Released in 2000, "My Name Is Joe" is the thrird album from the R&B singer Joe (Thomas). I feel that it it wasn't for my father's taste of music, I would have never have heard of Joe, because he is really underrated outside of this genre of music, but in this category, he is (or was) one of the best in the game, so he should be showed a lot more respect.
"Intro (My Name Is Joe)"
"Somebody Gotta Be on Top"
Although this song deals with all the typical things which you would expect to hear from a track such as this, it doesn't really have the power which you get to see in other parts of the album, so it is just a second rate version of the rest of the songs here. However as he is consistantly strong, it means that the overall quality isn't effected as it doesn't sound that poor away from this album.
It wasn't until I went back to listen to this record until I rediscovered this banger, as the remix (which features as a bonus track here) overtook the popularity of this original recording, but this was one of his best tracks as it goes on a slower beat to the remix, and I feel that you wouldn't feel the same about the second version without listening to this first.
Joe simple kills it when he is annoyed, like in this track, and he shows that he can cope with new things, as for once instead of loving girls, for once he goes into a rage as he knows
that his girl hasn't been faithful to him, causing her to stutter as she attempts to make up a story for her absense.
**Five Stars**
"Table for Two"
Judging by the title, you would imagine that this one is about a romantic meal between a couple, and you could still say that this is true, but just not in the typical way as the 'meal' which they have on the table ins't really what it was designed for.
You are taken through both a fast and a slow pace during this one in order to parallel the events which you hear with the tempo of the track. I though that he pulled off this sensual song as it wasn something original, and unexpected in an R&B album.
**Four Stars**
"I Wanna Know"
As Joe's style of R*B didn't seem to change with the turn of the millenium as others (most notably R. Kelly) I trhought that his way of doing things would seem slightly old-fashioned, abut as he pulled it off so wel, you can't argue with him coming with a track like this which sounds as if it belongs to a time just before the release of the album.
Joe smooths things out with a calm love song which uses the line "I wanna know what turns you on." as the leading chorus line, and from here you get a sense of him really having lots of affection for hgis lady as he is really taking notice of what is required so that he can be the complete man for her, and not someone who can be seen as the nearest substitute to this.
**Five Stars**
"Treat Her Like a Lady"
I felt that this track had the production working off the lyrics better than anywhere else on the album as Joe begins by saying "Something ain't right", and the music seems to follow the emotions of beign alerted, and looking for something out of place. The suspisiousness continues from here, but then it changes to have a differnt meaning.
Joe gives us a lesson in chivalry, and teaches you how to make your girl as comfortable as possible all the time. I think that only a serious R&B man like Joe could pull this off, and this wouldn't suit any current acts in this genre, as it takes far too much influence from Hip hop, but then again Ne-Yo is attempting to bring these days back with his up-coming "Year Of The Gentleman" LP.
**Four Stars**
"Get Crunk Tonight"
It's not until you look back when you realise how early words emerged, as Joe talks about getting 'Crunk' long before it went mainstream with Lil' Jon's Dirty South sub-genre movement, and I didn't expect to see R&B singers such as Joe and Mary J. Blige getting the word up before the poineer was able to.
I wouldn't say that the high-energy style was recreated in an R&B way here, but he does switch up the meaning by, obviously, making it another way of saying 'sex'. If singers in this genre didn't do this, then you would have nothing but the word in all of their songs.
**Four Stars**
"5 6 3"
The style of this isn't very conventioanl as the production seems to be quite normal, with nothing to suggest it's anything out of the ordinary for an R&B track from the late '90s to early '00s, but the way Joe delivers the lines makes it seem as though it has a Latin feel to it.
I usually don't think that any Spanish influence on an R&B song works, but not over-doing it with acoustics too, so Joe makes sure that it remains subtle and sounds to be in control of the music, rather than the concept forcing him to change his natural way of performing.
**Four Stars**
"Peep Show"
We are taken through one of Joe's usual nights in wth his girl, which are desgined for two, and would be too crowded if the 'peep show' was made any less private than between himself and whatever female he has brought home. You follwo the pace of the night, whih beings slowly, and then gradually builds itself up to a climax before calming down towards the end.
**Four Stars**
"One Life Stand"
This slow and sexy one works from the phrase 'one night stand', but by omitting the second word and replacing it with 'life' shows that Joe is willing to give up the rest of his years in order to spend them with that one special girl as his body can't stand to be without her.
If you are familiar with his earlier songs, I would have to compare the overall sound (ignoring the lyrics) to "All The Things", but there's nothing wrong with that as it was one fo the best songs from he album which preceeded this.
Joe compares himself to a bird of prey, but instead of using it to depict himslef as a predaor to the females, he offers freedom from relationships which he knows aren't working out, because he knows that he is able to do things better than they currnetly do. I flet that using uch a metaphor made for a great concept of providing an escape to sample a better life with a man who is guaranteed to value the love more than the current partner does.
I thinkl that this would have made for an amazing video, so it's a shame that it wasn't released as a single, because it certainly has the potential to do big things with such asn original theme, which has both fun and exciting elements.
**Four Stars**
"So Beautiful"
I knew that at some point it would come; this is the ballard in the album. I just can't do with these songs as they just aren't designed for males to listen to at all. Joe didit better than most other R&B singers, but I still ws never going to get into it, and the added power of *N SYNC did little to improve on it. It's a good job that therre are extras because for me, this was the worst way to end the album.
**Two Stars**
Overall I feel that this is one of the best R&B album which I own, and I think that it's important for those who enjoy the more soulful side of it to go and get it, because this is all Joe is about, and he never fails to deliver with anything he brings to the table (if it's still standing).
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