My favorite Lady T LP...she's got this green fetish going on, she's got Bootsy, and the cuts are slammin'.

Funny thing is, I hear she HATES this album.
I suppose that it is really a rather "non Teena Marie" Teena Marie LP. It stands out a bit compared to her other LPs.

Yes, a few of the cuts are a bit overproduced/computerish, but "Batacada Suite" "Sunny Skies" "Emerald City" "Shangri-La" kick so much ass.

She could have moved into a more commercial direction after "lovergirl" was such a bit hit...I love that she did this instead.

Dig, I've been tooting this horn as long as I've been on here as this being my fave album of Teena's. It's good to see there is someone else who shares my thought process. I ran a thread on the best Teena song ever, "You So Heavy" from this album and didn't get a single post.

I have the CD and the Cassette of this and I bump it to this day. One of her top 3 greatest songs she's ever written - "Sunny Skies" - I used to bump that everyday on my to class. That jazzy song is the shit.

Yes, "Sunny Skies" is a big favorite of mine...fabulous song...when is Teena gonna do some all-jazz - her jazz, jazz of others, just ALL-JAZZ - concerts?

You know the girl is a born jazz singer, among many other things.

darkstranger521 said:

Hmm? That's a good idea. Someone should run that by her because Sunny Skies is pure jazz and she pulled it off easily.

darkstranger521 said:

Once Is Not Enough (inspire by Prince without question!) & Lips 2 Find U are the best songs on that album.
[Edited 3/22/06 13:22pm]

TonyVanDam said:

Lips 2 Find U is even MORE inspired by P. Hell, that whole album is what ATWIAD should have sounded like.

I love teena always. But I oved Emerald Cty. She was just off the chain on this album. Sunny Skies with all the scattin. U go teena. You so heavy!!!!!OMG. What an album

blackguitaristz said:

It could be that "You So Heavy" is a/one of the reason(s) that she does not like this album...I have heard her talk about how insecure she is about her guitar playing...I'm not sure if this is her playing on this cut or someone else, but perhaps that is why she doesn't like this album. You know chicks can be insecure about things they got no business being insecure about...I like Teena's playing just fine. This is just one more thing to love about Teena - she plays guitar. All that voice and creative writing and she plays guitar, as well.

Can you imagine Mariah Carey strapping on a guitar and going for hers? And actually being able to hang? Not dissing Mariah, I'd be thrilled to see her pull it off.

darkstranger521 said:

Ladies, send all emails to darkstranger521@malecheauvenist.com -

blackguitaristz said:

Dude. This album is my all-time favorite Teena Marie album. I love It Must Be Magic and StarChild, but this one....I wore out the grooves of this one.

From the telecaster strung across her hips, to the world-soul percussion of Batucada Suite to the...A$$KICKING... guitar of You So Heavy.

You So Heavy guitar, you crank it up and it cures ya of what ails ya....

Does anyone know who played it?

Teena can sing like an Angel and a Devil and everything in between.

She plays piano.

She plays guitar.

Why the hell is Madonna more popular?

Alasseon said:

Short answer number 1 - Madonna IS really good.
Short answer number 2 - Racism.

Alasseon said:

I knew there was a reason I liked u! EXCELLENT post!

Critic Chuck Eddy, who is the editor at the Village Voice, once said that this album is one of the top "heavy Metal" albums ever made.

Would you agree with his assessment that this is Heavy metal?

Her singing voice is weird.

Alasseon said:

Stevie Ray Vaughan played the guitar on You So Heavy. Been tryin' to get a copy of the song since I found that out...

NOW we're talkin'! Absolutely love this album! Got Emerald City on vinyl when it was initially released, and I have it on CD now. Deep project...

Yes, I had forgotten until you mentioned it, that is indeed Stevie Ray Vaughan playing guitar on "You So Heavy".

I think this may be the only project that has ever featured both Bootsy Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Incredible!

Mary's into new things got a brand new bag
Superficial living made her life a drag
World stereotypes her as she coins the phrase
Living for the hot wax and the printed page
She no longer wants to boss the bull around
Contrary to popular belief
All she wants to do is get inside your head
And play the fun rythms of the street
Batucada Suite-rythms of the street
Music for the soul-Love to make you whole
Estebans a walker and a superman
Says that love will someday reign throughout this land
Says he's glad you let him try it all again
'Cause his last time on earth he lived life in sin
All he wants to do is spread his eagle wings
And fly south for the winter just like me
All he wants to do is get inside your head
And play the funky rythms from the streets
Batucada Suite-rythms for the feet
Music for the soul-geared to make you
whole
Tribal drums of the African
The reggae of the Rastaman
The ragas of the indians
Rock-n-Roll music of my homeland
Tender lutes of the Orient
The salsa of Spanish descent
Jesus music is heaven sent
To remind us of what has went
Batu-Batu-cada
Batu-Batu-cada
I ya Ototele-the rhythms of Y Surdo
As I taste life bittersweet
I know I am not complete
Until the message in my
songs are yours
If you feel a pain unfair
Crosses too heavy to bear
Preservation comes from
peace not war
Batu-Batu-cada


Man Teena could get deep, y'all. I have always deeply, deeply connected with this song. I have always wanted to thank her for this song. I was standing about ten feet away from her and her daughter after the services for Rick after he passed, but under the circumstances felt it would have been inappropriate to approach her. Well, as long as I'm in LA I'll probably run into her again sooner or later.

my fav teena album...

darkstranger521 said:

WHAT????

FOR YEARS I've LOVED the guitar on that song and always wondered...damn, whoever that guy was can play the hell outta that guitar!

darkstranger521 said:

Nah, it's not Teena playing axe on You So Heavy, it's Stevie Ray, as J.D. already mentioned. I read that Teena, who's a huge fan of Hendrix, (note: one of her guitarists in her band is named "Bendrix"), she set about trying to evoke a Hendrix vibe on all of Side One. That's why she wanted Bootsy on it since Bootsy had Hendrix's speaking voice down pat. And that's why she set out to get Stevie Ray, since he sounded so much like Jimi. I doubt seriously that she doesn't like this album. The only time I read about this album, was when she described her love for Hendrix and she wanted his spirit on it.

'Love Me Down Easy' is my favorite from that album..

funkpill said:

oh lord i love that song..im gonna have to buy this on cd. all i have is the cassette..and nothing to play it on.

blackguitaristz said:

Around the time that Passion Play came out in 1994 there was an interview in Vibe with Lenny Kravitz who had worked with Teena on that album. (They did that song called "Main Squeeze") and he talked about how she did not like Emerald City at all, which he said was amazing to him because it was his favorite Lady T record.

As I've never heard her do any of this material live,what Lenny says in that interview is likely the case.

darkstranger521 said:

maybe it has more to do with the timeperiod or the circumstances which lead to the album...cause this album is solid from start to finish...she just cant not like it..

Tell it not be true!!! Tell it not be true!!!

Can someone please email me a copy of "You So Heavy"? I have a wma copy, but I can't play it on my mac for licensing reasons...it's a pain....

JesseDezz would be most grateful

Actually, Teena NEVER said that she didnt like EMERALD CITY. She said that she was disappointed that so many people bashed the album when it came out and it didnt sell after all the creativity and hard work she put into it. Its her lowest selling album ever. She has said that she has never and will never play any songs from the CD in concert. Its almost as if she's saying "Yall didnt appreciate it then, so kiss my _ _ _"


btw, this is my FAVORITE Teena Marie album too

darkstranger521 said:

My second fav I think just becasue it was so out there for her yet still her. My fav


You So Heavy...thats the shit!
[Edited 3/24/06 8:54am]