House, R&B, Soul & Rap > Keys, Alicia House, R&B, Soul & Rap

Advantages: Brilliant performance
Disadvantages: 1 weak link

...had really enjoyed is this MTV Unplugged session from 2005. Recorded on her home turf a Brooklyn Academy of Music, this is a showcase for a true vocal talent and talented pianist. The applause for her opening "Intro Alicia's Prayer" soon dies down and you can almost hear a pin drop until her smooth soul voice takes over. She barely sings 5 lines and the audience are clearly die hard fans as they appreciation of her is plain to hear. Personally, ...
...attitude in her voice, so I welcomed the early inclusion in the set of "Karma" & "Heatburn", which are brilliant examples of that attitude, and performances like this put other wannabee R&B singers such as Beyonce to shame. "A Woman's Work" is a triumph normally, but I have to say stripped right back like it is on this live version it loses a little of it's magic as I feel that the backing vocalists are too much in the forefront. It just feels like ... Read review

Advantages: Nice singing
Disadvantages: none

Alicia Keys' new album is back! and it offers the most amazing tracks ever. Firstly just to say that in most of these tracks, she demonstartes her piano skills and they truly captivate anyone who understands music, her singing is great and she has already won lots of awards such as grammy awards for this album. One of my most favourite If I Aint Got You and You Dont Know My Name because these songs are sung with alot of feeling and emotion and they ... Read review

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: Amazing, soulful singing
Disadvantages: Can get a bit repetative

Songs in A Minor was Alicia Key's debut album, released in 2001 when she was just 20 years old. She won 5 grammy awards that year, including best new artist, best song for Fallin' and best R&B album. It went on to sell about 18 million copies worldwide. The first track, Piano & I, is more of an introduction than a real song. It's based around the Moonlight Sonata, and it has some nice piano and soulful backing, but not much else. Girlfriend kicks ...
...album, one of the best songs on here. Overall, this is a great album from an artist who is obviously extremely talented at a young age. As well as playing the piano and singing, she wrote nearly all the songs herself, and produced it! The quality of her voice is amazing on every track; she has real soul and an excellent range. There are a range of styles, from urban to gospel, and she plays the piano beautfully. However, I won't give it 5 stars, ... 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