Nicole Willis and Sharon Jones definitely have that old soul music
vibe. I guess many 'neo-soul' artists like Chrisette Michelle (for example) are more along the lines of RnB than old school soul, but considering that RnB is garbage nowadays, that's probably where the 'neo-soul' moniker came from. Neo-soul just seems to basically be RnB combined with classic soul elements. I don't know why the music industry insists on re-hashing old sounds, altering them slightly, and then giving them a new title; it's kinda dumb really.

Honestly, the way many people feel about the 'neo-soul' moniker is the same way I feel about the 'dance pop' title. Sorry, but from what I've heard of 'dance pop', it's like Disco and Techno had a kid and that kid ran off and got knocked up by pop music. That bastard child is 'dance pop'. It's weak, sad, and just wrong. Cartman says it the best.



Just my

estelle81 said:

I remember when my music literature teacher labled MJ, Prince, and Madonna as "dance pop" I was the only one in the class who was

I remember when my music literature teacher labled MJ, Prince, and Madonna as "dance pop" I was the only one in the class who was

bboy87 said:

And he was teaching people? Wow!!! All's I know is that the moniker annoys the piss out of me because it's...stupid. I don't know what everybody else is hearing when they listen to 'dance pop', but I hear either: Electronica, Techno, Disco, House, Rave, or remixes of pop songs using these forms. When Paul Oakenfold remixes a pop song, I call it a 'Paul Oakenfold Remix' or 'Techno'. Seriously, who the hell came up with this title because they need to be bitch-slapped and manhandled for a little while.

Damn, did I just change the topic on my own damn thread? Shit! Sorry!

estelle81 said:

I think he labeled it that way because he thought dance pop was the evolution of disco...long story, but he wrote the textbook

I got into it with him because he said of the 3, Madonna is the most successful and the only one who has been on a cover of a major magazine for the past 25 years, but when I said "But isn't that Michael Jackson..." He said "He's a has been, Madonna is the most successful"

I literally had to pray in class because he cut me off and was so condescending in his tone and if he had said one more word to me, I would've gotten expelled for whoopin' his ass

bboy87 said:

Your teacher sounds like a douchebag.

Timmy84 said:

the bitchass ain't my teacher anymore, thank God

Saw India Arie 2 weeks ago...she put on a very good show...very engaging...her whole aura is on point I am feelin the love from Miss Arie...also another lady I have rediscovered is Adriana Evans whom I severly slept on back in 97...love her voice...Love Jill,love Lalah,Ledisi,Jaguar Wright,Floetry,Meshell,Conya Doss,Amel,Erykah,even was listening to Zhane a few days ago...they kinda had a Neo vibe on some of there cuts.

Al Green is a good example of how the how matters in recording.
Back in the day, Green was signed to Hi Records from Memphis, and he recorded exclusively at Royal Recording Studios, owned by Willie Mitchell, who also owned Hi. Mitchell produced all of Al's records, and his careful use of mics and the way he sets up in the studio led to a signature sound at Hi Records, which many artists and producers tried to imitate. You can hear any record of that era by Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, etc .. and you'll know it comes from Hi.

When Al decided to try a comeback in secular music a few years ago (he had not recorded a Soul album since the 1970s), he went straight to Willie Mitchell, because he knew he had to have the same sound as back in the day in order to make it right. Willie recorded both of Al's recent albums with the same equipment and in the same studio, which is why the music picks up where Al left it in the 70s.

Of course Al could have hired another producer and recorded in the best hi-tech studio in L.A. or N.Y. if he had wanted to, but the records would have never sounded the same ... and they would not have had the same Al Green sound that we all love so much.

And that is why the how matters so much in Soul music.
[Edited 4/26/09 10:47am]

MrSoulpower said:

What current Soul singers/musicians do like Mr.SoulPower?

TD3 said:

I already named a couple ... Sharon Jones and Nicole Willis. There are some more, and I also dig new recordings by oldschool artists, like Lee Fields, Spanky Wilson and, of course, Marva Whitney ... and I also like some of the Neo-Soul singers. The problem with Neo-Soul is that I don't feel the sound ... to me, it sounds rather stale and boring compared to oldschool Soul. And that's a shame, because many of the artists are good vocalists. Compared to most contemporary R&B, the so called Neo-Soul artists are fantastic, but they just can't compare to the vintage sound, which is why in my book, they are no more than mediocre. Why should I listen to mediocre Soul when I can listen to the real deal?

That's of course just my taste and my opinion, and you can call me stuck in the 60s and 70s, and I'd be content with that.

Neo-soul definitely have some very talented artists but they're using that digital production sound and to me, that doesn't seem very authentic.

Timmy84 said:

That's exactly my point. If that's what you like, good for you, but it just has very little to do with the traditions of Soul music.

MrSoulpower said:

Right. Some of it is good (mainly because of vocal and lyrical matter) but I guess if it ain't funky sound wise, what's the use of calling it "the new version of soul". It's great millennium R&B tho, lol.

Timmy84 said:

Oh yeah, I take Dwele or Erykah over Beyonce any day.

Timmy84 said:

Oh yeah, I take Dwele or Erykah over Beyonce any day.

MrSoulpower said:

Now THAT we BOTH agree on!

MuthaFunka said:

Now that was easy, wasn't it?

Hell to the naw. I call it modern day Shitney Houston type music.....an entire genre of artists that don't have even one damn fast jam on the album and the slow songs aren't really sexy bedroom type ballads eithter....they're just more "mellow" type songs to just "sit and listen to", nothing to really dance or fuck to....kinda of a genre for the snobby elite, not the folks that wanna get down and party. It's reminds me of a whole genre that came from the horrible late 80s era of Shitney Houston, Anita Baker, Freddie Jackson, Regina Belle, Mikki Howard....ohhhhh, make it stop dammitt!

Wow, that actually felt kind of refreshing just saying it like it is. Wow. Hey, I may do this more often. *_____*

Hell to the naw. I call it modern day Shitney Houston type music.....an entire genre of artists that don't have even one damn fast jam on the album and the slow songs aren't really sexy bedroom type ballads eithter....they're just more "mellow" type songs to just "sit and listen to", nothing to really dance or fuck to....kinda of a genre for the snobby elite, not the folks that wanna get down and party. It's reminds me of a whole genre that came from the horrible late 80s era of Shitney Houston, Anita Baker, Freddie Jackson, Regina Belle, Mikki Howard....ohhhhh, make it stop dammitt!

No.