I bought it yesterday for a friend and listened to it. I am trying to find something nice to say about it, but I can't. I was disappointed. Again.

I bought yesterday and I loved it - you sadi disappointed again? does that mean you didn't like the first one either? why?

I'm gonna buy it as a Christmas present for my niece.She loves the first single "You Don't Know My Name".How does the rest of the CD sound? Give me a track-by-track review!

SweetKreme said:

The first album was so overhyped and I bought into it. I think I psyched myself out. The only decent cut on the first album, to me, was A Woman's Worth. I did not like Fallen or her version of HCUDCMA.

DavidEye said:

David, your niece would probably love this CD.


Harlem's Nocturne-Interlude. Pretty

Karma-Cute. Sounds like a Dr. Dre track in the background.

Heartburn-Sounds like I Just Wanna Love You by Jay-Z.

If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By-You just can't mess with Gladys Knight, especially if you ain't got the pipes.

You Don't Know My Name-I LOOOVE this song! Throwback using a Main Ingredient sample.

If I Ain't Got You-Nice song. I would love to see her work on her voice for the next album.

Diary-Slow cut. Does nothing for me.

Dragon Days,Wake Up, Ain't No Reason, So Simple, When You Really Love Someone, Feeling U, Feeling Me-Interlude, Slow Down, Samsonite Man, Nobody Not Really: These songs are too simplistic with too much of a pop feel to me. I am no good at song by song reviews, David. When You Love Someone sounds like Fallin' and A Woman's Worth combined. It irritated me because it had no orginality.

you know, stymie, i was just never able to get into her either. even with 'falling' and 'a woman's worth', i just never got the hype. i mean, yeah, she has a nice voice but i don't think its anything more special than someone from an episode of star search. its a very 'safe' sounding voice, imo. i've wondered what the draw is since she first hit the scene.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

The album will sell lots on the strength of the single "You Don't Know My Name", which is pretty sad because it is the strongest cut on the entire album. On the plus side, it is only ten bucks and you get a bonus DVD with it.

Lawd knows that I wanna like Alicia Keys(since she's an instrumentist and all) but homegirl got no sense of individuality whatsoever,,,its like Lenny Kravits all over again.

Plus she ain't got no piano style at all, Miss thang plays nothing more than 3 chords through-out the whole album and if she snatched a decent riff,,you'd realize lata that she stole it from either Donny Hothaway, Roberta Flack, Patrice or some other keyboardist/pianist.

She's talented alright but like Stymie said,,,homegirl got no orginality.

Besides, fucking up a Gladys Knight's jam with all this plastic production and her forced singing? That was so fucked up, man! that shit was so uncalled for!

stymie said:

Damn, yall are really dogin my baby out - I was apart of the hype because I'm always hype to see someone with actual skills - there are so many fake ass non- singing, non- rappin, non- talented period folks out there that she was amazing to me. She's not on my top ten list but she is up there with the first 15 - plus she's fine hmmm!

Try giving her one more chance and if you still think she sucks then I won't have nothing to say but I think she's good and trust me I don't say that about alot of artist

SweetKreme said:

Everybody's entitled to their opinions and mine is no more valid than yours. I don't mean to dog your baby out because I will give her props for keeping her clothes on, for having real skills on the keyboards and her performance on the Vibe awards was kickass. She and Andre3000 were the best part of that show. I really would like to see her improve and I'll keep giving her a chance.

stymie said:

Same here, I didn't feel her first cd either, but I gave her another chance. This new album started off good then got boring. She needs an editor also. 10 song would have been enough. 15 pushed to far for me.

I think the problem with Alicia and many new artists is that the intentions are great to make powerful and meaningful records, but they take themselves to seriously and the effort turns out mediocure and boring at worst. Now songs like "Heartburn,""Dragon Days," and "Diary" are hot to me. I liked her version of "If I Were Your Woman/Walk On By" and even though they play it every 5 minute, "You Don't Know My Name" is rather hypnotic. Main Ingrediant sample and all.

I keep seeing she keeps trying. I did like this new album over the last.So I'll give her another chance next time. I honestly want to see her succeed-- hype or not.

stymie said:

Yes, your opinon is very valid- but I haft to defend her to my nani ALL the time.(lol) Thank you for giving her a chance and that's all I can ask!

SweetKreme said:

When the next album comes out, I'll buy that one, too. I have more hope for her than I do a Beyonce, Mya, Brittney or any other plastic pop act. Keep on defending her. She has something the others don't and I suspect she will be around for a while.

I have the new cd, but i am not planning on listening to it, i will give it to a family memeber for X-mas.

Does anyone else agree that Prince revised his Version of How come u dont call me anymore ever since Alicia Keys added a beat to the song?

I partly agree that the album is a little long, but its the best thing out right now. As a musician, hats off for mama for making better music than any of these studio crappy pop idiots. The album is a great connection to the great music journey she's on. I kind of hope most people don't dig her. I like when I enjoy an artist and I'm not on some bandwagon. I hate when people posterize artist I respect. At first everybody digs them, then when they get tired of them, they bash them like they never did.


I'll always remember in school, when New Kids on the block was popular, a certain girl I knew loved them to death. She had the T-shirts, the buttons, the notebook stickers, etc. When the band "fell off" I asked this girl about her NKOTB collection. This girl looked at me as if I was speaking another language. I wouldn't let it go. She looked in my eyes with such hate and tears and swore on her mother's life she never liked them. Another kid in my class confirmed that she was indeed a fan, after class.


I learned a value able lesson that day. The people that claim to love you today will reject you without hesitation tomorrow. No one wins the popularity contest. Look at Prince, about 89% of the people on this own website don't even like him anymore. They come here out of boredom or to bitch, moan and complain.

I love quailty music. Not poppy radio crap that you won't remember in a month. I still hum Butterflies often. My 2.

So far I don't really care for the first 4 tracks. When she finally gets to her beautiful song, You Don't Know My Name, something kicks in for me. I realize it's all about taste and our own subjective opinions.

I don't care for Alicia when she does the "uh-uh-uh-uh" rap/hip-hop?? grunting...it seems like she's trying to be all hard and street. Alicia, you ain't a "rappa"! Please stop trying to be. Maybe you feel there music and style but do what you do best.
I realize it's not my place to tell her how or what to perform, and I don't know her, but when she gives herself to playing keyboard and SANGIN" it like she know she can, that's when she shines.
She's absolutely gorgeous!

Question: If I liked her first album, but I'm not really feeling "You don't know my name" should I buy THIS album?

I don't want to be disappointed again like I was with Nelly Furtado's 'Folklore'. Thanks.

anemone said:

There will probably be songs on it that you like but the album will not blow you away.
On the DVD she says she worked for 4 mos. on it. I wish she'd have worked a year on it. Recorded and recorded, then put together a killer album, picking the best of the best tunes.
I realize there's contracts and time restraints, but these things can interfere with art.
If you've got disposable income, get it. If you're budget is a lil' tight and you gotta be more selective, buy something else.

Here's a "+" for the album. I have a daughter that plays cello and one that plays viola. There's strings on the album and I told them, "See, your instruments are not irrelevant to music that you like." My 13 year old was up in her bedroom the other day justa "sangin'" all loud to the song, Diary, featuring Tony Toni Tone. I hope she finds her eventual voice and belts it out. I chuckled and thought," Go'on baby, sang it." Alicia is inspiring them musically in that respect.

Alicia has potential. I think she should use real instruments on her music. Get some help co-writin' her lyrics... I mean on one song she says - MY MEDULA OBLONGATA IS ELECTRIFIED- that is just horrible I try not to,listen to all her lyrics and she needs more help on her production. Kanya West produced "you don't know my name" and it sounds good. The Cd is pretty good it's just that it needed more time and effort.

The first single sounds like a Jackson Five outtake.

lolarose said:

She was charged up down in her brain stem...havin' primal urges...ROFLOL.

lolarose said:[quote]Alicia says - MY MEDULA OBLONGATA IS ELECTRIFIED- quote]

no she didn't lol

I got it and I'm listening to it right now...and I LOVE IT among others I bought, Mary J., Mya, Monica, 112, this one is the BEST that I like so far.
[This message was edited Fri Dec 5 18:47:25 PST 2003 by Starmist7]

mistermcgee said:

Thanks for this thread. My kids are still very young and one of them will have the responsiblity to learn an unpopular instrument. (violin, soprano sax, flute, etc) I love that your child found a place for their instrument. Keep up the good work encouraging your child's musicial growth. I personal nominate you for parent of the year. (Seriously)

Listened to the album this weekend & I think it's amazing!

Been playing this again tonight, a fantastic album, c'mon ppl, more reviews please! I just love every track, even more so than her first album, never totally got into that. I think this is by far the best release from a female artist in 2003 (so far).

For some ODD reason I'm curious about it but I probably won't get it.

I really liked Fallin' & bought the first one - what a waste of change! I'm not feeling the song that's on the radio right now so what's the point of buying the new one?

I really wish she was kicking ass musically since she's got everybody's attention. Great potential, she'll grow... hopefully...

CalhounSq said:

...if you listen to it once, I don't think you'll regret it! Although I don't know everyone's musical taste, it does have substance. It's rare that I play an album straight through after just wanting to listen to one song, but this is one of them.
[This message was edited Tue Dec 9 18:38:26 PST 2003 by Starmist7]