Soul Sessions, The - Joss Stone

Advantages: Innovative, New Type of Music, Great at Soul & Jazz
Disadvantages: Lacks something, Couple of good hits but quite a few weaklings!

...– it’s a mix of soul and jazz. With a very powerful voice – strong, sexy, sultry and raspy at times it’s an ideal romantic album! There’s a mixture of songs, strong and weak lines as with most albums, with some upbeat and catchy songs and also some weaker and unmemorable links. So who is the new girl everyone’s crazy about?? Well the most surprising thing is that she’s only 16, her real name hasn’t been revealed and she’s British – yes that’s right, ...
...tenure and beat to this but was slightly let down. If you like soul or jazz then this will be a major refreshing change to the other type of soul music available out there but for all you fellow pop lovers it’s perhaps one to miss out of your collection! ... Read review

Advantages: good songs are great
Disadvantages: a couple of weird ones.

...was a white girl singing soul music and sounded so mature at the age of 16. So when I heard her on the radio, i was very unaware that I was listening to Joss Stone. Probably a good thing as I appreciated her music for what it is, not for all the pubicity infuencing me. It was her fusion of soul, jazz and a strikingly powerful voice that made her sttyle of music grow on me, as initially I hadnt been all that keen on it. However, her album contains ...
...they all sound alike, but eventually you begin to pick out the best of them from the ones which dont really stand out. Joss Stone is 17, although she was 16 when she recorded the album, already sounding and singing lyrics which some have said are much older than her years. 1... The Chokin’ Kind The first thing you notice about Joss' music is that there is not much music to back up her voice. It works though, and draws you attention to the ... Read review

Advantages: Pop music with a soul edge, which makes a nice change
Disadvantages: Too many ballads

...to her debut CD, "The Soul Sessions". The album opens with "The Chokin' Kind", a cover of a Joe Simon song. It opens much like any pop ballad and it's not until the instruments come in that you realise this is a blues/soul track. It's a nicely laid back song, perfect to have on in the background, although there's not a lot to differentiate Joss Stone from anyone else from someone like Kelly Clarkson on this track. The next track is the one that ...
...you wouldn't expect on a soul based album is a reworking of a White Stripes song. But that's exactly what "Fell in Love With a Boy" is. Stone takes the song down tempo and gives it a more jazz based sound, making it a song that drifts past you, rather than rushing by like the original did. In fact, Stone's version lasts nearly twice as long as the original and the White Stripes themselves have supposedly taken to performing the song as a cover of ... Read review

Advantages: The voice
Disadvantages: All cover songs of mixed quality

...by her mother’s love of soul music, and mum is now her co-manager. She had a lot of success in America, before her album was launched in her own country. How unusual is that? The Boston Globe wrote, “When Stone sings, it’s like listening to an old soul record plucked from a dusty stack of forgotten 45s.” The picture on the front of the album may lead you to believe this is the intention. It is dark purple and so impossible to tell the colour, and ...
...The Album contains 8 old soul classics, plus the relatively new “I Had a Dream” and “In Love With a Boy”. ***** The Album Tracks ***** The Chokin’ Kind (3.35 mins) = This Harlan Howard ballard is sung with great emotion. Someone very close to me had someone who claimed to love her but wanted to change her. The relationship didn’t last as it was “the chockin’ kind” of love. This may make me empathise with this track more than some ... Read review

Advantages: Old Classics reworked for a new generation
Disadvantages: Slightly shy on tracks (10 songs)

...search took me to "The Soul Sessions" and boy did I reap my rewards!! Kicking off with the Chokin' Kind the girl sets out her intentions early! She has taken on old soul songs and has managed to breath life into them as well as visiting some more recent tunes and giving them new meaning. She followed up with Super Duper Love & Fell In Love With A Boy - the 2 singles & if they don't have you shaking your ass then nothing will! The musicians stay ...
...centre stage! Things calm down for a bit more of an emotional take on Victim Of A Foolish Heart and Dirty Man - Dirty Man especially bringing out a raw sound filled with a 4am in the morning emotional voice. Some Kind Of Wonderful picks things up again with a more gospel tinged effort that will have you tapping your feet and fingers all the way through! I've Fallen In Love With You slows things down and shows off Joss amazing vocal range and if ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic lyrically and musically
Disadvantages: May seem abit sameish to some

...''Mind, Body & Soul'' is the second album for the sixteen year old, accomplaished soul singer, Joss Stone. Her first album ''The Soul Sessions'' become a best seller without much promotion. ''The Soul Sessions'' ironically was orignally intended to be a promotional recording which would be used to promote a second and more original album ''Mind, Body & Soul''. But somehow after word spread over the talent and complexity and the fulfillment of soul that came about from Joss Stone's voice, it was released as an album worldwide. ''Right To Be Wrong'' is a nice soul ballad, with a poppy chorus. This is a wonderful song, wonderfullally sang. Joss Stone's voice really shows on this song. ''Jet Lag'' is an amazing track - it is very soulful and jazzy. The chrous is amazing. The backing drums fit perfectly with Joss's voice. ''You Had... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Stone has a great voice
Disadvantages: But it's a predictable pop-r 'n' b sound

...Although I quite enjoyed Joss Stone's debut album "The Soul Sessions", it didn't really live up to the hype. It proved that Stone can sing, but so what? Lots of people can sing. Hear'Say could sing, but that didn't really help them much in the long run, as you need to be able to back up a decent singing performance with a decent song. Stone managed that part of things admirably, at least, by putting out an album of mostly soul covers, albeit soul songs with a pop edge. Whilst this proved to be a nice change from the standard bubblegum pop sound around at the moment, it caused a number of people to put her on a pedestal, comparing her to the likes of Aretha Franklin. This seemed to me to be a bit of an over-reaction, as Stone's got a good voice, without a doubt, but not that good. The one down side to her "The Soul Sessions" album... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: beautiful voice, some great songs, different to other young artists around.
Disadvantages: those who don't like her voice may get bored

...?For me, personally, Mind, Body and Soul is my real debut." ?Joss Stone Perhaps you might not recognise the name, Joss Stone. You might not recognise her in the street either. But the chances are you?ll recognise this girl?s voice. There are few people in this world blessed with a truly unique voice: Steven Tyler is one of them, Heather Small is (unfortunately) another, and Joss Stone must surely be added to this category. Her first album, The Soul Sessions, sold over two million copies and hit the top 10 in 13 countries, despite being originally planned as an informal release to generate publicity for this, her second offering. The Soul Sessions was really just an album of covers, put together fairly quickly with the sole purpose of showcasing Joss?s vocal talents. Here, predictably, Ms Stone tries her hand at co-writing a few... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful