Good Girl Gone Bad is halfway decent, but not R&B enough I guess.
― blueski, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 13:39 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, I think Rihanna officially turned in her R&B card when she got an Aeon Flux haircut and recorded the Republica b-side that is "Shut Up And Drive."
― Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 13:44 (5 years ago) Permalink
Album of the year.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:26 (5 years ago) Permalink
I love "Crush" and "Take Control" but I just can't get into the "1 More Thing"s, at least when she's chirping those high notes. Not sure why I find it so grating when it defines the pleasure principle for some many others.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:28 (5 years ago) Permalink
Tim F OTM re: "Some Like It"
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Shut Up & Drive" is great, either in spite or because of it's Republica b-side sounding-ness. Rihanna's album is exactly halfway decent, although I'm not sure exactly what would improve it. I think it's perhaps a bit less than the sum of its parts.
xp: If anything on the album is "1 More Thing", it's "Take Control". As far as the chirpy high notes go, Amerie doesn't have the greatest chops, per se, but she knows how and when to force beyond her comfort zone for maximum impact. It's very thrilling, as Lex put it, when she goes all out. These moments never seem forced, though. They seem to happen as she gets caught up in the moment. This isn't to say that there isn't any artifice behind that phenomenon, but just to say that she's very good at hiding/selling it.
Also, OMG the harmonies & vocal production on this record. I love cool vocal production.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink
You all love "Some Like It".
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:41 (5 years ago) Permalink
More seriously, does it really matter whether "Some Like It" is "pj-approved Adventurous Pop"? Does that have any bearing whatsoever on how good or bad the song is? Worrying about something like that seems pointlessly self-conscious to me.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:44 (5 years ago) Permalink
If anything on the album is "1 More Thing", it's "Take Control".
Are you actually saying "Take Control" sounds more like "1 Thing" than "Gotta Work"?
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:46 (5 years ago) Permalink
I went to pick up some new releases yesterday (at a store that puts out the Tuesday releases on the shelves on Monday) and it was nowhere to be found.
OK, I really wanted to buy this album, but this is ridiculous. Someone Sendspace it to me already.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:49 (5 years ago) Permalink
At least as much so. When I first heard "Take Control", my first thought was that she was trying to remake "1 Thing". By the time I heard "Gotta Work", I just kinda expected it. (xp)
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
At any rate, I like "Take Control" (the idiosyncrasies of which eventually made themselves clear) more than "Gotta Work". On second thought, you're probably correct (assuming your thesis is that "Gotta Work" sounds more like "1 Thing" than "Take Control" does; you haven't explicitly stated that).
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 15:54 (5 years ago) Permalink
It's implied by my disbelief in your rather adamant "if <i>anything</i> on the album...," (italics mine) though. You seemed to be ignoring the drums, horns and vocals on "Gotta Work."
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:06 (5 years ago) Permalink
haha but then I forgot there weren't horns on "1 Thing," so I'll shut up now.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:08 (5 years ago) Permalink
My problem with Some Like It is it's a bit disjointed and therefore doesn't quite take off.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:09 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, the drums and vocals are similar (horns? um... {xp nm}). The guitar hook on "Take Control" is a big part of what made me think of it as a retread.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:10 (5 years ago) Permalink
The disjointed feel of "Some Like It" is a large part of its appeal for me. I love how it just shoots off on random tangents, barely bothering to patch them together.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
"1 Thing" is so shrill and splashy that I think I just assumed there was a brass section blowing out my eardrum as well.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:13 (5 years ago) Permalink
I was disappointed by how soon I lost interest in "Gotta Work" – it's too damn relentless, like Sparkle Motion or something.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:15 (5 years ago) Permalink
I didn't put that very well, but I don't know how to state it better at the moment. (xxp)
Completely understandable.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:16 (5 years ago) Permalink
I dunno. The whole first half is pretty damn relentless, but that's a positive in my book.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:17 (5 years ago) Permalink
Actually, "Gotta Work" is probably my least favorite song of the first half.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Crush" & "Crazy Wonderful" prove that Cassie album tracks are much better with someone capable of displaying emotion.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 16:30 (5 years ago) Permalink
OMG the remix of "Take Control". Mr. K-Pop singer is way ott.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 17:16 (5 years ago) Permalink
The album comes out here in November, with a *new and improved* tracklist. "That's What U R RMX" with Fabolous and Slim Thug is the firts single, new version of "Crush" that samples the Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love will be single after that I think...
― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 17:43 (5 years ago) Permalink
Is "here" Amurrica? If so, I'm glad I got my import copy before they fucked up a good thing.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 17:50 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, America.
― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 17:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
Holy shit -- the first half is unstoppable.
TS: Amerie's "Crush" vs Ciara's "C.R.U.S.H."
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 6 September 2007 23:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
Um, Ciara no contest. This album is really OVERRATED by you folks...
Anyway, UPDATE: The US has been scrapped and she's recording a brand new album...
― The Brainwasher, Friday, 12 October 2007 23:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
rong, and rong ;_;
― Jordan, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
I can send this to you, Jordan. I got impatient and downloaded it from Limewire. It's pretty great, or at least the first 9 or 10 tracks are. Probably in my top 10 this year.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:17 (5 years ago) Permalink
I've cooled on it, but still mighty fine.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
um, it isn't. the song is 'hold on i'm coming', for sure, but its some other version, not the sam'n'dave version.
this song FUCKING SHREDS tho.
-- stevie, Monday, 16 April 2007 10:07 (7 months ago) Link
It's Erma Franklin's version FYI.
― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:24 (5 years ago) Permalink
jenny hooked me up awhile back, jaymc, but thx. i've just been listening to it a lot (the 1st half anyway!).
― Jordan, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:27 (5 years ago) Permalink
The hate for "Some Like It" on this thread is RONG.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:28 (5 years ago) Permalink
4-4-2
― The Reverend, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
whatever i've moaned, it is sad to see her having to play the game and sing hooks for chingy and stuff now.
probably time to give this album another go. don't think my opinions will change (certainly not about ugh 'some like it'), but in the context of other rubbish albums that've been out it'll probly get a bump up. c'est la grim vie.
ciara's 'crush' was great and underrated.
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:56 (5 years ago) Permalink
crush vs crush, take control vs lose control
― Jordan, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:58 (5 years ago) Permalink
all four are great
― da croupier, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 20:59 (5 years ago) Permalink
why have they completely fucked up the US release of this? And why was "Losing U" relegated to bonus track status?
― danzig, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 23:49 (5 years ago) Permalink
Because it would have stuck out like a sore thumb on the album.
― The Reverend, Thursday, 29 November 2007 04:38 (5 years ago) Permalink
i like 'some like it' even if it is horribly predictable coming from me. I love the tinny piano with its classy jazziness, matt bianco meets some passionate house diva who cant dance, i mean she sounds like cathy dennis. it just conjures all the right hair salon blow dried mousse french restaurant gold bauble feeling, it's so amerie,i walk with good posture, way more than that awful 'don't be afraid to touch' song, because amerie is jazzy. i agree the sam and dave song is boring though.
― minna, Friday, 30 November 2007 06:08 (5 years ago) Permalink
You know, she's really not a good singer for slow jams. I listened to an acapella last night and now her vibrato kind of gets on my nerves, it's like she can only do it one way and doesn't have a lot of control?I think that's why the uptempo rhythmic stuff works so much better for her.
Btw Make Me Believe, Crush, and Gotta Work are all A+ (Some Like it is A-)!
― Jordan, Friday, 30 November 2007 16:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
For some reason this just doesn't work as an album even though there are 5-6 tracks I absolutely love.
― Matt DC, Friday, 30 November 2007 17:08 (5 years ago) Permalink
Best track = All Roads and its unashamed soft rockness.
― Matt DC, Friday, 30 November 2007 17:09 (5 years ago) Permalink
Any other singer would have made "All Roads" into sub-"American Idol." I love how her voice starts to crack in the last third.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 30 November 2007 17:15 (5 years ago) Permalink
"All Roads" is kind of painful to listen to. :/
― jaymc, Friday, 30 November 2007 17:36 (5 years ago) Permalink
can someone link to the rolling r'n'b thread? i cant find it
― robin l, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 10:40 (5 years ago) Permalink
here
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 13:30 (5 years ago) Permalink
^knew about the curtis og, but never knew about this version
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 08:44 (1 year ago) Permalink