ROLLING ILX R&B LISTENING CLUB: Join in! All ILXors and Lurkers Welcome! NEW PICKS EVERY MONDAY!

i'm embarrassed to say I haven't heard the flack/hathaway... any suggestions for online american access?

whups, nevermind, Lala:
http://www.lala.com/#album/360569445172790190/Roberta_Flack_%26_Donny_Hathaway/Roberta_Flack_%26_Donny_Hathaway

in which case, if forksclove is on that Jam & Lewis tip, I'm happy just to listen along.

Jam & Lewis made enough great things that you can do a two parter between you? Like Janet week and J&L other week?

anybody looking for great lesser-known roberta flack jams should look into "move in with me" from blue light in the basement, so great

Thinking that my week may be a 'wtf happened to shekspeare?'

This is the only Vandross studio album you need own.

― Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, April 25, 2010 12:50 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

The first three Luther Vandross albums are all worth owning. If you include all his collaborations you could add The Glow Of Love by Change, the first two Luther albums, New York City Band's self titled album and Hot Butterfly by Bionic Boogie.

Never Too Much is one of my favourite albums ever made.

eMusic has the Flack/Hathaway album btw

Busy Body has "I'll Let You Slide," an album track not found on any of the comps. But I insist that The Essential does a judicious job of picking singles and deep album tracks.

loving 'house is not a home' this week

Yeah I checked out the Luther album and I am REALY enjoying it right now. "Never Too Much" is one of those songs that I love every time I hear it but never really know what it was called, might not have even really realized who sang it, so it was exciting to hear that right off the jump. And in general, the '80s are my big blind spot as far as R&B albums, I don't know much beyond the pop crossover MJ/Prince stuff, which is a shame because I love early '80s R&B hits and the whole sound of that era where things were really slick and glossy but it was still all live instruments (+ synths), I guess it appeals to the Steely Dan fan in me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeHUBA9mdXw

^^^ love the New Wave take on electro-reggae on this.

re-listened to the Amerie album, which I hadn't really paid much attention or thought about in the last couple years, as much as I liked it at the time. I kinda dig the way she went for a synthy '80s sound on some songs, kind of deliberately mining a different vein of retro than the Rich Harrison '70s feel, but sometimes it gets pretty grating and I think it's more her than the production -- just feels like she's trying on personas she can't possibly pull off on "Some Like It" and "Crazy Wonderful." love the chorus on "Crush," though, gives me such a strong early Madonna feel for reasons I can't quite place. all of her albums are pretty close in terms of quality, none of them's perfect and none's without it's merits, but I'd probably rank them like: All I Have > Because I Love It > Touch > In Love & War

so guys, my week is starting in a couple days, and as much as I hate to drops spoilers or infringe on Rev's week, I was wondering if anyone wants to talk me out of (or into) using a War album as one of my picks -- it feels R&B enough to me, but they were in such a gray area for genre and I worry about muddying the waters too much.

shouldnt it have started on friday?

5-3: Ship
5-10: Sam-I-am
5-17 Forks
5-24 lex luther
5-31 The Reverend Strikes Back

― it ain't trickin if yo gotti (The Reverend), Saturday, April 24, 2010 3:13 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i'm going off the sched rev posted

War were great, regardless of whether you regard them as funk or rnb, but I'd say they were funk, but its not like acts don't crossover between soul,funk, rnb, disco etc

If you dont wanna do War here then please feel free to do so in the funk club. All of you are welcome to take a week.

I'm listening to Al Green right now, would that classify as R&B?

Al Green would totally and unambiguously be R&B and good for this club imo. the War album I'm considering isn't super on the funky side, but good point they might be as much a fit for that thread as this one. more opinions would be welcome to help me tip the decision, though.

Someone should start a Classic Soul club tbh. There's so much stuff to mine for that.

My knowledge of modern rnb is fuck all, so I dont think I could take a week, but I could easily choose a week of 70s stuff at some point if rodney lets me, But everyone else should take a go before I do. But if there's no objections I'd be happy to.
Same goes if there is a soul club.

some dude if you want a week on the funk club post on it and i'll add you.

i really don't know enough funk album-wise for that, will definitely be just following that thread from the sidelines.

i kinda feel like this thread can cast a wide net over R&B and soul in all its permutations, and plan on following Rev's examples of spanning styles and generations from 60s/70s classics to contemporary stuff. so i dunno, a separate soul club might feel redundant or really hard to define apart from this one. plus i'm sure anyone that wanted to do a week of just classic/traditionalist stuff would be welcome too.

well feel free to join in anytime.
Rev might want to do a soul train club too though!

why can't this be the r&b/soul club? donny hathaway is pretty fucking soulful dudes.

double the fun?

i dunno i mean might as well have separate "rap" and "hip hop" clubs

i kinda feel like this thread can cast a wide net over R&B and soul in all its permutations, and plan on following Rev's examples of spanning styles and generations from 60s/70s classics to contemporary stuff. so i dunno, a separate soul club might feel redundant or really hard to define apart from this one. plus i'm sure anyone that wanted to do a week of just classic/traditionalist stuff would be welcome too.

― jacka husalah terrier (some dude), Saturday, May 1, 2010 5:46 PM Bookmark

^^^this

hay guyz can I join

rev would it be ok to pick some 70s stuff then once everyone has had their go?

Today's when I open threads and learn everyone else has enjoyed what I've enjoyed privately this weekend: first The Godfather, Pt. II, now Amerie. I'll agree, Al, that my initial assessment of Because I Love It was too optimistic; it does drag in the second half. Your order of preference looks about right too. In Love and War is a classic B+ album: heard it a lot last fall, no urge to replay it.

5-3: Ship
5-10: Sam-I-am
5-17 Forks
5-24 lex luther
5-31 The Reverend Strikes Back
6-7 Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Week w/ Tannembaum Schmidt
6-14 MC Brains
6-21 Pfunkboy's Groovy '70s Week

ok y'all, let's do this

The Isley Brothers - 3 + 3

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Isley_brothers_3_%2B_3_album.jpg

Mary J. Blige - My Life

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/C69257599ng.jpg

Robin Thicke - Something Else

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/Something_Special_official.png/200px-Something_Special_official.png

Here be the Spotify links for Europeans

The Isley Brothers - 3 + 3
http://open.spotify.com/album/2rVVM68EshvrjsV2HWALIW

Mary J Blige - My Life
http://open.spotify.com/album/4jovLVRCu6H0Ce6NHR4eTZ

Robin Thicke - Something Else
http://open.spotify.com/album/70e1Wo8JlIlZrjXXxMAO2a

I haven't followed the comments itt as much as the jazz and hip-hop ones, and I've to listen to the Amerie. Luther was fun, although all other tracks on the album sound weak when up against something as mighty and classic as "Never Too Much".

The Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway didn't really sink in, and I will listen again if only because I rate "First Take" LP as one of the best things ever recorded.

...I've yet to listen to Amerie....

yeah I still haven't checked out the Flack/Hathaway, definitely gonna keep that on my eMusic wishlist and get it at some point, though.

thanks for the Spotify links! I was hoping someone more familiar with the site than me would go to the trouble.

Well the Isley Brothers album is as classic as it gets. Looks like mbison & I wont be picking it for the funk club now hehe.

I'm gonna go play this asap , not heard it for a few months, since I went on my isley's 70s binge at the start of the year.

Ernie Isley is god, that's all.

:DDDDDDDD an excuse to listen to My Life for the first time in forever.

haha yeah i decided to skip the War and ended up with another album in its place that's just as much in a gray area of soul/funk :/

gonna try to limit myself to one youtube per album like Rev did upthread, here's my favorite off this one at the moment (although "What It Comes Down To" and the Doobie Bros. cover and the 2 big hits are all great too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9_pPKbkKvc

6-7 Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Week w/ Tannembaum Schmidt

i'm really excited about this

isley brothers song is crazy good

What amg says about 3+3

Recorded in 1973, 3 + 3 was a major turning point for the Isley Brothers. With this album, the Isleys moved their T-Neck label from Buddah to Epic/CBS (which became Epic/Sony in the early '90s), and it was at Epic that they unveiled their new lineup. Lead singer Ronald Isley and his siblings O'Kelly and Rudolph remained, but the Isleys became a sextet instead of a trio when cousin Chris Jasper and younger brothers Ernie and Marvin were added. This new lineup was called 3 + 3, and the addition of Jasper on keyboards, Ernie on guitar, and Marvin on bass added exciting new elements to the Isleys' sound. One of finest R&B bassists of the 1970s, the ever-so-funky Marvin is in a class with heavyweights like Larry Graham and Louis Johnson -- and Ernie is a stunning guitarist who is heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix but has a distinctive style of his own. The Isleys had always been lovers of rock, but with the addition of Ernie, their sound became even more overtly rock influenced. Nonetheless, the rock and pop elements didn't alienate R&B audiences, which ate this album up. The single "That Lady" (which is based on an Impressions-like gem they had recorded in 1964) was a major hit, and the Isleys are equally captivating on soul interpretations of Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze," James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music." With this superb album, the Isley Brothers sounded better than ever -- and they gained a lot of new fans without sacrificing the old ones. The 2003 reissue of 3 + 3 boasts remastered sound, new liner notes by David Ritz that draw from new interviews with Marvin and Jasper, and the inclusion of one bonus track: a previously unreleased live version of "That Lady" recorded in 1980.

gonna try to limit myself to one youtube per album like Rev did upthread

lets keep to this imo

great choices btw

excited about listening to the isley bros

aargh gonna get so behind w/these threads though, still haven't got round to luther from last week!

just used my 10 free emusic token for hathaway/flack

late to the game. so how do these clubs work? listening to hathaway/flack right now.

afaik people just take turns picking records, and everyone who wants to participate can listen to them and discuss them as much or as little as they wish. unless i'm doing it rong.

ah okay. not 'getting' the flack/hathaway yet but I'll give it a couple more go's this week