I think I'd read about Latifah remaking Al Green's "Simply Beautiful" months before the record came out & I was pissed - the song is PERFECTION, period The only person I'd want to even attempt touching it is Prince, & even HE might fuck it up

I heard this BULLSHIT on the radio the other night & couldn't believe my fucking ears. Queen has a nice voice but she ain't good enough for this. She's doing some lazy lounge shit, just sleepwalking through the song. And she got Al on there supporting it - can you imagine how much worse it would have been without him???

How do you take a perfect song & just shit all over it? What made her think she could fuck w/ this?

Has anyone else heard it? Am I the only one PISSED up in hea?

CalhounSq said:

Calhoun, I am glad that you spoke on this musical travesty that has taken place b/c someone needs to set Latifah stratight w/the shit she's pulling on this album butchering up classics. Lawd have mercy on this child.

"What's wrong, wrong with the world today."

Hotlegs said:

CalhounSq said:

I've never been a fan of Queen Latifah's music and her new album doesn't seem very appealing to me either. Even though I don't like her music, I do admire her for showing the world that she's a rapper that can do more than just "talk in rhyme over sampled records". Even though it's not my taste, I see it as a step in the right direction in getting today's music out of the sorry ass state that it is in today.
[Edited 1/1/05 8:42am]

You guys are music snobs, I swear

I'm aware of the fact that she nor anybody else will top that version but I give her credit for putting her OWN stamp to it.

I myself felt kinda funny when I heard her version of Barbara Lewis's "Hello Stranger" but unlike how many others nowadays attempt to OVER-sing/over-produce remakes, she on the other hand did the complete oppisite.

And like I said, it won't top the original but I will enjoy 'em for what they're,,plus they showcased miss thang's chops

vainandy said:

Ok. So, you do admit the new album is crap despite her effort to be versitile.

sorry, i like the album. it reminded a lot of george michael's jazz cd and it was better than chaka's new album and definitely better than some Prince remakes (Betcha By Golly Wow, anybody?). Why hate on an artist trying to diversify their portfolio?

Yep!

Harlepolis said:

True. Even if an artist tries to tackle a classic, I will give them props, even if it is a bad recording. I haven't heard this one, but there are plenty others.

I'd much rather listen to Nina Simone but I did enjoy Queen's album Order in the Court

meltwithu said:

-----
It is great when an artist is diversifing but, do a good job. I think we all have become so use to piss poor singing that it starting to be okay to destroy
classic tunes.

P did a bad job with BBGW but he did a good job with La La means I love you.

Dear Teefah...

Yeah gurl, it's me, Lonnie. Or should i call you Dana since we go way back like that. Remember when we went to get that Roxanne Shante' c.d. and you was talkin all that shit? Well, i'm glad that you came up and can hold your own now. 50 gay points...trade them in for some damn singing lessons. Just cuz you all on Coverwomen or what ever the fuck that shit is, i don't know, i use Avon cosmetics...and that voice over on that damn pizza commercial, don't mean we need to see your ass on every billboard, commercial, condom wrapper all over the damn place. You made a cutla dollas, sit your ass down, and have some of that free pizza they gave you for doing that commercial. HOLLLLLAAAAA.

Y'all missin' the point. I'm glad she branched out, got no problem w/ the concept of the album or the rest of the songs. BUT NOBODY SHOULD TOUCH AL GREEN'S SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!

CalhounSq said:

Aw girl. You need to get laid, hehehe.

I think I crave a Simply Beautiful by Destiny's Child now, just becuz of yer raving.

I rememeber thinking the album sounded great in concept since Queen Latifah can really sing and that's basically how they pushed the ablum...but the production is terrible and I think lazy is a good word. I might try to listen to it once agian but I have I'm going to add it to the pile of CDs I'm going to push at used music stores when I get back to Ann Arbor. Hopefully they'll snack it up!

CalhounSq said:

Agreed. I understand exactly what you are saying b/c there are some songs that should not be touched. Mercy, Mercy is another song that she should have left alone.

CalhounSq said:

When I heard that Latifah was doing an album of standards, I thought "I can get with that." Then when I heard brother Al's "Simply Beautiful" was one of 'em I knew I'd be all over it. This song is an ABSOLUTE favorite of mine. I haven't picked up the album yet, but now I'm that much more curious.

Latifah thanks you!

laurarichardson said:

Am I the only one who liked Prince's cover of Betcha By Golly Wow?

sextonseven said:

No. I also liked his remake of the song as well.

CalhounSq said:

look at it this way...i'd rather hear off key, well-written songs with actual melodies than a lot of drivel that gets passed off as songs today. while i wasn't huge fan of Aaliyah's cover of "(At Your Best)You Are Love", it made me like the IB's version even more. It's not like QL rapped and beat-boxed all over the whole thing, anyway.

Perhaps the riskiest cover on the entire disc is Ms. Owens's version of Al Green's "Simply Beautiful". The Al Green oeuvre is of course filled with many stunning performances, but arguably "Simply Beautiful" is his singular vocal performance. Included on Green's most accomplished album, I'm Still in Love With You (1973), the track pushes Green to the limit of his vocal range, singing so much of the song in a crushed whisper. There's a reason so few have attempted to remake the track and Ms. Owens is more than up to the challenge—not quite capturing Green's emotions, but pushing herself beyond her own limits. Ms. Owens's devotion is rewarded as halfway through the song the Right Reverend makes an appearance. That Al Green would leave his congregation to share the mic with Queen Latifah, speaks a great deal
about how highly regarded she is.

HamsterHuey said:

Okay, I can't argue with that but that's not the point



with love though

VinnyM27 said:

SEE!



.
[Edited 1/1/05 18:20pm]

Hotlegs said:

She did that too?!! I guess if I paid more attention to the tracklist my head would blow off

UptownDeb said:

Hotlegs said:

I liked it at the time but that album is just hard to listen to w/ all that fake instrumentation But he did a good job on it I thought...

meltwithu said:

Hotlegs said:

Same here but I liked "La la la" more (neither comes close to the originals, though).

VinnyM27 said:

Actually, I like the Jackson 5 version the best

CalhounSq said:[quote]

HamsterHuey said:

Hehehe. I was teasing you with love too. I agree, up to a certain point. I would just not buy the song/album, that's all.