It's still the muthuhfucking jam! Arguably THE most sensuous album ever, it still gets heavy spin in this pimp's changer.

One of those rare albums you could play all the way through. The album that helped jumpstart the Neo Soul era in a very sexual way, with its perfect bedroom pilot - A slim, eros-filled brotha with a wild fro, Marvin's brood, and Prince's moves to boot.

The chicks loved it.

Their panties fell from the mere play of it.

I've nutted a thousand times to it as my sex soundtrack.

What more can I say except - MAXY, WE NEED YOU, PLAYA! Come back! NOW! (pun intended )

I consider this album to be the "I Want You" of our generation. It's certainly one of my favorite albums to be released in the 90's.

silverchild said:

I call it the 'crown jewel' of the whole Neo-Soul movement. This album, moreso than any other of its ilk, is the blueprint for that genre. It sounded classic the very first time I played the disc. Few albums meet that standard anymore. As the term neo-soul is to mirror the sound of classic soul, this record is it.

My only complaint, and this falls to contemporary R&B in general, is the annoying need to group uptempo songs and ballads seperately. Album tracking is becoming a lost art. UHS succeeds in spite of this. And that's saying a lot for the music on this record.
[Edited 8/17/06 22:51pm]

Wow. Hard to believe it's been 10 years!! I can remember destroying my cassette by playing the first few bars of Lonely's the Only Company over and over.

Someone truly needs to guilt this brother into dropping a new one... and generally being at least slightly more prolific. If he had a consistent turnout, Max has what it takes to be on the level of Marvin Gaye. Without hyperbole, I'm talking LEGEND.

I personally think he could benefit from better up-tempo jams (the later Get to Know Ya is probably the only one I'd keep on repeat (although the bassline of Dancewitme is insane!!), but his ballads are ferocious. And I can't think of another young male R&B vocalist who can even approach this guy strictly voicewise.
[Edited 8/17/06 23:10pm]

Damn!

...I know I need to get some sleep, but now I've got to break out Drowndeep: Hula from EMBRYA. There is NOTHING like that song bumped loud in headphones!

A true classic, I remember seeing the clip of ascension for the first time, it made me run to the record store fast ! Artisticly I love Embrya even more... but since he changed musicians for "Now" I lost intrest a bit. The cohessiveness of UHS & Embrya is what make the albums superb.
He's a great live performer btw !! I saw him live once and he blew me away !

Hope he'll be back soon !!

Lammastide said:

I love this song! A very relaxing and cool jam from one of the most breathtaking and reflective albums I've heard in recent years.

Fhunkin said:

FHUNKIN!!!!! Where the heck have you BEEN!?!?!?

Lammastide said:

Around !! Got a knew job, that keeps me more then blizzy !
How are you ?

Til The Cops Come Knockin' was the butta

Fhunkin said:

Doing really well. In the process of a move to Canada!

Lammastide said:

Ok !! What part of Canada ? Is the whole fam. moving there ?

I respect his talent, but the way he sings sometimes makes me feel ill.

That's all.

Fhunkin said:

love love love that album.

I used to work in an Adult Video Boutique, and whenever I played that album, I sold more dildos, scented oils, and lether fettish products than any of the other shifts.

I really can't believe it's a decade old. Sounds fresh every time I play and is one of the albums that'd keep me content if I were stranded on an island. I'm not crazy about Maxwell like so many but I am crazy about this album.

oh my goodness, it's been this long already???!!! I still blast this album in my car time to time, it's one of those albums you can play straight through without any skipping!!!

10 years? oh.... I'm way too young to know records that old

10 years and he's still fine as hell!

Fhunkin said:

YES.

Though it seems Suite cannot be topped, Embrya is just too blissful to consider second of the three.

Now, with only about 2-3 equally worthy songs, made me fucking sad.

I need more.

funkpill said:

! Yes, much pussy was banged during that cut!

Imago said:

but I definitely believe you!

10 years!


Damn.

missfee said:

- A Classic!

Jesus Christ.

I know this entire album by heart. Every note, every word, every tiny detail. It's playing in my head right now.

Oh, the last few notes of "Dancewitme"..... . . . .




[Edited 8/18/06 8:34am]

INSATIABLE said:

And see, I couldn't STAND Embrya because they all sounded like UHS outtakes. No chesiveness at all. I did in fact like "Now" and would bump the hell out of that shit. On a ride to Vegas I think we played it 3 times!

LuxuryBrown said:

I get you. Embrya, after a half-assed listen, stayed on my shelf for almost two years before I got the balls to try it again. It taught me that I might need more patience and time than others to really 'hear' things, if that makes any sense.

Now is not a bad record in the least--it's loads better than most of the shit that passes for R&B/soul these days, so I shouldn't blame him. And no one can expect someone to put out Sign O' The Times/Parade/Lovesexy/whatever brings you closer to God without a little New Power Soul/NEWS/D&P/whatever disappoints you.

INSATIABLE said:

And I may be headed in that direction because I've heard a few more cuts off Embrya (Since I didn't like it, I gave my original CD to my ex) after checking out AOL Neo Soul station, so I may have to revisit Embrya. I do like "Matrimony" a lot though.

silverchild said:

Excellent comparison. I never thought of it that way, but I'm digging it on several levels.