House, R&B, Soul & Rap > pre 1970 House, R&B, Soul & Rap

America's queen

Advantages: One of the greatest soul albums of all time
Disadvantages: ---

...a bit nicer" I think that Aretha Franklin could relate to that comment. For the past 40 years she has been hoisted on a pedestal of fanatical idolatry and suffocating demands. No performer in the history of African American art has ever had the expectations as had Aretha by her audience. Her body of work isn't a matter of critical record, but of nationalist fervor. Aretha's artistic stratosphere is a place where she can do no right and do no wrong ...
...speaking for myself, the deeper I look in to her work, the more I realize that in order to earn the title of "queen of soul" she had to pay a terrible price. 1966. Brother ray had Just kicked heroin and came back on the charts with a fail safe risk free pop album. Otis Redding was revolutionizing pop music every where in the world but the U.S top 40 charts. James brown's was just beginning to redefine musical minimalist polyrythmic composition. James ...

brotherman 18.04.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin

Sophisticated soul from Stax songwriter.

Advantages: A high water mark for the great Stax label, and you can hear why.
Disadvantages: South Park fans may be dissapointed.

Hayes revolutionised soul music with this, his second outing. The first symphonically orchestrated concept soul LP (blimey, quite a mouthful). It only contained four tracks, but four is more than enough with the sheer power and intensity on show here. The eighteen minute extravaganza of By The Time I Get to Phoenix is a standout matched by his twelve minute take on Burt Bacharach and Hal David's Walk On By. To give an idea of the standard of this ...
...releases on the Stax label within three weeks of release and became the first gold release for the company, a big deal in 1969. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic (another mouthful) and One Woman keep the quality high and although the tracks are long, there is no sense of self-indulgence, helped by the shifting rhythms and tight arrangements. Hayes vocal, well before the self parody of the South park years, lends a sophisticated air to what is an ...

GKDurkin 13.09.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Hot Buttered Soul - Isaac Hayes

That's Life

Advantages: A couple of big tunes
Disadvantages: Inconsistent

...be the ones who bring life to the music, but it seemed to neglect the rest of the song with a song which didn’t really lift the mood in the way it should of and so prevented it from lifting at all. **Two Stars** 5. “Into My Own Thing” Although you probably won’t recognise the song itself, the opening hook it will certainly be familiar to you as it was used later by Fatboy Slim, and it cause you to take notice as they seems to get down to more of ...
...girls who just have no life and sped their time trying to chase after people such as themselves. I wouldn’t have said it was the best way to end the album, but it isn’t as weak as some of the others. **Three Stars** Just as with all of their early album releases, this is a hugely inconsistent album from the band and it really doesn’t have that much more to offer when compared to the last album which they brought out as it has them infrequently getting ...

XICripZ 25.07.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Life [Digipak] [Remastered] - Sly & The Family Stone

A Whole 'New' Thing. Ya Dig?

Advantages: A few big tunes
Disadvantages: A couple of tunes let it down

...Family Stone’s debut release, “A Whole New Thing” came out in 1967 and it was an influential album for the Funk group, headed by Sly Stone, and has him with brother, Freddie, sister Vet, and other friends coming together to showcase their Psychedelic Soul, and Funk tunes, which were still in their developmental stages at the time when this was released. 1. “Underdog” They kick the album off with the best tune on the whole thing, which takes from ...
...the tune breaks out into a big Funk recording to show exactly what they are about, and what the music is likely to contain as you go through it. **Five Stars** 2. “If This Room Could Talk” The lively riffs which you hear in this one have the high energy level maintained, and from here you have them take it to a lot less moving work, but it still engages the listener with what occurs within it as Sly leads on vocals and the rest back him up with relevant ...

XICripZ 18.04.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Whole New Thing, A [Digipak] - Sly & The Family Stone

One Of The Best Albums Ever By Usher

Advantages: This Album Is Worth Buying/ Better Than The Rest
Disadvantages: None

...songs on this album is Here I Stand. Well, on this album I have many favorite songs. The lyrics are fantastic. Usher's album is a must get. Most of the songs on the album is about relationships/ love. Usher has grown to be one of the best male R&B entertainers alive. 1. Intro 2. Love In This Club featuring Young Jeezy 3. This Ain't Sex 4. Trading Places 5. Moving Mountains 6. What's Your Name featuring will.i.am 7. Prayer For You Interlude 8. Something ...
...featuring Jay Z 11. Before I Met You 12. His Mistakes 13. Appetite 14. What's A Man To Do 15. Lifetime 16. Love In This Club Part II featuring Beyoncé & Lil Wayne 17. Here I Stand ...

soosmart 24.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Here I Stand - Usher