i really like it. and thanks to Unique i got £2 off aswell. the best protege album in a while.

FunkySideEffects said:

I played the album again last night. I just can't stop listening to it - it's so smooth & I like listening to the background music. U can tell Prince was involved for sure! My fave songs so far are: Superconductor, if I was King, Yellow Gold, When stars collide & Long Gone!! What's yours?

mines are the same. Yellow Gold is the Jam. This is a magical album for those who believe.

I believe.

this is defanitely the album soundtrack for ....

loveletter said:

triplethreat said:

if prince wrote all the songs, he must be able 2 walk on water. prince met andy 4 the 1st time on april 23rd 2011 at his la forum show. he was in the middle of doing over 20 shows in california through the end of may. he was still courting misty copeland & escorting her to the abt gala in new york on may 16th. he was making preparations for an extended tour of europe. on june 25th 2011 at the metropolis in montreal andy allo opened up the show & performed people pleaser,yellow gold,the calm & nothing more. so you would have me believe that prince wrote all those songs that ended up on andy's album during that small window with all he had on his plate. andy allo had already written the songs she planned to put on her 2nd album. prince helped her arrange them & together they wrote a few songs that ended up on the album. unlike almost all his other proteges, prince played quincy jones to andy's micheal jackson-an indispensable role but andy did do something.

[Edited 11/21/12 18:50pm]

Andy was around alot sooner than that.

back in 2010 she was in minneapolis and she was refred to as His Girl Friend.

I was walking back to the Institute and when i got there, there were photographers everywhere taking pictures of this girl. She was in a limo that had some issues. The car was parked in our parking lot. while she was waiting for the other limo to arrive, the photog's were snapping away when the car came she got out of one and got into the other. She seems excited and surprised by all the photographers. She had a great big smile and I said to her, Hey you have great hair. She looked at me smiling and said thanks. Closed the door and off she went. Afterwards i asked the Photographers who that was and they said. That's Prince's new girl friend. I didn't know her name. I was more in awe that i had just seen ..... The magic of Paisley Park. I posted on the forums but everyone said i was ..... bla bla bla. The thread was removed. i just put it away in my head. When i she was first "announced" i was hey wait.... that's that girl with the hair.. and that was in 20Ten.

anyways... she was around alot long then your guys believe.

the album is the perfect example of ANDROGYNINE.

I am here.

ANDROGYNINE Continues...

[Edited 11/21/12 21:20pm]

[Edited 11/21/12 21:20pm]

if that is true then the plot thickens. on her own fb page she said she had never seen prince perform b4 in april 2011. alfred hitchcock would be proud of this plot line & andy deserves an academy award.

PurpleChi said:

Okay, so while I definitely agree that this is Prince's best protegee effort in many years, I can't say that I love this. I think the main thing that bothers me is that her voice really doesn't match up well with half of the songs on the album, which are likely the songs Prince produced. I think it would have been better to produce tracks that really showcase her strengths rather than highlight her weaknesses.

Here's what I love about this album:
1. People Pleaser (as we all have acknowledged, the horns are insane; I can excuse Andy's voice because the music is so solid)

2. Long Gone (this song is exactly the kind of music Andy should be singing)

3. Yellow Gold (this is the funkiest thing I've heard from Prince in years--definitely a welcome throwback to If I Was Your Girlfriend)

4. The Love We Make Nothing More (great revamp of a great Prince song; also I think Andy's voice goes well with this particular track)

5. Story of You & I (this song is simply beautiful)

Here's what I dislike about this album:

1. Superconductor (the best part of this song is the 16-second snippet that was posted on her website over the summer)

2. The Calm (coming after the great Long Gone, it just sounds like mediocre elevator music)

3. Yellow Gold (for the same reason I love this track--Prince should be singing this; Andy's voice doesn't do the song justice)

4. If I Was King (another big production song that just swallows Andy's voice; Also there is something quite cheesy about this song that I just can't put my finger on, Andy's vocal efforts at 4:09 are especially annoying)

5. When Stars Collide (yes it has some funky elements, but something is off on this one for me; it's run-of-the-mill funk; very skippable)

Overall, I would give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The strong songs are really strong, but the weak ones are really weak. It's worth the $7.99 download though.

Okay I have to recant part of my previous post (above):

1. Superconductor has really grown on me. I don't love it, but I certainly like it and appreciate what's going on with it musically.

2. Yellow Gold I loved this track anyway, but I will now say that I don't mind Andy's voice on the track. It sounds really good on her.

3. When Stars Collide I realized what was off to me about this one. It sounds like a mix between Faith Evans' Love Like This and MJB's Be Happy. Now that the case is solved, I can appreciate it a bit more. It's still not my favorite though.

loveletter said:

A couple of days ago the album was available on Spotify UK but now it seems to have been removed. Odd.

Militant said:

A couple of days ago the album was available on Spotify UK but now it seems to have been removed. Odd.

It looks to be gone from Spotify Australia too, which explains why my playlist wouldn't download properly earlier today.

I went to a music industry conference last weekend and one of the seminars was on digital and streaming technologies. Some of the speakers talked about how artists were testing different strategies with respect to digital downloads, radio and streaming options, including staggered releases and using streaming services to "preview" albums.

They were more talking in terms of months; eg. Doing a streaming-only release for a month, then retracting it and making it available for download only for 3 months, then having both, but I could imagine Prince wanting to speed the process up.

I suspect the delay in the album hitting iTunes was to drive all of the initial traffic to Amazon, to ensure it topped the Soul/R&B charts on the first day (which it did), but perhaps the trade-off was to make it available on Spotify in the meantime. Then, once it launched on iTunes, they took it off Spotify to drive more traffic towards downloads?

Then again, I could be completely overthinking it. Maybe iTunes were just late releasing it and then someone uploaded it to Spotify by mistake

ok, so far

Superconducter--pretty dumb lyrics, but cute and catchy music. Very nice arrangements, the hallmark of Prince associations.

People Pleaser--already somewhat familiar with this. This is the kind of stuff I wish Prince would do 99% of the time. Those who think he can only do Rock & Roll Love Affair anymore need to take the blinders off. This is funky as shit.

Long Gone--is this what Andy Allo sounded like before Prince? I like her voice more than the song Superconducter had made me believe. Way better than just about any other protege. Tamar is a good singer, but I like the earthy quality to Andy's voice. Works well with the acoustic. Three for three, so far.

The Calm--not amazing, this reminds me a lot of Prince, but somehow the lyrics on this album are not annoying in the same way Prince's can be at times. I'm listening in headphones, which is clearly a good idea if you want to appreciate the nuances of these songs. It's filled with beautiful flourishes and details that still speak to Prince's genius.

Yellow Gold--I am liking this album quite a bit. What I'm noticing most is that nothing is jumping out at me and screaming "silly" or "not well thought out." In contrast, I could hardly listen to Bria's album, despite enjoying the music in the background. This song has an easy rolling groove, but it's the songwriting that is elevating it. It's not Strawberry Fields or anything, but it's just enough inspiration to make the music sound that much better.

Nothing More--ok, I hear the Love We Make comparisons, but I don't really think it's a ripoff or anything....well, when I saw him in concert a year ago he played that song...so maybe it is!! I like it though, and it doesn't bug me in the same way that, say, Dreamer's ripoff of Voodoo Chile did, or 3 Chains o Gold did Bohemian Rhapsody. Prince does a Prince groove? That's just fine. The end result is a fine track. This album is leading me to believe that Prince does not need a producer so much as he should be a producer for good artists.

If I Was King--WTF?! Ah, ok, now we're talking. I thought this was going to be Purple & Gold all over again. Something odd about these lyrics. Shouldn't a man be singing them? I have no idea what Prince's contributions to the writing was on these songs. But I wonder if he wrote this one. And I wonder why he doesn't include hooks like this on his own albums. I feel like he sabotages his own work when he is able to come up with something that is cool and catchy as this for someone else.

The Story of You & I--I like that she did not say "U & I" Songs like this make me want to check out her other music. I assume they were more like this. Prince on acoustic? I think so.

When Stars Collide--better kick some ass!! This album has been really decent so far. Somehow mixing the acoustic with the funk & pop in a seamless way. Don't drop the ball...

All in all, I give this a 4/5 Upon second & third listen, the lyrics to Superconductor do bug me a bit, though the song still moves along quite nicely. The rest of the album is quite good. Not great, but quite good. Stylish, diverse, slick, and somewhat intelligent.

[Edited 11/23/12 20:27pm]

NDRU said:

Chiquetet said:

I notice where Andy sings the line "This is what it feels like", in the track 'When Stars Collide', reminds me of when Janet Jackson sings that line "That's the way love goes" in her own song

I have to say, though, 'Superconductor' is a damn good album.

[Edited 11/23/12 13:16pm]

Seems the album did well on Amazon

Posted by Drfunkenberry.

www.drfunkenberry.com

[Edited 11/23/12 13:26pm]

FunkySideEffects said:

In your opinion then, when will she release the cd? After the download buying slows down?

Well, assuming that there will be a CD release, yes, I'd assume it will be once everyone who wants to hear it has bought an online copy - some are holding out for the physical CD, but, with streaming no longer an option, they may finally buckle and buy on iTunes, etc... to tide them over.

The thing is, lots of people would buy a digital MP3 copy first, then buy a CD, but very few would do it the other way around - why buy an MP3 copy when you already have a CD?

So stagger the physical release behind the digital, and you'll get a lot of people buying in both formats.

Unless they've already been pressed, I suspect they'll also wait to see how the digital release goes before even making a decision regarding a physical release.

The only gamble is that, if people aren't mad about the album, they won't be enticed to buy the higher quality version once it's released. However, if you release them all together, then some people would have bought the CD first off, which presumably has an (albeit slightly) higher profit margin.

So maybe the general response to the album will be a factor in what happens next.

I like this a whole lot more than I thought I would.

I don't think Andy's style is a good match for the more uptempo, funky numbers on here. Among those, People Pleaser is the standout mostly because the excellent horn arrangements, Maceo & Trombone Shorty. I'm not a fan of the title cut Superconductor, it just seems on speed compared to the more quieter tracks on the album, which brings me to...

Long Gone, The Calm, Nothing More, & Story of You and I - I love these. They're so quiet, so subtle, so mature. The lyrics aren't forced trendiness, no attempt to compete with teeny bopper slang, no old pimp in the club skeeviness. The production is sublime, good use of space, of silence, or air.

There is an intimacy here that has been lacking from much of Prince's recent productions. I know it is tradition to assume Prince had way more involvement than billed, but the fact that we haven't heard this kind of work from in a while, at the very least we can say the time he has spent with Andy Allo has inspired if not influenced him in this direction.

Some other random points:

"Yellow Gold" is a very solid R&B outing, it's refrain seems very similar to another song but I can't place it. That's a good thing in that it strikes up the right resonances to sound familiar enough to want to hear again.

"When Stars Collide" has that distinct bassplaying that reminds me of the live versions of "If I Was Your Girflriend."

great stuff!

One thing for sure listening to the track "If I Was King" has so many recognizable songs/flavors to it. You could hear a bit of "Tom Browne's "Funkin for Jamaica';Prince's 'Pfunk' track all over it; 'Funky Town' by Lipps Inc.;some Graham Central Funk and New Orleans horns' flavor, and I just listened to it again, and at the 3:00 mark in the song, you can hear the beginning of Sly Stone's 'Family Affair'. Cool track. I like the Funk/soft reggae beat of it.

Also, just to add, in 'When Stars Collide' at the beginning, the piano part starting at the 20 second mark into the song, sounds similar to the beginning piano part of a classic jazz song called, 'Poinciana'. Just my observation.

'ou to You' edit

[Edited 11/24/12 13:23pm]

2elijah said:

One thing for sure listening to the track "If I Was King" has so many recognizable songs/flavors to it. You could hear a bit of "Tom Browne's "Funkin for Jamaica';Prince's 'Pfunk' track all over it; 'Funky Town' by Lipps Inc.;some Graham Central Funk and New Orleans horns' flavor, and I just listened to it again, and at the 3:00 mark in the song, you can hear the beginning of Sly Stone's 'Family Affair'. Cool track. I like the Funk/soft reggae beat of it.

Also, just to add, in 'When Stars Collide' at the beginning, the piano part starting at the 20 second mark into the song, sounds similar to the beginning piano part of a classic jazz song called, 'Poinciana'. Just my observation.

'ou to You' edit

[Edited 11/24/12 13:23pm]

if i was king is a homage to stevie wonder. listen to master blaster jammin,happy birthday(the martin luther king tribute) & try jah love(the song he wrote for 3rd world). of course those 3 songs from stevie was paying respect for bob marley. the forceful spoken word at the end of if i was king was precisely like stevie's strong spoken word in "as" from the album songs in the key of life.

[Edited 11/24/12 16:39pm]

NuPwrSoul said:

There is an intimacy here that has been lacking from much of Prince's recent productions. I know it is tradition to assume Prince had way more involvement than billed, but the fact that we haven't heard this kind of work from in a while, at the very least we can say the time he has spent with Andy Allo has inspired if not influenced him in this direction.

This is what I'm noticing and liking most about this project. Prince has always asserted his influence on women, but this time, she is influencing him as well.

It's the give and take that people have suggested that Prince needs (ie from Wendy & Lisa or from an outside producer or director). Not that this album is a masterpiece, but they've managed to enhance each other's contributions nicely.

triplethreat said:

2elijah said:

One thing for sure listening to the track "If I Was King" has so many recognizable songs/flavors to it. You could hear a bit of "Tom Browne's "Funkin for Jamaica';Prince's 'Pfunk' track all over it; 'Funky Town' by Lipps Inc.;some Graham Central Funk and New Orleans horns' flavor, and I just listened to it again, and at the 3:00 mark in the song, you can hear the beginning of Sly Stone's 'Family Affair'. Cool track. I like the Funk/soft reggae beat of it.

Also, just to add, in 'When Stars Collide' at the beginning, the piano part starting at the 20 second mark into the song, sounds similar to the beginning piano part of a classic jazz song called, 'Poinciana'. Just my observation.

'ou to You' edit

[Edited 11/24/12 13:23pm]

if i was king is a homage to stevie wonder. listen to master blaster jammin,happy birthday(the martin luther king tribute) & try jah love(the song he wrote for 3rd world). of course those 3 songs from stevie was paying respect for bob marley. the forceful spoken word at the end of if i was king was precisely like stevie's strong spoken word in "as" from the album songs in the key of life.

[Edited 11/24/12 16:39pm]

I'll go check out those songs to see if I hear any similarities. I hope if a physical cd comes out, there are some credits on it and maybe, during another interview, one of the interviewers would ask her if Stevie was the inspiration behind writing the lyrics to that track. The thing with that song, is that you can hear so many other sounds to other songs in it, that's what makes it interesting. I found about 4 in it so far.

[Edited 11/24/12 17:51pm]

NDRU said:

NuPwrSoul said:

There is an intimacy here that has been lacking from much of Prince's recent productions. I know it is tradition to assume Prince had way more involvement than billed, but the fact that we haven't heard this kind of work from in a while, at the very least we can say the time he has spent with Andy Allo has inspired if not influenced him in this direction.

This is what I'm noticing and liking most about this project. Prince has always asserted his influence on women, but this time, she is influencing him as well.

It's the give and take that people have suggested that Prince needs (ie from Wendy & Lisa or from an outside producer or director). Not that this album is a masterpiece, but they've managed to enhance each other's contributions nicely.

Yes, I don't hear any of the heavy-handedness other Prince-produced projects have had.

I'm like can we get this Prince to exec produce the next Prince album?

For me People Please and When Stars Collide are the stand out tracks. Both are awesome really. I think a different mix of When Stars Collide would do great as a single.

2elijah said:

triplethreat said:

if i was king is a homage to stevie wonder. listen to master blaster jammin,happy birthday(the martin luther king tribute) & try jah love(the song he wrote for 3rd world). of course those 3 songs from stevie was paying respect for bob marley. the forceful spoken word at the end of if i was king was precisely like stevie's strong spoken word in "as" from the album songs in the key of life.

[Edited 11/24/12 16:39pm]

I'll go check out those songs to see if I hear any similarities. I hope if a physical cd comes out, there are some credits on it and maybe, during another interview, one of the interviewers would ask her if Stevie was the inspiration behind writing the lyrics to that track. The thing with that song, is that you can hear so many other sounds to other songs in it, that's what makes it interesting. I found about 4 in it so far.

[Edited 11/24/12 17:51pm]

it is a little tricky. if andy allo wrote the lyrics, i don't know if she envisioned the music to be reggae which she may have since she loves bob marley or if prince, the music arranger, came in behind her & converted the music to a stevie wonder reggae tribute. while she wasn't referring to if i was king, in an interview a few weeks back when an interviewer asked her about being compared to wendy melvoin- she said prince was compared to stevie wonder when he first got started but like a reggae woman, i just boogie on(an obvious reference to the stevie wonder song boogie on a reggae woman). so at least we know she has stevie wonder & reggae on her mind.

i can hear some "come" in When stars collide.

It's better than I expected...much better than Elixir.

Oddly enough, the title track and the lead single are my least favorite. The rest flows nicely.

Good effort...I may even buy it if they release a physical cd.

babynoz said:

It's better than I expected...much better than Elixir.

Oddly enough, the title track and the lead single are my least favorite. The rest flows nicely.

Good effort...I may even buy it if they release a physical cd.

I like People Pleaser, but Superconductor seems like either a mistake or the only hit single on the album...I will go with mistake The lyrics are silly, and the song is too poppy for the rest of the album. I will say, I actually still like the song once it gets going, but the beginning bugs me.

I think it will turn some people off of the rest of the album. People who like that kind of music may not like the rest of it, and those who don't like that kind of music may not make it to People Pleaser.

Aw damn. I'm not much into miss allo's voice but since there's a lot of postive feedback on here about Superconductor, I'm gonna have to buy it. It seems like Prince did good on this one.

At the moment, I'm only listening to the clips on iTunes, and I really do like the music. On some of the tracks - as a few of you have mentioned - her voice just doesn't seem to fit. Or perhaps I'm listening to these clips jaded by the comments I read beforehand. Damn, I don't know. I think her vocals fits these tracks perfectly - Long Gone, The Calm, Nothing More, Stars Collide.

Yellow Gold is tight! But damn, I keep thinking that it would be a much more slammin' track if someone else - maybe Prince or even Shelby - was on lead vocals.

Overall, though, I quite like what I'm hearing so far. This album has some real potential. It's great that Ms. Allo had Prince work on her album with her. It's a pity that Ms. Allo has Prince promoting her album for her.

Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

First listen totally a shocker. This is actually very good and the production is stellar!

If this is a sign of things to come from Prince's upcoming sound from the new CD...

Favorites upon first listen...believe it or not...too many to mention

Mr Nelson...

And Andy too!

[Edited 11/26/12 18:29pm]