House, R&B, Soul & Rap > Contemporary R&B House, R&B, Soul & Rap > U

Advantages: Beautiful arrangements, some brilliant new songs
Disadvantages: Could of been more new material, but the CD does not feel empty without them,

Having been lucky enough to go and see Miss Keys live twice, I can honestly say, as beautiful as her voice sounds when its been recorded in a studio, its only when you hear her live that you fully understand how talented she is. This album lets you get closer to the experience of her live performances. Although it has only has a few new tracks, hearing a live recording of her old favourites brings something new to the songs. Some of the arangements ...
...would say some of these versions are better than the orginals. I definitely wasn't left feeling short changed by the limited number of new songs, although the ones that are on there are excellent, particularly Wild Horses, which is a sensational duet with the amazingly talented lead singer of Maroon 5.Definitely one to listen out for!!! Of the old(er) songs, the version of 'If I ain't got you' is beautiful, as i the arrangement of 'If I was your ... Read review

Advantages: Great showcase of her musical talents, good new arrangements of existing songs
Disadvantages: Not enough new tracks!

This album follows in the footsteps of a number of other 'unplugged' sets in recent years. Like many of these, one of the big plus points is the feel of 'live' music from artists that people might not have had the opportunity to see live. On this album, the listener gets a good feel for what a fantastic musician Alicia Keys is, what a fantistic voice she has, and just how good it must be to go to a live gig of hers. There is a good mix of tracks ...
...albums and a couple of new ones. In terms of the old material, its great to hear new arrangements of these tracks, and although for me a few miss the heights of the original versions, others (e.g. If I aint got you) are simply brilliant. The new tracks are great - Unbreakable is a fantastic song that is brilliant 'unpugged'. There are also some good collaborations, including Adam Levine from Maroon5, and Mos Def, Common and Damian Marley. Overall ... Read review

Advantages: Good
Disadvantages: None

Shystie aka Chanelle Calica grew up in Hackney and is the queen in the urban music sceen in the UK. If you have not heard her music you may recognise her from "Dub plate drama" or the recent film "Adulthood" playing the character Lisa. The album "Diamond in the dirt" has a mixed variety of music. For some reason being a female and an MC doesn't seem to mix in the eyes of a male. But Shystie proves that females are just as good if not better when ...
...in the girls corner with "womens world" shows the integrity and intelligence of this woman and at the same time is able to bring comedy into the equation. "One wish" has got to be one of her darker songs but shows the pain of growing up in Hackney first hand. www.myspace.com/shystie ... Read review

Advantages: Great variety
Disadvantages: Not everyones cup of tea

This has got to be the best album from Dizzee Rascal. He has his own original style and unique lyrics which can't be compared to any other MC in the UK. Dizzee Rascal grew up in east London and started to get into the music scene by doing his own pirate radio show and Being a DJ in the clubs. The now 21 year old now owns his own recored label "Dirtee Stank Recordings" represented by a logo which he describes as "a lump of shit". His first single ...
...one of the most memorable songs from the album. Heavy old school base and a great music video to go with it. What makes this album so appealing? The fact that he is honest about his life living in London and he isn't afraid to cause controversy. An example song would be "Hold ya mouth" where he discuses his opinion on the police, the queen etc. with true emotion. As well as good club music, this album shows his darker side also. Although it appears ... Read review

Advantages: Great music and lyrics, vocals
Disadvantages: Nothing

...of the funkiest tracks on Here I Stand. 4.) Trading Places This opens with a pounding drum beat and then a piano comes in. I love the way the drum beat moves along throught the song and this is a great track about giving something back to your partner and doing things for them that they have done for you. More songs should be like this. 5.) Moving Mountains This was the first song I heard from the album before it was released as this was one ...
...on this album. 18) Here I Stand This is a lovely ballad that has an old style feel. Usher sounds amazing in this superb ballad. This is about Usher's life as he sees it at the moment of recording the album and what he feels about his wife and son. A gorgeous track in every way. 19.) Will Work for love This is a superb end to Here I Stand. This track tells the tale of a heartbroken Man trying to find love. One of the most unique tracks Usher has ... Read review