Masterpiece Theater - En Vogue

Product details

Title: Masterpiece Theater

Performer: En Vogue

Genre: R&B

Sub Genre: Contemporary R&B

Release Date: 22/05/2000

Recomended Retail Price: 16.99 GBP

Original Release Year: 2000

Label / Distributor: Elektra / Cinram Logistics

Engineer: Steve Counter

Producer: Denzil Foster; Thomas McElroy

Pieces in Set: 1

Studio / Live: Studio

Stereo: Stereo

Format: Performer

EAN: 75596241625

Catalogue Number: 7559624162

Additional notes

Album Notes: En Vogue: Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones (vocals).
Additional personnel: Kamil Marzette, Bobby McFerren (vocals); Mo Benjamin (various instruments, organ); Dave Meezy (various instruments); James Earley, Dwayne Wiggins, Marlon McClain (guitar); Michael J. Mani (piano, keyboards, programming); Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Mark Lomax (keyboards, programming); Sundra Manning (keyboards); Jaime Brewer (bass); Sauce (programming).
Eklypse: Michelle Woods, Robert Page, Tony Woods (vocals).
Principally recorded at FM Studios, Emeryville, California.
On this follow-up to 1997's EV3 and its panoply of producers that included schlockmeister David Foster and balladeer Babyface, En Vogue reunites with the acclaimed duo of Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. For its fourth studio album, the trio raises the bar of contemporary R&B by integrating unpredictable classical influences and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross harmonizing into its brand of uplifting soul.
The vagaries of romance and relationships are the meat of this sumptuous aural feast, and vocal rounds and snappy arrangements are the driving force behind crackling numbers like "Riddle," and "No No No (Can't Come Back)." Elsewhere En Vogue bridges the gaping chasm between the classical and hip-hop worlds by turning to Bizet's Carmen and a rap from Sol Eklypse for inspiration on the modern urban love tale, "Those Dogs." MASTERPIECE THEATER's centerpiece is the impressive, uncredited "Love Suite," which traces the cycle of a relationship through infatuation, involvement and infidelity. Throughout this piece, Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones perform elaborate vocal gymnastics, cleverly invoking shades of Tchaikovsky ("Love You Crazy"), Beethoven ("Sad But True"), and Gilbert & Sullivan ("Love Won't Take Me Out").

Album Reviews: Rolling Stone (7/20/00, p.142) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...[They] lace smooth R&B tracks with feisty lyrics. The trio can be both polished and down-to-earth....En Vogue still put on one hell of an act."
Spin (7/00, pp.150-1) - 6 out of 10 - "...Fulfills its campy designs....'Those Dogs' deliciously hints at the future in dinner theater this album is designed to postpone..."
Q (7/00, p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Cleverly, they...have spotted that classical music is more versatile than George Clinton and James Brown interpolations....Magnificent."
NME (5/27/00, p.41) - 7 out of 10 - "...Spectacular and deranged...and even once the bow-tie operatics are over they stay inventive....nobody can beat En Vogue for vocall technique, and the rhapsodic experiments are neo-camp genuis..."

Titles on disc 1

1.: Riddle

2.: No No No (Can't Come Back)

3.: Falling In Love

4.: Suite Intro

5.: Love You Crazy

6.: Sad But True

7.: Love Won't Take Me Out

8.: Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)

9.: Suite Outro

10.: Beat Of Love

11.: Latin Soul

12.: Work It Out

13.: Those Dogs

14.: Number One Man

Ciao

Listed on Ciao since : 15/06/2001