I just picked up a greatest hits collection after a few years of him increasingly winning me over via office radio (He's never ever gonna quit, cause quittin' just ain't his schtick).
A couple of things I've noticed - 1) Fucking INCREDIBLE production. I mean my god, the drumming is perfect, the strings are perfect, the bass is perfect, the harpsichord?! What?! The dissonant strings at the beginning of Never Gonna Give You Up?!
2) The lyrics, though ostensibly about gettin' it on, often have an undertone of severe desperation. Like here's this uber-masculine, deep, gruff voice, yet over and over again it basically pleads for sex, going to great lengths to describe the great lengths to which he'll go to please. Other singers might get desperate when a woman leaves, but these songs sound like they come out of some deeper need for validation.
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 19:46 (5 years ago) Permalink
how long is the version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on yours?
― sexyDancer, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 19:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
4:50 - am I missing out on an LP version?
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 19:58 (5 years ago) Permalink
AMG says I am. Will have to get the LP.
there's a ticking time bomb intro to be found...
― sexyDancer, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 20:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
My favorites are "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" and "Your Sweetness is My Weakness" -- he's great at pulling all the different elements of a mix together. Also, super-syncopation. These are so fine.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:18 (5 years ago) Permalink
I haven't heard nearly all the albums, but I dig the ones I know. Check out The Man. And even Staying Power, from '99 or so, is really nice.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
Also for complete OTTness: Love Unlimited Orchestra. Rhapsody in White, White Gold.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:21 (5 years ago) Permalink
Note to Hurting: Can't Get Enough is one long mash note, total devotion, little or no straight-out seduction steez. He made it right around the time he got married.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
I like what you have to say about his "deeper need for validation."
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:24 (5 years ago) Permalink
Also search: Beavis and Butt-head proclaiming him "the horniest dude ever" while watching, I think, "Put Me in Your Mix."
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:26 (5 years ago) Permalink
cf that Tema De Amor '74 thing I wrote about on dis thread heeya:
rolling bargain bin buried treasure thread 2007
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:35 (5 years ago) Permalink
btw edit to my description there:
Like Curtis Mayfield scoring a romantic comedy starring Diane Keaton.
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:36 (5 years ago) Permalink
hey hurting can you link to the pandora station you are talking about here?
― gr8080, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:39 (5 years ago) Permalink
Oh yeah, I already forgot about that. I'm not sure how to link to a Pandora station though. If you e-mail me I think I can share the station with you that way.
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
ok i e-mailed you.
― gr8080, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 21:52 (5 years ago) Permalink
Sent.
I'm not sure what actually happens when you share a Pandora station, as I've never done it before - like I don't know if we both get to up or down vote songs, and whether we'd both hear the same thing at the same time if we were both listening at the same time.
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 22:01 (5 years ago) Permalink
You should check out this amazing Barry White-produced album too. Yes, I was turned onto it by Jay-Z sampling There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You on Girls Girls Girls.
― Alba, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 22:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
thanking u
― gr8080, Tuesday, 17 July 2007 22:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Honey Please (Can't You See)" is incredible. And I don't know why, but "Baby Blues" reminds me of one of the songs off Pet Sounds, only hotter.
― m bison, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 01:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
Split single: Baby Blues - Brian Wilson/Let's Go Away for Awhile - Love Unlimited Orchestra
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 02:22 (5 years ago) Permalink
^ want
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 17:08 (5 years ago) Permalink
oh hey it turns out that "tema de amor" record i was flipping out about was actually this.
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 18 July 2007 17:10 (5 years ago) Permalink
found 'let the music play' lp, first two cuts are monsters
― m bison, Sunday, 23 September 2007 21:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
closing, titular track is like perfect cryingintheclub.jpg music
― m bison, Sunday, 23 September 2007 21:41 (5 years ago) Permalink
I just got Barry White's Greatest Hits Volume One (1975) under much of the same circumstances as Hurting's. I was tired of wanting to listen to these songs without having to wait for them on the radio.
1. Yes this was the first thing I noticed too. He really makes the harpsichord work (!), which is bananas to me.
2. "Deeper need for validation" is dead on (OTM). I can respond to this more after sleep. Hold on.
3. I knew about half of the singles on this disc, and naturally the others are just as good (kind of surprisingly). But "Standing in the Shadows of Love" is really blowing my mind. From the opening banshee chorus echoing into ("Standing in the shadows of love-love-love-love-love!!") the funk, morphing into Barry shouting the first line; the first minute and a half is awesome.
4. Where do you go from here? I'm going to get "All-Time Greatest Hits" (1995) but what else? I'm think I'm going to get more into Isaac Hayes (should be a lock given it's Stax MF!!!) which I should have done years ago. But also I'm finally going to get more into Keith Sweat. I feel this is a natural inclination and long overdue for me personally. Meanwhile, it's this and Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, and "Lady Soul." (I miss Asheville's 100.7 a LOT now.)
― earinfections, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 04:05 (5 years ago) Permalink
he does some nice backup singing for jackie deshannon on her Laurel Canyon lp (1969). it was before he became famous but you definitely notice him.
― gershy, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 04:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
3. I knew about half of the singles on this disc, and naturally the others are just as good (kind of surprisingly)
Haha, did you really begin this post, sleep, and then finish it?
― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 04:55 (5 years ago) Permalink
Also seek out Barry's productions of Love Unlimited (the trio, not the orchestra). Fantastic stuff that I've tried in vain to start threads on before; the musicianship's impeccable as described above, and the ladies have a sweet sharpness to their harmonies. Especially "Under the Influence of Love" and "Walking in the Rain With the One I Love."
― Joseph McCombs, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 05:43 (5 years ago) Permalink
seek out Barry's productions of Love Unlimited (the trio, not the orchestra). Fantastic stuff that I've tried in vain to start threads on before
i hear you there joseph, the general underrating of love unltd borders on the criminal. 'high steppin mean dressin feller' and pretty much all the greatest hits, these stomp all over the supremes and most music ever.
also, barry white's book is a work of wonder. the most positive feel-good thing i've ever picked up. reading that you just know he was one BRILLIANT guy to know. advising couples on their relationship issues when he was 14 yrs old !
― NI, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 13:58 (5 years ago) Permalink
came onto big up the girls, but someone's got there before me!
get their 'Best of' album http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=281;1;-1;-1&sku=833485 cause it's an absolute jaw-dropping knockout.
― pisces, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 14:50 (5 years ago) Permalink
"There's a lot of people in the world today."
-- "Love Power," White Gold
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Thursday, 17 July 2008 05:08 (4 years ago) Permalink
the 8-minute album cut is fucking monumental.
― susan lucci mane (m bison), Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
btw challop alert i would take the 70s barry white catalog over every1 except p-funk
― susan lucci mane (m bison), Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
love that looooong intro into "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me"
― Brio, Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
barry white
― he bit me (it felt like a diss) (m bison), Thursday, 7 June 2012 19:15 (11 months ago) Permalink
top 5 musical dude for all time
these songs sound like they come out of some deeper need for validation.
a well-curated barry white playlist would be called "Validation"
the playlist would be every barry white song
― he bit me (it felt like a diss) (m bison), Thursday, 7 June 2012 19:27 (11 months ago) Permalink
^^a peak of human achievement^^
― NASCAR, surfing, raising chickens, owning land (zachlyon), Monday, 16 July 2012 08:01 (10 months ago) Permalink
"girl it's true, yes i'll always love you" is astounding
― Farrah Abraham had many songs/ many songs had Farrah Abraham (m bison), Monday, 3 September 2012 02:19 (8 months ago) Permalink
i'm itt a lotfuck, i would start a barry white cult. ppl have done crazier things with much lessthe man was an unassailable genius
― Farrah Abraham had many songs/ many songs had Farrah Abraham (m bison), Monday, 3 September 2012 02:20 (8 months ago) Permalink
― he bit me (it felt like a diss) (m bison), Thursday, June 7, 2012 2:27 PM (2 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
m bison otm
― Farrah Abraham had many songs/ many songs had Farrah Abraham (m bison), Monday, 3 September 2012 02:26 (8 months ago) Permalink