"Get Lifted" came in 2004 as the debut album from the Soul singer, John Legend. As a G.O.O.D. Music signee, he was able to get the then-up-and-coming star Kanye West to work on much of it to help produce a highly successful first release; which it was.
1. "Prelude" (Intro)
2. "Let's Get Lifted"
Getting things going; you get a tune which has obvious got Kanye's production added to t, however apart from the great composition, it is a pretty weak one and doesn't have much going for it as Legend sings in a nice way, but doens't do what he aims to with the song as it didn't really grab me and bring me up in the way that he wishes.
**Two Stars**
3. "Used To Love U"
This was the single whihc launched his career. For me, it is the best song he's ever come up with, and he is still yet to beat its quality with Kanye on the production, and him coming out with a uplifting song about the break-up of a relationship. You just can't get any better than this.
The mix of Hip Hop, Gospel and R&B is what makes it so good, and well-executed.
**Five Stars**
4. "Alright"
You have some funky productiuon in this one, and it changes everything up as you feel a strong contrast from pretty much the whole album in this one. On this one he seems like he is in tune with the traits of the modern R&B scene (which 0ften isn't whilst doing the more traditional Soul).
**Four Stars**
5. "She Don't Have To Know"
For this one, you have him singing out a story, and I found that he was strong at describing his journey as he goes around sleeping with other men's girls, when he has a girlfriend of his own. It is well-written, and Kanye's production is just what is needed to keep it all together.
Here is a funny little track from him. it getys him sing about how he woman should calm down, and not stress at him for sleeping around, when he does so much in order to make sure she doesn't find out and hurt her. it is well-written, and Kanye's vocal role is highly valued.
**Five Stars**
7. "I Can Change"
Snoop Dogg collaborates with him on this one, and after doing a introduction for it, he returns later on in the tune to add to the killer tune. It is one of the best ones from the album, and even without Snoop, it would still have a great amount of energy, and this is all down to the gripping melodies which get you on almost every lines of the song.
This, the second single from the artist, showed a new side to him (and the one which he seems most comfortable in). He does a very minimalstic one where he simply plays the piano and performs an empowering, Grammy award-winning song about how relationships can break don over silly things. This was originally made as a Black Eyed Peas tune, and luckily, Legend dominanted it to a degree where they felt they had to back out and give him full credit for the track.
**Five Stars**
9. "Stay With You"
Dave Tozer gets on the prodcution for this one, and I must say that I was really into what he did as he chose to do a pretty plain arrangement, but it gained energy through hard, yet muffled Hip Hop beats, which drive it all. It has lots of potential, but with out a key change in it, it remains on the same level throughout, and you do get bored by it all after a while.
**Three Stars**
10. "Let's Get Lifted Again" (Lude)
11. "So High"
This was the final single from the album, but I can't remember hearing it at the time. On it, you have Legend going for a song which enables him to show what power he has in his voice, but it did little for me as he sings a ballad, but with such weak, lifeless production, you don't feel all the emotions of it.
**Two Stars**
12. "Refuge"
This suffers from the same weaknesses which the rest seem to come inot. You get it all sang very well, but what is said doesn't really have much power to it, especially when it is written in a way that doesn't quite capture what is meant to be said with enough clarity.
**Two Stars**
13. "It Don't Have To Change"
You have the artist exploring his Gospel side to its max for this one has he is accompanied by the Stephens Family on a highly-emotive song about rebelling against anything which may prevent you from showing love to another person for.
**Three Stars**
14. "Live It Up"
The final song on the album ends things in the way it should be done as you get him on sinign to some great production, which allows him to pull out everythign that he may have lets out of the rest of the album. He injects so much into this one, and it all works fantasically well.
**Four Stars**
I must say that after hearing it all the way through, this album is highly over-rated. The singles are where all the energy comes from, and aisde from this, its all pretty average, and this has been the case in his music ever since. You should just stick to the singles really, because there is little else in here.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Like a fresh breeze in the sometimes-arid landscape that can be R n B, this album amply ... more
illustrates that John Legend is up to being mentioned in the same breath as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, by way of R. Kelly and Jay-Z. Direct comparisons are redu...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Like a fresh breeze in the sometimes-arid landscape that can be R n B, this album amply ... more
illustrates that John Legend is up to being mentioned in the same breath as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, by way of R. Kelly and Jay-Z. Direct comparisons are redu...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Mar 9th, 2009
(Dec 22nd, 2008)
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