cool cover indeed! very nice pic.

sorry...but that's beyonce on the pic

sorry...but that's beyonce on the pic

I gotta get her C.D I wonder when is coming out.

angela74 said:

Dec. 20

I Found My Everything (has raphael saddiq but NEEDS to be PRINCE, HOT!)

jthad1129 said:

ummmm. no

Saadiq
This man's productions have been on fire lately.
[Edited 12/9/05 10:02am]

psykosoul said:

well, i guess imitation IS the best form of flattery
and thats clearly what he's doing on that track

GREAT CD, just wonderful!! You must get this

SLAMMIN TRACKS. This cd is a hit. Samples that are not annoying. Vocals on point. I just groooooves.

Enough Cryin
Gonna Breakthrough
Take Me As I Am
Can't Hide From Luv w/Jay-Z
I Found My Everything (has raphael saddiq but NEEDS to be PRINCE, HOT!)

i am still supporting my girl and buying the cd, you should too.

hot damn that pic is hot!!! cant wait...hope mary j has some deep issues she needs to work through...

give it to us hard, girl...go on!! go on!!

This is a really good album. I think it's her best since Mary. I don't think she's put out a bad album yet, though her last one, Love & Life was her weakest. I have a feeling that if you're a fan of Mary J. Blige and 80's R&B, you're going to love this album. I've only listened to it once through so far and haven't had time to pay attention to the lyrics, but it's definitely got that vibe to it. It's also a long album - 17 songs. Those aren't interludes, all songs.

The Raphael Saadiq track, I Found My Everything, sounds like a 70's era Aretha Franklin song. I'm sure that's an intentional nod. Good or bad, Mary J.'s the closest thing this generation has to Aretha (I'm sure many here will see it as a bad). Saadiq also did the "bonus track" So Lady. I like him, but I'm not as big a fan as a lot of folk around here. His stuff sounds too same-y to me. These tracks are interchangeable with the songs he did on Kelis' album. They're good, but very indistinct. The collaboration with U2 on One is nice. It's not so much a duet as it is a track with Bono on backing vocals. Her voice builds with the music and is in control throughout. Very soulful.

I confess, I didn't even give the Will I Am track, About You, a chance. I will later, but I wasn't in the mood. Enough Cryin' is just okay. Too generic 2005 for me.

The middle six tracks, from Be Without You to Can't Hide From Luv, are where it's at for me. These are the one's that are very heavily influenced by the 80's R&B sound, some of that courtesy of some creative but not distracting sampling. Baggage might be my favorite track on the album. It's one of her signature demon-exorcising songs, but it's not a downer. I don't recognize the sample, but I'm sure somebody can point it out for me before I get the liner notes. Take Me As I Am explores similar territory, but is more melancholy.

Good Woman Down is bangin'! Really breathy and smooth. I hope it gets a single release. Be Without You was a good choice for a single release, but it's thankfully not indicative of the rest of the album. Veego mentioned the AOL Sessions, and you should check it out. They're good performances - two new tracks and a couple older ones. I can't wait to have the actual album in my hand. I also like this promo picture from the main page on her Web site. Who thinks these look like Beyonce? It seems like anytime somebody mentions or shows a nice picture of a black woman here, somebody's gotta mention Beyonce like she's the only example of beauty.


[Edited 12/11/05 12:03pm]

MikeMatronik said:

That's what I was thinking

sorry...but that's beyonce on the pic

MikeMatronik said:

I was waiting to see who would eb firs to say that. Why is is that any black female artist that puts out music has to be vocally or physically compared to Beyonce? Is she God or something??