Zapp - Vibe album review
Zapp - Vibe is one of the many overlooked and forgotten R&B/soul albums that is a classic in its own right. This is one of those albums that was overlooked and that went under promoted when released in 1989 on Reprise Records. Not surprising since Reprise Records never really promoted black artists properly back in the 80s and 90s. Reprise dropped the ball on a majority of their black recording artists who were signed to the label. The Zapp band is no exception. Vibe hardly made a dent on the charts in spite of having three singles, one of which had a music video to accompany the song.
Despite a lack of promotion from Reprise, Vibe is still a 5 star classic and a masterpiece of an album from Zapp. Smooth sultry R&B love ballads to wonderful cover songs is what’s inside this Zapp album. A couple of blues compositions are thrown into this album. Roger’s signature talkbox is all over this album. So you know none of these songs are going to be worth skipping. The album represents musical growth in songs such as Jesse Jackson and Ooh Baby Baby. The variety of musical styles on this Zapp album are really diverse. One example is the presence of contemporary blues which is strong on this album.
Ohio was a hotbed of funk in the 80s. Zapp was one of Ohio’s greatest contributions to music. Zapp’s Vibe was one the many great contributions to Ohio music. Vibe has that funk vibe and sound hence a funky vibe when you play this record.
Vibe was the last album to include frontman Roger Troutman (the brains and bread behind Zapp) and his brother Larry Troutman (the brains and bread behind Zapp as well) before their untimely deaths. Keyboardist Billy Beck was more hands on with the songwriting on songs such as Jesse Jackson, Ain't The Thing To Do, and Fire.
Zapp did a spectacular job covering Smokey Robinson and The Miracles - Ooh Baby Baby. Roger can do no wrong when it comes to performing on the talkbox. You can’t go wrong with Smokey Robinson and/or Zapp. Ooh Baby Baby was the lead single off this album which had a music video. The single was heavily promoted and played on the radio in 1989.
Shirley Murdock and Roger provided the vocals with their soulful singing. Roger delivers his smooth melodic cadence and lends his extraordinary skill with the talkbox. Roger
I Play The Talk Box was one of the standout tracks selected by Reprise to be a single. Reprise made a wise decision of making I Play The Talk Box into a single because, soon enough, the single garnered radioplay across the United States and Canada in 1989.
Roger plays his signature talkbox which is what he uses to perform his vocals with as his signature talkbox is all over this song as well as with this album. Roger can do no wrong when it comes to playing the talkbox. His smooth cadence is what made I Play The Talk Box an electro-funk favorite.
Stop That is driven by a harmonica and a talkbox. The harmonics are what really stand out. Roger and Terry can do no wrong when it comes to instrumentation arrangement. The song Stop That pays homage and tribute to blues music. Now Zapp playing blues music and paying tribute to blues music is nothing as they have done so on albums such as Zapp III and The New Zapp IV U. Stop That is similar to contemporary blues.
Roger explains how his love for blues music came about in this Zapp song. His love for blues music started when he was a boy.
Zapp performed a unique cover version of Ohio Players - Fire on the song Fire. This cover version of Fire uses a talkbox. Zapp’s on fire! Now this cover version of Fire is excellent! Bill Beck’s outstanding performance on the keyboard is simply amazing. The Ohio Players connection is no coincidence.
For those who did not know, Been This Way Before is not a new song. You see, Been This Way Before came from the 1976 album Roger And The Human Body – Introducing Roger. Been This Way Before incorporates the sounds of electro-funk and soul all into one song. The song has a breathtaking angelic vibe and sound in the vocals.
Roger was inspired by George Clinton when he wrote Back to Bass-iks. Clinton was even mentioned in the song too. Roger had once again went out of the way to give thanks to George Clinton the liner notes: "Thanks also to George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. No matter our differences, I still love and respect you both. I am ever grateful for your faith in my talent. May all good come to you."
Inspiration of George Clinton was not the only thing that graced this Zapp song. Back to Bass-iks featured the bass vocals of former Parliament vocalist Ray Davis. So you can hear the influence and sound of Parliament in Back to Bass-iks.
Back To Bass-iks is also a tribute to Parliament singer Ray Davis as well. The intro has Ray singing on a street corner with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins performing doo-wop. His parents call him inside. His father tells him he has to go to church in the morning. They worry he might get into trouble if he keeps hanging around George Clinton. Ray Davis even begins singing his parts to Give Up The Funk and Atomic Dog in this Zapp song.
Jesse Jackson is the pro-black anthem of this album. All the members of the Zapp band pay tribute, homage, and respect to Rev. Jesse Jackson. The whole song is a tribute to Jesse Jackson. Billy Beck does a spectacular job on performing the vocals.
Dr. Arthur E. Thomas (then-president of Central State University) encouraged black Americans to continue aiming for higher education by getting them to donate money towards the United Negro College Fund. Dr. Arthur E. Thomas spoke in a gospel style of speaking. A fine example of black American cultural heritage is Jesse Jackson.
Ain't the Thing to Do features all female lead vocals over New Jack Swing style music with use of electro synths. The song is similar to a sultry soul ballad or a 70s pop ballad. Notice the stop/start style with the. Some of the beats are quite softened. You can hardly hear the drums.
Sad Day Moaning pays homage and tribute to blues music similar to how the song Stop That did. Sad Day Moaning is similar to contemporary blues. Just notice the tempo and pace.
New Jack Swing and rock music meet each other on the song Rock Star. Rock Star has a guitar heavy presence.
Jake E Stanstill serves as an instrumental closer for the Vibe album. The music you hear on Jake E Stanstill is similar to elevator music with the mood being upbeat and cheerful. Jake E Stanstill is similar to a bossa nova style jazz instrumental. Zapp's electronic flavor can be heard on this song. Jazz, funk, and electronic music all meet each other on this Zapp song.
5/5*****!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vertical Hold - A Matter Of Time album review
Vertical Hold - A Matter Of Time was one the moderately successful R&B/soul albums from the 1990s decade which still managed to be a hit. The pop single You're Much Too Busy and ASAP is what made A Matter Of Time a moderately successful album. The album is a fusion of soul and pop. This is one of those soul pop albums.
Angie Stone had a strong foundation of her own with groups Vertical Hold and The Sequence. Her working with Vertical Hold is what established a strong foundation for herself in the music business. The group Vertical Hold had 3 singles which were already moderately successful hits in the United States with Seems You're Much Too Busy being one of them.
Vertical Hold is one of those groups that should have went on to record more albums than just two. Vertical Hold could have been a successful soul pop group as well.
Seems You're Much Too Busy is about a person who is much too busy to give attention and spend time with the one they love. That person is much too busy these days.
The ironic part about this song is that Angie had recently departed the group Vertical Hold. Yes, the one and only group called Vertical Hold. That is why you can hear her craft all over this song. Seems You're Much Too Busy has a soulful touch which follows the upbeat tempo.
Magic Carpet Ride is a funky soul composition which uses a number of instruments to accommodate their vocals. The song takes on a funky but soulful ride. Lenny Kravitz performs on the guitar.
You will love Angie's melodic voice on Matter of Time. Willie Bruno programmed the soft drumming you hear behind her vocals. The song Matter of Time uses a flair of pop. The song is similar to an 80s pop ballad. Notice the stop/start style with the beats. Matter of Time seems to follow a melody which accommodates Angie’s voice.
3/5***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kids At Work – Togetherness single review
Kids At Work – Togetherness was released as a limited 12” inch vinyl single by Rooftop Records in 1986. Now the Togetherness single Teddy Riley’s lesser known works from his early days in music production. Teddy Riley mixed this entire soul single himself.
Togetherness is a slow tempo soul song laced with processed thick beats. The slow tempo pace is what makes this song so innocent and sweet. Teddy Riley’s voice is similar to Michael Jackson when he sings on this song. Clurel’s voice is similar to Michael Jackson as well. LaVaba Mallison, Timmy Gatling, and Teddy Riley sang the background vocals on this song although it was Teddy Riley who sung most of the vocals.
Togetherness is about how when you’re famous that finding the perfect girl is going to be hard for you. This song is a love song about the nature of true love. It’s an 80s teen love ballad. The song definitely has that Michael Jackson vibe.
When you are a big star, everyone wants to know who you are. You find that when you are down is when no one is around. Your fame is all over the world. You’re just a human being. There is one out of a million girls who are going to be loving you. This girl is gentle and she’s perfect. She will always be by your side. You deserve respect. Finding a perfect girl for you is hard when you’re famous.
She's So Bad is a high definition hi-fi sound version of So Bad Togetherness mixed by Teddy Riley himself. The song is similar to what you would expect to hear from Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Sheryl Crow, New Edition, or Bobby Brown. She's So Bad is Togetherness revisited. The song definitely has that Michael Jackson vibe.
LaVaba Mallison, Timmy Gatling, and Teddy Riley sang the background vocals on She's So Bad although it was Teddy Riley who sung most of the vocals.
4/5****!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kids At Work - Singing Hey Yea/Reggae Kids single review
The Kids At Work - Singing Hey Yea/Reggae Kids single is one of Teddy Riley’s many lesser known works from his early days in music production. CBS/Sound Of New York released this single as a 12” inch and in 45 format in the year of 1984.
The song Hey Yeah will remind you of those high school dances and the good times during those good old days. The mid tempo vibe gives the song a calm chilling nostalgic feel. This was the song which made everyone happy. Hey Yeah was one of the songs which did not fare well in terms of sales. That is why a lot of people never heard of this song.
Reggae Kids is Teddy Riley’s lesser known works. It’s nice and quite different to hear a reggae song on a soul single. The song has an upbeat dance vibe. Reggae kids are swinging to the beat. Teddy Riley’s voice is similar to Michael Jackson when he sings on this song.
4/5****!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lil Eddie - ASAP EP EP review
The Lil Eddie - ASAP EP was released on vinyl by Big3 Records in 2003 and in 2004. This is one of two of his EP’s he released in the 00’s. Half of this EP is filled with love songs of course. 80% of the EP is dance songs. Many of these Lil Eddie songs are filled with raw emotion and high energy in terms of singing. This EP is yet another under appreciated Lil Eddie EP that did not get noticed by mainstream media.
Spanish Fly is a soulful song laced with heavy bass and a Latin percussion selection. The beat is hot! You’ll never get enough or get tired after listening to this song. Mario Winans produced Spanish Fly for Lil Eddie in 2004. Spanish Fly is a drug which makes one horny.
Footwork is a song where rock music meets dance music. The instrumentation is perfectly arranged. Percussion matches up with bass and electric guitar. Unsurprisingly the song is about dancing. This song much different from the average Lil Eddie song you would hear. It is truly refreshing to hear Lil Eddie experiment with sounds from different genres of music.
4 U uses a much more futuristic stye of production and futuristic sound. Electronic music meets soul music on 4 U. The beat you hear at the beginning of this song is coming from a kick drum. Overall the beat is fire! Lil Eddie never ceases to amaze his audiences. There is something special about his voice which makes him worth listening. 4 U is a love song.
3/5***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brandy – What About Us?/Full Moon single review
The Brandy – What About Us?/Full Moon single was released as a 7” inch vinyl for radio stations to promote her Full Moon album in 2002. This obviously worked as her songs What About Us? and Full Moon were her top selling singles of 2002. R&B meets pop on this single.
Brandy finds love at first sight after she sets her eye on a man she wants to date while in the club in the song Full Moon. Her intentions are to be direct from the moment he stepped foot into the club. She isn’t going to front or pretend as she pursues an interest in him throughout the entire song. Full Moon had romanticized the concept of love at first sight.
The song take place in a club she frequently goes to at night. Of course the song takes place at night time as the location is a nightclub.
She had her eye on him as soon as she saw him as he came through the door. Him and his friend just took over the dance floor. That made Brandy notice him even more. He must've somehow felt her staring on the down low. Something tells her he is the kind of guy she’d like to get to know. Brandy is entranced by his presence.
She isn’t going to front or pretend. Brandy has been giving him the eye ever since he walked up in the club.She tells him, “We can dance if you want/Get it crackin' if you like” To her it feel like one of those nights. Must be a full moon.
She converses with him by saying, “Why is this the first time that I'm seeing you around? Could you be visiting or are you new in town? Whatever the case, I’m feeling you right here and right now.” His smile and all the love he is showing lets her know that he likes what he sees and wants get to know her too.This could very well be the start of something very special. Brandy is so happy that she met him.
Brandy didn't think that she would come here tonight to meet someone like him. It seems as if they have known each other most of their lives they way they converse with each other. After one conversation, this must be right. This man must have gravitational pull of a full moon to have Brandy interested in him.
Mike City and Darkchild did a wonderful job producing this angelic, harmonic soul song from Brandy. You can hear Darkchild’s sound all over Full Moon. The deep crooning bass, the multilayers of percussion, and, electro synths are what represents the Darkchild sound. Mike City sings in the background vocals.
When Brandy performs this song and sings, she uses a much stronger falsetto with a deeper and warmer tone. She does this by singing on a lower register. Her singing in deep tone is notably textured. Nevertheless, Brandy nails it when she sings.
When You Touch Me is a slow tempo slow jam which slows down the first quarter of the Full Moon album due to its slow, subtle and sultry nature. The song is perfect to play at night when you are all alone by yourself and are feeling bad for whatever happened during your day. When You Touch Me is a perfect song to drown out your sorrows in.
When singing the B-Section of this song, Brandy uses a more textured, scratchy voice. Read the lyrics below or listen to this part of the song to get a better understanding. Also Teddy Riley is the one using the talkbox during the B-Section.
[B-Section]
Now is the time to relax your mind
Let go and unwind
I've waited for too long, I'm ready
Tonight's the night for loving you right
You know what I wanna do
I wanna give into you
Brandy uses a much deeper voice with a warmer tone when singing on What About Us?. Her singing in deep tone is notably textured on this song. She performs by using her vocals on a much lower register. Her warmer singing tone resonates well with this song. The song does have a soulful edge because of this.
The song What About Us? deals with being in a relationship that isn’t working anymore. Both lovers do not trust each other enough. One person doesn’t trust the other and the other person makes fake promises by not keeping them.
During the begging of the song, Brandy asks her man, “Why don't you return my calls? Why you trip 'bout where I be? You don't ever come to see me. You say that you're too busy.” She then proceeds to tell him. “What the hell? I don't have time. Why you messin' with my mind? I can find another guy. Someone who will treat me right. I don’t need this bullshit. I won't put up with it any longer.”
This is the point in the song where Brandy tells him he can leave if he wants to. “You can go if you want. I don't need your pity. I will be just fine if you decide that you want to leave. Just close the door behind you.”
Brandy just wants to know about the following.: What about all of the things that you said? What about all of the promises that you made? What about all of the nights that you gave? What about all of the things you told me? What about all of the nights that you gave? What about us?
Brandy thought he said he was different. He said that he would love only her. She thought that he would be all she needed. What happened to those promises? Although he said that he was a better man, his words have no weight with Brandy. Brandy sees he is fake in the lyrics ”Cause you're counterfeit, I see”
Brandy stands up for herself by putting her foot down by saying, “I don't need this bullshit.I won't put up with it any longer. You can go if you want to. I don't need your pity at all. I will be just fine. If you decide that you want to leave.
During the bridge is where things start to get rocky and where both of them break up. Now what about bills that were passed due? That she paid for him. All he said to Brandy is, "Baby, I owe you" Brandy tells him, “Forget about the brand new life that I gave you. Don't "what about us" to me because we are through.”
5/5*****!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brother Noland - Pacific Bad Boy album review
Brother Noland’s Pacific Bad Boy is a long forgotten album that was a minor classic of which the music industry overlooked. The calmness of Hawaiian music is what this album is filled with. Folk music meets world music on Pacific Bad Boy. 35% of this album is filled with romantic love songs. Around 14% of this album is filled with motivational songs filled with inspiration to uplift and empower us.
Honestly Brother Noland should received the amount of international fame IZ and Steve Maii had received. His songs are just as good if not better than Steve Maii’s. Brother Noland’s songs are just as good as songs from famous Hawaiian singer IZ.
Coconut Girl is a fruity smooth Hawaiian love song about someone who Brother Noland’s girl from him. This love song is very goofy with a fun Hawaiian punch and a twist of reggae sound.
Someone took Brother Noland’s girl from the tropical island of Hawaii to the Hollywood, California where all the money is. Now she is a coconut girl in a top dollar high fashion world. Many fans have got her pin-up poster in their bedroom.
Brother Noland himself wants to go to Hollywood so he can be at her house instead of far away from her. He would rather be with her all night.
Savannah Woman is about a woman who is a beach dweller. In this song, Brother Noland finds out what type of person the Savannah woman really is. The song has a similar vibe as New Bohemians - Air of December due to its cold harsh vibe.
This Savannah woman is dressed in white. She pulls out her gin and tonics. Winds from Hawaii and the Brazilian winds blow in the warm air. Brother Noland lets her know, “Savannah woman, I would never leave you so unkind.” However she left him behind. Although she seemed snow white with desire, in reality she was cold and distant as the moon. This Savannah woman was a really unkind person.
The song mind drive teaches people how to use their minds and learning to live. This song is another of those inspirational songs on this album such as Hastala and I Am Mountain.
In life, everyone wants to feel better and keep it all together. You do what you do in order to flow with the groove. Learning to live, to give to others, and to hold on is what people do in life. That is how people keep it all together.
The following lyrics teach us how to use our minds.: “Move on down the line/use your mind/Move on down the line/use your mind”
Eyes is a song that teaches us to not lose our minds and to open up our eyes.
This man has been talking up the town with his false lies and people don’t like it. He has been talking down on things he has no knowledge of. Brother Noland thinks someone ought to take the time to set him straight and tell him he’s not in line with his behavior. He better wake up and open his eyes.
This woman has been talking around her friends just to please her mind. She’s a teaser. She’s a big gossiper. Yet everyone knows her stories go. Brother Noland thinks someone ought to take the time to set her straight and tell her she’s not in line with her behavior. She better wake up and open his eyes.
Open up your eyes. Someone really cares about you.
Brother Noland wishes he had the time to sympathize her mind. He also wishes he had had the time to sympathize with her for her well being. Brother Noland is aware that she does not know how to act and she does not know where she is at.
I Am Mountain is a motivational song which inspires you to reach your goals. How high can you get? As far as you can push yourself. You can do it. Do you need a helping hand to realize where you stand in life? Does life really need a bridge? If you want to reach your goals, just go find you soul.
The song Hastala teaches us sometimes doing things right means having to endure pain and to search for freedom in our minds. When you turn darkness into light and you’re not afraid to do it right, That’s the time you know you opened your eyes. Only good will come out when we learn to change.
4/5****
No comments:
Post a Comment