I'm feenin Hot wings now


Thanks Maxwell.. .

Graycap23 said:

It's kind of boring to me, as is the video. The video reminds me of the John Legend video when he was in bed with the different women. I don't know. I hope the rest of the album has a little more fire than this.

IstenSzek said:

this means it's missing the Sweetback element.Not sure who he worked with on this one. My mother keeps up with his music

I love Pretty Wings, listening to it right now

love the song and max didn't age too badly at all either

I like the new song and the video, it's a very tasteful combination and he looks good. There is, however, a growing sentiment of frustration to be sensed from his vocals. Even if the new track is more positive on tone than, say, "You Shouldn't Know These Things About Me"* (well, "Know These Things: You Shouldn't"), he still seems to deliver the lyrics in a sort of frightening way to me. He just sounds so often like he would be breaking down or just coming out of such a period, I don't know. That's his thing though, he seems to express even being in love in a sort of a painful way, almost as if he'd be already it's all going to go belly up soon. That you can also sort of see from the facial expressions he has favoured in his videos since the release of "Now" too.


(*= btw, that's pretty heavy stuff from a R&B musician)
[Edited 4/29/09 7:29am]

The other thread had a link to the video that seems to have a somewhat improved quality to the sound over the youtube stream, so I'll post it here too:

http://link.brightcove.co...1345933001

I actually like the lesser quality on youtube as it makes getting the CD a bit more of a thrill in most cases...

and when i read how you say "more positive" novabrkr, I feel that you might
wanna try the phrase "more open" instead

I do find that Maxwell does some of the most beautiful music on the planet and i have never gotten a sense of
the apposing negativity that is sort of implied in your post.

When i listen to little wings or any of Maxwell's music i get a sense of a
LOVE MATCH not being met
- a teacher that hasnt found a teacher yet, if that makes sense...

I love his schooling.... its like advanced artistry for dummies and thanks for the other link

I didn't mean "negative" in a sense that he would be an outright pessimist. He's just a person who has openly admitted to having gone through severe depressive periods after falling out of relationships (or having had trouble coming up with new music that he would be happy with). To me he seems to put a lot of that to some of his songs and some of those tones do also seem to seep into his prettier, more "optimistic" songs to an extent - this new one included. There's especially that "Better times, Better days..." -part at around 2:10 where he shows some of that to my ears. That's a great vocal performance by the way, and as he has gotten older he has put more and more of himself into his vocals.

That's why I loved "Now", even if many saw the songs being weaker in the overall than what he had put out before. He had matured as a vocalist, but even on the more romantic takes I do hear a slight amount of genuine melancholy in his voice and definitely not just lust. Even on, say, "Temporary Night" - compare that to some of the similar tracks Prince has done ("Extraloveable" etc.) and the difference should be quite audible. It did start out already with Urban Hang Suite when he apparently got a marriage proposal turnt down (whether that had any basis in reality or not), and like I've mentioned there are some pretty heavy lines for an R&B crooner found on the following two albums too. Maxwell is not quite The Cure of modern soul / R&B -music, but it's not too far off that either.

When people have compared him to Marvin Gaye that's one of the factors where I personally see some similarities. There's that bitter comfort found in melancholia present in his music, and you hardly ever hear that in today's chart material. Let me put it this way: his material simply contains a wide array of emotions, without any of those cancelling each other out. Say, melancholy, lust, being optimistically in love and sensing the threat of depression / disappointment can co-exist together sometimes even in one song.

So yeah, I'm a huge fan.
[Edited 4/29/09 9:07am]

WOW..... thats a real amazing dialogue you have put forward....

I dont actually know much about Maxwell and his media life
as i am more than content with what i get in and from his music
and videos,

but again when you use a word like "lust"...
i myself hear Maxwell's tones as more of a refined devotion
in search of a better love, and with all the other descriptive words
you use i can understand and touch on certain elements of where your
coming from, but its like he has taken those elements and redefined
them into something of more worth with an even greater understading
than what is commonly known.

His emotional array as you put it (i love that btw) is best summed up
for me in his version of Kate Bush's - This womens work, i would not
of believed that someone could add more to that song than Kate but
he actually did.... he just cut right into my soul with his version...
If someone did better than him... i think i would just vaporize or
blow up or something

cant say i am a huge fan like yourself... but i do know i love his work
and his affect seems to do you well in your depth of expressiveness : )

I love Pretty Wings The horns/music sound great and the video is well done. I actually downloaded it today from Rhapsody and I can't wait for the cd to be released. Maxwell as always been my second fav artist and I am happy to see him back getting his grown man own Love the new look and I will forever love the work and look of this guy also:




[Edited 4/29/09 10:55am]

IstenSzek said:

Yeah, those two albums are among my favorite albums of all time. They are cohesive, have some unique and special feel to them, and the sequencing is perfect. The outro/hidden track on Urban Hang Suite comes a bit late ( and when you least expect it) but other than that, it is one of the best albums ever.

I loved the fact that both Urban Hang Suite and Embrya were really good concept albums with a little storyline and that´s exactly what was missing on Now. Once I got used to Maxwell´s concept albums the Now album and it´s sequencing sounded a bit dull and failed to leave a lasting impression even though there are a couple of good songs on it.It´s just too much of a mumbojumbo without any real power behind it and the sound is not as cohesive as on the sophomore albums.

Can´t wait to hear this triple album in its entirety.

Lyrics to Pretty Wings

Time will bring a well end of our trial
One day there'll be no remnants no trace
No residual feelings within you
One day you won't remember me.

Your face will be the reason I smile
But I will not see what I cannot have forever
I'll always love you
I hope you feel the same.

Oh, you played me dirty, your game was so bad
You toyed with my affection
Had to fill out my prescription for the remedy
I had to set you free.

Away from me
To see clearly
The way that love can be when you are not with me
I had to lead
I had to let
I had to leave
I had to live

If I can't have you
Let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around.

Pretty wings, your pretty wings, your
Pretty wings. Pretty wings around.

I came wrong you were right
transformed your love into like
baby believe me; i'm sorry I told you lies
I turned day into night
sleep till I die a thousand times
I should've showed you
better nights better times
better days I miss you more and more

If I can't have you
Let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around.

Pretty wings, your pretty wings, your
Pretty wings. Pretty wings around.

Pretty wings, your pretty wings, your
Pretty wings. Pretty wings around.

Wow. I just saw the "Pretty Wings" video. I am very happy that the brother is seemingly back on track. The video is yawnable but the song is classic Maxwell. I normally download albums but I'll be purchasing this one.

I actually loved that hidden track coming so late. I can't even count the number of times back in the day, when I was chilling with my guy, and we had listened to the whole album and were sort of jolted by that outro coming on. It was like an extra treat when you least expected it.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...aDPAglUVbo

Very nice, intelligent, handsome man.

Press Conference:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...r_embedded

awesome press conference ! I was sold at put the music on and clean the kitchen !!

Maxwell is still fine ....somewhere my moms ears are on fire as I type this lol.

wow that sucked

KoolEaze said:

did you know that Embrya has a hidden track too? it's the mythos:gestation
track that is labeled track 00 on the tracklist and also in the lyric book.

it's placed BEFORE the album so if you put it in your cd player you have to
rewind from the beginning of track 01.

i didn't find out about that until 2006 i think, lol. but it doesn't work on
all cd players. my dad has an older model and it works fine on that one. not
sure how you can pull that track off the cd with a pc though since i have it
ripped to my harddrive but the song never shows up.

I likes the new song "Pretty Wings".
Has a stax/volt Al Green vibe to it. I'm very hopefull for the new release(s).
Nice to hear real instruments and a real horn section as well.
I think Maxwell is on the right track.

japanrocks said:

I think going to #2 on the charts and every1 talking about him in the streets is pretty popular....if hes on Perez Hilton and he is all over Tagret and people keep wanting me to burn them copies...

Copycat said:

OMG!!!



My heart jumped a little...HE IS HHHHAAAWT!!!

I ahve been on a Maxwell kick since I heard the track!

Love Maxwell...I'm really liking this new track. I can't wait for the new cd and summer tour.

IstenSzek said:

Thanks for the info. I already knew that there was a secret track but didn´t know that it was a whole song because when I tried to skip back on the CD all I got to hear was some strange sound. Have to check it out again.

I like the part of the song closest to the end but the beginning not so much...

ABeautifulOne said:

i like when the live drums kick in. I tried to buy it on itunes, but only the vid is available!