... A good start and a well produced track
Release Some Tension - feat Foxy Brown. Not a wonderful track this and without the top production the average vocals come through. Foxy Brown's rap does nothing to keep you listening and im afraid its not a keeper
Lose My Cool - feat Redman. Again ... Read review
Advantages: One classic, plenty of features Disadvantages: Too inconsistent, at times average vocal performance
...produced track
Release Some Tension - feat Foxy Brown. Not a wonderful track this and without the top production the average vocals come through. Foxy Brown's rap does nothing to keep you listening and im afraid its not a keeper
Lose My Cool - feat Redman. Again another average track which this time is helped by a feature but we dont hear enough of Redman. The layout is getting similar as each track starts with a rap ... ...the album. Featured in the release of the Booty Call movie which starred Jamie Foxx and was always on tv adverts along with Joe's 'Dont wanna be a playa'. Production steps up a level and the vocal range is not too stretching.
Rain. Coko mainly features on this one on her own and was another single released from the album. A slower track that has no features and this is the first time we experience this. Quite a nice song and a change ... more
Originally released back in 1997, this album sold a number of copies off the back of the hit single 'Can We' which featured MIssy Elliott and was the soundtrack to cult film, Booty Call as well as featuring an abundence of rap, production and vocal talent picked up from previous hits and probably the world renowned 'Right Here' from a few years previous.
Producers on the album include Sean 'Puffy' Combs, Deric 'D Dot' Angeleitte, Malik Pendleton, Roderick Wiggins and Timbaland and they all help to bring together a good array of tracks which gives the album the exact sound that was going around in R&B from the late 90s.
Although saying that, the features and production are at a good enoough level to cover up any short falls from the group. SWV (sisters with voices) are mainly known for lead singer Coko who eventually went solo, a little like Destinys Child but a less talented version. The otehr two, Taj & Lele, offer good backing vocals but sometimes they can be left behind in the wake of Coko's voice. I once heard them try to sing a jingle on a british radio station and it sounded so poor that the dj had to play it over and over again to show up that vocally they could be better. However, as songs go, they play their part in a good deal of the tracks here and most are of good standard.
Someone - feat Puff Daddy. Produced by Puff Daddy and features him aswell. He uses a sample from 10 crack commandments by the notorious big and this was the second single to come off the album. A good start and a well produced track
Release Some Tension - feat Foxy Brown. Not a wonderful track this and without the top production the average vocals come through. Foxy Brown's rap does nothing to keep you listening and im afraid its not a keeper
Lose My Cool - feat Redman. Again another average track which this time is helped by a feature but we dont hear enough of Redman. The layout is getting similar as each track starts with a rap and finishes with a rap with nice choruses in the middle and you start to wonder if this is the way the whole album goes.
Love Like This - feat Lil Cease. Samples Lil Kim's No Time which also features Cease on the album version. Same style, same layout, its getting standard now with the initial intro followed by a rap, 2minutes of singing then a rap, then outro. Im starting to think that the more rappers they can get in the less they need to actually sing?? Having said that this track is not that bad, although this is just purely because of the sample and production, on your first hearing it doesnt sound right but eventually it sounds acceptable
Can We - feat Missy Elliott. Timbaland produced and the best track on the album. Featured in the release of the Booty Call movie which starred Jamie Foxx and was always on tv adverts along with Joe's 'Dont wanna be a playa'. Production steps up a level and the vocal range is not too stretching.
Rain. Coko mainly features on this one on her own and was another single released from the album. A slower track that has no features and this is the first time we experience this. Quite a nice song and a change from the reworked r&b/rap set up like the rest of this album
Give It Up - feat Lil Kim. Poor track with average lyrics from Lil Kim. Back we go to the same old layout but this time the production and chorus are not up to it. Nothing catchy and Lil Kim's harsh angle doesnt mix well with the nicey nicey SWV girls
Come and Get Some - feat E40. A very good track this one but purely for the production. Im sure this type of production is very similar to another track released around this time but for the life of me i cant remember, its been bugging me for years! Anyway, a catchy clubby tune, E40 not really needed on this as he doesnt really rap anyway just talks a lot of rubbish but the girls do a good job on this one.
When U Cry. Slowed down again and they are doing it for me these slower tracks. Although the vocals can be a bit inconsistent at times, the main job is left to Coko and she shows everyone why she eventually went solo
Lose Myself. A filler this one of similar pace to the previous non featured tracks. It seems that anything that just involves SWV has to be of a slower pace. Maybe expense was spent on good production if a feature was involved? Anyway not a great track as we approach the end
Here For You. Again nothing really happening in this track to keep peoples attention, as you look at the album tracks you see Snoop Doggs feature on the final track and this one just gets left behind. Too chilled and nothing happening.
Gettin Funky - feat Snoop Dogg. A bit weird this one, interesting production and Snoops voice fits in well but the vocal arrangement doesnt sound spot on here. Simple beats with a laid back tone start the track but SWV dont bring much to the game, im afraid.
Overall, looking at the features on this album, it shows to me that theres something not quite right with SWV's vocal arrangements and the big producers are only bought in to help them sing 2 minutes worth of a song and let a rapper do half to fill the time. Its ok, could be better but some good tunes on here. I wouldnt recommed buying it but Can We is a classic. I believe only a christmas album was released after this and the girls have gone on their seperate ways. Taj recently appeared on a US reality show named 'I married a baller' referring to her marriage with NFL player Eddie George. Useles fact there for you all!
Product Information for "Release Some Tension - SWV" »
Product details
Title
Release Some Tension
Performer
SWV
Genre
R&B
Sub Genre
Contemporary R&B
Release Date
01/09/1997
Original Release Year
1997
Label / Distributor
Arista / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Format
Performer
EAN
743214963623
Catalogue Number
74321496362
Additional notes
Album Notes
SWV: Coko, Taj, Lelee. Additional personnel: Puff Daddy, Lil' Kim, Mr. Cheeks, Foxy Brown, Biz Markie, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Redman, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (rap vocals); Mark Kinchen, Stevie J., Bryan Attmore, Troy Taylor (various instruments); Michael Gregory (acoustic guitar, bass); Rich Keller (guitar, bass); Mark Gibbs, Jeremy James, Tree (guitar); Jayd (Wurlitzer, keyboards); Majesty (keyboards, drum programming); Kevin Perez, Keith Winfield (keyboards); Rich Keller (bass); Freddy Levine (drums); A.D. Perez (drum programming); Producers include: Sean "Puffy" Combs, Roderick "Majesty" Wiggins, Malik Pendleton, Deric "D. Dot" Angelettie, Timbaland. Coko, Lelee & Taj are three women who just can't keep from cranking out R&B hits. In 1996 the trio released their second album and just one year later they're back with a third, RELEASE SOME TENSION. Like their previous album, this one displays the vocal strengths of SWV, but this time around there's more of a danceable sound to the proceedings. RELEASE SOME TENSION also teams SWV up with two of the hottest producers in R&B, Sean "Puffy" Combs and Timbaland on "Someone" and "Can We," respectively. In an attempt to cover all the urban pop bases, some high-powered guest rappers are featured, from Lil' Kim to Snoop Doggy Dogg, adding a hip-hop feel to several of the tracks. And, of course, SWV fill their ballad quota with "Rain" and "When U Cry," where they exhibit the vocal talent that has made them mega-stars.
Album Reviews
Vibe (10/97, p.170) - "...Throughout RELEASE SOME TENSION, they alternate aggressive-submissive sentiments more than Mike Tyson did during his marraige to Robin Givens....[T]his album could seduce for days with the simple power of the groove..." Rap Pages (10/97, p.98) - "...Armed with a warehouse full of production firepower...TENSION shows an insurable amount of accord between the artists and producers..." Rolling Stone (10/16/97, pp.108-110) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...SWV's diva croons and tight, soul-heavy harmonies cut a killer track....Even in their ultraproduced hip-hop jams, SWV are true to their R&B roots, i.e., they're obsessed with romance..." Entertainment Weekly (8/15/97, p.74) - "...this third effort finds the sistas lifting their voices with rollicking dexterity and torchy soul, returning to what got them their multi-platinum status..." - Rating: B+
Titles on disc 1
1.
Someone - SWV & Puff Daddy
2.
Release Some Tension - SWV & Foxy Brown
3.
Lose My Cool - SWV & Redman
4.
Love Like This - SWV & Lil' Caesar
5.
Can We - SWV & Missy Elliott
6.
Rain
7.
Give It Up - SWV & Lil' Kim
8.
Come And Get Some - SWV & E-40
9.
When U Cry
10.
Lose Myself
11.
Here For You
12.
Gettin' Funky - SWV & Snoop Doggy Dogg
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10/10/2005
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