As I was listening to UHS on the way home from work I came to the realization that this is the best R&B album since its release. From first to last track there was not a song on there that I would classify as bad or even mediocre. In an age where R&B has become watered down, commercialized and just down right trash UHS has hung on to remain a classic. The time when the album came out was the time when the current down trend in R&B began. Maxwell was catapulted into Soul history with this album and it was well deserved.

ChristopherTracy319 said:

Ummm, I see this thread turning ugly.

I'm a huge Maxwell fan. Yeah, it was a nice lil CD, but the best in 15 years I don't know. To me it was like he was doing the Marvin Gaye "After the Dance" Sound. Don't get me wrong it was a nice CD.

lyecry said:

Well let's see what others artists came out with a different vibe since. UHS changed the sound for R&B from the sound prior to it. What other artists changed the R&B game since. Sisqo with the "Thong Song", Chris Brown, Jagged Edge? The only comparison since may be Andre 3000 with The Love Below. If you can tell me who changed that vibe then it will make for an interesting conversation.

best since 1993?
I'll have to think that over

I personally think "Embrya" is better.

BlaqueKnight said:

Hastings felt the same way about DOAB which is why you can find it for 99cents.

But to really take this into consideration let's take a look at Brown Sugar. I am going to disagree with the comparison to UHS. Brown Sugar, while it was a good album, the sound and vibe of that album was not necessarily original. That album was more of a dedication to the early sound of Soul and R&B that was popular in the 60s and 70s. UHS had a sound which incorporated great continuity as you said but also provided great instrumentals as well as original lyrics and mixes. D'Angelo's sound was just a refreshing reminder of what we had been missing for years prior to that. It wasn't until VOODOO, that D'Angelo paved a more original way for R&B but came up short.

As far as Mint Condition is concerned I don't think their sound was much different from Shai or even Tony,Toni,Tone. Their sound I feel was centered around more beats than original lyrics and musical arrangements.
[Edited 8/20/08 22:24pm]
[Edited 8/20/08 22:26pm]

I dig all the albums ya'll mentioned so far. but for me the best R&B album over the last 15 is Mary J. Blige's "My Life".I used to run it in the ground as a 10th grader in 94' and I still run it now as an adult.

Abdul said:

Good album, bad argument. My Life was an extension of the Uptown sound that had become popular with Jodeci, Johnny Gill, Keith Sweat. It was basically a female version of Forever My Lady. Maybe I should have called this thread Most Innovative Album In 15 Years.

ChristopherTracy319 said:

Well for me CT319 it's about what album can I play straight through without skipping a single track and if the topic is R&B over the last 15 years then Mary's album is the one for me. To me Maxwell's album is very good but I don't see it as innovative at all, it has that classic soul - Marvin Gaye vibe all over it IMO.

Abdul said:

You can definitely play UHS straight through. And while I am sure that Maxwell had an influence from Marvin Gaye let's be honest, I never heard a Marvin Gaye Album sound like that. If anything D'Angelo had a Marvin Gaye sound more than anyone else. If you can tell me what male singer could sing that album I would be interested to know.

ChristopherTracy319 said:

Marvin was the first thing I thought when I listened to it back then, it has that I Want You album type of vibe to it..As far as what male singer could sing that album, who knows?????, but I know one who can't, D'Angelo

ChristopherTracy319 said:

Shai? You just compared Mint Condition - a band of talented multi-instrumentalists to a VOCAL GROUP famous for an accapella song?
I'm done with you. You don't know what you're talking about.
As to Brown Sugar, it is the official melting of old school soul with new school hip-hop. Everybody already knows that and among the Neo-Soul crowd, its pretty much gospel. I could argue that Maxwell's sound was quite reminiscent of Sade. As a matter of fact, one of the most common comments about Maxwell early on was "he's like a male Sade". Nothing is new under the sun.
I don't believe you've listened to "Definition Of A Band" but rather are picking the singles and using them as a reference. The arrangements on DofaB had much more variation to them than UHS, which was more of a musical palette for Maxwell's vocals. I like both CDs but if pressed to say which one was better, I'm still rollin' with the Mint. Maxwell didn't have any lyrics like "Raise Up" or "Missing" and not even Prince has covered the subject of "Missing". Don't get me wrong, I like both these records but...Shai? Come on. Go familiarize yourself with Definition Of A Band and come back to me.

pffffft!!!!! that's my least favorite of his albums, Embrya is my favorite!

eaglebear4839 said:

You think "Now" was better than "Urban Hang Suite"? Wow. I think that's the first time I've heard that.

BlaqueKnight said:

Everybody already knows that

Only the weakest of arguments needs "everybody" to stand on.

I'm not addressing the merits of your argument, but whenever I want to use such a generalization the first think I suspect is I subconsciously think I have a weak argument.

SUPRMAN said:

Alright, you wanna go song by song? I know both of these CDs VERY WELL. How do you wanna do this?
Its not that difficult.
Maxwell is classic soul.
Go play Suitelady (The Proposal Jam) and then go play Teddy Pendergrass's "Love TKO"
Go play "Dancewitme and then pull up some old Luther Vandross, especially around his "Bad Boy" era.
This record is very organic. Its not new-sounding or innovative so much as it is timeless. That's the appeal of it. Its basic drums, bass, organ, piano, a lot of wah guitar and the occasional 808 drum machine (Lonely's The Only Company, The Suite Theme and Reunion). He had his bouncy R&B songs but they were very reminiscent of late 70s R&B. (Ascention & Sumpthin' Sumpthin') Pull up some old Marvin and Eddie Kendricks and listen to the tracks.
Mint had major variations on "Definition Of A Band". "Asher In Rio"(jazz) sounds nothing at all like "I Want It Again"(hip-hop), which sounds nothing like "What Kind Of Man Would I Be"(neo-soul for lack of a better term), which sounds nothing like "Funky Weekend"(contemporary FUNK). The variations were great but they were held together for the most part by Stokley's voice.
I know exactly what I'm talking about. My comment about D'Angelo's Brown Sugar only became a debate in recent years. That tends to happen on the internet as time passes and people forget what was going on during a certain era in music. Brown Sugar had a HUGE imapact on R&B and it came out before Urban Hang Suite and before Baduizm, which helped solidify the "change".

No. Brown Sugar is it for me.

Aaliyah's One in a Million deserves a special mention, because it was the album that really launched the careers of Timbaland and Missy. Like it or not, those two have definitely put their stamp on R&B in the last 10+ years.

With the way music has been the last 15 years, I don't think ANY CD can hold that title. Today's artist like Maxwell, WILL be influenced by the stylings of Marvin or Teddy, Why? Because these are they artists that they grew up listening to. I don't see anything wrong with that. The thing that make's UHS so interesting is that it came at a time when everything at that point was starting to song the same. While he may have used a drum machine, (and I don't think he did), he concentrated on BOTH the lyrics as well as the groove. This is something that 70's artist did that today's artist don't do as much. So, in a way, it was innovative. To me, while it brings back memories of those jams that were mentioned, the music on UHS sounds nothing like the grooves that were mentioned. It does however make me say, "WOW! They don't make records like this anymore"; meaning records that concentrated on both the groove as well as the lyrics.
[Edited 8/21/08 5:43am]

Y'all done stepped into MY arena with Neo Soul .:

"UHS" is easily the most "sensuous album" to drop in the last 15 - hands down. Is it the best R&B album in the last 15? I wouldn't quite go that far but there's a solid argument for it.

As for "Brown Sugar," I'd say that was the OFFICIAL ushering in of the Neo Soul era, so its importance to the overall R&B scene should especially be noted.

It's hard to say "The Best" of anything is since there's so much variety out there and different criteria for what "Best" is. So, having said that, I'd stick TTT's "Sons of Soul" and MJB's "What's the 411" as well as "Baduizm" and "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in the conversation as well.

Damn, not the last 15 years.

Bilal's Love for sale is so amazing to me.

Nu Amerykah

Lauryn Hill

Voodoo

Damn..I dunno.

shorttrini said:

You just hit the nail on the head. That is the exact point I am making, but there are those who seemed to be confused on the topic.

BlaqueKnight said:

I am actually a D'Angelo fan myself and have posted threads in the past showing much love for his music. But for you to say that Maxwell and even Erykah were inspired by D'Angelo is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard. You mean to tell me that just because Maxwell's UHS came out a year later than Brown Sugar he was inspired by it? I think you need familiarize yourself with both those albums and realize the distinct difference between the two. Actually if you go listen to Voodoo it would seem that maybe D' was inspired by Max.

im gonna have to cosign definition of a band. not just because they are my fav band. but BlaqueKnight already broke it done already. I been telling people it is arguably the best R&B album since its release The album is very diverse in terms or subject matter, tempo, songwriting and production. It sold good numbers and had a gold single and two top 10 R&B chart topping hits.

there are songs about partying/funk influenced (funky weekend) hip hop influenced (i want it again) on going commitment (on and on) social issues (missing) jazz interludes, uplifting people/motivation (raise up) instrumentation, faithful relationships/cheating (what kind of man), sex (getting it on), abuse (hurt no more) etc. just about every relevant topic is on here and there something for everybody.

UHS is one of my fav albums, and so is Brown Sugar, (which had a bigger influce) but i think def of a band is better. also add the fact the DOAB is 18 tracks deep which you would think it would be more likely to have filler on it, when there isnt any at all. Before i start to type a long essay on other reasons why DOAB is my choice, let me stop and name other albums that are contenders for best r&b album the last 15 years.

tony toni tone - house of music
d'angelo - brown sugar
lauryn hill - miseducation...
donell jones - where i wanna be
mint condition - from the mint factory
mary j - my life
maxwell - urban hang suite
d'angelo - brown sugar
jodeci - the show...

^^^all of these deserve a mention.

and as for that comment about mint condition and shai and tony toni tone having the same sound or whatever.....its pretty obvious that you dont listen to mint condition for you to have said such a comment.

Indeed I do, because of a few things. First, his version of "This Woman's Work". Second, I saw the video for Now many months before the album was released, so I was anticipating it a bit. Third, overall I find it to be a more satisfying album. Don't get me wrong, I think Urban Hang def. has its charm, but it's definitely only a good debut in my mind.

BlaqueKnight said:

ChristopherTracy319 said:

You need to read more thoroughly. I said maybe he inspired them to go forward, not influenced them musically.

ChristopherTracy319 said:

I think there are those on this board that just like what they and who they like. Personally, as much as I am a fan of D'Angelo, I don't agree with Blaque's statement about how his sound "changed R&B". D'Angelo just brought back a sound that up until that time, had not been heard in years. Smokey and Marvin were the original D'Angelo, because in my opinion D'Angelo's sound is influenced by both.

BlaqueKnight said:

Well my point is this I feel that UHS is what sparked not just the Neo-Soul movement so to speak, but gave it some direction that made the sound different from the more tribute sound that seemed to come from Brown Sugar. That is why I feel it was a better album and more innovative. I don't feel that Max needed inspiration from D' to make his music. I think that is actually kind of comparing apples to apples. Same genre but different styles. Oh and as far as Mint Condition is concerned, I am well versed in DOAB and I agree that it is a good album, maybe a great album, no is disputing that. But it didn't spark the movement and sounds that Max and D' or even Erykah did. They created a following from other artists and listeners that still continues. MC while making a great album, I don't feel sparked an influence that is still felt today. IMO. This is a good discussion though.