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 ... 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. ...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.
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 off the album proper, and the next few tracks are more urban than the rest of the album. It's driven by the beat more than the piano, and has decent vocals, but nothing too stretching.
How Come You Don't Call Me was written by Prince, and Alicia shows off her vocal range to brilliant effect here. It features another strong urban beat, and a phone ringing in the background, which is a nice touch. She keeps the track simple, which really puts emphasis on her voice.
The fourth track is Fallin'. This is the most famous song, and it's the reason why most people bought the album. It has a brilliant piano tune, and excellent lyrics. Her voice on this song is superb, which is why she won a grammy for it, and the gospel-style backing vocals are also fantastic. It closes with spiky violins, which create a good contrast with her smooth vocals. Definitely one of the best songs.
Troubles is more laid-back than the last few songs, and it sets the trend for the next couple of songs. It has a spoken introduction in the form of a prayer, and features a good tinkling of piano. However, her vocals do get slightly boring on this track.
Rock Wit U has a really long introduction that builds up for nearly two minutes before we hear her voice. It has some good percussion before the guitar and beat kicks in, and low, soulful vocals, but it's not one of the best songs.
A Woman's Worth was the second single realeased after Fallin', and it has a nice, slow rhythm and lyrics about how important it is to treat your loved one properly. The chorus is simple but effective, and she demonstrates her wide range once again, as well as some good wailing.
Jane Doe is a "callabo" with Kandi Burruss, and it is quite urban like the first few songs. It has strong piano and some beat-boxing, and excellent vocals as ever, but it's slightly repetative.
Goodbye is a piano-driven ballad, and her singing captures the emotion of splitting up with someone really well. It seems very simple at first, but it has lots of layers of sound, and it's an excellent track.
The Life is quite experimental in its rhythm and percussion, with a strong bass tune and deep vocals. It sounds like some lounge bar in north Africa, although that may be just my imagination!
Mr. Man is a duet with Jimmy Cozier (I haven't heard of him either) and it features some excellent violins and good backing vocals. Their voices complement each other really well, and this is one of the best songs.
Never Felt This Way is supposed to be an interlude, but I think it would work perfectly as a stand-alone track. It is another piano-led song in the style of Goodbye, and her voice sounds really fragile and beautiful. There are no beats, no percussion, just Alicia and the piano, and the results are very impressive.
Butterflyz is a song she wrote when she was just 14, which shows what a prodigious talent she was, for the lyrics and the rolling piano are brilliant. There is a sudden change in tune which works really well, and it's just an all round excellent song, truly beautful.
Why Do I Feel So Sad has a gentle, soft rhythm and not so much piano as on some songs, but it has a very good tune and a nice guitar interlude, making it one of my favourites.
Caged Bird has a really beautifully simple tune and lyrics, and nice piano and singing. However, it is spoiled by a strange crackling noise, which serves no purpose whatsoever, and distracts you from the tune itself, which diminishes its quality.
There is a "hidden" 16th track, called Lovin' U, and I don't know why Alicia din't just put it on the album normally, because it's great! It starts off with slow piano, then suddenly and unexpectedly switches to an up-tempo gospel tune, complete with organ and husky vocals. It's a brilliant way to finish the 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, because some songs do get a bit repetative, and they are sometimes too simple and driven by the beats rather than her piano. And apparently, only 3 of the songs are actually in the key of A Minor! But you should definitely go out and give it a look if you haven't done so already!
Advantages: Talented singer who can play her own music Disadvantages: Some songs do lose their va va voom at times
Alicia Keys is by far one of the most talented young singers of today whether her music appeals or not. Her impressive finger work on the piano owes a lot of success to some of the well written tracks such as 'Goodbye'; an ode to letting go of a lover.
For me the definite highlight of the album is "Fallin'; her debut single that subtely links the string arrangement of James Brown's 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World' as well as giving it that well ... ...are 'Butterflies' which also reflects her musical talent and the energetic 'Jane Doe' which shows that she is worth more than just singing slow soft ballads.
There are downsides to the album though where she has taken the idea of 'simple is better' a little too far and some tracks can become monotonous. Then again, with such high quality of the other tracks, there is obviously going to be a slight disparity.
The main thing I love about this cd ...
tashat 25.04.2005
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Advantages: Refreshing classical piano, promising vocal talent Disadvantages: None that can't be put up with - although there are few out of place tracks towards the beginning
's the same with a lot of musical genres these days, house music, rock and RnB are all moving away from producing a great melody with thought provoking lyrics, they tend to place more emphasis on the overall feel of the music and the music video.
Just when I thought all was lost and I was going to give up on last year's music, I met my mate from Barnsley last weekend. We ended up getting totally pissed and I nursed a hangover for most of the weekend after that, but a hangover wasn't the only thing I came home with. We'd been talking about music a lot as we inevitably do and I was saying how much I liked AliciaKeys single releases. A few minutes later he was delving into his bag and producing an MD with SongsIn A Minor on it - I was chuffed and on the Saturday night when everyone else had gone out, I settled down in front of the stereo hoping ...
Advantages: RnB, Soul, slow tracks, upbeat tracks, great voice and vocals Disadvantages: None
I recall someone handing us the promo CDs for 'SongsIn A Minor' when we went to an RnB club just before it was released in summer 2001.
'SongsIn A Minor' is the first album from the US singer and pianist - AliciaKeys.
I had listened to a couple of the tracks 'Girlfriend' and 'How Come You Don't Call Me' which were such hits already and was intrigued to hear what else was on the album.
I later got the full album once it was released because I liked most of the tracks on it.
Many of the songs on this album are slow and chilled out relaxing tracks.
My favourite slow tracks on this album are 'Falling', 'Troubles', 'Goodbye', 'Woman's Worth', 'Butterflyz' and 'Caged Bird' which showcase her beautiful voice and vocals really well.
The backing piano and soundtracks are simple and flow really well with the lyrics that are well ...
Advantages: Amazing Disadvantages: Its never out of my C.D player
AliciaKeys – Songsin A minor.
Wow was my first impression when I heard AliciaKeys’ debut single- Fallin’. The quality of her voice sent shivers down my spine. It was her debut single (Fallin’) that intrigued me to buy the album, Songsin A minor, but her other released singles, A Woman’s Worth and the recently released Girlfriend are excellent too.
Her album includes duets with Jimmy Cozier, Kandi Burruss, Busta Rhymes and Rampage. My personal favourite tracks are Fallin’, Caged Bird, Why Do I Feel So Sad and Butterflyz (which she wrote when she was just 14 years old). Almost every song on the album she has written or co- wrote and plays the piano with magnificent skill.
This album you’ll either love or hate. It needs to grow on you initially but if you are a fan of soul and R ...
Product Information for "Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys" »
Product details
Title
Songs In A Minor
Performer
Alicia Keys
Genre
R&B
Sub Genre
Contemporary R&B
Release Date
23/07/2001
Recomended Retail Price
15.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2001
Label / Distributor
J / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
808132000222
Catalogue Number
80813200022
Additional notes
Album Notes
Personnel: Alicia Keys (vocals, various instruments, piano, keyboards); Jimmy Cozier (vocals): Gerald "G" Flowers, Arty White (guitar); Miri (violin); Isaac Hayes (Fender Rhodes piano); Brian Cox (keyboards); Richie Good (upright bass); Tim Shider, Vic Flowers, Rufus Jackson (electric bass); Norman Hedman (percussion); Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Anthony Nance (programming); Cindy Mizelle, Tammy Saunders, Andricka Hall, Paul L. Green, Kandi B (background vocals). Producers: Jermaine Dupri, Brian McKnight, Alicia Keys, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. Engineers include: Gerry Brown, Brian Frye, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. Alicia Keys won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. SONGS IN A MINOR won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. "Fallin'" won the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song. Picture Roberta Flack with hip-hop trimmings or D'Angelo coming at the world from a female perspective and you get an idea of the immense talent welling up from musical prodigy Alicia Keys. Blessed with a soulful voice, mature-beyond-her-years songwriting, and a classically trained command of piano, it's no wonder music mogul Clive Davis brought the 20-year old performer over from Arista as one of the flagship artists for his new label J Records. Keys displays impressive range on this primarily self-penned debut that finds her taking part in arranging and/or production on every cut, once again redeeming Davis's instincts. Besides the well-earned buzz for the gripping love-and-loathe single "Fallin'," Keys earns high marks for fusing rap beats and vintage Aretha on a confidently delivered cover of Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me." Elsewhere, the native New Yorker's flow finds her traversing the same ground as early-'70s Stevie Wonder on the thought-provoking "The Life," while "Goodbye" proves to be the quintessential Quiet Storm kiss-off. Keys wraps up SONGS with a sanctified mix of stride piano, lush strings, and gospel-flavored back-up singers on "Lovin' U."
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (1/03/02, p.118) - Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's "Top 10 2001". Mojo (1/02, p.71) - Ranked #27 in Mojo's "Best [40] Albums of 2001". Q (1/03, p.56) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" Rolling Stone (7/19/01, p.53) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Keys shows a maturity beyond her years...suggesting down-home R&B contemporaries like Jill Scott as well as yesteryear's soul sophisticates..." Q (9/01, p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A prime candidate to head up the nu-soul revolution...with a voice that challenges Mary J. Blige's....Key's R&B trips to a fundamentally more old-skool set of values....Her sincerity is another plus..." Entertainment Weekly (6/29-7/6/01, p.144) - "...A debut full of promise..." - Rating: B Uncut (11/01, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Frequently stunning....Keys soars like a young Aretha Franklin..." CMJ (4/30/01, p.21) - "...The singer showcases her classical piano training atop slow and somber percussion...her deep soulful voice and heartfelt delivery carry the songs..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Piano And I
2.
Girlfriend
3.
How Come You Don't Call Me
4.
Fallin'
5.
Troubles
6.
Rock Wit U
7.
Woman's Worth
8.
Jane Doe
9.
Goodbye
10.
Life
11.
Mr Man - Keys, Alicia & Jimmy Cozier
12.
Never Felt This Way (interlude)
13.
Butterflyz
14.
Why Do I Feel So Sad
15.
Caged Bird
16.
Lovin' U
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Listed on Ciao since
13/09/2004
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