Soul Sessions, The - Joss Stone

Advantages: Best British soul offering for some time.
Disadvantages: Not everones taste.

The Soul Sessions was Joss Stone's debut album. Released in 2003 when Joss was only just 17 years old. Incredible in itself for such a mature debut at such an early age, what seems even more stunning to me was that this soul inspired album is by a British artiste. I am having so much fun converting my CD's to itunes, listening to albums that have been neglected. The artwork both on the cover of the CD case and on the CD itself is pretty retro, ...
...the respected publication 'Mojo': "The soul sessions is a revelation". Many of the songs are not her own, being penned in the sixties by artistses such as Betty Wright, who agreed to work with Joss on this CD, another shock to me, American soul legends collaborating with a 16 year old English girl, wow, they must have seen her talent. Track 1. The Chokin' kind. What a fantastic opening track. Very slow, full of heart and soul, a little 'bluesy'. ... Read review

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