Can someone recommend some of their music?

I definitely think they're worth listening to, especially if you like live funk bands. When getting familiar with a new artist or group, you can never go wrong with a "best of" compilation.

my faves are Brother Sister & Forever (off the Brother Sister album).

they sure are worth a listen

my fave single from them is "stay this way"
the "brother sister" album is my fave album of theirs

there last album "get used to it" was a great listen & return to form

'

I love their 1st 3 releases:
1991: The Brand New Heavies (featuring N'Dea Davenport)
1992: Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1 (featuring vocals by various hip hop groups and rappers)
1994: Brother Sister (featuring N'Dea Davenport)

Love the BNH!

Yes.

The Brand New Heavies is one of my all time favorite bands. I discovered them in 1990 when my friend Blake asked if I knew who they were. I told him no and he handed me a tape and said he thought I would dig them. He never got the tape back I just couldn't bear to part ways with it. In 1994 they broke up and I cannot ever begin to explain how absolutely devastated I was by that. They weren't simply a band, they were a real part of my life and an essential part of the healing path I set to after I left my abusive relationship.

Back in 2006, I was listening to the local independent radio station and I. HEARD. THAT. VOICE! I literally sat riveted wondering if it really could be true. I knew that voice but it was just beyond hope that it could be true. The last time I heard that voice was 10 years prior, back in 1997 when N'Dea Davenport (the lead singer of BNH) released a solo album. It had been 10 years of silence though. She did nothing else after that. Now, the band had continued on with several different leads but none of them could dare compare to N'Dea.

So I sat there listening to this song, just knowing it had to be her and after the song was over, the radio host said it was a brand new track from the Brand New Heavies and that she had rejoined the band





OMG! Well, in August my wonderful, amazing and beautiful friend Guillermo (TheResistor) played a central role in helping the unthinkable to happen to me. He bought tickets for the Brand New Heavies concert at the House of Blues in LA and my long wandering in the desert of songless drought changed Sunday August 26th, 2007 was one of the best nights of my life X INFINITY!!!!! Now this was just unthinkable to me. Here this was happening, when really it almost never should have. When bands break up, they generally don't get back together. Many times the magic of past days cannot be recaptured even when they do.

They released this album last year:



It's definitely a strong album, and one that really has grown on me, but there isn't really one of those signature N'Dea songs like "Dream Come True", "Stay This Way", "Never Stop", "Forever", "Keep Together" or "Daybreak". I thought that maybe something had happened to her voice, that maybe she had some vocal damage or surgery or something. I wasn't really sure because her absence from the music scene all these years left me pondering all the possibilities. And I'm not saying she doesn't sing on this album because she does. And she sounds great but there wasn't that super punch that she is known to give. Listen to any of those songs I just cited and you will understand what I'm saying.

It still is a great album by all measures. But for me her VOICE is the thing that hooked me to this band and like a crack addict, I cannot get enough of it and just wanted all I could get after them being apart for so long. I will say though, that this album is exciting in that they didn't stick with the blueprint of their previous music. They really branched out with some different sounds for them and I love that about this album. The most familiar of the songs is "Let's Do It Again" and "All Fired Up". Those are so them, and "I don't Know Why I Love You" being the most shining example of her throwing down vocally. But I seriously wanted all tracks to be blowfests. Call me greedy if you must

So we get there early enough to snag a spot at the front of the stage. I can't tell you the nervous excitement I felt. I just couldn't believe this was really happening. So we were talking about the different songs we hoped that they would play and were just jammin along to the DJ cuts they were playing before the took the stage. Finally the lights dim and the show is on.

The band was dressed to the 9s and Miss Davenport had a black glittery dress on. Looking fine as ever All ideas I had about the possibility of her losing some of her vocal ability were thrown right the hell out the window as soon as she opened her mouth WOW!!!! Just WOW!!. She hadn't lost a damn thing. And they played every single song we wanted except for one! The whole time during this concert they are just playing the soundtrack of my life. All the songs that mean so much to me. This wasn't just music, this was my heart and soul. And you would have thought I was at church because the whole show I had my hands in the air in straight up worship and I was singing my heart out as if there were no tomorrow. There was no mistaking it..... I was clearly devoted to this band and their music.

So during the show I had a realization. I realized that their albums (and her solo) were released at very distinct and pivotal parts of my life. Their first album, self titled, only featured her on 4 tracks. The rest were instrumentals. But those songs are SO AMAZING that it was irrelevant that she sang on less than half the album. Those songs were just so stellar that they made me an instant fan and connected to this band:



She is not even featured on the album covered but damn is there a gem inside. An absolute pearl.

"Dream Come True"




"Never Stop"




"Stay This Way"



There is just a joy that shines through in this early stuff So different than what was happening in popular music at the time.


That album came out when I was 20 and still believed in the hope and utopianism of Love. This was back before I entered the absolute nightmare that was my relationship with my ex Paul. I look back on the idealism of those days and it makes me want to weep. Aging has a way of corrupting your dreams and when I look at the dark places that I went in the years after the first album came out, I cannot do anything but respect the innocence of my spirit at this time. Those songs are just about the purity of Love, believin in it and reveling in the thunder and flowers it brings. It was what I believed at the time and why I connected so hard to her music.

For anyone who hasn't read my article on domestic abuse, I wrote about it here:

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/114206

The state of my life, my mind and my spirit was in shambles at the time their second album found its way into my hands. I didn't come to purchase it until after I had split from my ex. I lost so much of my music collection when I was with him. One time he tried baiting me into a reaction as an excuse to fight with me and he took my CDs and snapped them into a pile on the floor one by one. I acted as if it didn't bother me in the slightest even though inside I was screaming in anguish. Music has always been the thing that has gotten me through all my dark times. As a kid I was tortured and thus spent most of my time alone. It was really the only way for me to be safe from the world. Music has always been my salvation.

So after I had left him I had moved back into the apartment we had shared, by myself, and I was in the position to be able to reclaim my musical life. This album was instrumental in helping me find solace, peace, healing and strength. There were many albums that did this for me but this was just one of the most important for me:





It was during her singing Brother Sister that I really started to realize how how hard those times were and how far I had come and I cried:

In my head, those words remind me what
Grandma Said, at times you'll feel a sting
There'll be sharp turns and uphills and closed doors.

Then she said hold onto your faith,
don't be scared go out there
Just stand up
Be strong
Go out there
Hold on
to the real things
that matter
cuz noones gonna hand it to you on a silver platter.....

I cannot tell you the measures of faith this song helped me to achieve. The whole album really. Especially when I think of my grandmother and how much of an inspiration she is to me. Her passing in 95 hurt me so badly but this song reminds me of all her love, all her strength, all her inspiration and the fact that I am cut from the same cloth as her only serves to remind me that I carry on the love, strength and inspiration. I spent 3 years in destruction and the songs from this album helped me to believe again. Not too long after getting Brother Sister, they broke up Only 2 albums under their belt and *poof* done. I couldn't believe something so magical could just disappear.

From what I have been able to piece together from research here and there (feel free to clarify if you know different), The Brand New Heavies were a stock band on Delicious Vinyl and the band did some sessions with Jay Ella Ruth. The label decided that they wanted to pair them up with N'Dea Davenport after Jay Ella Decided to leave. They then redid the songs they did with Jay Ella. N'Dea had signed an artist development deal and was basically on loan to the band. After the 2 records, N'Dea decided to pursue a solo venture.

Now, I went to Chicago in September and while there I found a Brand New Heavies Compilation of stuff that they recorded with Jay Ella Ruth. And I really don't want to disrespect the woman but the difference is just night and day and this band, IMO would not have taken off had they kept her. She did an OK job vocally but when you compare the versions, N'Dea just breathed such life into those songs with the purity and strength of her voice.


Anyway, so here we are and I'm hearing her singing all of these songs that have marked so much of my life and I was completely swept up in the enormity of what this band and their music has meant to me. So the concert ends and the club makes an announcement that the band will be staying to sign posters and CDs OMG! I could not waste this opportunity and so I stood there thinking of exactly how I was going to say what I had to say without taking up too much time in the line or aggravating the guards and stuff. So I stood in line and bought another CD and I had the band sign my poster but I saved the CD especially for N'Dea.

So I walked up and she said:

You were up at the front weren't you?



I saw you!

I would like to say something.

OK.

I just wanted to really just say thank you for your music. I had a revelation of sorts as I was listening to the show. I realized that all your albums came out at very distinct and definitive periods in my life. Your first album came out when I was first discovering myself and before I went into an abusive relationship. Your second album came out after I had left that relationship and it became part of my healing. Your solo album came out when I was very sick and thought I was dying and the song "Placement for the Baby" gave me so much comfort and so much peace during that time.

Oh my God, you're going to make me cry.

And now this album comes out and I'm at a point in my life where I'm pursuing becoming a counselor to help abused people and people in my community.

You are coming into your own I have a story about coming into my own and I haven't told it yet but I will One day you'll hear all about it Here, let me give you a hug.

And we hugged!!!!! OMG!!!! CRYING! I just could not pass up the opportunity to express to one of my biggest musical heroes the impact of her art on my life. Thank you Guillermo for making this possible. It was one of the stellar highlights of the year, and of my life. I will never forget it

So, what do you think my answer is?

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

scriptgirl said:

YES
All of it.

xpertluva said:

SUPRMAN said:

I was very agro to Miss Garrett for the longest time. Slept on that album for aobut 10 years!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Ok, let's start with Ms. Garrett

Like I said, when N'Dea first left the band I was crushed. But because this is such a quality musical act, I bought the "Shelter" album blind. I wanted to support them no matter what. So I played the CD and I'm like this I played it once and shelved that sucker for nearly a decade. Even though I did like Sometimes, that was not enough to save the album from my disappointed wrath. So over that near decade after I had purchased it, I trashed the hell out of Seidah Garrett. Trashed her. The customer reviews of this album over at Amazon mostly claim N'Dea just oversang the songs and that Seidah is a much better match for the Heavies. Ummm.....WRONG! Those people are high. N'Dea will always be what makes the Heavies who they truly are.

Well, one day after not hearing this for all that time, I was shuffling through a box of stuff and found the CD. I was bored and thought I would at least give it another spin to see if it was as horrid as I remembered. And something happened. I absolutely fell in love with it! My reaction to Seidah had more to do with my disappointment over N'Dea leaving the band than it did with her. I really hardly even knew who she was. I did know she wrote song(s) for Michael Jackson but other than that really was not familiar with any of her stuff as a recording artist. In 2003, I did check out her CD "Seidah" but still wasn't really feeling her.

Upon that re-listen I really discovered how great an album this really is. Seidah is not the greatest singer and coming on the heels of N'Dea my reaction fell so short because I couldn't see through the forest for the trees. This album really showcases her songwriting skills. And I am sure that the band really was able to coallesce around her musically because of her ability to write great songs. This album is very strong lyrically, which is a testament to Seidah's true strength. The message on Sometimes is so worth listening to.

The biggest criticism I have heard about this album is that it is too adult contemporary. And to a degree, that is true. But I think that has more to do with Seidah's limitations as a vocalist. Still, if you give the songs a chance, you can definitely hear that the Heavies sound is not missing from this album and that the "contemporary" charge is not of critical concern.

Of course there is a Jan Kincaid Solo. I have always loved his vocal contributions throughout their albums. Shelter is just a killer song. Like I said before, the ability to write such positivity is one thing I love about this band and Shelter is one of those songs. "After Forever" is a good example that backs up the contemporary charge. This is also a Jan Kincaid track. "You Are the Universe" starts out contempraryish but when you get to the chorus you are presented with such a crazily smart hook:

You are the Universe
And there aint nothin you can do
If you conceive it,
You can achieve it,
That's why I believe in you

More positivity I just love the timing of that chorus. It's just brilliant really. Highest High is more positivity. Day By Day is another that fits the "contemporary" mold, but again, the chorus is totally worth it. Then there are tracks like "Crying Water", "Stay Gone" and "Last to Know" dealing with the downside of relationships.

There are variations of the album going round and unfortunately my copy does not have "You Can Do it", which is an outstanding uptempo funky track. My disc instead has the "Never Gonna Let You Down", which is also a great track. I'd rather have both though

Overall you have a very tasty dish with different themes and sounds going on with very strong lyrics and song writing and the unmistakeable Heavies stamp on many of these songs. I would give this 3 1/2 stars, maybe even 4 stars. I never thought in my wildest dreams this album would ever have elevated from a negative 5 I hope Ms. Garrett accepts this in the form of an apology and my days of being mean to her are over

SUPRMAN said:

What? I started out with a Brand New Heavies compilation (Trunk Funk Classics or something like that) and that ws enough for me to want to buy other stuff by them.

great band

xpertluva said:

That may be your experience with the Brand New Heavies, but I wouldn't recommend it as a hard and fast rule.

SUPRMAN said:

Yeah, I guess that's true. I remember someone almost getting laughed out of the record store after claiming to know about Bob Marley's music because they owned Legend.
[Edited 12/14/09 16:47pm]

Simple answer? FFS YEAH.

Gimmie one of those - first album - 1990

Hell yes! "Never Stop" is one of my favorite songs of the '90s.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

That is one of my all-time favorite songs EVER.