Through My Fingers"), serenity in solemnity ("Like an Angel Passing Through My Room"), and boredom leading to sexual adventure ("Two For the Price of One") played out. Even the lightest fare of the record, "Head Over Heels," was undercut with a knowing, dark humor.<br />
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The music, lush and varied, utilized the synth style of the day tastefully as heard on the dark companion to "Thank You For the Music" in "I Let the Music Speak." "When All Is Said and Done," "The Winner Takes It All" of <em>The Visitors,</em> featured Frida in the lead vocal seat. The song allowed her to express her own ache over her dissolved union with former husband Benny: <em>"I know that we (Björn) talked it over, and Björn asked me if it was sometimes...too emotional to sing those lyrics. But I mean, that was also in a way a challenge."</em> Frida confided this in 1999 when asked about the track. Over the rushing music, Frida confidently handled the cut with care and candor that made for fascinating, if sad listening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ABBA, circa 1982 for <em>The Singles-The First Ten Years</em></td></tr>
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Four singles were pulled from <em>The Visitors</em>, each released in a variety of global territories**: "One of Us" (U.K. #3, Sweden #13, (West) Germany #1, Ireland #1), "When All Is Said and Done" (U.S. #27, U.S. Dance #7, U.S. A/C #10), "Head Over Heels" (U.K. #25, Ireland #10, France #10), "The Visitors" (U.S. #63, U.S. Dance #8).<br />
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The album itself placed respectfully on a plethora of charts around the world**: U.K. #1, U.S. #29, Japan #12, Sweden #1, France #12, AU #22, (West) Germany #1. The showings indicated ABBA held a decent grip on the general international market, barring America where they'd always come and gone. Critically, <em>The Visitors</em> was a complete triumph. <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-visitors-import-bonus-tracks-mw0000188860">Bruce Eder of AllMusic Guide pinpointed the personal changes of the ABBA as an inspiration</a>. Despite this, synth-pop, among a legion of other emerging trends, were galloping onto the musical landscapes. In fact, New Romantic darlings <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/dare%21-mw0000194181">The Human League's third, and seminal, <em>Dare</em> (1982) LP</a> uprooted <em>The Visitors</em> from its British chart perch. Soon, the "ABBA's old fashioned" spiel began. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDhzKtxmrmU">It didn't help that the group themselves were slowly tiring of working with one another</a>, but somehow they still felt the sparks of creativity between them. Work began on a tentative follow-up to <em>The Visitors</em>. It produced three amazing songs: "The Day Before You Came," "Under Attack," and "I Am the City." The first two tracks were tacked onto the end of a best of collection entitled <em>The Singles-The First Ten Years </em>(1982). They became ABBA's last two commercial singles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQgMktQKyY2xFut2K8lQTWPDFRC2-75eUprJSX3omNBxCSzwJaWy0CP_h-Ns_dtkQ7VEep9H7sPdsvxBdpHPywcb3SD4TPIkEQLF6AmVm3oUoOo7hY43oXm7UnGRlDGWlPsS9egoWpWM/s1600/ABBA_-_Under_Attack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQgMktQKyY2xFut2K8lQTWPDFRC2-75eUprJSX3omNBxCSzwJaWy0CP_h-Ns_dtkQ7VEep9H7sPdsvxBdpHPywcb3SD4TPIkEQLF6AmVm3oUoOo7hY43oXm7UnGRlDGWlPsS9egoWpWM/s1600/ABBA_-_Under_Attack.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single cover for "Under Attack"</td></tr>
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"The Day Before You Came," a tale of romantic release from everyday mundane prisons, worked in reverse. Delivered by Agnetha in a dim and lovely fashion, it came off melancholy versus joyful. "Under Attack" was a lean gem that placed ABBA directly in the contemporary climate, but (again) without losing their melodic sensibility.<br />
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"The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack," along with a set of prime quality b-sides "Should I Laugh or Cry?" (flipside of "One of Us") and "Cassandra" (flipside of "The Day Before You Came") appeared on the reissue of <em>The Visitors</em> in 2001. They fit perfectly into the bruising mood of the album. Subsequent b-side of "Under Attack" ("You Owe Me One") and the misplaced "I Am the City" appeared on the <em>Thank You For the Music</em> (1994) boxset and the <em>More ABBA Gold: More Hits</em> (1993) collection. ABBA's hiatus, never formally announced spread into the '80's as each member ventured into various endeavors. All four members had careers prior to ABBA, Frida and Agnetha sporadically carried on solo work in Sweden during the peak period of the group. The ladies had moderate success post-ABBA. Specifically, Frida finally cracked the U.S. market with her album <em>Something's Going On</em> (1982), produced by Genesis icon Phil Collins. The song "I Know There's Something Going On" penetrated the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (#13). Its parent album boasted songwriting from Per Gessle (soon-to-be one half of the fellow Swede pop duo<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roxette-mn0000298764"> Roxette</a> in the mid '80's) and a cover from the late, Donna Summer's lost album <em><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/im-a-rainbow-mw0000186606">I'm a Rainbow</a></em> (1981/1996) cut "To Turn the Stone".<br />
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Agnetha released two albums in the immediate wake of ABBA's dissolution, <em>Wrap</em> <em>Your Arms Around Me</em> (1983) and <em>Eyes of a Woman</em> (1985). <em>Woman</em> was notably produced by 10cc member, Eric Stewart. Björn and Benny continued to work together, leading up to a relationship with theatre wiz Tim Rice which produced their musical <em>Chess</em>.<br />
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"The Day Before You Came"
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<strong>Directed By</strong>: Kjell Sundvall & Kjell-Ake Andersson
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1HnOFwqpLRQ" width="420"></iframe>
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Nine years separated <em>The Visitors</em> and <em>ABBA Gold</em>, the hit best-of package that kick started the ABBA revival. Underneath all of the praise (ABBA were inducted into the notoriously fickle U.S. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010), ABBA's music continues to be the heart of their relevance. Every fan, and critic, has their period they love most in ABBA's history. However, there was something raw and honest in ABBA's latter work, <em>The Visitors</em> being an excellent example. Forty years after their first single "People Need Love," ABBA continually proves pop has a reach that other genres can only dream of. Five out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: **: Because of ABBA's literal global presence, not every chart statistic for their singles and this album could be represented in its entirety. A simple online search will reveal credible sources that detail ABBA's rich chart history through their 1972-1982 span. <em>The Visitors</em>, like all of ABBA's work, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=ABBA">is in print</a>. For any official information, past, present, & future, on ABBA, visit their <a href="http://www.abbasite.com/">official site</a>.-QH]<br />
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-56154257767710230742012-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:002012-11-14T14:01:35.194-05:00Art and Opinions Are Made to Clash: Common's "Electric Circus" Turns 10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from the video "Come Close"</td></tr>
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The Chicago born MC Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.), had been on the grind for a decade when his fifth recording <i>Electric Circus</i> manifested in the winter of 2002. With <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> (2000), Common had his first true taste of commercial acceptance.<br />
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That acceptance was sweetened by the fact that he didn't have to compromise his artistic muse to achieve it. The stage for <i>Electric Circus</i> was arranged for Common to continue to push the boundaries of hip-hop and what it could accomplish. The question <i>Electric Circus</i> ended up posing was if hip-hop evolution was as fashionable as it had been made out to be, and if Common (one of its many ambassadors) could survive being the scapegoat for its supposed excesses?<br />
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<b>The History</b><br />
Rising to prominence in 1999, a group of contemporary urban musicians formed a collective responsible for creating undeniable classics of that period. The Soulquarians, whose name derived from astrology, boasted the cream of neo-soul and hip-hop artists, producers, and session players. Members included Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, James Poyser,<br />
?uestlove (of The Roots), Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest), Bilal, D'Angelo, Common, and the late, prolific J Dilla.<br />
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Starting with '99's <i>Things Fall Apart</i> (The Roots), a rush of albums came out of this collective's camp: <i>Voodoo</i> by D'Angelo (2000), <i>Like Water for Chocolate </i>by Common (2000), <i>Mama's Gun</i> by Erykah Badu (2000), <i>1st Born Second</i> by Bilal (2001), and <i>Phrenology</i> by The Roots (2002). Of the six albums, five attained gold and platinum awards in the U.S.A. T<span style="background-color: white;">he Soulquarians were a small part in the larger curiosity of black music and its recurring obsession with the notion of '70's R&B/jazz resurrection. <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-03-19/news/0003190363_1_mos-def-michael-d-angelo-archer-bob-marley">While socially conscious hip-hop and R&B had cropped up at various intervals throughout the 1990's, by the end of the decade it had gotten its wind.</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Common himself had been one of those fresh faces to latch onto the birthing of expressive hip-hop with his Relativity Records era albums like <i>Resurrection</i> (1994) and <i>One Day It'll All Make Sense</i> (1997). Once he landed with MCA for his fourth LP, <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i>, Common's flows were tighter, his music grander, and his timing perfect for bridging the gap between taste makers, corner boys, and soul aficionados. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Despite gaining traction on the charts, Common wasn't satisfied to rest on that. His next move on </span><i>Electric Circus</i><span style="background-color: white;"> eyed progressive hip-hop in ways that his progenitors and followers could only imagine. </span><i>Electric Circus</i><span style="background-color: white;"> also acted as a profound statement on </span>Common's<span style="background-color: white;"> personal mindset, his romantic status (he was seeing </span>Badu<span style="background-color: white;"> at the time), and the limitations he wanted to break not just as an artist, but a man.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>The Record</b></span><br />
Community plays a big factor in hip-hop music and <i>Electric Circus,</i> as its title implied, had a large cast of major and minor characters. Common wrote on all the cuts, but the Soulquarians crew pitched in too: ?uestlove (production, drums, hand-claps), J Dilla (drums, Moog, keyboards), James Poyser (production, guitar), Erykah Badu and Bilal (backing vocals). Excusing the Soulquarians group, <i>Electric Circus</i> also benefited from a host of contributing individuals featured as guests: Marie Daulne (of Zap Mama), Vinia Mojica, Sonny Sandoval (of P.O.D.), Mary J. Blige, Laetitia Sadier (of Stereolab), Pharrell, Cee-lo, Jill Scott, Prince, and Pino Pallodino to name some.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvnPCCQwBs7p_vf9MlrR2yMMm89u532PyY3LC-Hdy4u7kgJ6QVC8LDM7Jc6eBqu_9e6Vet-d7JGqCUCX_v4maHsebGWJVNp9a-PhGdxm50UI_bQf3lGq71QoPwUI1Z4r82T04Uc9VuSo/s1600/Common-Come-Close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvnPCCQwBs7p_vf9MlrR2yMMm89u532PyY3LC-Hdy4u7kgJ6QVC8LDM7Jc6eBqu_9e6Vet-d7JGqCUCX_v4maHsebGWJVNp9a-PhGdxm50UI_bQf3lGq71QoPwUI1Z4r82T04Uc9VuSo/s320/Common-Come-Close.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Additional stills from the "Come Close" music video</td></tr>
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Recording commenced between 2001 through 2002, and the resulting efforts were mesmeric. <i>Electric Circus</i> substituted the jazzier sides of his last few records for futuristic bombast ("Soul Power"), ephemeral chill ("Star * 69 (P.S. With Love)"), and raging rock fits ("Electric Wire Hustler Flower").<br />
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"Electric Wire Hustler Flower," divided between a hammering, hollered chorus before diving into the verses where Common navigated through ghostly backing vocals with a frightening surgical air. Lines like "<i>Enter this game with tricks and envy, I forget the game to remain an emcee! Room in this mind that's still empty only fulfilled through prophecy!</i>" Common continued to make sure his voice was heard, but he kept his vision squarely on the psychological tip. His skills as a lyricist had not been lost in the quest for a broader sound. Elsewhere, music pooled into an indescribable whole, see the liquid shifts of "Aquarius." There were fun experiments like the '20's era Harlem big band of "I Am Music" that exposed the playful side of Common. Love blushed in the dapper duet of "Come Close," where Mary J. Blige colored the chorus with her saucy tones, or the aural sex of the previously discussed "Star * 69...".<br />
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Common also took on unthinkable challenges with "Between Me, You, and Liberation". Against a metamorphic backdrop (a repeating theme), Common spun three stories, one of sexual abuse, cancer related death, and a coming out story. Common, while not nearly as homophobic as some of his peers, allowed a smidgen of that influence to seep into his older work. Here, Common confronts and conquers his homophobia as his best friend not only comes out to him, but that friend overcomes his fear to be himself. It was a revolutionary lyric and moment in hip-hop culture, one not often identified for embracing the GLBTQ community.<br />
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The s<span style="background-color: white;">ongs ended with instrumental vignettes that ranged from tribal, jazz-fusion, and Minneapolis funk before leading to the next track. Excusing some </span>nonsensical silliness ("Jimi Was a Rockstar"), <i>Electric Circus</i> brimmed with artistic freedom and unobtrusive guests that let Common lead as the ringmaster, in charge of his own menagerie of music fancies.<br />
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<b>The Impact</b><br />
<i>Electric Circus</i> released on December 10th, 2002 amid a turbulent time. MCA Records was undergoing a change, it was being dismantled and absorbed into Geffen Records. While transitioning, the label didn't see a commercial future for the project and as a result the record immediately languished. <i>Electric Circus</i> placed #47 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Chart, while receiving a warmer reception at #9 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart. Only one single was pulled from the LP, "Come Close" (#65 U.S. Hot 100, #21 U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, #18 U.S. Hot Rap Singles). The scenario was disappointing after the win scored with <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> just two years before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single cover for "Come Close"</td></tr>
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Critically, the album met a better fate. <i>Village Voice</i> writer and mega music critic Robert Christgau lauded the album, giving it a solid "B" rating:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Sometimes brave men march off into the swamp and get seriously lost, so let's hope Captain ?uestlove and his s?uad remembered the DEET. Vocal flow's not the problem, and set to the beat-smart fusion-lite of Like Water for Chocolate, the humanity of the well-meaning poetry would probably outweigh all the forced similes and sentimental lapses. Outfitted in this music, however, Common's pretensions stand up and do jumping jacks.</i></span></blockquote>
Mark Anthony Neal of PopMatters captured the immediate sentiment of what <i>Electric Circus</i> stood for:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Indeed after a casual listen to </span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Electric Circus</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, one is likely to be surprised that the project got the green light, especially among folks so often caught up in how a project can be easily consumed for the M(B)T(E)V(T) crowd. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Electric Circus</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> is part of a conscious attempt by Common and his fellow travelers, like The Roots and Talib Kweli, to wrest control of the artistic vanguard within hip-hop. While Talib’s </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Quality</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> and The Roots’ </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Phrenology</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> break new ground for both acts, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Electric Circus</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> is clearly the most adventurous of the trio of releases.</span></i></blockquote>
There were the unimpressed, and they gave a mannered explanation to the resistance the general public had to the album, Nick Southall of <i>Stylus Magazine</i> shared:<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Not sure exactly what happened in the time since 2000’s excellent Like Water For Chocolate, but it appears to have had a rather odd affect on one Lonnie Lynn. Where before there was socially-conscious jazz-inflected hip hop born of a solid foundation of Tribe Called Quest and parental discipline, now there is...psychedelic rock? </i></span></blockquote>
Consensus splits down the middle today regarding the record and its long term stature in Common's work. Even those that normally wouldn't have embraced the emcee but did on <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i>, were put off by the edge of experimentation of <i>Electric Circus</i>. It'<span style="background-color: white;">s something common (forgive the pun) among a segment of the black populace. If something in the culture doesn't fit into a predetermined racial slot, throw it out. <i>Electric Circus</i> had become the sacrificial lamb to the larger pretensions of the now overcrowded realm of neo-soul and hip-hop. It also announced the (unofficial) end, or hiatus, of The Soulquarians clique. Common himself, of course, bounced back with <i>Be</i> (2005) with assistance/production from Kanye West. It became his biggest hit record to date.</span><br />
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"Come Close" featuring Mary J. Blige<br />
<strong>Directed By</strong>: Sanaa Hamri<br />
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Finger pointing has occurred for who, or what, caused the genesis for <i>Electric Circus</i>. Many attribute it to his time spent with Badu, but to pinpoint one person or period misses the point. <a href="http://vimeo.com/2104418">Common was influenced by a plethora of people, places, art, and things</a>. He was an active participant, at that junction, in a genuine movement known for change.<br />
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Willingly or not, if you become the figurehead to that kind of a movement, it can be easy to be lumped in with a group if it seems they're all doing the same thing. Yet, the energy that dances across <i>Electric Circus</i> makes it something wholly unique in the Soulquarians niche, as well as hip-hop, soul, and popular music in general. Its wild energy, its need to communicate and express the journey of a young man at a crossroads helps <i>Electric Circus </i>continually reach new audiences today. Those are the markings of a classic. Four and a half out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: <i>Electric Circus</i> is in print physically & digitally. For current information on Common, visit him <a href="http://www.thinkcommon.com/">here</a>.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-26354014742039223032012-05-22T21:26:00.000-04:002013-04-02T14:24:19.048-04:00Soft Revolution: Jennifer Lopez's "This Is Me...Then" Turns 10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alternate shot from the <em>This Is Me...Then</em> photo shoot</td></tr>
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2002 was a very good year for Jennifer Lopez. Sitting atop mass successes in film, music, and product endorsements, the Lopez brand was solid. Lopez's movie magic usually drew less detractors than her music musings did. Even with compelling songs like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYfkl-HXfuU&ob=av2e">If You Had My Love</a>," "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_66jPJVS4JE&ob=av2e">Waiting For Tonight</a>," and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuw-YZaTNo&ob=av2e">Play</a>" the parent records felt secondary, almost hobby-like.<br />
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Yet the mentioned collection of songs bore an undeniable artistry peeking around the corner of the unworthy album fares of <i>On the 6</i> (1999) and <i>J.Lo</i> (2000). Also at this juncture, alongside her monopolizing sweep in entertainment, Lopez had found love with actor Ben Affleck. It was out of this union that Jennifer Lopez created her first declaratory statement in <i>This Is Me...Then </i>(2002). The title, an immediate nod toward the past tense, sought to capture a moment in Lopez's life. <i>This Is Me...Then</i> ended up as the first of three recordings that'd (finally) bedrock Lopez as a real singer in her own right.<br />
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<b>The History</b><br />
The launch pad for <i>This Is Me...Then</i> was ripe for good fortune. The three years preceding Lopez's third set saw Lopez go from up-and-coming actress to pop superstar. Her debut <i>On the 6</i> and its follow-up <i>J.Lo</i> had gone on to multiple platinum certifications. Lopez rode into 2001 on the back of the remixed versions of her <i>J.Lo</i> singles "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny". The remixes tied Lopez into the (then) power amassing Murder Inc. hip-hop/R&B empire that produced Ashanti and Ja Rule. Rule himself appeared on both the remixes. The alternate sides featured on <i>J to tha Lo! The Remixes</i> that manifested in early 2002. It became the most successful remix album in the history of the American Billboard chart, and the first remix LP to claim the number one spot on said chart.<br />
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Lopez as an actress had only gained more traction. From 2001 through 2002 <i>The Wedding Planner</i> (which topped the film box office the same time <i>J.Lo</i> topped the charts), <i>Angel Eyes</i>, <i>Enough</i>, and <i>Maid in Manhattan</i> all kept Lopez prominent. In actuality, because of her omnipresence, Lopez could have sang the veritable phone book and it'd strike gold. Amid Lopez's hurried pace, she found the time to sit down and conceptualize her third player.<br />
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<b>The Record</b><br />
Even with her enthusiastic interpolations of R&B and hip-hop in her pop, Lopez's harshest critics usually argued that she lacked the conviction to pull off the material. The Bronx born Latina was 31 to 32 when <i>This Is Me...Then</i> was underway in its recording. This meant that she was 11 or 12, at least, in 1982 when New York City was teeming with new life after the often discussed post-disco blowout. The range of acts Lopez was exposed to had to be endless and varied, and she decided to use her third album as an out to explore those meatier musical leanings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outtake from <em>This Is Me...Then</em> </td></tr>
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Spurned onward by the fast-developing courtship to Ben Affleck, Lopez and longtime friend/producer Cory Rooney saw the chance to connect to her personae in an intimate fashion. Lopez co-wrote nine of the 11 cuts featured with additional assistance from Troy Oliver, Bernard Edwards Jr., Dan Shea, Trackmasters, Ron G., Dave McPherson, Rich Shelton, Kevin Veney, Loren Hill, and Reggie Hamlet. Before, Lopez had worked only in contemporary sounds, whereas <i>This Is Me...Then</i> managed a vintage, soft, sensual, and warming air.<br />
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Pockets of amber-gold hued woodwinds, strings, and horns flowered all over, equally natural and sampled. Lopez's sample choices were smart, at times familiar, and surprising: "Set Me Free" by Teddy Pendergrass ("Still"), "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume and "Never Give Up on a Good Thing" by George Benson ("Loving You"), "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" by Schoolly D. ("I'm Glad"), "You Are Everything" by The Stylistics ("The One"), "Very Special" by Debra Laws ("All I Have"), "Hi-Jack Enoch" by Light & The Light Brigade, "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions" and "Heaven & Hell is on Earth" by 20th Century Steel Band ("Jenny From the Block"), "Catch the Beat" by T Ski Valley ("You Belong to Me"), "Midnight Cowboy" by John Barry ("Baby I ♥ U").<br />
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Lopez was in fine voice, proving she had room to roam and showed massive improvement. She stretched on the yearning, morning after confessional of "Baby I ♥ U," and took to heartbreak hotel confines on a cover of Carly Simon's '77 <i>Boys in the Trees</i> hit "You Belong to Me". With the usage of the stated T Ski Valley groove "Catch the Beat," Lopez elevated the already jazzy side of the "You Belong to Me" and gave a supple, impeccable vocal.<br />
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Elsewhere, Lopez turned in lovely adult balladry in "I'm Glad," one of her unsung jewels. Lyrically, the themes were mature ("I've Been Thinkin'," "Again") and rewarded in their tale spinning spans. Only "Dear Ben," the obvious nod to her relationship with Affleck, poured on the syrup, but it was tasteful syrup. The colorful cool of "Loving You" relaxed, but the swagger of "Jenny From the Block" (with verses from MC's Jadakiss and Styles P) had Lopez (coyly) aware of her own mystique. Bobbing and weaving through the minty flutes, bursting sample shouts of her and Boogie Down Productions ("The Bronx!"), "Jenny From the Block" was the salt to the sugar of <em>This Is Me...Then</em>.<br />
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<strong>The Impact</strong><br />
"Jenny From the Block" led the singles, there would be four, from <em>This Is Me...Then</em>. Dropping two months before the album in September of 2002, "Jenny From the Block" smashed into the charts: U.S. Hot 100 #1, U.S. R&B #22, U.S. Latin Pop #25, U.K. #3, Canada #1, Australia #5. Playing to her already hip-hop configured singles previously, it was the blatant shoe-in for first single pick. <br />
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The three remaining singles from <em>This Is Me...Then</em>, two of which moved into early-to-mid 2003, were met with eager reception in U.S. and global markets: "All I Have" with LL Cool J (U.S. Hot 100 #1, U.S. R&B #4, Canada #17, U.K. #2, Australia #12), "I'm Glad (U.S. Hot 100 #32, U.S. R&B #19, U.S. Dance Music/Club Play #4, Canada #8, U.K. #11, Australia #10), "Baby I ♥ U" (U.S. Hot 100 #72, U.S R&B #55, U.K. #3).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from the music video shoot for "I'm Glad"</td></tr>
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Released on November 19, 2002 <em>This Is Me...Then</em> continued Lopez's hit streak with her albums: U.S Billboard 200 #2, U.S Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop #5, U.S. Billboard Internet #2, Canada #5, U.K. #13, AU #14, Oricon #19. The record eventually grabbed<a href="http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000781133#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000781133"> 2.5 million sales in the United States alone</a> (double platinum), and attained 6 million worldwide (Canada: double platinum, U.K.: platinum, AU: platinum). <br />
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There was a halving in Lopez's album sales, <em>J.Lo</em> placed platinum four times in the U.S., here <em>This Is Me...Then</em> did half those numbers. Far from a poor showing, the softening had two major variables at play. First, Lopez's switch into an overtly adult, wider pop sound (versus just dance or hip-hop) clearly confused the casual followers. Secondly, the fatigue of Lopez's media overexposure was slowly beginning to rear its head, and the latter singles from <em>This Is Me...Then</em> felt that pressure in America. <br />
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Critically speaking, Lopez had her detractors still, <i>Village Voice</i> writer Jon Caramanica comically opined: <br />
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<em>Jennifer Lopez</em><em> makes albums for the same reasons you and I give holiday gifts to people we don't exactly like: vanity and obligation. See, being a singer is what saved her from being a mediocre actress, which is what saved her from having to hotfoot and Harlem shake for the rest of her pre-osteoporosis life as a Fly Girl.</em></blockquote>
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That opinion couldn't even cede, rightfully, that Lopez had made an attempt to step forward in an big way. However, there were others who managed to lead the tide that showed improving critical favor for Lopez. <i>Slant Magazine</i> pop writer Sal Cinquemani stated: <br />
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<em>Jennifer Lopez makes a surprising step toward more adult-oriented R&B on her third studio album. This Is Me…Then mixes the old with the new to varying degrees of success and manages to find the right formula for Lopez's slinky vocal. Ripe with live instrumentation and stripped of the Latin-pop numbers that, though good, never seemed quite authentic, This Is Me…Then is more unified than its predecessors. Though Lopez's voice is best suited for dance-pop ("Waiting for Tonight" is still her best single), the album forsakes such pleasures for a richer, fuller sound. Lopez will no doubt earn a grain of respect from critics but the commercial cost is yet to be seen.</em></blockquote>
Cinquemani immediately recognized the creative victory won with <em>This Is Me...Then</em>, but also observed that commercially Lopez might lose ground. That she didn't completely care raised eyebrows. Jennifer Lopez? Making dares to show her expressive muscles? It definitely elevated the stakes.<br />
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"I'm Glad"<br />
<strong>Directed By</strong>: David LaChapelle</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The album wrapped around the time Lopez's 2003 film partnership with former beau Affleck,<em> Gigli</em>, was savaged in the press and box offices. The last single from <em>This Is Me...Then</em>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Baby I <span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";">♥</span> U," initially boasted intercut scenes from <em>Gigli</em>. When the film tanked, the video was re-released in its non-<em>Gigli</em> styled format. Lopez took a year sabbatical before returning with 2005's muddled and transitional <em>Rebirth</em>. A year separated that album and the two that finally rivaled <em>This Is Me...Then</em> for creative sparks: 2007's <em>Como Ama una Mujer</em> and <em>Brave</em>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Without <em>This Is Me...Then</em>, those two recordings never could have come to life. Lopez's need to risk, to let her music speak <em>for her</em> made her more than just a pale celebrity shade; it made her real.<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfrsx8dOe48"> In pop music that spirit and spunk is what keeps Jennifer Lopez as one of the last American pop figures to really matter and work at wanting to matter</a>. Four and a half out of five stars.-QH</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[Editor's Note: <em>This Is Me...Then</em> is readily in print in all physical and digital outlets. For current information on Jennifer Lopez, visit her <a href="http://jenniferlopez.com/">official site</a>.-QH]</span></div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-27564938139444210462012-05-17T20:26:00.001-04:002013-03-02T21:50:36.473-05:00Donna Summer: Black Gypsy Extraordinaire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer, circa <i>Donna Summer</i> era</td></tr>
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<i>"... And that's why I like to make a lot of different types of songs. Because I want to reach a lot of different types of people... I'm a rainbow. We're all rainbows, you know. We're made up of...we're complex. We're made up of a lot of different colors, and to say I'm only green, or only red, or only yellow is wrong."</i> <br />
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I'm not much for labels. In the strictest sense that is. I believe that labels can be a positive thing on one hand, because knowing who and what you are is important. It is a step that allows for you, me, or whomever to then shatter all preconceived notions that a label may hold. That was Donna Summer's strength, her contribution, and her legacy shared through her music.<br />
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While many will, and especially in the wake of her shocking passing, associate her with one decade and genre, Donna Summer at her core was a pop singer. <a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/shes-a-rainbow-a-tribute-to-donna-summer/">When I say "pop" I don't mean "popular music," but the genre of pop which is marked by dramatic, stylistic departures on each record</a>. The popularity of the artist may not hold up in a commercial sense, but the artistic license of the description I just stated doesn't expire.<br />
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It was Summer's pop frippery and dedication that caught the ears of this young, awkward teenager in the early 2000's. It took at least two years for me to understand the magnitude of Summer's gift, the scope of her sound. It has continued in an enduring love affair that has seen me collect every record of hers I could, write about her to expose her underrated moments to larger audiences, and just revel in the charge her music gives me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer, circa <i>Live & More </i>era</td></tr>
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Her beginnings could mislead the uninitiated. The Bostonian, one of seven children, may have gone directly into the traditional soul vein with her heavy church rearing. Summer confessed to hearing the voice of God telling her that she would one day be famous, but her journey was not to be the average one. Possessing a powerful instrument (<i>that voice</i>), Summer easily could have become another Aretha Franklin inspired imitator and how boring would that have been?<br />
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Instead she ended up in Europe after high school, becoming something of a theater circuit darling. Living there, she landed on the road to her debut recording <i>Lady of the Night</i> (1974). Scoring her first international hit with the high drama of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY5z3IX65Io&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL8328745AA86F7C00">"The Hostage,"</a> Summer quickly unveiled her second album <i>Love to Love You Baby</i> (1975) to American success. Its title track has gone on to eternal legend status.<br />
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After returning to the arms of her native America, Summer slowly built on the growing movement born from black music with a touch of European sophistication: disco. Her stream of underground classics swelled on albums like <i>A Love Trilogy</i> (1976), <i>Four Seasons of Love</i> (1976), <i>I Remember Yesterday</i> (1977), and <i>Once Upon a Time</i> (1977). With the soundtrack ruby "Last Dance" for the film <i>Thank God It's Friday </i>(1978), Summer had a timely segue into the mainstream disco explosion of the late '70's.<br />
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We all know the hits. The requisite four-on-the floor jams and even the revolutionary number "I Feel Love," the latter which gave birth to electronic dance music. Summer's best sides from this mentioned cluster of early recordings included the boogie woogie twister "I Remember Yesterday," the straight ahead soul of "A Man Like You," or the chilly chant of "Now I Need You".<br />
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My further digging unfurled Summer's '80's discography which revealed an electric selection. <i><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2010/10/donna-summers-wanderer-30-years-later.html">The Wanderer</a> </i>(1980), a brazen, defiant about face to her dance roots was jaw dropping. Its personal thematic precision set the standard for albums like <i>Impossible Princess</i> (1998) and <i>Ray of Light</i> (1998) by two women influenced most by Summer: Kylie Minogue and Madonna, both of whom I adore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer, circa 2011</td></tr>
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Her masterpiece cover of Jon & Vangelis' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPlNrP9B2Zs">"State of Independence,"</a> under direction of maestro Quincy Jones for her tenth platter <i>Donna Summer (</i>1982) is what made me the fan I've been since 2001.<br />
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I <i>heard</i> the raw gypsy spiritualism ensconced in the song. It rang through my psyche and heart. Donna Summer <i>spoke to me</i> in that song. I <i>listened </i>to her singing of places and ideas that could be conceived, I knew I could do and be what I wanted. I could explore the unknowns of the world. My romance continued, spurned on by the character driven approach Summer used when she sang. She never bludgeoned you into submission with her voice. Summer knew how to <i>read</i> and let the emotion, the narrative, <i>the idea</i> of the song lead her voice. Breathy, pulsing, staunch, vital any adjective you could think of Summer occupied. The sky writing heights of "All Systems Go," <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/03/all-systems-go-donna-summers-pop-peak.html">the title track to her 1987 album</a>, still makes me smile. The immediacy of <i>Another Place and Time</i> (1989) and the joyful patches on <i><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2008/05/summer-season-donna-summers-pop.html">Crayons</a> </i>(2008) found Summer fearless.<br />
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I've learned that this versatility draws the ire of standard black female singers, their fans and historians. Many quickly attempt to niche Summer into "disco" despite her abilities on display. It has made for fascinating study, especially when Summer had a nice number of R&B hits. While those black charters didn't outnumber her larger pop scores, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJ1wfkWD8A">when Summer was with her people, she always seemed genuine and enthused.</a><br />
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In addition to her songwriting skills, Summer remained unafraid to push boundaries visually as well. Whether posing as the black version of Marilyn Monroe on the inner jacket sleeve to <i>Four Seasons of Love</i>, or donning a blonde wig and leather bomber on <i>Mistaken Identity </i>(1991), Summer didn't prescribe to antiquated racial lines of beauty on either side.<br />
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<b>Summer Performing "Romeo" </b><br />
<b>From "A Hot Summer Night" T.V. Special 1983</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="301" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dwz2RnM-YMw" width="400"></iframe><br />
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I've had singers I've enjoyed pass away and any loss of life is a tragedy. Today was the first day I felt my heart truly break at the reception of the news of Donna Summer's death. To a fellow black gypsy like myself, Summer was more than just a mere disco legend. She was someone palatable that through her music connected with me, and others, who looked for acceptance outside of the smaller circles we were (and are) forced to (sometimes) move within. She made it okay for me to be an African-American who knew who he was, but not content to be boxed in by his own people.<br />
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She stayed true to her muse and often made efforts to share her journey. Sometimes this made her feverishly unpopular with fans, but those hip knew the deal and respected her directions. Donna Summer's love of expressing the human condition will be missed in her untimely removal from this Earth. Revisionism will continue to be Summer's worst enemy, and it is a shame, because her music has so much to give. The adventure, integrity, and spirit of the woman will be missed greatly too. Goodbye Donna, thanks for everything, I love and miss you girl.-QH</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-70484685178989334452012-05-10T20:18:00.000-04:002012-11-17T13:45:10.960-05:00Revisiting Deee-Lite's "Infinity Within" After 20 Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Dmitry, Towa Tei, Kier</td></tr>
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Three individuals, Dmitry Brill, Dong-hwa Chung, and Kierin Kirby drew together in the cultural axis of New York City to form Deee-Lite two decades ago. Known collectively by their respective stage names Super DJ Dmitry (production), Towa Tei (keyboards), and Lady Miss Kier (vocals) they blasted onto the popular culture lexicon with the super duper pop slap of "Groove is in the Heart" from their first album <i>World Clique</i> (1990).<br />
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Deee-Lite became <i>the</i> group to keep on pushin' dance music, which had gone through another of its many shifts, into a new decade. <i>World Clique</i>, a swanky collection of funk, disco, with hip-hop sample know-how clutched a pop fetishism that snagged casuals and snobs. Deee-Lite crossed over into the mainstream charts but kept their underground dance scene credibility. Deee-Lite encapsulated the (later) emergent trait of the 1990's: that catch-all embrace of pre-existing musical sounds, in retrospect, putting them far ahead of the curve. That advancement doomed them to the fate of "one-hit wonder-dom" and revisionist cruelty. At the time, they were a glaring oddity, dance floor hedonists who flung their skills in the faces of the dominating forces of West Coast hip-hop, grunge, and New Jack Swing.<br />
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Majority of the active pop purveyors of the time (Michael Jackson, Madonna, Paula Abdul) were adopting the harder sides of the mentioned dominant popular music styles (<i>Dangerous</i> 1991, <i>Erotica</i> 1992, <i>Spellbound</i> 1991). Nonplussed, Deee-Lite plowed their own path that was decidedly freer and poppier on their second offering 1992's <i>Infinity Within</i>. <br />
<i><br /></i><i>Infinity Within</i> was bigger, bolder, and brighter than <i>World Clique</i>. A cementing of their pop niche that had them, like <i>World Clique</i> before it, borrowing from the best parts of the '70's, and working with the best talent around. On board to join Deee-Lite as they steered their sophomore vehicle included Speech (of Arrested Development), saxophonist Maceo Parker (of Parliament-Funkadelic), guitarist/vocalist Bootsy Collins, and Michael Franti (of Disposable Heroes).<br />
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The above list was just the "star power" side, the musicians and vocalists troupe included: Fred Wesley (brass), Bernie Worrell (clavinet), Catfish Collins (guitar), Satoshi Tomie (piano), Robin Lobe (percussion), Misha Masud (tablas), Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Danny Madden, Sahirah Moore, Zhana Saunders, Sheila Slappy (background vocals).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single cover to "Runaway"</td></tr>
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Under Deee-Lite's guidance, the assorted talent assisted in erecting a powerful album that cut between carefree concerns and socio-economic issues. The fun sides were contagious and giddy. Opening with Bootsy Collins declaring "Skinnybackmonkeyandhitme!" on "Heart Be Still," the surefire jungle groover dipped, swerved, <i>and</i> curved.<br />
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The polished house finish in the lead single "Runaway" was sleeker and serrated (something they'd pick up on their third, and final, album '95's <i>Dewdrops in the Garden</i>). "Runaway" pulled at the listener, even those looking for another "Groove is in the Heart".<br />
"Two Clouds Above Nine" was a jittery shuffler, "Electric Shock" misled in its title as the song was all calm intonations and ice cream cool. The barely there sweetness of "I Won't Give Up" platformed Kier as an adroit stylist that held her own vocally. The flirtacious creamery in "Pussycat Meow," an aural come-on that Kylie Minogue herself would've killed to have owned, playfully seduced.<br />
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On the deeper sides, "I Had a Dream I Was Falling Through a Hole in the Ozone Layer" worked over gospel organs, sampled and authentic funk steam, and presented progressive politics versus empty rhetoric. Their brand of activism was kooky on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTwu5UIbVmk">"Vote, Baby, Vote"</a> (tapped as an advertisement for the 1992 U.S. Presidential Election), and at times severely danceable and serious on "Fuddy Duddy Judge." "Fuddy Duddy Judge" in particular was an excellent mash-up of Michael Franti's alert raps and Kier's jump roping croons. The layered, often to hypnotic effect, sonics placed Dmitry and Tei as acute tunesmiths that knew how to apply rhythms and weird noise widgets ("I.F.O (Identified Flying Object)") or slip into chill-lite plastered corners ("Love is Everything").<br />
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A pop record with a message? It appeared Deee-Lite was ambitious, and rightfully so, <i>Infinity Within</i> a rare beauty and a beast of musicianship. It also heralded firsts in the music marketplace, being one of the initial "digi-pak," or paper sleeve, CD's released. In one of the obnoxious and mean twists of industry fate, the album met indifference. <a href="http://allmusic.com/album/infinity-within-r59031">Critically, some said it was accomplished, but reached too high</a>. Fans have tended to be kinder to <i>Infinity Within</i>, granting it status of Deee-Lite's best work.<br />
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<b>Deee-Lite's MTV Interview for <i>Infinity Within</i></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VaCdZ09LYw8" width="300"></iframe><br />
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Elektra Records, Deee-Lite's label, not knowing how to market a record that courted both escapism and introspection contributed to the commercial floundering of <i>Infinity Within</i> (#67, U.S. Hot 100). All of the singles ("Runaway," "Thank You Everyday," "Pussycat Meow") from <i>Infinity Within</i> went on to become massive club storms (hits) and kept them hot on the touring circuit.<br />
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Only one more album appeared, the dancier, but no less captivating <i>Dewdrops in the Garden</i> in 1995 as mentioned. They pulled in another member at this time, Ani Schempf (DJ Ani), who replaced Towa Tei who departed after this, Deee-Lite's third album, to go on to a lucrative solo run. Both Dmitry and Kier moved further into DJing professionally after Deee-Lite's dissolution and remain revered figures on the club scene today. Looking back, especially with the success of lesser imitators (sorry Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry), Deee-Lite were light years up on things. <i>Infinity Within</i> endures as a lost anthemic recording that captures what humanity does best, reflecting and partying. Five out of five stars.<br />
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[Editor's Note: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=deee-lite#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Deee-Lite&rh=n%3A5174%2Ck%3ADeee-Lite">Deee-Lite's catalogue is in print, digital and physical formats equally</a>, however <i>Infinity Within</i> is only available new digitally. However, decent copies (conditions vary due to its paper sleeve nature) abound in used record stores for decent prices where yours truly found a clean copy.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-27688093698525361472012-05-01T21:13:00.001-04:002012-12-26T19:00:43.618-05:00A Decade of Amerie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amerie <i>Essence</i> Magazine Photo Shoot, 2009</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was the summer of 2002 when D.C. native Amerie Mi Rogers scored her first hit "Why Don't We Fall In Love," and roped in every conceivable R&B listener. Ten years later, Amerie is one of the few, the finest, the (sadly) undervalued women in black music. Her initial recording home, Columbia Records, would release her first three albums: <i>All I Have</i> (2002), <i>Touch</i> (2005), and <i>Because I Love It</i> (2007). <i>Because I Love It</i> did not see an American release until the early fall of 2008.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amerie currently rests her hat at Island/Def Jam. There, she unleashed her fourth long player <i>In & Love War</i> (2009). Her fifth album under the Island/Def Jam umbrella <i>Cymatika Volume 1</i>, to be preceded by <i>The Prelude EP</i>, are due to manifest sometime this year. Both projects are no doubt stalled due to label static. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Said label problems are the undisputed factor that has held Amerie back from larger commercial gain and exposure. However, where her commercial clout has been lacking, creatively her abilities can't be questioned. At the beginning she was merely an extension of her mentor/producer Rich Harrison, and became the true lightning rod for the ongoing go-go music rediscovery of the 2000's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">With <i>Touch</i>, her second album, Amerie took control and wrote majority of that record. From <i>Touch</i>, Amerie has written, arranged, produced, selected the producers and guided the arc of her music. The <i>Amerie sound</i> is something undeniably joyful, artistic, and vibe-alicious. For women in popular R&B music, such a multi-layered creative conscience is unheard of. Amerie's mastery of the art of sampling also cannot go without mention, making her one of the best singers to reinterpret established material within her own work. In celebrating Amerie's four previous platters across 10 years, it's her integrity that's reason to cheer. As long as Amerie's compass is set to her truth, come what may, her legacy will be secure.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">All I Have</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date</b>: 7/30/02</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Album Placements</b>: U.S. R&B #2, U.S. Pop #9</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Singles</b>: "Why Don't We Fall In Love?" (U.S. R&B #9, U.S. Hot 100 #29, U.K. #40) "Talkin' to Me" (U.S. R&B #18, U.S. Hot 100 #51)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Notable Producer</b>: Rich Harrison</span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Notable Samples Included</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Miroslav Vitous "Synthesizers Dance," Emerson, Lake & Palmer "From the Beginning"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amerie started off with a sturdy set of friendly bangers and ballads, courtesy of producer Rich Harrison. Harrison had been an up-&-coming producer, but with Amerie as his canvas he finally managed to make a name for himself. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Harrison making that name for himself was a major proponent to the weakness of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">All I Have</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, as the album spins as a production showcase for Harrison's fluid, if overtly perfumed soul. Amerie didn't have an identity outside of the being the crooner for the tasteful, but uninspired sonics. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amerie's voice, a lemon spritzed stunner, is an acquired taste. Heard here, it is in its rawest form. If one wades through the sleepier moments of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">All I Have</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, there are a clasp of classics available. The wispy lead single "Why Don't We Fall in Love" is sweet and genuine. "Talkin' to Me" has a familiar narrative (unrequited love), yet it isn't any less lush in its scope. "Need You Tonight," a humid seduction of the ear, rounds out the mentioned trio. Regardless, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">All I Have</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> gave Amerie her springboard for future albums, those great moments were just around the bend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why Don't We Fall In Love"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Director</b>: Benny Boom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sELR5SLXABI" width="455"></iframe></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Touch</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date</b>: 4/26/05</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Album Placements</b>: U.S. R&B #3, U.S. Pop #5, U.K. #28</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Singles</b>: "1 Thing" (U.S. R&B #1, U.S. Hot 100 #8, U.K. #4), "Touch" (U.S. R&B #95, U.K. #19)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Notable Producers</b>: Rich Harrison, The Buchanans, Dre & Vidal, Lil' Jon, Bink!, Bryce Wilson, Red Sypda</span><br />
<b style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Notable Samples Included</b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">: The Meters "Oh, Calcutta!," Jean Carne "You Are All I Need," Roy Ayers "Searching," Earth, Wind & Fire "Evil"</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Out of nowhere in 2005, after what seemed like a miniature eternity, Amerie reintroduced herself. A feverish composition called "1 Thing," which Amerie wrote, made epic use of The Meters cut "Oh, Calcutta!". It became her biggest hit and epitomized the continual popular music obsession with the D.C. born style of go-go. It's surprising to know that her (then) label Columbia didn't see the commercial appeal of "1 Thing," and (at first) attempted to sully the release of the song. Where Columbia and Amerie were concerned, it was a sign of things to come. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Rich Harrison was on board again, but it was Amerie who handled the heavy lifting in writing nearly every song on </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Touch</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Additional production muscle also added to the curves of the record, so the issues of </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">All I Have's</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> sameness did not pop up. </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Touch</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> banked a stronger set of songs, and though none of the uptempos matched "1 Thing" in its potency ("Talkin' About" worked up a good sweat) they still grooved. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The ballads that drove </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Touch</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">: "All I Need," "Falling," "Just Like Me," and her Carl Thomas duet "Can We Go" (whose usage of Earth, Wind & Fire's "Evil" flowed like water) saw Amerie using that unique voice in refreshing ways. Forgiving the obnoxious nod to the crunk'n'b tip in the title track, Amerie had arrived (officially) as the brave new voice in R&B in the 2000's.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">"1 Thing"</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> <b>Director</b>: Chris Robinson</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Because I Love It</span></b></td></tr>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Release Date</b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">: 5/14/07 (U.K.), 9/30/08 (U.S.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Album Placements</b>: U.K. #17</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Singles</b>: "Take Control" (U.S R&B #66, U.K. #10), "Gotta Work" (U.K. #21, U.K. R&B #6)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Notable Producers</b>: Amerie, Lenny Nicholson, Bryan Michael-Cox, The Buchanans, Cee-Lo, Quran Goodman, Destro, One Up, Chris & Drop, Bink!, Curtis "C-Note" Richardson, Mike Caren, Kore & Bellek</span><br />
<b style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Notable Samples Included</b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">: Bob James "Farandole," Kool & the Gang "Give It Up," Malcolm McLaren "World's Famous," Curtis Mayfield "Make Me Believe," Hall & Oates "You Make My Dreams," Mighty Dog Haynes "Hold On, I'm Coming," Tom Zé "Jimi Renda-Se," Willie Hutch "Mother's Theme (Mama)," James Ingram & Patti Austin "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," Khaled Hadj Brahim "Didi"</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>Synopsis</b>: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">No Rich Harrison, no problem. At this juncture Amerie had an exact vision for where she wanted to guide her next musical journey. On </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Because I Love It</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">, Amerie enlisted several of the producers from </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Touch</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">, along with new faces to lay out the junior record. The most present member of the production crew was Amerie herself, who took to writing, production, and arranging tasks on several of the tunes. Her ascendancy was heard in her reworking of Curtis Mayfield's "Make Me Believe," (the title remained the same) with a new set of lyrics and plenty of her vocal flair. </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Because I Love It</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> radiated with a natural confidence and sense of adventure, genres aside. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Amerie had her own go-go get-ups this time around on the sassy salts of "Hate2loveu" and "Gotta Work," both great entries into the sound she helped put on the scene. Elsewhere, there were funky stabs at '80's freestyle ("Some Like It"), fresh neo-Quiet Storm ("That's What U R"), and just plain sexy, smart R&B treats ("Crazy Wonderful," "Take Control"). She reached a bit too far on "All Roads," which in the shadow of the astounding "Paint Me Over" paled, but the effort was applauded. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">The record did not get a chance to prove its mettle Stateside. Columbia Records inexplicably pushed back the release of the album by a year. By the time the record received its U.S.A. debut, Amerie had dissolved her brief partnership with Columbia Records. </span><a href="http://allmusic.com/album/because-i-love-it-r1073906" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">One of the stand out R&B recordings of the last decade</a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">, the record did find life in the United Kingdom, and notched up critical and fan acclaim in the U.S.A. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">"Take Control" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Director</b>: Scott Franklin</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Love & War</span></b></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Release Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">: 11/3/09</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Album Placements</b>: U.S. R&B #3, U.S. Pop #46, U.K. R&B #29</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Singles</b>: "Why R U" (U.S. R&B #55), "Heard 'Em All" (U.S. R&B #81) "More Than Love,"* "Dear John"*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Notable Producers</b>: Amerie, Lenny Nicholson, The Buchanans, Warryn Campbell, Bryan Michael-Cox, Sean Garrett, Eric Hudson, Jim Jonsin, Jonas Jeberg, Karma, Rico Love, Teddy Riley, TrackNova, M-Phazes</span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Notable Samples Included</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">: Kool & the Gang "Summer Madness," Ultramagnetic MCs "Ego Trippin'," Melvin Bliss "Synthetic Substitution," Mint Condition "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Synopsis</b>: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Amerie's move to Island/Def Jam, a label at this time not renowned for viewing their roster as artists but commodities, worried fans. Along with the return of several Amerie production favorites, herself included, and a veteran (Teddy Riley), there were very </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">specific</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> producers along for the ride to bring </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">that</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> commercial sheen. On tracks such as "Swag Back" and "Dear John," Amerie worked to find herself in ordinary material, and even had a few uneven moments of her own ("The Flowers"). </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Yet somehow, </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">In Love & War</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> satisfied and surprised in equal measure. Removing the mentioned hiccups, </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">In Love & War</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> played well, in its best cuts it was downright spectacular. Live instrumentation abounded on "Higher" and "Dangerous," courtesy of the snarling guitarists Francesco Romano and Sean Windsor. These rich colors, among other musical layers, kept Amerie's music established as flavorful fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Teddy Riley, the New Jack Swing superstar, co-stewed over the opener "Tell Me You Love Me," a popping number that saw Amerie in complete command of her vocal facilities. The rumbling "Heard 'Em All" rode a rougher terrain than her pleasant double duets "Pretty Brown" (with Trey Songz) and "More Than Love" (with Fabolous). Ballads remained cornerstones, and whether heartrendingly honest ("Different People") or sensuous ("Red Eye"), Amerie hadn't lost her touch. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Of course, muted commercial success (despite a resurgence at U.S. R&B) sank the album. </span><a href="http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/amerie-in-love-and-war/1898" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Critically, it was another winner for her</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">, a true victory considering its mentioned uneven portions. Her accruing such accolades in the music reviewing realm kept her apart from other urban starlets. </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">In Love & War</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> embodied its title by pushing back against label meddling, and letting her formula stay her own.</span><br />
<i><i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></i></i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">"Why R U" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Director</b>: Ray Kay</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Editor's Note: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=AMERIE#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Amerie&rh=n%3A5174%2Ck%3AAmerie" style="font-family: inherit;">All of Amerie's recordings are in print</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, and available at most music retailers, physical or digitally. Apologies for the competing </span>Youtube<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Daily Motion clips, certain videos were only available on certain mediums. *Chart positions for those singles marked with the </span>asterisk<span style="font-family: inherit;"> unable to be located. Visit </span>Amerie<span style="font-family: inherit;"> at</span><a href="http://www.ameriie.com/" style="font-family: inherit;"> Ameriie Official</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> which includes links to her Twitter, </span>Facebook<span style="font-family: inherit;">, and </span>Tumblr<span style="font-family: inherit;"> pages.-</span>QH<span style="font-family: inherit;">]</span></span></div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-66663553552658273432012-04-10T21:36:00.000-04:002013-05-16T09:40:46.560-04:00Soul Start: Janet Jackson's Debut Turns 30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Janet Jackson, literally, bounded onto the global musical stage, it was in a (slightly) precocious fashion. Her uncertainty, while apparent, was masked by her gleaming professionalism, a killer smile, and surprisingly astute vocal talent. Jackson charmed immediately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone could assume Janet Jackson's music career was assured due to her lineage. Her being "a Jackson" no doubt opened many doors, but it wasn't a guaranteed ticket to lasting impact or success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Jackson "arrived" in 1986 with her third album <i>Control</i>, to her uninitiated audience (whites), she had finally stepped out of the Jackson 5's shadow. The reality is that her tentative trek began in 1982 on her demure debut <i>Janet Jackson</i>. Without the diminutive success of <i>Janet Jackson</i>, the seeds that flowered on <i>Control</i> and beyond would not have taken root. Now, 30 years after Janet Jackson's first musical statement, The QH Blend examines the flicker of <i>Janet Jackson</i> that turned to a flame.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The History</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Janet was the youngest of the Jackson clan and despite appearing in two of the Jackson television specials (in 1973 and 1976), she didn't see herself as an entertainer. Later, an audition with television executive Norman Lear led to Jackson appearing on a slew of shows: <i>Good Times</i> (as Penny Gordon, 1977-1979), <i>A New Kind of Family</i> (as Jojo Ashton, 1979-1980), <i>Diff'rent Strokes</i> (as Charlene Duprey, 1980-1984), <i>Fame</i> (as Cleo Hewitt, 1984-1985). Jackson had stated many times that after she realized her gift/comfort with acting that she wanted to pursue it, but also decided to move into business law too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her remarkably grounded approach seemed to fit, but just a few years before Jackson's turn into television work she'd experimented with music. Clearly music was a part of her upbringing, she'd been featured singing background on many of the family projects. In fact, if one were take into consideration the amount of records released by each Jackson (alone or together) between 1969 through today, the Jackson's have placed hundreds of singles and albums on a swath of charts around the world. By the time Janet released her debut in 1982, almost all of her family had released a record of their own, making her one of the last of the Jackson's to record an album.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBzXckTYsn9IE2dYZQ-0RUkt92-MlHMb3F3wsXETjkr_KkUWiMQ7ZLCOtPSTZKSP3l2vVd4qvZAZ3EGwRfeZ_ZaXeYb4OCHkpDqRjGOlVYJZ-8jgoMDEqmHVlN3ZDcHKMhv1a26ZHpKQ/s1600/JANET-JACKSON-1982-PHOTO-SHOOT-janet-jackson-21585779-242-208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBzXckTYsn9IE2dYZQ-0RUkt92-MlHMb3F3wsXETjkr_KkUWiMQ7ZLCOtPSTZKSP3l2vVd4qvZAZ3EGwRfeZ_ZaXeYb4OCHkpDqRjGOlVYJZ-8jgoMDEqmHVlN3ZDcHKMhv1a26ZHpKQ/s1600/JANET-JACKSON-1982-PHOTO-SHOOT-janet-jackson-21585779-242-208.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jackson shared in her semi-memoir, 2011's <i>True You</i>, about her first independent musical venture: "<i>I wrote my first song when I was nine, it was called "Fantasy". I wasn't self-conscious, because I didn't take it that seriously</i>." Jackson recorded herself and forgot about the track, later discovered by her brother Randy and her father Joe. When both of them realized Janet produced "Fantasy," Joe Jackson knew it was time for his daughter to move into music, much to her dismay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">During Jackson's already hurried schedule on <i>Diff'rent Strokes,</i> she inked a deal with A&M Records. Assembly earnestly began on her eponymous debut under her father Joe Jackson's shrewd guidance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Record</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the early '80's, black music was at one of its many crossroads. The drop-away in disco had created a slight diaspora, on the other end R&B's musical soil was far from salted. The white mainstream persona non grata attitude toward black dance didn't mean it died, it flourished, taking on a host of new influences. In particular, many R&B acts were making use of new studio technology, taking cues from power pop and punk, and hip-hop was amassing strength with each passing month. MTV was about to blow open music altogether, genres aside, especially with her brother Michael's aid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was in this period that Jackson, at 16, was being groomed to make her mark. A&M quickly put together a who's who of black music taste and talent. From the production/songwriting end, duties were split between René Moore, Angela Winbush, and Leon Sylvers III. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The former were one of the hottest urban duo's in the early '80's with LPs like <i>René & Angela</i> (Capitol, 1980) and <i>Wall to Wall</i> (Capitol, 1981) which featured their compositions. They handled the first side of <i>Janet Jackson</i>. The latter, Leon Sylvers III, was just as prolific. A member of the popular family crew The Sylvers, he went onto to become a major producer at Solar Records, home to acts like Shalamar and Lakeside. Sylvers handled the second side of <i>Janet Jackson</i>, and brought along a few of his talented siblings into the session work areas.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Said session musicians included: Jeff Lorber (synthesizers), Andre Fischer, Paulinho Da Costa, and Emund Sylvers (percussion/drums), Jerry Hey (horns), Bobby Watson (bass), Marlo Henderson (guitar), Jerry Weaver and Foster Sylvers (rhythm arrangers), and Ben Wright (string arranger) to name some. Further, Jackson's vocal back-up was solid with contributions by Howard Hewett (of Shalamar), Phillip Ingram, Patricia Sylvers, and Dana Myers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Often referred to by some as "the pink <i><a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/07/still-off-wall-30-years-later.html">Off the Wall</a></i>," <i>Janet Jackson</i> actually bore no contributions from any of her family. The <i>Off the Wall </i>(Epic, 1979) comparison is understandable as it drew from a similar place of rhythm and blues tempo elevations, but wasn't on the same level of iconic stature as that of her brother's masterpiece. That said, Jackson's debut was floor filling, playfully innocuous, and with its few sewn in tricks, <i>Janet Jackson</i> was a black teen dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobWfDe-8ef8v2i5IsT3A6dqdOV0HxfLldqIz-C488w9-5P5tDVQVV52JXRED7Zg2DW1aCmEQhp6QD9e_NZFvVZUhwnLIF-u6CHG6Nscf9Smtiy7YmuYiCpBR914BRgJxiVy7CW3jca3g/s1600/comegiveyourlovetome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobWfDe-8ef8v2i5IsT3A6dqdOV0HxfLldqIz-C488w9-5P5tDVQVV52JXRED7Zg2DW1aCmEQhp6QD9e_NZFvVZUhwnLIF-u6CHG6Nscf9Smtiy7YmuYiCpBR914BRgJxiVy7CW3jca3g/s320/comegiveyourlovetome.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">The opening salvo "Say You Do" shimmered with a bountiful Jackson in full voice. The original vinyl release version differed from the extended mix featured on the compact disc pressings. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Either way, "Say You Do" was a slice of tarty groove. Additional entries into this field included the pressurized funk-fizz contained in "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing," the sprightly "Young Love" and "The Magic is Working."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Echoes of "When I Think of You" could be heard in the "scat-over-percussion" break in "You'll Never Find (A Love Like Mine)," an exceptional number from Jackson's debut. Again, her vocal performance here was at its brightest hue, its feverish youth contagious and adept. The black new wave pulse and pound of "Come Give Your Love to Me," with its off center beats and guitar, gave a level of maturity not expected so early in Jackson's career. Such fusion experiments would become hallmarks in her work later on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The only misfires included the syrupy slower numbers "Love and My Best Friend" and "Forever Yours," all of which could have appeared on her brother Michael Jackson's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hello-World-Motown-Solo-Collection/dp/B002F184BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1334076845&sr=1-1">pre-Epic era solo work at Motown in the early '70's.</a> Jackson didn't seemed to be tuned into these slower numbers, showing no signs of the balladeer she'd become further on. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the whole, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Janet Jackson</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was a succinct and accessible vehicle to endear herself to a younger audience, but without alienating adults in the process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Impact</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zPhP00RHyhZ8gPPyHXdaOwWHYf1pM2WMGSdyHYyGOEfAlu1bT68GL2nqck9oSs9mV9OB7MV6gtK_wuZFaUyVXm-54DFzqdpVN_5Pic3m5_HuEZyMU0F-r_DQqHY52AHJNq-3nYN8Khs/s1600/JANET-JACKSON-1982-PHOTO-SHOOT-janet-jackson-21585777-233-299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zPhP00RHyhZ8gPPyHXdaOwWHYf1pM2WMGSdyHYyGOEfAlu1bT68GL2nqck9oSs9mV9OB7MV6gtK_wuZFaUyVXm-54DFzqdpVN_5Pic3m5_HuEZyMU0F-r_DQqHY52AHJNq-3nYN8Khs/s1600/JANET-JACKSON-1982-PHOTO-SHOOT-janet-jackson-21585777-233-299.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">When <i>Janet Jackson</i> arrived on September 21st, 1982, she was only one of her four siblings that had albums circulating on the market in 1982: <i>My Special Love</i> (Polydor) by sister LaToya, <i>Let Me Tickle Your Fancy</i> (Motown) by brother Jermaine, and (of course) <i>Thriller</i> (Epic) by brother Michael.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">While Michael's platter went on to reshape popular music culture down to the atom, modest successes were bestowed to LaToya and Jermaine, especially on the ever-loyal R&B charts. Janet's album fell somewhere between LaToya and Jermaine's humble returns and Michael's stratospheric heights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Janet Jackson</i> spun off five singles starting in July of '82, finalizing a year later in July of '83: "Young Love," "Come Give Your Love to Me," "Say You Do," "Love and My Best Friend," and "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing." The combined U.S. Billboard chart statistics<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 19px;"> </span>for three of the five of Jackson's first singles was impressive: "Young Love" (#6 R&B, #64 Pop), "Come Give Your Love to Me" (#17 R&B, #58 Pop, #30 Dance Music/Club Play), and "Say You Do" (#15 R&B, #11 Dance Music/Club Play). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Appearing on popular music shows such as <em>Soul Train</em> and <em>American Bandstand</em>, Jackson gave her first enthused performances, even then the consummate show woman. Jackson also did an impromptu performance of "The Magic is Working" on </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Diff'rent Strokes</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in character as Charlene Duprey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">A popular African-American paper, <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2tAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xAIGAAAAIBAJ&dq=janet%20jackson%20album&pg=4787%2C1963392">The <em>Baltimore Afro-American</em>, favorably reviewed the album in October of 1982</a>, and captured the overall sentiment of the <i>Janet Jackson</i> project. When the dust had settled, <i>Janet Jackson</i> placed at a respectful #63 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and scored higher at #6 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Jackson's elevated placings on the R&B charts evidenced Jackson's affinity with her people, <a href="http://www.billboard.com/column/the-juice/the-top-50-r-b-hip-hop-artists-of-the-past-1004127916.story#/column/the-juice/the-top-50-r-b-hip-hop-artists-of-the-past-1004127916.story?page=5">one that continues to this day</a>. The totals for <i>Janet Jackson</i> still remain unaccounted for, possibly due to having to be re-certified by A&M Records, which the label has to pay out for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Janet Jackson Performing "Say You Do" on Soul Train, Circa 1982</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="274" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_Cx8s7vokZU" width="360"></iframe><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jackson continued to move onward as a recording act and actress, <i>Dream Street</i> appearing in 1984. Jackson scored another two hits with "Don't Stand Another Chance" (#9 R&B) and "Fast Girls" (#40 R&B). Notably, "Fast Girls" was produced and written by Jesse Johnson, a member of the Minneapolis funk group The Time. It marked the first connection between Janet Jackson and the sound she became intertwined with from her third long player <i>Control</i> onward. Her cohorts, later to be longtime co-creators, were The Time defectors Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The legacies of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Janet Jackson</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Dream Street</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> were given new life when Jackson, at the behest of longtime fans, revisited the hit singles live from both albums on her fifth concert tour </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Rock Witchu</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in 2008. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">Janet Jackson<span style="font-style: normal;"> as an album stood as a girlish, wide-eyed glance into a much simpler, but no less compelling Janet Jackson. </span></em>It also laid bare where her roots took to ground and have not relinquished despite her ability to crossover to a larger pop <em style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-style: normal;">constituency. Those that argue that Jackson is a "pop" singer are sadly mistaken. Jackson's debut proves that she never forsook where she came from, it was always right there. At the beginning. Three and a half stars out of five.-QH</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em><br /></span><em style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: normal;">[Editor's Note: </span>Janet Jackson<span style="font-style: normal;"> has long since been out of print physically. It is available digitally via iTunes or any other digital music outlet. The physical copies circulating can be found online or in some used music stores (where I acquired mine). The cost can range, as seen here on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Janet-Jackson/dp/B000002GGH/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1334103080&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> page listing for the album. Visit Jackson at her official site: <a href="http://www.janetjackson.com/">Janet Jackson</a>.-QH]</span></span></em></div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-78390233038810081052012-03-28T22:23:00.000-04:002012-11-11T15:06:22.428-05:00Make 'Em Nervous: Macy Gray Reveals "Covered"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzLGMA7c9aStOTCmct4DkXAEeWaErHqn0sFccbrmhtwTBk130_1PBDx26X7k33yGkqTW-SxeAWzjaL0_n8bMQ6nuAwCp6EgasxeAurcRy4bepDftXoewJHsQRZ_K7IMJOfyWFnxc-Tj0/s1600/Macy+Gray+PNG+(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzLGMA7c9aStOTCmct4DkXAEeWaErHqn0sFccbrmhtwTBk130_1PBDx26X7k33yGkqTW-SxeAWzjaL0_n8bMQ6nuAwCp6EgasxeAurcRy4bepDftXoewJHsQRZ_K7IMJOfyWFnxc-Tj0/s320/Macy+Gray+PNG+(2).png" width="320" /></a>When Macy Gray appeared in the popular music sphere, it was at a time when black music was undergoing another of its many changes.<br />
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Neo-soul had started to burn in 1999 when Macy Gray's debut <i>On How Life Is</i> connected to a larger audience (read: white). Gray's amoeba-like soul absorbed a range of styles without losing her R&B center. She had the attention of pop and urban listeners.<br />
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Her abilities set her immediately apart from her female peers Erykah Badu, Angie Stone, and Jill Scott (who dropped her first LP in 1999). Such traits possessed in abundance proved to be Gray's undoing in the sense that it painted a picture of her as a novelty. Macy Gray as an artist couldn't be any farther from that distortion. It didn't stop her from being boxed by the mainstream, limiting her commercial clout. Undaunted and starting in 2001 with her second, and wild, album <i>The id</i>, Gray continued onward to new musical peaks: <i>The Trouble With Being Myself</i> (2003), <i>BIG</i> (2007), and <i>The Sellout</i> (2010).<br />
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All of those records destroyed any notion of "neo-soul" limitation, Gray walked on as a special songwriter, voice, and presence. Here we are in 2012 and have been greeted with Macy Gray's sixth album <i>Covered</i>. As the title implies, it is a covers project. Despite the sneers and sighs of annoyance, covers have been around as long as the popular music empire started erecting its spires in the '40's and '50's. Big business as it is today, covers are often a blow to an artist. The songs are too obvious, the production too sanitized, and often a stop gap for a lack of creative flow. Yet, cover projects often announce that an artist has arrived at a specific plateau in their career. They've earned the right to pay homage to their heroes, so to speak.<br />
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Behind the Scenes of <i>Covered</i><br />
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How did Macy Gray avoid the "covers trap" and inherit a time honored tradition? Easy (!), she followed her gut as a listener and shared <i>her</i> musical love with her audience. The cast of characters on <i>Covered</i> include: "Here Comes the Rain Again" (Eurythmics), "Creep" (Radiohead), "Smoke Two Joints" (The Toyes & Sublime), "Teenagers" (My Chemical Romance), "Nothing Else Matters" (Metallica), "Sail" (Awolnation), "Maps" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), "Lovelockdown/Buck" (Kanye West & Nina Simone), "Bubbly" (Colbie Caillet), and "Wake Up" (Arcade Fire)".<br />
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The collection of artists and songs suggest that <i>Covered</i> is not a garden variety of common picks like "Fly Me to the Moon" or "My Cherie Amour." Bart Howard and Stevie Wonder this ain't. No stranger to handling material not her own, Gray has tackled classics by Aerosmith ("Walk This Way") and Prince ("Girls & Boys") deftly. Here on <i>Covered</i>, Gray paired with producer Hal Wilner and got down to formulating the sound of the album.<br />
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Said sounds are cool, fun, but pensive seeing Gray's voice still retaining its scratchy veneer. As heard on her previously mentioned albums, Gray's voice has a colorful span for her to play in. The double opener of "Here Comes the Rain Again" and "Creep," presented as electro-dirges, has Gray sketching in muted restraint, but with an obvious yearning. In other areas, Gray turns "Wake Up" into a sunny, but experienced tale of life, love, and pain, and steps into "Maps" and "Teenagers" with gusto. The latter is lyrically re-tweaked and comes from the side of a mother versus the teenagers, her humor comes through her singing style effortlessly.<br />
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Elsewhere, Gray's friendly (romantic?) duet on "Bubbly" with actor Idris Elba is clever, but it's her medley mash-up of "Lovelockdown/Buck" that is remarkable. Placing West's words over Simone's '67 jazz arrangement, the swirls of hip-hop and contemporary soul make for a posh treat. Here, Gray's confidence in her coffee colored tone, down to her phrasing and inflection, shows her creating a brand new song out of two separate ones.<br />
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Additional praise falls to the clutch of interludes that space out the LP. Three traditional spoken-word breaks ("La, La, La (Teaching the Kids)," "The Power of Love," and "Mel Rap") are included, two featuring Gray's own teenagers. As nice as those are, the three remaining interludes with comedian J.B. Smoove ("You Want Them Nervous"), Nicole Scherzinger ("I Try Is Cool and All, But..."), and M.C. Lyte ("Really?") are hilarious plays on Gray's own fame and lack of accessibility.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZZS4KI7-i1Hs3xeMy3LexSvaMxBRY7F8Y1PXXf-3u138QfM-EobAV4lbJ8O9SQH7xHRDg_gS_j87rge0jUCEOj2miU8z7BHu5GThOTgdrjqvKhRXq8QHNq08PXfSwDP7OMXIgrsAEt4/s1600/Macy+Gray+PNG+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZZS4KI7-i1Hs3xeMy3LexSvaMxBRY7F8Y1PXXf-3u138QfM-EobAV4lbJ8O9SQH7xHRDg_gS_j87rge0jUCEOj2miU8z7BHu5GThOTgdrjqvKhRXq8QHNq08PXfSwDP7OMXIgrsAEt4/s320/Macy+Gray+PNG+(1).png" width="320" /></a></div>
Particularly, J.B. Smoove's statement that people need to be scared of Macy (he suggests using a sword to keep her audience in check whilst performing).<br />
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Scherzinger's suggestions that Gray change her vocal styles to that of Britney Spears, Alanis Morissette, and Shakira (complete with imitations) is belly ache inducing, as is her play-feud with MC Lyte. Gray's new album completes her cycle and moves her music forward. She remains one of, if not, the leading lady removed from the neo-soul cache, as a bonafide progressive R&B superstar. Five out of five stars.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: <i>Covered</i> is available now, current news can be located at <a href="http://www.macygray.com/">Macy Gray Official</a>.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-21682462927688765302012-03-25T21:15:00.012-04:002012-12-26T15:39:13.753-05:00The "MDNA" of Pop Returns: Madonna's Latest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eM1deTn7bEe_devPxzPGW3YIci2_yx1jzMsquDZ7A8ylr4nRyXxLCXr4B4fggPHSd0lPIXw-OBXdvvUVyUvJKAoW6GbQ4jb8zhnqh3WR5JSxeSDi2GTWYbAk8orWVMs7gLivBOZeusw/s1600/Madonna%252BMDNA%252B3%252BPNG.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723980168216894962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eM1deTn7bEe_devPxzPGW3YIci2_yx1jzMsquDZ7A8ylr4nRyXxLCXr4B4fggPHSd0lPIXw-OBXdvvUVyUvJKAoW6GbQ4jb8zhnqh3WR5JSxeSDi2GTWYbAk8orWVMs7gLivBOZeusw/s320/Madonna%252BMDNA%252B3%252BPNG.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 241px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>The reception of Madonna's 13th long player <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> will depend on the type of Madonna fan that's listening: "the drone" whom will salivate over anything she releases, "the ironic one" that is "knowing" of Madonna's (supposed) "thrift" qualities, and "the discerning." The last fan tends to understand what the core of Madonna's artistic premise is. Here is a woman who piloted her career by precipitating (or tastefully acclimating) to trends without sacrificing her personal muse. Walking the line of creativity and commercialism isn't easy, but Madonna did it for a lengthy period. <span style="font-style: italic;">Confessions on a Dance Floor</span> (2005) promised an entertaining level of veteran security and for awhile all seemed to right. <span style="font-style: italic;">Hard Candy</span> appeared in 2008 and things weren't the same afterwards. Madonna was pandering, she'd lost her confidence, her awareness of self and subsequent greatness. <span style="font-style: italic;">Hard Candy's</span> need to please, to conform, had proven every critic that had lambasted Madonna as a pop music icon correct. To make it worse, the album's need to bow hadn't even given it the sales streak it desired.<br />
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With <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span>, Madonna seems to acknowledge, for the first time, that she may have made a mistake musically. With the depth of desolation defining the popular music landscape, Madonna can neither lead or follow in 2012, so instead <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> is both a defensive and offensive album.<br />
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A cross section of the talent working alongside Ms. Ciccone on <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> include (but are not limited to): Benny Benassi, William Orbit, Martin Solveig, Klas Åhlund, The Demolition Crew, Free School, Jimmy Harry, Nicki Minaj, and M.I.A. Orbit has the most history with Madonna, he assisted on 1998's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray of Light</span> and singles "Beautiful Stranger" and "American Pie." Benassi has been making rounds for sometime in the popular music spheres with works for Kelis ("Brave") and Chris Brown ("Beautiful People"). Jimmy Harry has collaborated in pop with a range of women: RuPaul, Lisa Loeb, P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Vitamin C, and Kylie Minogue. <br />
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Somewhere between abandon and introspection, <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> spins its sonic tales. The disturbing, if slightly self-serving "Gang Bang" is dark, smoldering, and abrasive. "Gang Bang" brings to mind the dim dimensions of <span style="font-style: italic;">Erotica </span>(1992)<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>and for the discerning, ironic, and the drone, this will elicit cheers. The lyrical content of "Gang Bang," concerns of a jilted lover, informs the bulk of <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgza0mUXAeVgo06zztvedlU4a0HrvV1uqYoE_k1q5HJWGBubCEA1zrDQzAyrtMOb2Qh4m1m_ajTFEiwucX3ebnpEGOC2SUUPEVMDmJb5RrX1f7EiXfk6Fn_aQPc41p5_I5PSid4dBkDKM/s1600/Madonna%252BPNG.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724006632764061586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgza0mUXAeVgo06zztvedlU4a0HrvV1uqYoE_k1q5HJWGBubCEA1zrDQzAyrtMOb2Qh4m1m_ajTFEiwucX3ebnpEGOC2SUUPEVMDmJb5RrX1f7EiXfk6Fn_aQPc41p5_I5PSid4dBkDKM/s320/Madonna%252BPNG.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>Frustration (credited to her divorce from Guy Ritchie perhaps?) can be heard throughout songs such as "I'm a Sinner," "I Fucked Up," and "I Don't Give A..." (featuring Nicki Minaj). As a lyricist, Madonna has had upward mobility with each project. Here, two of the three mentioned cuts find their respective words collapsing under the weight of the idea. <br />
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With a pass issued to the sapid "I'm a Sinner," it's a shame that Madonna's former ability to deal with heavier ideas was lost on <i>MDNA</i>. Had she tapped into the fearlessness that characterized <span style="font-style: italic;">American Life</span> (2003), these songs would have stung instead of chafed. There are reasons to cheer. Lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is amazing, a reappraisal highlights its needling new wave guitar spunk. The spunk of "Luvin'" is a much better musical catch than the mindless synth surge of the second single "Girl Gone Wild". Features from Minaj and M.I.A., while placed just so, don't add anything to "Luvin'," Madonna herself could have carried the track. When did Madonna require a feature, two times over, to lead off her own record? (A rhetorical statement.) Pleasant oddities "B-Day Song" (featuring M.I.A.), "Best Friend," and "I'm Addicted" melodically curve, skip not stomp, and magnetize. They make a case that Madonna is not quite ready to go into that good night as her detractors surmise.<br />
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"Masterpiece," the Golden Globe winning theme from Madonna's directorial debut film <span style="font-style: italic;">W.E.</span>, is an aromatic ballad throwback. Songs like these act as proof that Madonna is as compelling on refined pop emotions as much as she is at dance music moods. "Love Spent" and "Falling Free" further Madonna's ballad bank, an element (excusing <span style="font-style: italic;">Hard Candy's</span> "Miles Away") missing from her work of late. "Falling Free," a clean number brings the focus back to the richness Madonna's voice has accrued through the years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIBCTMkYeCh4bvM5cam0_VoXIPlx5TSHRFBwy2VOJGYOanUPyGKORTYZrZgkCxmxmtVyWlE1qwlY_ImuWLdOBDG4Ul-uTUfOskcjMnbWQxBuL-RBSy85yC0Uy50coMKEp4KxWclkOjGE/s1600/Madonna%252Bgmayl.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724006977145256066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIBCTMkYeCh4bvM5cam0_VoXIPlx5TSHRFBwy2VOJGYOanUPyGKORTYZrZgkCxmxmtVyWlE1qwlY_ImuWLdOBDG4Ul-uTUfOskcjMnbWQxBuL-RBSy85yC0Uy50coMKEp4KxWclkOjGE/s320/Madonna%252Bgmayl.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 216px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>As a whole, <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> is Madonna reaching back to the peaks of <span style="font-style: italic;">Confessions</span> (see the thick pop-funk of "Turn Up the Radio"), but in other areas Madonna is perfunctory. To be fair, sameness is a hallmark of an icon because even in the changing sands of pop, people want reliability. For Madonna, the stakes are high because instead of sticking to her guns, she (briefly) relinquished her art. Never let them see you sweat is a mantra embraced in the last six years by her contemporaries. Gloria Estefan (<span style="font-style: italic;">90 Millas</span> 2007 & <span style="font-style: italic;">Miss Little Havana</span> 2011), Cyndi Lauper (<span style="font-style: italic;">Bring Ya to the Brink</span> 2008 & <span style="font-style: italic;">Memphis Blues</span> 2010), and Kylie Minogue (<span style="font-style: italic;">X</span> 2007 & <span style="font-style: italic;">Aphrodite</span> 2010) have been enjoying their age without being limited by it.<br />
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"Give Me All Your Luvin'" featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: MegaForce<br />
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If Madonna can get comfortable in her skin again, the better sides of <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA's</span> energy will encompass her next record. Even at half strength, Madonna reigns as the Queen of Pop. Three stars out of five.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: The edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span> reviewed was the two-disc deluxe version. See <a href="http://www.madonna.com/">Madonna.com</a> for current information on Madonna.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-36428385177232140232012-03-20T19:29:00.004-04:002012-12-30T20:24:18.264-05:00The 16 Blue-Eyed Soul Paladins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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R&B is “cred,” musically speaking. Next to rock music, the offspring of R&B, rhythm and blues is taken very seriously among its fans and performers. It's the aural-blood of blacks, passed down for its people, by its people. Skepticism runs amok when one who isn't black attempts to don the form of R&B. There are a select few of the Caucasian persuasion that have pulled off the major R&B coup.<br />
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Every singer listed here has either given homage to, or integrated, black music into their sound. These artists shine above the rest in executing this merger of sounds and cultures, transcending the messy color lines still present in popular music. The list is presented in chronological order as to when the artist, as they're known, entered the popular music sphere. It's not based on the importance or superiority of one over the other. This piece, in its entirety, is dedicated to the memories of Dusty Springfield, Teena Marie, Maurice & Robin Gibb.<br />
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#1. <strong>Dusty Springfield</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1964</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0WWH4qBoB_01ckUmeStL1w8a8Hf1MjhRALaZNbdHPXx_D0kEzu8i4-wYsqiYKnp_97jgNnDygJ9KsXRom-jVQqTWlGufq7yJNgiY9SukUjYX1pDk8T0VR3S-VVQm-W1U9VFtuX0vIA4/s1600/BES12.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592217166281382706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0WWH4qBoB_01ckUmeStL1w8a8Hf1MjhRALaZNbdHPXx_D0kEzu8i4-wYsqiYKnp_97jgNnDygJ9KsXRom-jVQqTWlGufq7yJNgiY9SukUjYX1pDk8T0VR3S-VVQm-W1U9VFtuX0vIA4/s320/BES12.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 276px;" /></a>Mary O'Brien, later Dusty Springfield, stepped out of the frilly family folk act of The Springfields to become the first of her kind, a blue-eyed soul singer. She sojourned to Memphis, Tennessee, the capitol of Stax, to record the legendary <em>Dusty in Memphis</em> (1969). That album cemented Springfield's legacy of importance in the movement of white singers authentically singing black music. Springfield burned brightest in the mid-'60's toward the early half of the '70's. With a voice that was gutsy or pensive, Springfield could sing anything. She recorded infrequently in the remainder of the '70's and '80's before returning with <em>Reputation </em>(1990) and <em>A Very Fine Love</em> (1995). While breast cancer claimed the vocalist in 1999, her music lives on.<br />
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"Bring Him Back" from <em>Where Am I Going?</em> (1967)<br />
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Recommended Listening: <em>Where Am I Going?</em> (1967)<br />
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#2. <b>The Bee Gees</b><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1965</b><br />
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Brothers Maurice, Barry, and Robin Gibb emerged from Australia to become one of the biggest recording acts in popular music history. Before that, they had humble beginnings as a tasteful Beatles inspired vocal harmony group in the early '60's. After procuring several pop hits with "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," 1975 became a watermark year. It was then that the group charted new waters: R&B. From 1975 through 1979 The Bee Gees released <i>Main Course</i> (1975), <i>Children of the World</i> (1976), <i>Spirits Having Flown</i> (1979), and the soundtrack companion to the film <i>Saturday Night Fever</i> (1977). These records were crowned for their creamy, authentic grooves. Scoring many R&B hits, The Bee Gees became one of the groups to usher disco into mainstream music periphery. After the '70's wrapped, The Bee Gees continued to record hit records into the next three decades and became producers for others. With the recent passing of Robin Gibb in May and Maurice in 2003, Barry is all that remains of the Gibb empire. The Bee Gees reign has a multitude of treasures, their foray into R&B being a highlight.<br />
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"Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" from <i>Main Course</i> (1975)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xgDbE6WOyws" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <i>Spirits Having Flown</i> (1979)<br />
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#3. <strong>Hall & Oates</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1972</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9Hdq7QxHlmpz2r-qmapolvelM0hVKLn9T5a7hX5RGu8NYT5MvLLyBPQGGWBt937RNFDQ1xaT0KHczHRNykvhgGiD9a-cxNNhjfPVL0gwLT9oWZVwUsblIYqPHT47T0F9nVf1gf21g4g/s1600/BES6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592221213030454850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9Hdq7QxHlmpz2r-qmapolvelM0hVKLn9T5a7hX5RGu8NYT5MvLLyBPQGGWBt937RNFDQ1xaT0KHczHRNykvhgGiD9a-cxNNhjfPVL0gwLT9oWZVwUsblIYqPHT47T0F9nVf1gf21g4g/s400/BES6.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 255px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 170px;" /></a>Daryl Hall and John Oates hailed from another famous hotbed of black music, Philadelphia. Coming together as partners in writing, singing, and later producing, they followed behind the soft shift in R&B informed by The Delfonics and The Stylistics. What made their material powerful was its daredevil blends of other genres with the “Philly Sound.” When they took control by producing their own work, they continued to even more astounding victories. Later to be named "the most successful recording duo" by <i>Billboard</i>, Hall & Oates’ career has spanned four decades and counting. <br />
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"Wait For Me" from <em>X-Static</em> (1979)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tZTCxL-v1x4" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Bigger than Both of Us</em> (1976)<br />
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#4. <strong>Teena Marie</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1979</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGgwTkTZ_Cjhz3xyiCXY7hACCkJdkHqYQMeIZm10IjoR2uPfA_zDb0j45yuWlF-5JP2fDeOUoIOFPOtzKQVW3jb_N-BIrZyxE57Nf6r6aNZQjbhnjHtvOZqzK5Z_XqcnPedTQBflCOCg/s1600/BES3.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592991330098924402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGgwTkTZ_Cjhz3xyiCXY7hACCkJdkHqYQMeIZm10IjoR2uPfA_zDb0j45yuWlF-5JP2fDeOUoIOFPOtzKQVW3jb_N-BIrZyxE57Nf6r6aNZQjbhnjHtvOZqzK5Z_XqcnPedTQBflCOCg/s320/BES3.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 260px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>Mary Christine Brockert, later Teena Marie, subverted Dusty Springfield's iconic position by becoming the first white R&B artist. Under the tutelage of funk pioneer Rick James, Marie graduated to arranging, producing, and composing all her own work in 1981. Marie enjoyed success with her literate works and an unmistakable voice until she passed away just a day after Christmas in 2010. Her last offering <em>Congo Square</em> (2009), showed her undiminished talent, one that is missed.<br />
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"Behind the Groove" from <em>Lady T</em> (1980)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gSeyDklw7E0" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Robbery</em> (1983)<br />
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#5. <strong>Culture Club</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1981</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYMUXPkRf2psyvIgnzWV0QhY7DFYhwLQih4oZPm-h5zvUTwhoFNpMhsGuLAlSPgQMJwzNnzz3SVJduS7b2z5Jwj-2A_NTWTwTEcbpz6dE6ayxS-JHXTBDW6dk3kr-ffFmh__oHfmpN4c/s1600/BES7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592229310118110722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYMUXPkRf2psyvIgnzWV0QhY7DFYhwLQih4oZPm-h5zvUTwhoFNpMhsGuLAlSPgQMJwzNnzz3SVJduS7b2z5Jwj-2A_NTWTwTEcbpz6dE6ayxS-JHXTBDW6dk3kr-ffFmh__oHfmpN4c/s320/BES7.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 222px;" /></a>Out of all the New Romantic groups that swarmed from England in the early '80's, Culture Club possessed an altogether organic ebb that set them apart. Boy George (vocals), Roy Hay (guitar), Jon Moss (drums), and Mikey Craig (bass) created the warm weight that defined the chart classics "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "Karma Chameleon." Reggae was a prominent fixture alongside dance minerals on their saucy debut <em>Kissing to be Clever</em> (1981), but 1982's <em>Colour By Numbers</em> was tempered with jazz and soul. Visit the Motown shiner "Church of the Poison Mind" or the bleak "Black Money" for proof. With a second reunion rumor on the wind for Culture Club's 30th anniversary, one can be sure to hear the same commitment to soul-pop quality that characterized Culture Club's finest moments.<br />
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"Mistake No.3" from <em>Waking Up with the House on Fire</em> (1984)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ysF-slTpOo8" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Colour By Numbers</em> (1982)<br />
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#6. <strong>Eurythmics</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1981</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_clcktDXnhDjmMBbDa7Lb8nBAdUOoYXbhHQH93rRWMjgVF5QgaPPYZ4p432hSeFAl2upLRSiyvfFbyn6nf_B6YXHmVKJghWw2wbEhC_2P0V6qtgY8fzTfMIEg8k__RyKq0oUwvbURog/s1600/BES11.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592991109394344514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_clcktDXnhDjmMBbDa7Lb8nBAdUOoYXbhHQH93rRWMjgVF5QgaPPYZ4p432hSeFAl2upLRSiyvfFbyn6nf_B6YXHmVKJghWw2wbEhC_2P0V6qtgY8fzTfMIEg8k__RyKq0oUwvbURog/s320/BES11.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 180px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 300px;" /></a>Another of the giants to emerge in the Second British Invasion of the early '80's, the Eurythmics (Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox) were glass sharp. Stewart's icy arrangements hung on Lennox's voice with perfection. Based on the work of their first four records, their eligibility for this list could be questioned. In a twitchy move of musical retooling, the Eurythmics completely transformed from an electro-synth duo into a rocking R&B duo on their fifth outing <em>Be Yourself Tonight </em>(1985). This album makes the Eurythmics inclusion to this list a must. Putting what many already suspected was a soulful Lennox into searing soul-pop like "Would I Lie to You?" was epic. Even the collaborations boasted gold with Stevie Wonder on "There Must Be An Angel (Playing with My Heart)" and Lennox doing a duet with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin on "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves." Such a dramatic transformation, not at all expected, was a wonder. The Eurythmics moved further into rock/soul with <em>Revenge</em> (1986) before returning to the computer cool of old on <em>Savage</em> (1987). Not direct users of blue-eyed soul in the obvious sense, <em>Be Yourself Tonight</em> refuted that for a moment.<br />
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"It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) from <em>Be Yourself Tonight</em> (1985)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gf_OsStVpzs" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Be Yourself Tonight</em> (1985)<br />
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#7. <strong>Simply Red</strong><br />
First Album Released in 1985<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfb2Np6eIiPErPji4JMz3UAYSHx4xKRLRIehP-GsgqUV73b_OIFCeuX418jmgX0hbPsfcteeaunl-wn_gzmoKuMFPF_tmtGBW4VvjqR8x_inW_Vz_mFwoGAyb48HVKZy6YImI6jHLLqE/s1600/BES4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592996035958546050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfb2Np6eIiPErPji4JMz3UAYSHx4xKRLRIehP-GsgqUV73b_OIFCeuX418jmgX0hbPsfcteeaunl-wn_gzmoKuMFPF_tmtGBW4VvjqR8x_inW_Vz_mFwoGAyb48HVKZy6YImI6jHLLqE/s320/BES4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 284px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Like many of the acts here, Mick Hucknall's outfit was from the United Kingdom. Unlike any of the prior New Romantics talked about, Simply Red’s sound was completely based in jazz and adult pop. Gems from their debut record <em>Picture Book</em> (1985) included "Holding Back the Years" and Money'$ Too Tight to Mention." Simply Red went through several line-up changes before becoming a talented, if revolving door of session musicians to Hucknall's dynamo voice. In 1989, Simply Red turned in a hit cover of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes "If You Don't Know Me By Now" on <em>A New Flame</em>. In the '90's, Simply Red's successes were kept to European, British, and Asian shores for recordings like <em>Stars</em> (1991), <em>Life</em> (1995), and <em>Blue</em> (1998). Recently disbanding, they leave behind pop records washed in refined R&B.<br />
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"Home" from <em>Home</em> (2003)<br />
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Recommended Listening: <em>Blue</em> (1998)<br />
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#8. <strong>George Michael</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1987</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjQz2-7YUAPbAlJl-yKgx2-wVAlP8dHV2WJlfROaYUplMUZy7AGBVWlVg6NUSFjMugxOepfK4pHK7vhOC4O0cmapChRuXSapsmYzMBEfxz8bv_CmKMyszz7_63fy2YjfKpEoQLjLRSgo/s1600/BES10.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593643397872418818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjQz2-7YUAPbAlJl-yKgx2-wVAlP8dHV2WJlfROaYUplMUZy7AGBVWlVg6NUSFjMugxOepfK4pHK7vhOC4O0cmapChRuXSapsmYzMBEfxz8bv_CmKMyszz7_63fy2YjfKpEoQLjLRSgo/s320/BES10.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 264px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>Along with Andrew Ridgeley, George Michael had humble beginnings in the twee pop duo Wham! Hinting at a mature direction with "Careless Whisper," Michael began assembling his solo effort for a 1987 release. <em>Faith</em>, a global sensation evidenced Michael’s ear for writing, arranging, and producing his own work. Steeped in a fair amount of R&B aesthetic, <em>Faith</em> crossed chart borders with "Father Figure" and "Hard Day." Michael continued to use R&B within each album that followed, maintaining an iron hold on his native Britain when his U.S. audience waned in 1996. Michael's strength lies in his natural affinity to capture the ideas of rhythm and blues and keep them accessible to a pop audience. More than any other artist featured on this list, Michael blurs the line between pop and R&B music with an uncanny ease.<br />
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"Amazing" from <em>Patience</em> (2004)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6YziZ1FlAWs" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Older</em> (1996)<br />
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#9. <strong>Swing Out Sister</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1987</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVERG9fbCySbR4aMqoenAW00vP2UHrWUcsFa4ANdBt85vpffDgTN7biZDKTpvvLPbOhpJj8wW5tpkkSXLvCckwmQjMaHlLby_DPhWZe5SjTxJYkeZbu5csRT30Q4vpxDbCrzi5uELRCA/s1600/BES.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593000322943069666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVERG9fbCySbR4aMqoenAW00vP2UHrWUcsFa4ANdBt85vpffDgTN7biZDKTpvvLPbOhpJj8wW5tpkkSXLvCckwmQjMaHlLby_DPhWZe5SjTxJYkeZbu5csRT30Q4vpxDbCrzi5uELRCA/s320/BES.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 222px;" /></a>Partners in pop, Andy Connell and Corinne Drewery shared the sassy "Breakout" in '87. A beloved treasure from its period, most associate Swing Out Sister with one-hit wonderhood. In reality, Swing Out Sister have been creating the kind of pop many only hope to make in a lifetime. From their Jimmy Webb and John Barry inspired works, to the fusion of hip-hop with Brit-beatnik acid jazz, Swing Out Sister have always been experimental. Importantly, they segued into a period where they explored '70's funk. Their third offering <em>Get In Touch With Yourself</em> (1992), a loose and bass heavy affair, boasted a cover of the Young-Holt Unlimited/Barbara Acklin's hit "Am I the Same Girl." They took it further with 1994's <em>The Living Return. </em>Still active, their last record <em>Beautiful Mess</em> (2008/2009) showcased sticky R&B in spots, Swing Out Sister's retroactive soul-pop isn't slowing down<br />
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"Notgonnachange"* from <em>Get In Touch With Yourself</em> (1992)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q4h8SmCuaqA" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
*Denotes single version versus album edit featured in video.<br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Get In Touch With Yourself</em> (1992)<br />
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#10. <strong>Lisa Stansfield</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1989</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGrqoJcTVb2OZGUg043cYlrUMpoHdE2MjVMOTso8WevQnOphSP1WjuUrHNqsU_fCblnuagNsPmdZ2f3y0We6Oq57hf4czwKYrrId92VDIyigFjYqp6tLQg5Cue5WKOMDNkX0aghBTSHw/s1600/BES2.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593005095464729986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGrqoJcTVb2OZGUg043cYlrUMpoHdE2MjVMOTso8WevQnOphSP1WjuUrHNqsU_fCblnuagNsPmdZ2f3y0We6Oq57hf4czwKYrrId92VDIyigFjYqp6tLQg5Cue5WKOMDNkX0aghBTSHw/s320/BES2.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 227px;" /></a>"The Rochdale Diva," Lisa Stansfield, is one of the leading ladies of the movement this list details. Blasting into existence with "All Around the World," Stansfield's forceful plea reverberated from radios the world over. Moving into a classic soul-pop vein with efforts <em>Real Love</em> (1991) and <em>So Natural</em> (1993), Stansfield remained a household name throughout Europe and England. Record label politicking caused <em>So Natural</em> to lose a Stateside release, so when her fourth (third in the U.S.) effort <em>Lisa Stansfield</em> (1997) dropped, its U.S. reception was lukewarm. Her last two releases <em>Face Up</em> (2001) and <em>The Moment</em> (2004) were contemporaneous, level crafts receiving a British release only. Stansfield has temporarily retired from singing, though it'd be advantageous for today's new crop of Brit-blue-eyed brats to see a master at work.<br />
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"Let's Just Call It Love" from <em>Face Up</em> (2001)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YiXWKWRKavE" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Real Love</em> (1991)<br />
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#11. <strong>Texas</strong><br />
First Album Released in 1989<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkV4E1rxLZRzeAX2FCy-Kg4GdAr03j5x4SfkwUJsfrQd3J7Lszrv3cEYPYTpRTfiRh6bWsOwXv7ImItqtzSzZR5h1LyadjlVhH8AVIuQnQnowDDPjxYFWi5OEWqdlhQ7KAFeEOA-HR3A/s1600/BES8.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593648240404216978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkV4E1rxLZRzeAX2FCy-Kg4GdAr03j5x4SfkwUJsfrQd3J7Lszrv3cEYPYTpRTfiRh6bWsOwXv7ImItqtzSzZR5h1LyadjlVhH8AVIuQnQnowDDPjxYFWi5OEWqdlhQ7KAFeEOA-HR3A/s320/BES8.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>The center of this Scottish pop unit revolves around vocalist Sharleen Spiteri (center), bassist Johnny McElhone (far left), guitarist Ally McErlaine (between McElhone and Spiteri), and keyboardist Eddie Campbell (second to right) with varying musicians shifting in and out throughout their 20 year span. Additionally seen here, circa '97, is Richard Hynd (far right) who was Texas' drummer until departing in 1999. Texas' debut <em>Southside</em> (1989) was influenced by general rock (think <em>Joshua Tree</em> era U2). Later, a mix of alternative with blue-eyed soul seemed an unlikely victory, but that's just what happened as Texas enjoyed a second burst of popularity with <i>White On Blonde</i> (1997) and <i>The Hush </i>(1999)<i>.</i> Two additional album releases in 2003 and 2006 followed. Texas paused as a group while Spiteri recorded and released two solo records. Texas' reformation seems to be on the horizon, but they've earned their spot here with <i>Blonde</i> and <i>Hush</i>.<br />
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"In Our Lifetime" from <em>The Hush</em> (1999)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VAKcVrW5qZA" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>White on Blonde</em> (1997)<br />
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#12. <strong>Jamiroquai</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 1993</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6ockaqpoQmQICZzUjPqS56dF8VFdLvls1PaElH2KfzRO2MwR-Cg7m1ICIQ-E8eZxOr8Yrq3TlEgNDhNyeM7eLYXYAoGTdL-Tn8xWVKfTP0idwG4-azpFfxyV227FugwnSaTQNWL9M0E/s1600/BES9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593647754903729026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6ockaqpoQmQICZzUjPqS56dF8VFdLvls1PaElH2KfzRO2MwR-Cg7m1ICIQ-E8eZxOr8Yrq3TlEgNDhNyeM7eLYXYAoGTdL-Tn8xWVKfTP0idwG4-azpFfxyV227FugwnSaTQNWL9M0E/s320/BES9.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 233px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>In the mold of the previously mentioned Simply Red revolving door staff, Jason Kay (Jay Kay) does the same as Hucknall in his funk conglomerate Jamiroquai. Jamiroquai's socially conscious funk and jazz stormed the world charts. As they progressed, their work evolved into a sleeker, soulful disco form. In demand today, Jamiroquai is the best funk anyone has heard since, well the '70's.<br />
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"Runaway" from <em>High Times: Singles 1992-2006</em> (2006)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rIJ7OQOrIQk" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Return of the Space Cowboy</em> (1994)<br />
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#13. <strong>Nikka Costa</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 2001</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK-8g1Su7tM2VzPgrEIfyso8s8RZAP4Mk_YJ2wRHA3k3DhENcuhAFrcdPNImHxdZB9s-FwNlsG_0w4XoEPL_TeHWJebNP7CHBowMyw0Qh9FMgAZZ7wp57IpTieNH0TOfMNlv3fNyuVAw/s1600/BES13.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593656085626588834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK-8g1Su7tM2VzPgrEIfyso8s8RZAP4Mk_YJ2wRHA3k3DhENcuhAFrcdPNImHxdZB9s-FwNlsG_0w4XoEPL_TeHWJebNP7CHBowMyw0Qh9FMgAZZ7wp57IpTieNH0TOfMNlv3fNyuVAw/s320/BES13.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px;" /></a>Daughter of Don Costa, a notable music producer, Costa had several "starter" records to her name before she officially entered the fray with <em>Everybody Got Their Something</em> (2001). Produced by Mark Ronson, who played a hand in the career of Amy Winehouse, <em>Everybody</em> was hot. It owed to an obvious blue-eyed sheen but with a tougher, black rock rooted grit indebted to Ike & Tina Turner. Her second outing <em>Can'tneverdidnothin'</em> (2005) received no push from her (then) label home Virgin Records and she moved to Stax to release the dusty, feel-good <em>Pebble to a Pearl</em> (2008). Although she has never achieved anything more than merely modest commercial returns, Costa shines not just as a singer, but a sensitive songsmith and visceral live performer. The digital EP <em>PRO★WHOA!</em> (2011), held her trademark blue-eyed rock, but included pop too.<br />
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"Like a Feather" from <em>Everybody Got Their Something</em> (2001)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BiI_caFfquA" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Can'tneverdidnothin'</em> (2005)<br />
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#14. <strong>Joss Stone</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 2003</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHx3KgXtOwx7c5IXS7Ftg5jXwuFiR3RVDstmAcLLtL7FXg9i5XZpdsPVZ9AIrc6NqIIUZmlPbQeoUHtDcbZN5LAThmhR-tMJw6D7X7TzWj1Ohn3gfPIv2ggfEJMkI9K8_OEzMDmzYhPY/s1600/BES5.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593660679104967090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHx3KgXtOwx7c5IXS7Ftg5jXwuFiR3RVDstmAcLLtL7FXg9i5XZpdsPVZ9AIrc6NqIIUZmlPbQeoUHtDcbZN5LAThmhR-tMJw6D7X7TzWj1Ohn3gfPIv2ggfEJMkI9K8_OEzMDmzYhPY/s320/BES5.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>Leading the new wave of British blue-eyed female singers at the start of the last decade, Joss Stone outshone them all. Her debut <em>The Soul Sessions</em> (2003), a collection of R&B classics and one sexy White Stripes cover placed Stone in the veritable eye of a hurricane of attention. She followed that recording with the (over) mature <em>Mind, Body, & Soul</em> (2004) before settling into her youthful junior long player <em>Introducing...Joss Stone </em>(2007). On each effort, Stone’s voice platformed a rich and full spirit. After a nasty battle with Stone's label EMI Records, they released her. She dropped <span style="font-style: italic;">LP1</span> last year, her fifth album, produced by Dave Stewart (yes, of the previously mentioned Eurythmics fame). The record appeared on her own indie imprint label Stone'd Records.<br />
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"Tell Me 'Bout It" from <em>Introducing...Joss Stone</em> (2007)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IhUmko2z_ds" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Colour Me Free!</em> (2009)<br />
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#15. <strong>Robin Thicke</strong><br />
<b>First Album Released in 2003</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfMiWotR9s17Ds2WQcAEJaXA8-cHO1Z8mb0utH3kCirivTHHkt5a_jcD-CC8hee361wEr5KQJQrsmIB0RjrCV9tXEiWSulM6BWNPB0ixEqPa4mMlMVR2d8eUz_zdpFVpA4jcpaiqehQY/s1600/BES14.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593663371776777154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfMiWotR9s17Ds2WQcAEJaXA8-cHO1Z8mb0utH3kCirivTHHkt5a_jcD-CC8hee361wEr5KQJQrsmIB0RjrCV9tXEiWSulM6BWNPB0ixEqPa4mMlMVR2d8eUz_zdpFVpA4jcpaiqehQY/s320/BES14.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 196px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>Thicke began as an unassuming, if talented songwriter for various pop and R&B stars before his own debut <em>Thicke </em>(2003). <em>Thicke's</em> earthy atmosphere didn't clue to the leap he'd take with <em>The Evolution of Robin Thicke</em> (2006). Led by the single "Lost Without U," the record placed Thicke as the first to revolve around Teena Marie's throne of being a white artist with a legitimate black audience from the outset. Thicke's mixture of "old" and "new" school vibes have endeared Thicke to a variety of ears. <span style="font-style: italic;">Love After War</span> (2011), Thicke's fifth recording was a marked return to his "classic" vibe, showcasing his milk and honey voice with all the trimmings.<br />
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"Magic" from <em>Something Else</em> (2008)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UP8ECS2bWHE" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
Recommended Listening: <em>Something Else</em> (2008)<br />
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#16. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sam Sparro</span><br />
<b>First Album Released in 2008</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gojkHHxgtbvT1sZQxvjutzux0a4qFU9DIOtroTU6xpoAzgiiXrwVI-5xhbHX8FaH3CZLKAMFJCulXpG9vRXHRudDuXrCAjwXcYVQBappRMJQd5gLxzLqjXWROdkqkWlAC2UUct35cgE/s1600/Sam%252BSparro%252Boutpng.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722110827935137426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gojkHHxgtbvT1sZQxvjutzux0a4qFU9DIOtroTU6xpoAzgiiXrwVI-5xhbHX8FaH3CZLKAMFJCulXpG9vRXHRudDuXrCAjwXcYVQBappRMJQd5gLxzLqjXWROdkqkWlAC2UUct35cgE/s320/Sam%252BSparro%252Boutpng.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 216px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a> This Aussie, the son of a gospel minister was destined to become a vocalist. After darting back and forth between Sydney and Los Angeles for a few years, Sparro finally unleashed his eponymous LP in 2008 to rave reviews and decent commercial fanfare. An obvious student to Prince's sounds, Sparro's penmanship and acrobatic vocals kept him from being another Prince copycat. <span style="font-style: italic;">Return to Paradise</span>, his anticipated second player, is due in the late spring or early summer of 2012.<br />
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"21st Century Life" from <em>Sam Sparro</em> (2008)<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x6hvge" width="400"></iframe>
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Recommended Listening: <em>Sam Sparro</em> (2008)<br />
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[Editor's Note: Originally posted April 9th, 2011. Amendments made on 3/20/12 & 5/28/12.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-84504446100798868192012-03-05T08:10:00.014-05:002013-02-10T15:40:11.018-05:00Beginning Again: Ace of Base's "Da Capo" Turns 10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybpu_S77JcdZGz4NmvPsn2agCLd1Y402EdXhS52qL03Tun-NR9mY1tW-RQ8DZtL1K8RulU7xSdwoNd6VjQK95esnzYwufLwJnQ7s4IN6WhAvZN9zYH5-EHwESqiZOzWcvfUBKp_SGL0U/s1600/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BAOB006.jpg" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 100% Georgia, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716254246105816354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybpu_S77JcdZGz4NmvPsn2agCLd1Y402EdXhS52qL03Tun-NR9mY1tW-RQ8DZtL1K8RulU7xSdwoNd6VjQK95esnzYwufLwJnQ7s4IN6WhAvZN9zYH5-EHwESqiZOzWcvfUBKp_SGL0U/s320/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BAOB006.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 235px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Euro-pop is a dirty word to the (supposedly) discerning music aficionado. </span>Disposable<span style="font-size: 100%;">, camp, and lacking any sort of message are usual suspects of its derision. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">These stereotypes are shortsighted and often incorrect. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Euro-pop is a changing, uninhibited embrace of styles. M</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">elodically fortified, lyrically abstract, joyful and smart, its shield and sword have been wielded by many. In the last two decades, Ace of Base was one of the best warriors of the form. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">Arriving on the global stage with the song "Wheel of Fortune" 20 years ago last month, Ace of Base became one of the biggest groups to bounce out of the pop capitol of the world, Sweden. The original quartet consisted of Ulf Ekberg and siblings </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Malin</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> (Linn), Jenny, and Jonas (Joker) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Berggren</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNPjeIamsck">Recall for a few may stop at their feel-good pop slice "The Sign."</a> That's only one side of Ace of Base's story. Ten</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> years back Ace of Base unleashed </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">, their fourth long player, and last to feature the initial line-up. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> symbolized a new path and the end of an era, yet it remains eager to reveal its secrets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">The History</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Happy Nation</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, later presented as </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The Sign</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, propelled Ace of Base from 1992 through 1994. One of the few albums to hold the record title of "best-selling debut," </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Happy Nation/The Sign's</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> multi-platinum shadow cast long over Ace of Base's subsequent material. Standing as the </span>flashpoint<span style="font-size: 100%;"> for the ongoing obsession of club culture and its music, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Happy Nation/The Sign's </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">blend of reggae-dub with harsh beats was the epitome of freshness at that junction. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">Their follow-up, 1995's </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">The Bridge,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> removed the sophomore jinx creatively with a multitude of world music flavor. Sales were respectable, but not as astronomical as their debut. Unfettered, Ace of Base moved onward to their third set, the diverse and aptly titled </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Flowers</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> (1998).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmUu_UwoCAVjJmerHF0PQsIJ27P3buqIdcoxgWCE-QKHd6SLWGNHv9OokHb5d1HGDmvMkCL9YJYXTelzket1mhsRHs7pqcdhnBqLFIbkqlUWpQ8eSmX8TV7bOc-eEewxQn2uXOybvuME/s1600/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BAceofBase2002.jpg" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716254439727557362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmUu_UwoCAVjJmerHF0PQsIJ27P3buqIdcoxgWCE-QKHd6SLWGNHv9OokHb5d1HGDmvMkCL9YJYXTelzket1mhsRHs7pqcdhnBqLFIbkqlUWpQ8eSmX8TV7bOc-eEewxQn2uXOybvuME/s320/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BAceofBase2002.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;">The world smash "Life is a Flower" allowed its parent album </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Flowers</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> to repeat the sales success of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The Bridge</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> and kept Ace of Base in the public eye. Behind the curtain there was tension stirring within their many label homes. Distributed by Mega Records in Europe proper, Ace of Base also had representation by </span>Polydor<span style="font-size: 100%;"> (England) and </span>Arista<span style="font-size: 100%;"> Records (U.S.A.). </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">The labels saw </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">The Bridge's</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> diminutive commercial presence as an issue and pressure mounted to "rework" Ace of Base's appeal. Self-contained, with occasional collaborative producer/songwriter partnerships, Ace of Base handled majority of their output. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">The record labels didn't see this as a good thing and Stateside Clive Davis (then </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arista</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> chief) usurped control. Despite its success, Davis viewed "Life is a Flower" and its album </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Flowers</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> as "too European." </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Flowers</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> appeared altered in the American market as </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Cruel Summer</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> in 1998. Its title came from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YHaOMe_uRc">Bananarama's '83/'84 hit</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> that Ace of Base covered for </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Flowers</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">"Life is a Flower" was recast lyrically as "Whenever You're Near Me," musically the same, but its songwriting rendered a generic confection. Davis was partially rewarded: "Cruel Summer" gave Ace of Base their final U.S. Top 10 pop hit. Overall, the U.S. version of the album didn't meet the same commercial goals it did abroad in its original format.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Amid the label politics, the band itself faced internal strife. </span>Malin Berggren's<span style="font-size: 100%;"> personal struggle with her agoraphobia was fast becoming an issue. Throughout it all, Ace of Base continued to be one of the loudest voices of European pop in the late '90's. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Singles of the '90's</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> globally, and </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The Greatest Hits</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> in the American territory, dropped in 1999. Soon afterwards, work started in late October of 2000 on "Album V," what became </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, Ace of Base's fourth long player. Sadly, label interference delayed the record until 2002.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">The Record</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">"</span>Da<span style="font-size: 100%;"> capo" is an Italian phrase that when translated means "from the beginning." For Ace of Base, they'd made it a point to distance themselves from the specific sound slope of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Happy Nation/The Sign</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo's</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> mission was to connect back to the reggae-dub/euro-dance of yore without undoing the growth of their second and third albums.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHdgMlFHUwH_edVI63D9hvcMHkDIb8ppk2bG9ouYk99MGVPQteBzvroHV31jyiyz_CvJdbxAywrQ7NWevuk_tnVnmq9sXoiTx52zo-o21rnrqYDNjgAO6eycCYX8WqPgOTPL6nEJt2BA/s1600/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BUnspeakable.jpg" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716236495327068386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHdgMlFHUwH_edVI63D9hvcMHkDIb8ppk2bG9ouYk99MGVPQteBzvroHV31jyiyz_CvJdbxAywrQ7NWevuk_tnVnmq9sXoiTx52zo-o21rnrqYDNjgAO6eycCYX8WqPgOTPL6nEJt2BA/s320/Ace%252Bof%252BBase%252BUnspeakable.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 283px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;">The seeds of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> were first planted back during the creation of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The Bridge</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">. Before the gleaming "</span>Goldeneye<span style="font-size: 100%;">" from Tina Turner's </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Wildest Dreams</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> LP (1995), Ace of Base were on board to record the theme for the Pierce </span>Bronsnan<span style="font-size: 100%;"> led James Bond flick of the same name. Jonas </span>Berggren<span style="font-size: 100%;"> had written the dark song "The </span>Goldeneye<span style="font-size: 100%;">" for the film, a pinnacle for him.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">For reasons still unknown, Ace of Base's U.S. label </span>Arista<span style="font-size: 100%;"> that initiated the idea for Ace of Base to join an elite group that included a-ha, Duran Duran, Gladys Knight, Shirley </span>Bassey<span style="font-size: 100%;">, and later Garbage and Madonna, pulled Ace of Base from the project. Placed on the shelf, "The </span>Goldeneye<span style="font-size: 100%;">" was touched up as "The Juvenile." The stormy ballad didn't feel out of time, or place, on the remainder of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Malin</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ulf</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">, and Jenny joined Jonas (in a songwriting capacity) with fellow producers/songwriters Jonas Von Der Burg and Nice </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sommerdahl </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">(to name some) to craft their fourth vehicle. Instead of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">just</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> aping the previously stated debut vibe, Ace of Base focused on pulling out and applying the "beat buoyancy" that gave that record edge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">"Unspeakable," "Beautiful Morning," and "Change With the Light" were bright grooves that echoed Ace of Base's initial inertia, but with the grace and polish that personified their post debut material. The beats rolled with tricks, tweaks, and twists. "Beautiful Morning" in particular benefited from a gospel choir charge, and </span>Ulf's<span style="font-size: 100%;"> trademark rap breakdown popped on "Change With the Light." </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">"</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Da</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> Capo" zinged full of energy, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ulf</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> and Jenny's harmonies piloted into the instant hook of the title track's chorus. It, along with sonic sunbeams "Hey Darling" and "Show Me Love," made no bones about their optimistic airs, countering some of the darker sides of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Ambition remained Ace of Base's best drive for exceptional work, see "Remember the Words" as an example. "Remember the Words" wore an "Old World glamour" that sprawled convincingly</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">The percussive clatter of "What's the Name of the Game" and the lyrical duality of "World Down Under" were aural field trips to foreign shores only dreamed of. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">"Ordinary Day," its A.M. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">The Album</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> (1977)-era ABBA romanticism soothed like an afternoon chamomile. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">Ace of Base's desire to rekindle old flames, but burn with modernity had been realized on </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo's</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> lean palette.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">The Impact</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_hppPKuEOhh5au9Jy-SZ_fbj-giiOZ-6IZF7gPlFW3UorNssTixXLZiJVUPMBBStrZdQa08qjZ5ZVTWlgNbZoyoRmFG0S1JQrkxzmPcF17ajf8C664Qwazb5kKH_T6LnXiqtkcZRgb8/s1600/ace-of-base-da-capo-2003-front-cover-4573.jpg" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716251862234975266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_hppPKuEOhh5au9Jy-SZ_fbj-giiOZ-6IZF7gPlFW3UorNssTixXLZiJVUPMBBStrZdQa08qjZ5ZVTWlgNbZoyoRmFG0S1JQrkxzmPcF17ajf8C664Qwazb5kKH_T6LnXiqtkcZRgb8/s320/ace-of-base-da-capo-2003-front-cover-4573.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 310px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;">Label wise, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> had been caught in a maelstrom of changes. In addition to the hold-up by Mega Records, said company had merged with </span>Edel<span style="font-size: 100%;"> Records. The union wouldn't prove fruitful. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">Regardless, when the moratorium had been lifted from </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">, the album was </span></span>preceded<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> by its lead single "Beautiful Morning" in August of 2002. The single made modest rounds in Sweden (#14), Denmark (#18), Switzerland (#32), Germany (#38), and Australia (#47).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">On September 30</span>th<span style="font-size: 100%;">, 2002 </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> received its partial worldwide release, backed by a muted promotional campaign from Mega/</span>Edel<span style="font-size: 100%;"> Records. The album placed in various countries: Sweden (#25), Japan (#40), Japanese International Artist Album Chart (#10), and Germany (#48) notably. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> only locked in 500,000 copies worldwide as of this writing. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">There were several parameters to the commercial failure of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">. The climate had changed considerably between </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Flowers</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> and while European pop wasn't lacking in popularity, undoubtedly general audiences were moving on to "fresher" sounds. However, weak promotion played a large role. Specifically, during the recording of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">, Ace of Base lost their U.S. contract with </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arista</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> unexpectedly. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Polydor</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> chose to only give it a "soft release" in Britain with no muscle placed behind advancing the album.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Two more singles were lifted from </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> internationally: "Unspeakable" and "The Juvenile." The former touched on charts in Sweden (#45) and Germany (#97), while the latter was a German release only (#97). </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">Critically, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> was received warmly. All Music Guide writer Jon O'Brien didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">hear</span> the modern flourishes abounding on <span style="font-style: italic;">Da Capo</span>, but opined:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Named after the musical term for "back to the beginning," Swedish pop outfit Ace of Base's fourth studio album, Da Capo, stays faithful to its title, thanks to a sound that harks back to the lilting Euro reggae-pop of their mid-'90s heyday.<br /><br />This old-school approach may explain why the follow-up to 1998's more eclectic Flowers was only given a soft release in the U.K. and failed to see the light of day at all in the U.S.A. (both previously two of their biggest territories), with record company executives, who were already responsible for its two-year delay, claiming the band's output was no longer relevant. But while most of its 12 tracks are unashamedly stuck in the previous decade, particularly the bouncy lead single "Unspeakable," their ska-pop cover of Black's "Wonderful Life," and the flamenco-tinged "Show Me Love," their Anglo-American fans are missing out on some of the best work of their career.<br /><br />"Beautiful Morning" is a Max Martin-esque polished pop anthem, complete with rousing gospel finale, dedicated to the three Berggren siblings' late father; the title track is a pulsing fusion of techno beats, chugging guitars, and twinkling synths; and, best of all, "The Juvenile" is a reworking of their intended James Bond theme for 1995's Goldeneye, whose sinister John Barry-esque strings and haunting melodies are more than a match for the Tina Turner number that was chosen ahead of it. Da Capo was to be the final swan song for original vocalists Linn and Jenny, but while it undeniably sounds like it's stuck in a mid-'90s time warp, it's a consistently feel-good affair ensuring that the pair went out on a high</span>.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shell-shocked<span style="font-size: 100%;"> by the cold reception of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, Ace of Base went on hiatus. During the span between </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> and their next album </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The Golden Ratio</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> (2010), </span>Malin Berggren<span style="font-size: 100%;"> removed herself from the group permanently. Down to a trio, </span>Ulf<span style="font-size: 100%;">, and siblings Jenny and Jonas slowly began working on their fifth record, while keeping a high profile within Europe's confines.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">An exceptional performance at the ever-popular Night of the Proms in 2005 showed promise for the trio. Yet, record labels scarcely had interest in signing the group without a fourth member. Jenny </span>Berggren<span style="font-size: 100%;"> split from </span>Ulf<span style="font-size: 100%;"> and her brother to release her first solo recording </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">My Story</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> in 2010. The work started with Jenny continued with </span>Ulf<span style="font-size: 100%;"> and Jonas and two new female singers:</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> Julia Williamson and Swedish <em>Idol</em> 2009 semi-finalist Clara </span>Hagman.<span style="font-size: 100%;"> Ace of Base, now rechristened ace.of.base, found a new home for <i>Ratio</i> on Playground/Universal</span>. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">The Golden Ratio</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> received mixed reviews and sales. There remains no word if </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ulf</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;"> and Jonas will eventually attempt a reunion with Jenny and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Malin</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 100%;">"Unspeakable"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Daniel Borjesson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="274" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8DIEvyK_BzM?rel=0" width="360"></iframe></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Victims of label scrutiny and a debut almost too big to top commercially, Ace of Base managed to pull together and stay true to their vision. Their impact is still muddled in slight critical misrepresentation and that's unfortunate. Their music, despite recent line-up debacles, rings true as fine Euro-pop. Adhering to the mentioned principals earlier in the entry, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo's</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> distillation of Ace of Base's pop purity remains distinct, unaffected, and contagious. Five out of five stars.-</span>QH</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">[Editor's Note: For current information on Ace of Base, visit their </span><a href="http://www.aceofbase-music.de/" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">official page here</a><span style="font-size: 100%;">. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, along with all of Ace of Base's work is still in print, however certain albums (i.e.-</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Da Capo</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Flowers</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, etc.) are physically only available as imports. Digitally, the albums are all domestically available via </span>iTunes<span style="font-size: 100%;">, or Amazon offers the physical ones at decent prices. Thanks to </span><a href="http://www.ultimateaceofbase.com/" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Ultimate Ace of Base</a><span style="font-size: 100%;"> for the data used in this entry.-</span>QH<span style="font-size: 100%;">]</span></span></div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-46649717349359609652012-02-27T09:52:00.026-05:002013-03-02T21:20:21.809-05:00Scary, But Fun: The Music of Grace Jones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1p-8kjp6NE2e7etoQXjYBNJ5yk51ENxzu91od-EY0Ri6HPnAR221YjOSYPq3lU525f-GWrvhmFaQhW6rlSAVTwXnOyCItQjcCTRjttO3NZ5KZ1Sx4xKTiO3r61G5ydg29PkLJmfr2KC4/s1600/Grace%252BJones%252Bgracejonespress11.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711632305429032786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1p-8kjp6NE2e7etoQXjYBNJ5yk51ENxzu91od-EY0Ri6HPnAR221YjOSYPq3lU525f-GWrvhmFaQhW6rlSAVTwXnOyCItQjcCTRjttO3NZ5KZ1Sx4xKTiO3r61G5ydg29PkLJmfr2KC4/s320/Grace%252BJones%252Bgracejonespress11.png" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 319px;" /></a>The origin of Grace Jones has become a colorful page in the book of Cinderella stories. Born in Jamaica, later she was raised in New York. There her studies fell into acting and fashion focus. Jones strolled into modeling, traipsing around New York City and Paris.<br />
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Securing a record contract, Jones became one of the most visual figures in popular music culture. Many associate Jones with her image only and while revolutionary even today, Jones <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> a singer, a songwriter. At present, she has made her "return" to music with fanfare to spare at the age of 63. The fuel that fires Jones is expression, she dons chameleon tendencies that can only be celebrated and expounded upon.<br />
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"<em><strong>Well, I finally got my wish to work in New York City...</strong></em>": <strong>1977-1979</strong></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6AqsInkQRoQ6TSx2jGMMlcpdVXdoTKjQcv9jPnELzXrGIIhuiuPooGOGHj0m6Ul2aYd-5tWfoneOFVigg__jIICOwMMkZ1x30PEEzJDBfWmtc0PGoG_zpf6GbuDXdrNDSl_5GdQ0lHQ/s1600/PORTFOLIO.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713826569467099442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6AqsInkQRoQ6TSx2jGMMlcpdVXdoTKjQcv9jPnELzXrGIIhuiuPooGOGHj0m6Ul2aYd-5tWfoneOFVigg__jIICOwMMkZ1x30PEEzJDBfWmtc0PGoG_zpf6GbuDXdrNDSl_5GdQ0lHQ/s400/PORTFOLIO.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 154px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Once Jones procured her record deal by signing with an indie called Beam Junction, acquired by Island Records, she began work on her debut <span style="font-style: italic;">Portfolio</span>. At this time, disco was entrenched in both mainstream and underground culture. In many ways, Jones' sound maintained its affection toward the underground scene. That said, it didn't stop Jones from lending a certain shimmer to <span style="font-style: italic;">Portfolio</span> that gave it even wider acceptance out of the clubs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3hp6fwHg-FQ85a2c3CXp1QOqs_VnCjk-q9E5mYuuJgTwFYl5BQqN8IQrlkz4c14XZcs3w3IVOymLA-RdpzL33e9Ej3jq4VL8pCuAkRPWlAJ9Zj5JJjdmnozIn_HiawMLVeiSYRtSCM4/s1600/Grace_Jones_-_Do_Or_Die.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711645803332773762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3hp6fwHg-FQ85a2c3CXp1QOqs_VnCjk-q9E5mYuuJgTwFYl5BQqN8IQrlkz4c14XZcs3w3IVOymLA-RdpzL33e9Ej3jq4VL8pCuAkRPWlAJ9Zj5JJjdmnozIn_HiawMLVeiSYRtSCM4/s200/Grace_Jones_-_Do_Or_Die.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 199px;" /></a></div>
Tom Moulton, one of the leading men in production during this era, produced <span style="font-style: italic;">Portfolio </span>and the two subsequent albums: <span style="font-style: italic;">Fame</span> (1978) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Muse</span> (1979). His productions were characterized by instrumentation that highlighed Jones' vocal potency. The swell of "La Vie En Rose," popularized by chanteuse Edith Piaf, saw Jones flexing her rich espresso tones. Softer than her later work in the early '80s, "La Vie En Rose" laid claim to Jones' French pop fetish, which always marched throughout her sound in some form or another. <span style="font-style: italic;">Portfolio</span> was also home to "I Need a Man," considered a drag queen performance staple. It glued Jones to her other platform for an artistic out, live performance. Rubies from Sondheim ("Send in the Clowns") and the 1977 <em>Annie</em> musical ("Tomorrow") filled <em>Portfolio</em>. Jones' second long player <span style="font-style: italic;">Fame</span> was more of the same, albeit stronger. The first side led off with the declaratory "Do or Die." "Autumn Leaves," attributed firstly to French vocalist Cora Vaucaire, appeared and showed that Jones was eager to improve on her vocal craft.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgtuyVK59Z7_F8HP_VvYMlZrKpGHUXFtCs5xiimRwNzycsOb-tk0fiAOUPaMKTEjkBJRcSSURT0j9LcwHIPPLiHwHOC4WgR21L0MbmNMW5wIRtUpEkYGF7VMouOhXnjquuW7UYCs8i9Q/s1600/Gracejonesonyourknees.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711643877652143330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgtuyVK59Z7_F8HP_VvYMlZrKpGHUXFtCs5xiimRwNzycsOb-tk0fiAOUPaMKTEjkBJRcSSURT0j9LcwHIPPLiHwHOC4WgR21L0MbmNMW5wIRtUpEkYGF7VMouOhXnjquuW7UYCs8i9Q/s200/Gracejonesonyourknees.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Muse</span> sought to conceptually empower Jones the third go round. Two Jones written compositions materialized, "Repentance (Forgive Me)" and "Don't Mess With the Messer". Before <em>Muse</em>, Jones had one song each appear on <span style="font-style: italic;">Portfolio</span> ("Sorry") and <span style="font-style: italic;">Fame</span> ("Below the Belt"). The first side dealt with notions of sin, redemption, fidelity and the like. Funky, hot, with shades of (tasteful) camp, Jones burned through "Sinning," "Suffer" (a duet with Swede session man Thor Baldursson), the mentioned "Repentance," and "Saved". Elsewhere, Jones bewitched with the beach ready "I'll Find My Way to You" yet foreshadowed the next phase of her sound with "On Your Knees." Jones' first trio of albums presented a brighter Grace Jones than what the public knew of her in the next decade. It's clear that disco-pop was good to Jones and she to it.<br />
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Grace @ The Roseland Performing "Autumn Leaves," Circa 1978<br />
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"<strong><i>I'm very superficial, I hate everything official...</i></strong>": <strong>1980-1985</strong></div>
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Grace Jones completely overhauled her look and sound at the dawn of the '80's. Packing away her disco pastels, Jones was aided by session players/producers Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Chris Blackwell, and (the departed) Alex Sadkin. Recorded in the Compass Point Studios, <em>Warm Leatherette</em> (1980) and <em>Nightclubbing</em> (1981) looked to the songbooks of other artists for Jones to redesign. Fantastic stand outs from both albums included "Warm Leatherette" (The Normal), "Private Life" (The Pretenders), "Use Me" (Bill Withers), and "Nightclubbing" (David Bowie). The stated songs blended caustic guitar, dubby reggae, and synth-pop-cum-punk attitude. Atop these musical amalgams, Jones sat in the driver seat giving off cold, sexy performances that made the songs hers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl59zwHws8UGklkkuw9yKTFdiT09TSTy0uBZHLbNatrrOC5vXwkVQQNc38aT1rkznPIccUwgic_bzmWvjtPPbBiDjLnaA1Zo-PVIeueGB31FHViIQhp3J_3Js4La8b4nuDQo2ir97-7U/s1600/Gracejoneslibertango.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711691206132173490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl59zwHws8UGklkkuw9yKTFdiT09TSTy0uBZHLbNatrrOC5vXwkVQQNc38aT1rkznPIccUwgic_bzmWvjtPPbBiDjLnaA1Zo-PVIeueGB31FHViIQhp3J_3Js4La8b4nuDQo2ir97-7U/s200/Gracejoneslibertango.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 199px;" /></a><em>Warm Leatherette</em> and <em>Nightclubbing</em> brought Jones commercial success (usually on the U.K., U.S. R&B, and U.S. Dance charts) and critical awards. Among the cover laden <em>Nightclubbing</em> Jones contributed her own works in the sweaty "Pull Up to the Bumper" and the weird, Parisian "I've Seen that Face Before (Libertango)." "Libertango" originally was a piece of music by Astor Piazzolla, Jones supplied her own lyrics to accompany the score. Jones turned in an album of her own works after proving herself as an interpreter with <em>Living My Life </em>(1982). The Compass Point team appeared again and the arrangements were loose and funky. The beautiful mess included the gyrating "Nipple to the Bottle" and the island rinsed patois of "My Jamaican Guy." The latter became immortalized in hip-hop forever when it was tapped as the sample basis for LL Cool J's "Doin' It" from <em>Mr. Smith</em> (1994). By now, Grace Jones was a full blown celebrity in music and modeling and took Hollywood by storm: <i>Conan the Destroyer </i>(1984), <i>A View to a Kill </i>(1985), and <i>Vamp </i>(1986).<br />
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Before <i>Vamp</i>, Jones underwent another sonic change with <em>Slave to the Rhythm</em> (1985). Her last album of original material for Island Records, <em>Slave</em> was produced by Trevor Horn. They co-created the album which cycled one song, the title track, into several vignettes and set pieces. Whether redrawn as the swift "Operattack" or the laid back "Jones the Fashion Show," Jones knew no barrier. The original "Slave to the Rhythm" is a favorite for Grace Jones today. "The Frog & The Princess" featured Ian McShane reciting from photographer Jean-Paul Goude's book <i>Jungle Fever</i>. The passage read throughout the song refers to Goude meeting Jones, their friendship, subsequent courtship, creation of the iconic <i>One Man Show</i> (1981), their son Paulo's birth and eventual platonic full circle gave <span style="font-style: italic;">Slave</span> further layers of avant garde sensibility. Altered when pressed to CD, the original vinyl version has yet to see a remastered compact disc or digital return.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpXwgg8AD2hb6XI_aJ_ufdfDEagTzbHD0JbKRbH2Lntyo7FK5XldNX6STJS5o86O6sdOvU63WAsHLh47h4BQVe-e0-9E_wpQ-M5L-0Gf9LY8T9EgY3SLBtuvHIC0acFdqkXhPqwaHvos/s1600/Gracejonesmyjamaicanguy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711691448669105410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpXwgg8AD2hb6XI_aJ_ufdfDEagTzbHD0JbKRbH2Lntyo7FK5XldNX6STJS5o86O6sdOvU63WAsHLh47h4BQVe-e0-9E_wpQ-M5L-0Gf9LY8T9EgY3SLBtuvHIC0acFdqkXhPqwaHvos/s200/Gracejonesmyjamaicanguy.jpg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
Capping off her Island Records tenure, <em>Island Life</em> (1985) anthologized Jones' work. Several singles across her seven albums were missing and to date there hasn't been a complete singles collection issued. The album jacket became noted for its Amazonian flavor and influenced hosts of albums covers in the next two decades, specifically Kylie Minogue's <em>Fever</em> (2001). Jones' second era made her a household name, containing her most provocative material (visually and musically). But Jones' travels weren't over just yet.<br />
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"Private Life"<br />
<strong>Directed By</strong>: Mike Mansfield<br />
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"<em><strong>This is my voice, my weapon of choice...</strong></em>": <strong>1986-Present Day</strong></div>
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After Jones' departure from Island Records, she found a new label home in Manhattan Records. There, work started on her eighth studio product <em>Inside Story</em> (1986). Nile Rodgers, member of the cosmopolitan disco-soul group Chic, oversaw the proceedings. Rodgers had become a popular producer and worked over records for David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, and Deborah Harry (of Blondie) to finger some of the talent. Rumored to be a difficult process for Jones and Rodgers, <em>Inside Story</em> ended up being a refreshing outlet for Jones. Filtering out the darker elements from the last few years, <em>Inside Story</em> was straight ahead R&B and pop. Jones wore these sounds incredibly well as heard on the biggest hit from <em>Inside Story</em>, the sassy "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm8JS53rxBRM_9q7pzhgoQoNhSYPFSiqZ9z9g5O_Q835wO-7xqWVxytV2WwS2bRyDbnyI14dIU81WvhtW6WJbv1YkKuVy3_-GkNgxEjJs7Sjk9mb1XPZnlDCQdqPciPtFyUEyM9-N4eQ/s1600/Gracejonesimnotperfect.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712118680726789922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm8JS53rxBRM_9q7pzhgoQoNhSYPFSiqZ9z9g5O_Q835wO-7xqWVxytV2WwS2bRyDbnyI14dIU81WvhtW6WJbv1YkKuVy3_-GkNgxEjJs7Sjk9mb1XPZnlDCQdqPciPtFyUEyM9-N4eQ/s200/Gracejonesimnotperfect.jpg" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Nimble and delicate on "Barefoot in Beverly Hills" or throwing a tantrum on "Hollywood Liar," Jones seemed relaxed. The mentioned cuts, along with the smoky "Victor Should Have Been a Jazz Musician," brought Jones back to the expressive peaks of her disco recordings. The commercial fortune of the record was decent, but Jones relocated to Manhattan Records owner Capitol Records three years later for <em>Bulletproof Heart</em> (1989). Not up to her usual standards, the record <em>did</em> have many songs worth approaching again. A pack of producers had their hands in <em>Heart's</em> pot, Jones herself, Chris Stanley, Jonathan Elias, Robert Clivillés and David Cole. The sounds in '89 had switched toward house and New Jack Swing. Jones acclimatized to it on the slamming "Driving Satisfaction" and club hit "Love on Top of Love."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOhbm2B8BJ3KlOG6PbJ_l_QlQIzxR02bb9Oz4lxrREUpNEoB2_ynkSAwiJMSqb2D0VeKCqYyozyPu6MdPrLxLUGp9E2KQNiW1CtXthg0iBkLYRbtXUhXnujO0SSFVkrxYhvLXCrrAMsc/s1600/220px-Gracejonesloveontopoflove.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712118912937337058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOhbm2B8BJ3KlOG6PbJ_l_QlQIzxR02bb9Oz4lxrREUpNEoB2_ynkSAwiJMSqb2D0VeKCqYyozyPu6MdPrLxLUGp9E2KQNiW1CtXthg0iBkLYRbtXUhXnujO0SSFVkrxYhvLXCrrAMsc/s200/220px-Gracejonesloveontopoflove.jpg" style="float: right; height: 196px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jones' cover of "Amado Mio" shone brightest on <em>Heart</em>. Made prominent in the 1949 noir film <em>Gilda</em>, where actress Rita Hayworth mimed to Anita Kert Ellis' voice, the European gem was perfect for Jones. Like many of her French spritzed songs before it, the song opened with a dramatic pose before it spilled into a tropical kamikaze. Listen for the punctuated "Huh!" borrowed from <em>Slave to the Rhythm's</em> "Operattack." The song closed with a giggling Jones asking "<i>Y'all want me to do Sam Cooke now?</i>" Jones segued back into film successfully on the Eddie Murphy vehicle <i>Boomerang</i> in 1992. Its all-star black cast included Halle Berry, Robin Givens, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, the late Eartha Kitt, Lela Rochon, Tisha Campbell, and Chris Rock. In the movie Jones played Helen Strangé, a kooky model not dissimilar from Jones' own exaggerated persona. The union gave Jones a club banger in "7 Day Weekend," written by Jones and Dallas Austin and worked over by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds with L.A. Reid. The song appeared on the hugely successful soundtrack partner to the film.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26YtJwA1vu3tVaK8OO5JN-ejEpV716dAoKtkk_tgsTsNwnXO9TqY8kE6ceeXPRxJHAEb90-2ww4TTVvA5gswXxfAMUTtOdyHVusFucZ6Lw8Lx6AXX5ErGDRwczcM5zBhjAHroo-s6hpI/s1600/Grace_Jones_-_7_Day_Weekend.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712119084706614194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26YtJwA1vu3tVaK8OO5JN-ejEpV716dAoKtkk_tgsTsNwnXO9TqY8kE6ceeXPRxJHAEb90-2ww4TTVvA5gswXxfAMUTtOdyHVusFucZ6Lw8Lx6AXX5ErGDRwczcM5zBhjAHroo-s6hpI/s200/Grace_Jones_-_7_Day_Weekend.jpg" style="float: left; height: 182px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Despite other movie work and remaining a hot commodity within the model/touring echelon, the remainder of the '90's saw Jones struggling to get her albums released. The two records shelved were <em>Black Marilyn</em> (1994) and <em>Force of Nature</em> (1998). The latter saw a song called "Hurricane (Cradle to the Grave)" become just "Hurricane" and the title cut on her tenth album in 2008. Signing to the Wall of Sound, Jones' <em>Hurricane</em> was a massive success when unleashed. A diverse collection of musicians and producers co-created with Jones on this labor of love: Brian Eno, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Tricky, Ivor Guest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicNlt0eKaCQHFFAeJ0hFf5EexZQj06Vb_u0R_wiKdEG7sm3prsLjbEwuCkaoidrutQRY-gpvhqcXJ4jrB9FUQzweCjkPtDDPVovmnMns9PU-R1kE9XSs69Saz2bpmfySLwHt4Grtsexo/s1600/591px-SingleCoverWilliamsBloodGraceJones.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712119384449342674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicNlt0eKaCQHFFAeJ0hFf5EexZQj06Vb_u0R_wiKdEG7sm3prsLjbEwuCkaoidrutQRY-gpvhqcXJ4jrB9FUQzweCjkPtDDPVovmnMns9PU-R1kE9XSs69Saz2bpmfySLwHt4Grtsexo/s200/591px-SingleCoverWilliamsBloodGraceJones.jpeg" style="float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 197px;" /></a>While "Corporate Cannibal" and "Devil in My Life" confirmed that her mid-Island Records snarl hadn't lost its bite, it was the autobiographical contents of <em>Hurricane</em> that critics and fans hurrah-ed over. Jones' lyrics on her family ancestry and romantic endeavors hit hard on the bass boom of "This Is" or the gospel strain of "Williams' Blood." The stretching of <em>Hurricane</em> found that Jones had only gotten <em>better</em> with age. Embarking on a tour to support <em>Hurricane</em>, Jones was met with sold out venues and piles of rave reviews in 2009. 2011 saw a repackaged <em>Hurricane</em> unfurled with an additional "dub mix" companion to the original disc. The weird science of Grace Jones is her multifaceted appeal. Why it's unmistakable that her steel rending mask of '80 through '85 captivates, Jones' music reveals broader discoveries. Whether imparting the <em>joie de vivre</em> that encapsulated her first three albums or the sensitive, searching modes heard on <em>Inside Story</em> and <em>Hurricane</em>, Jones is a living canvas of art.<br />
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Grace @ The Jonathan Ross Show Performing "Love You to Life," Circa 2009<br />
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That voice, almost more than any other in the last three decades, set flame to the idea of conventional singing. Jones' approach to music is invested and real, sometimes moreso than a "true" singer. Enslaved to the rhythm of transforming music into something different, new, and (at times) frightening, Grace Jones is a heart quickening experience no music listener should be without. Ever.-QH<br />
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[Editor's Note: As of this writing, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/190-0762439-2324922?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Grace+Jones#">eight of Jones' ten albums are in print</a>, with <i>Warm Leatherette</i> and <em>Living My Life</em> currently out of circulation. The used costs are fair however, and it's sure that these won't be out of print long, as her second and third albums (<em>Fame</em> and <em>Muse</em>) were just reissued via Gold Legion. Ironically, there is not an official Grace Jones website, but a (possibly) officially endorsed <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceJonesOfficial?sk=app_222892234420383#!/GraceJonesOfficial?sk=wall">Grace Jones Facebook </a>page. A very special thanks to Andrew Bird for the lovely & stunning artwork created just for this piece.-QH] </div>
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QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-36513315146162277402012-02-20T20:19:00.031-05:002012-12-26T16:01:29.882-05:00Madonna's Coverage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's a bizarre time for Madonna fans. Depending on the perspective one possesses, Madonna is either in the midst of a creative drought or cleverly navigating the post-millennium pop wasteland. The reality is that Madonna's music <span style="font-style: italic;">has</span> changed since 2008 and hasn't been the same. With <span style="font-style: italic;">MDNA</span>, her newest offering, just several weeks away everyone is flooding the print and cyber mediums with their opinions on it and past releases. As an eternal enthusiast of Madonna (the artist), I found myself listening to her backlog.<br />
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Five songs in her discography caught my attention. Epitomizing the (once) constant presence of (marketable) quality, Madonna's covers sang out beautifully to my ears. All of the songs were, at various points, singles for Madonna throughout her decades long career. And what covers. Rose Royce. Marvin Gaye. Peggy Lee (via Little Willie John). Andrew Lloyd Webber. Don McLean. Songbooks that sparkle in the eyes and ears of their fans, the songs prove Madonna's love of music as not only a singer, but a listener too. Covers are dangerous. They can showcase the interpretive side of the singer or ring out as a death knell to creativity. Since everyone else is stumbling over themselves to critique what Madonna has done since her return earlier this year, I decided to take a different road.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Love Don't Live Here Anymore</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvPLv26oZ1ftZ9u4fRHW-5sWCd2nbgNycbZR8g1wgQZ_xK2yGGmYghSarpaIezeQEr0b9GGzYqOOH5kJzhCrUxDJtnKnTveIg95QzWFmIDjwICO9qDw14vSqUpnEtbZwNbGu5OA6uMaI/s1600/Love_Don%2527t_Live_Here_Anymore_2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711393134089489970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvPLv26oZ1ftZ9u4fRHW-5sWCd2nbgNycbZR8g1wgQZ_xK2yGGmYghSarpaIezeQEr0b9GGzYqOOH5kJzhCrUxDJtnKnTveIg95QzWFmIDjwICO9qDw14vSqUpnEtbZwNbGu5OA6uMaI/s200/Love_Don%2527t_Live_Here_Anymore_2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 169px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured On</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Like a Virgin</span> (1984), <span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span> (1995)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Release Date</span>: March 19, 1996<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chart Positions</span>: U.S. Billboard Hot 100: #78, U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Charts: #29<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Performing Artist</span>: Rose Royce in 1978<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: '70's R&B outfit Rose Royce made their version a hit a decade prior to Madonna's. Appearing on her second album <span style="font-style: italic;">Like a Virgin</span>, it was a lofty step to broadening her sound outside of just "dance-pop." Much like "Borderline" before it and "Crazy for You" afterwards, it showed Madonna's penchant for slower fare that gifted gravitas to an otherwise cutesy set of tempo elevated pop on <span style="font-style: italic;">Like a Virgin</span>. Madonna gave a loving return to the song on her ballads summation <span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span> in 1995 and even released it as a single, its R&B flavor heightened. It showed that the musical thread of R&B was one she had, and would continue to, touch on at different intervals in her musical spans.<br />
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"Love Don't Live Here Anymore (<span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span> Version)"<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Jean-Baptise Mondino<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fever</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumLVXWqlgS4qGYglLlF68zMfRFPrHZ_6iuMsH1XsUxyxb4eq7KGGV0jx5N9-gcYuamrVlh_1FHhQr6Qg0JBsJwoAPwLdMCIa70JVEzJGOPcBsQL6t_ORCYVrt2BbnCyY41h7ASCchJlw/s1600/Madonna-Fever-15544.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711393425219288690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumLVXWqlgS4qGYglLlF68zMfRFPrHZ_6iuMsH1XsUxyxb4eq7KGGV0jx5N9-gcYuamrVlh_1FHhQr6Qg0JBsJwoAPwLdMCIa70JVEzJGOPcBsQL6t_ORCYVrt2BbnCyY41h7ASCchJlw/s200/Madonna-Fever-15544.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 195px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured On</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Erotica</span> (1992)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Release Date</span>: March 22, 1993<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chart Positions</span>: U.K. Singles Chart: #6<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Performing Artist</span>: Little Willie John in 1956 (See notes below for information on the popular Peggy Lee version and how it relates to Madonna.)<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: The first version of "Fever," recorded by R&B singer Little Willie John, is revered as a great song of its era. However, it was pop singer Peggy Lee's rendition in 1958 that became the emblematic statement for repressed sensuality coming to term. While many have gone on to do the song, Lee's remains the definitive version. Madonna's cover of it appeared on her sixth album <span style="font-style: italic;">Erotica.</span> An album and single edit bore a polished house presence, but it was Madonna's dry ice vocal that gave it a shade of palpable desire. "Fever" is a song that one could envision Madonna covering. She handled it with restraint and an evocative pull that made it one of truly "sexy" tracks on the over-ambitious <span style="font-style: italic;">Erotica</span>.<br />
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"Fever" (Single Edit)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Stéphane Sednaoui<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Want You</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nUlCHC5ebzDT79RPrG7VfiSfpsNj8_kd25Z9srm84X9XeIPdlLi8jtrrTwN6LhC-2cbS0TVOnBbuEDUsDaiA9dy3s3XFU-C6oDwrvARpDEpbhfTBRZu27Ydp3aC9MdvcSB3wvi_d04w/s1600/i+want+you.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711393569448006242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nUlCHC5ebzDT79RPrG7VfiSfpsNj8_kd25Z9srm84X9XeIPdlLi8jtrrTwN6LhC-2cbS0TVOnBbuEDUsDaiA9dy3s3XFU-C6oDwrvARpDEpbhfTBRZu27Ydp3aC9MdvcSB3wvi_d04w/s200/i+want+you.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 195px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured On</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span> (1995)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Release Date</span>: Withdrawn as a single<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chart Positions</span>: Withdrawn as a single<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Performing Artist</span>: Marvin Gaye in 1976<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: Another magnificent cut from Madonna's artistic renaissance, this Marvin Gaye standard was no easy feat. Many have tried their best to recast Gaye's songs, but to no avail. Madonna paired with Massive Attack, who'd just come off their album <span style="font-style: italic;">Protection</span> the year prior to her LP <span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span> being released. Together, they produced a cover of Gaye's "I Want You" featured as a new recording on <span style="font-style: italic;">Something to Remember</span>. Madonna turned the sensual jam into an urban, symphonic tapestry. Opening on a pounding riff, Madonna strummed the beat with a steady "<span style="font-style: italic;">I, yi, yi, yi...</span>" in her cobalt tinted lower tones. Throughout, Madonna's voice strolled through the maze-like construct with respect, but ease befitting a singer of her stature. Madonna achieved the goods of covering a Gaye classic and paying homage, but making it wholly hers. Her cover was also included on the covers tribute to Marvin Gaye, <span style="font-style: italic;">Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye</span> (1995).<br />
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"I Want You"<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Earl Sebastian<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't Cry For Me Argentina</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnf1xnkCEJtgSpE1Zgb-kNggW-Ey9V_DKgyOP3lGsJajKuXNoqovjt51rC9nxVgG0Nl_xbi78Mi2Wk22J4O3hfdkYeP_J6WhZ3jkFULDmZ4jjzZYIrHGlebk2YNUhm6HBvbGAnhb21Cc/s1600/Don%2527t_Cry_For_Me_Argentina_single_cover.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711393700635169106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnf1xnkCEJtgSpE1Zgb-kNggW-Ey9V_DKgyOP3lGsJajKuXNoqovjt51rC9nxVgG0Nl_xbi78Mi2Wk22J4O3hfdkYeP_J6WhZ3jkFULDmZ4jjzZYIrHGlebk2YNUhm6HBvbGAnhb21Cc/s200/Don%2527t_Cry_For_Me_Argentina_single_cover.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 181px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured On</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Evita Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</span> (1996)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Release Date</span>: February 11, 1997<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chart Positions</span>: U.S. Billboard Hot 100: #7, U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary: #21, U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40: #14, U.K. Singles Chart: #3<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Performing Artist (s)</span>: Too many to list.<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: The impeccable "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, came from the 1978 play <i>Evita</i>. The play was based upon the life of the Argentinian figure Eva Perón. When the film adaption was made, later gaining Madonna a Golden Globe Award, many wondered if she could pull off the singing. Couple that with enduring entries by Karen Carpenter and Donna Summer, Madonna had much to live up to. Not only did she live up to the expectations, she shattered them completely. The song ended up becoming especially autobiographical and continued her maturation started with <span style="font-style: italic;">Bedtime Stories</span> (1994). Robust and rousing, Madonna had never sounded so confident or powerful. Madonna's singing tactics parlayed here echoed through her next few albums, notably <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray of Light</span> (1998).<br />
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"Don't Cry For Me Argentina"<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Alan Parker<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">American Pie</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjMZK0RnsS-DBgoEIAhAvYFgUYhDU8LnZQQTT067gDIc-XJliMqB5VDRBF4yWC2Sf1ytgYTQx_EOu1x0sw9rLiVuFsyV0OT4rbCpXUFc6AG4uuq23CHEXQVu_nUdggNokuCVNr_k6J6M/s1600/Americanpiesinglecover.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711393963658424530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjMZK0RnsS-DBgoEIAhAvYFgUYhDU8LnZQQTT067gDIc-XJliMqB5VDRBF4yWC2Sf1ytgYTQx_EOu1x0sw9rLiVuFsyV0OT4rbCpXUFc6AG4uuq23CHEXQVu_nUdggNokuCVNr_k6J6M/s200/Americanpiesinglecover.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 197px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Featured On</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Next Best Thing Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</span> (2000), <span style="font-style: italic;">Music</span> (2000) (International Pressings Only)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Release Date</span>: March 3, 2000<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chart Positions</span>: U.K. Singles Chart: #1<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Performing Artist</span>: Don McLean in 1971<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: "<span style="font-style: italic;">And I knew that if I had my chance, I could make those people dance. And maybe they'd be happy, for awhile</span>." With one line Madonna took Don McLean's "American Pie," a song about the loss of youth and turned it into a reflective tale of musical escape. She also summarized her artistic ethos in the process. Considering by this time Madonna's bounty as a singer in her own respect had increased, that line was even more prophetic. Tacked onto the international pressings of the cold cool of <span style="font-style: italic;">Music</span> (2000), Madonna brought back in <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray of Light</span> player William Orbit to capture the warmth of <span style="font-style: italic;">Music's</span> predecessor. Madonna's voice was seasoned with not only her life experiences, but <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> technical skill many detractors stated she initially lacked upon her inception in 1983. Sailing through her edited rendition, a few verses are omitted, the song wasn't released as a single in the American market, but abroad. Available on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Next Best Thing</span> film soundtrack (in which she starred) for her U.S. fans, the song topped the British chart giving Madonna her ninth number one single there.<br />
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"American Pie"<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directed By</span>: Philipp Stölzl<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xo3poz_madonna-american-pie_music" target="_blank">Madonna - American Pie</a><br />
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[Editor's Note: All of Madonna's mentioned albums and soundtrack are in print. For current information on Madonna visit <a href="http://www.madonna.com/">Madonna.com</a>.-QH]</div>
QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588194795481137712.post-14760222983702164242012-02-17T20:48:00.006-05:002012-02-17T21:15:24.866-05:00Remembering Whitney Houston<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4dbB7fiVTKOl4EBz54AcFpG2sVs_kLJ21RL-tThajSaIMsZBXA8DDT-Spm1DIwZr6gvyj-k_2F37CnP5uEDEJ9kWAxhIR0fvmx2H_ZF4ESDrkXAGTmoKOk1kDROEl13oXoKmp_i4Vxg/s1600/Whitney%252BHouston%252BRIP%252BWhitney.png" style="font-weight: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4dbB7fiVTKOl4EBz54AcFpG2sVs_kLJ21RL-tThajSaIMsZBXA8DDT-Spm1DIwZr6gvyj-k_2F37CnP5uEDEJ9kWAxhIR0fvmx2H_ZF4ESDrkXAGTmoKOk1kDROEl13oXoKmp_i4Vxg/s320/Whitney%252BHouston%252BRIP%252BWhitney.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710288100647834194" /></a><br />Ms. Houston's untimely passing came exactly at the same time I hit my exhaustion wall from school, The QH Blend, and my gigs for Big Break Records. I felt awful that I didn't have anything to contribute, initially, to honor her memory when I received the news last weekend. Honestly, I was sad and without words, and compounded with my minor flame out, I couldn't muster the strength to form anything coherent. That said, it seems my <a href="http://qhblend.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-is-it-about-whitney-then-now.html" style="font-weight: normal; ">career retrospective on her from 2009</a> here, that proceeded my review in the Dayton City Paper of <span style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; ">I Look to You</span> (2009) has found a new audience, and I'm glad I could in that way honor this woman.<br /><br />Often, in the realm of writing, especially about music, politics gets in the way of integrity and compassion. Ms. Houston's death has brought out some of the worst in those I'd call peers in our field. It also has, thankfully, brought out the best in others. I am <span style="font-style:italic;">honored</span> to share three pieces that I feel, summed up Ms. Houston, capturing her complexity and artistry, and embraced it all with respect and love.<br /><br />They are...<br /><br /><b>Jennifer of The Adventures of an Audio Diva</b>: <a href="http://www.audiodivablog.com/2012/02/audio-tribute-20-whitney-houston.html">20 Whitney Houston Singles I Love (and Will Always Sing Badly To)</a><div><br /><br /><b>Steve Flemming Jr. of</b><span style="font-weight: normal; "> </span><b>Aural Examination</b>: <a href="http://auralexamination.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/find-your-strength-in-love-revisiting-whitneys-debut/">Find Your Strength in Love: Revisiting Whitney's Debut</a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div><b>Justin Kantor of</b> <b>Blog Critics</b>: <a href="http://blogcritics.org/music/article/the-career-and-impact-of-whitney">The Career and Impact of Whitney: Still "The Greatest Love of All"</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>On a "housekeeping" note, watch this space. New work, despite my school & work schedule being heavy, may appear here in the coming week. Otherwise, Godspeed Whitney, I will miss you, and hope you found the peace that seemed difficult for you to attain in life.-QH</div></div>QHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382581760229749831noreply@blogger.com2