psyco no comment..classic closed metalhead probably 15/16 years old judging by the profile, reviews, and death magnetics. not worthy of further comments @ cynic: thank you for the note. I like to describe albums well so that potential interested parties who end up on this site after searching for a review of any album have a decent overview of what they can find inside it! :) maybe not a universally shared method but concrete and useful.. as for the length, you're right, I will try to be shorter.. ;D
@ unoqualunque: no, Shakira has nothing to do with it because she does pop, latina, and similar stuff, while this is R&B... black... besides the fact that Shakira doesn't have vocal abilities or anything that Brandy undeniably possesses - tastes or not. As for Beyoncé, we can say that the comparison might hold if we look at her albums from 6 or 7 years ago, but now she too is generally more aimed at pop. This, on the other hand, is pure R&B, like what was going around in the '90s, and it's hard to know her because in Italy, as mentioned, apart from 2 songs (about a decade ago), she almost never made it, and even this new album is only circulating in the USA and not here on MTV and similar crap... let's say it's no longer commercial stuff. However, she sings very well objectively, then whether she is liked or not is a matter of taste; it just sounds strange to me (beyond preferred genres) that there are people who exalt those who sing in growl (personally, I often appreciate that too, but we need to be objective about abilities themselves) and then come up with snobby comments about a singer who is still valid overall :D supernova: you reviewed Mary J. Blige (even though I didn't like her last album), Fugees, Erykah Badu, and then you write "oh my God" about one of the best in the genre? De-saluti!
paloz, listen, allevi, Elio e le storie tese, with what courage do you come to this review to be the snob of the situation? If you check all the records I've commented on my profile (and I mean all, not just the latest), you'll notice that I listen to anything, from the most commercial hits to the most unknown albums, from R&B to electronic, from symphonic metal to trip hop, ambient, industrial, and so on. But unlike others, I can appreciate something even if it’s "commercial." Therefore, your comment is clearly out of place. But I don’t blame you; I’ve already had the chance to figure you out since I've been here, a snob with a hint of provocations scattered here and there in reviews probably not even read, a classic. Regards.
Alright, keep going, what do you want me to say? The joke about brandy is fine, even though to be honest it's predictable and clichéd; there’s someone who doesn’t appreciate it, there’s the anonymous-fake comment, etc. Tastes are clearly tastes, but continuing with this close-mindedness and sterile digs frankly seems quite counterproductive to me. If you have enough time to mess around and act like a fake philosopher, good for you; I can see it in your comments on the profile. But why pollute a review even more if you don’t like this product? There are other reviews. The doom death brutal growl vikink metal addicted and company, if they're more suited to your tastes, I think it makes more sense to focus on those. But you gave a positive comment even to the pathetic pop porno, the genius... I draw my conclusions from that; seeking a dialogue at this point is superfluous and completely pointless. Best of luck, regards.
I see you are a true expert. The review, as already mentioned, is exhaustive but too long. I believe this is better than the ones I mentioned, but I don't like r'n'b by definition.
Hey, isn't this the one from "un-break my heart"?! Thanks Yosif, finally a review of a fresh and modern album. For me, she's saved for life because of the above-mentioned song. A bit like Tasmin Archer's "sleeping satellite". What does it take, really?
oops big slip-up.. unbreak my heart is by Toni Braxton. Anyway, the samples convince me and "the boy is mine" wasn't bad. Sorry, but sometimes the girls of color look very similar.
YOSIF waittttttttttttttttt Mary J Blige I destroyed her because I reviewed one of her shitty albums (and she's still from another planet), THE FUGEES AND ERYKAH BADU have NOTHING to do with this mouth-breathing (with all due respect to those who engage in oral relationships!!). The best in the genre? Maybe the least TRASH among pop/r&b singers... but trust me, it's got nothing to do with it! :D and you're talking to one of the very few who listens to (quality) black music on this site! è__é so I repeat...OH MY GOD! XD
@ alia: yes, it was Braxton :) @ andre Brandy made her first album in 94, she was one of the pioneers of true 90's R&B (which is clearly now a highly commercialized genre that at times feels inflated and dying) and a source of inspiration alongside the late Aaliyah. That's why I find it a nice product, considering the poor quality of the music that generally circulates in this genre nowadays. The body to sell is a mistake; let’s factor in that she doesn't have as much success as she did in the 90's. In fact, this new single only reached 84th place on Billboard and sales are very low; there's no team like Def Jam or Interscope studying every little commercial move (deluxe edition, guest appearances, TV spots) but only the intention to release a good album. If she had wanted to sell preemptively, she would have made an album every year like her peers... instead, this is only her 3rd album in 8 years... what I'm saying is that she used to be synonymous with quality and classy R&B, and now she still is with this album that isn’t the usual standardized record with the tacky beats from Timbo for selling, and to be honest, she (who is getting on in age, you know) isn’t even that stunning; I find her quite average. @ supernova: I only liked the first MJB album... the latest was a no comment, despite selling like crazy (talk about the relevance of the name). Badu is talented and capable (personally, I don't like her) but the Fugees were mediocre; they only dropped a few interesting tracks about a decade ago, and now, among their solo works, Wyclef is collaborating with pop whores, Lauryn Hill has lost her mind, and Pras has disappeared, they've really fallen low. Eraser: boring and out of place. Greetings!
I don't know who the hell this is, but she's quite a chocolate treat: I'd gladly give her a mix with the banana... but what if, when you take off her makeup, her earrings fall off? damn, to me she looks like a mask!
supernova, I stick to my opinion on the Fugees; they only dropped a few nice singles in the 90s, that's it. To find the best names in the hip hop, R&B, urban soul, black scene and so on, you need to look at other names. It won't be Brandy, and certainly not the Fugees; no doubt about that. If you hold the Fugees' work in such high regard, you really should educate yourself on the culture. As for the album, my rating would be 4.5, but I rounded it up to 5 for "emotional" reasons. This return to the 90s sound was very pleasing to me given the poor quality of today's R&B. Case closed, regards!
@Yosif You've done reviews on singers and albums that have a laxative effect on me :-)... but at least you're someone you can have a discussion with without losing your cool... great!
Sure, Andre :D Frankly, I find insults on the web in a teenage metalhead style completely superfluous and useless, not to mention the jealousy from groupies, biased arguments, etc. If something doesn’t appeal, so be it; it’s certainly better to have someone give a 1 after listening to a preview and reading about it than someone who gives a 1 just by looking at the cover and not reading the review or knowing the singer (practically unknown to us). Of course, votes become secondary; they can all give a 1 if they want. What matters to me is reviewing something that may not be too well-reviewed elsewhere, so that someone interested can find good sources. Before I buy a record, I always check reviews and other sources; it's always useful to have an objective overview of the album. It would be nice to also review albums I’m very attached to, like Discovery by Daft Punk, TDSOFM by Pink Floyd, Dummy by Portishead, No Control by Bad Religion, Down with the King by Run DMC, AFF by Nightwish, and company, but what’s the point? There are already dozens of reviews online, all very valid ;) Cheers!
Yosif, no offense, but let's be clear, R'N'B doesn't exist; it's an invention of MTV, which in 1999, to justify Mariah Carey's non-songs full of continuous vocal runs, ah ah, uh uh, oh oh, without the slightest hint of a damn melody – see Heartbreaker – pulled the definition of r'n'b out of a hat, which, mind you, with Rhythm&Blues, the real one, has nothing to do with a Brussels sprout, but rather it’s just shiny little pop, with some nods to hip hop (or rap, take your pick, it's all the same), and at most a few soul digressions for the slightly more talented singers. So it's a big joke, plain and simple. Anyway, out of honesty, since I don't know the album, I won't vote.
Brusko, no offense, but you probably don't know the genre, so why assert false and entirely unfounded claims? First of all, the first albums of modern R&B (I'm not referring to classic R&B like Aretha, Etta James, Vandross, and company) but rather the new school that I've actually discussed here dates back to the early 90s. Let's think of the records by Aaliyah, DC, the same 1994 debut by Brandy, Boyz II Men, India Arie, MJB (the latter never appreciated) whose "What's the 411" can be defined as one of the first albums of the genre and, in any case, a source of inspiration for many artists that would come later (along with the others mentioned). So '99 means nothing; by then the genre was already well defined! You might hear some pop in it, and that's fair enough; you can't deny it, it's true in some productions. Let's call it the pop of Black artists. But broadly speaking, it has nothing to do with pop. The productions have nothing to do with hip-hop (at least not the current ones), the styles and beats are completely different. I'm not speaking from what I read on Wiki; I've known the genre quite well for 14 years. Whether or not it appeals to me is another story; I don’t even like the current stuff, it's too commercialized and pop-friendly! I liked it especially in the late 90s, which is why I enjoyed this album too, as it reminded me a lot of those sounds. So a piece of advice: if you don’t know the genre, nobody is stopping you from expressing your personal opinion, but for what absurd reason invent false things?! As for Mariah, I honestly don't like her, but saying she couldn't sing is absolutely wrong. In her younger years, she had an insane voice and reached monstrous vocal ranges! Those exaggerated high notes with the accompanying “uh uh oh oh” that you mention can indeed be irritating and extremely annoying, I won’t argue with you; it's one of the reasons I absolutely can't stand her. De-saluti!
surely the work of the Fugees is way better than Brandy's! -.- it seems like an axiom to me, but maybe it’s not for everyone -.- anyway, showing such passion for the music of this beautiful little black potato seems exaggerated to me.. anyway.....AS YOU WISH! :D ciao
paloz
18 dec 08Psycroptic
18 dec 08CoolOras
18 dec 08cynic
18 dec 08cynic
18 dec 08Yosif
18 dec 08@ cynic: thank you for the note. I like to describe albums well so that potential interested parties who end up on this site after searching for a review of any album have a decent overview of what they can find inside it! :) maybe not a universally shared method but concrete and useful.. as for the length, you're right, I will try to be shorter.. ;D
uno qualunque
18 dec 08Supernova
18 dec 08Yosif
18 dec 08As for Beyoncé, we can say that the comparison might hold if we look at her albums from 6 or 7 years ago, but now she too is generally more aimed at pop.
This, on the other hand, is pure R&B, like what was going around in the '90s, and it's hard to know her because in Italy, as mentioned, apart from 2 songs (about a decade ago), she almost never made it, and even this new album is only circulating in the USA and not here on MTV and similar crap... let's say it's no longer commercial stuff. However, she sings very well objectively, then whether she is liked or not is a matter of taste; it just sounds strange to me (beyond preferred genres) that there are people who exalt those who sing in growl (personally, I often appreciate that too, but we need to be objective about abilities themselves) and then come up with snobby comments about a singer who is still valid overall :D
supernova: you reviewed Mary J. Blige (even though I didn't like her last album), Fugees, Erykah Badu, and then you write "oh my God" about one of the best in the genre? De-saluti!
paloz
18 dec 08fede
18 dec 08Yosif
18 dec 08paloz
18 dec 08Yosif
18 dec 08The joke about brandy is fine, even though to be honest it's predictable and clichéd; there’s someone who doesn’t appreciate it, there’s the anonymous-fake comment, etc. Tastes are clearly tastes, but continuing with this close-mindedness and sterile digs frankly seems quite counterproductive to me.
If you have enough time to mess around and act like a fake philosopher, good for you; I can see it in your comments on the profile. But why pollute a review even more if you don’t like this product? There are other reviews. The doom death brutal growl vikink metal addicted and company, if they're more suited to your tastes, I think it makes more sense to focus on those. But you gave a positive comment even to the pathetic pop porno, the genius... I draw my conclusions from that; seeking a dialogue at this point is superfluous and completely pointless.
Best of luck, regards.
Yosif
18 dec 08Ardalo
18 dec 08Oo° Terry °oO
18 dec 08uno qualunque
18 dec 08NewRomantic
18 dec 08panapp
18 dec 08alia76
18 dec 08alia76
18 dec 08il giustiziere
18 dec 08paloz
18 dec 08algol
18 dec 08andre86
19 dec 08R13562693
19 dec 08Supernova
19 dec 08Mary J Blige I destroyed her because I reviewed one of her shitty albums (and she's still from another planet), THE FUGEES AND ERYKAH BADU have NOTHING to do with this mouth-breathing (with all due respect to those who engage in oral relationships!!). The best in the genre? Maybe the least TRASH among pop/r&b singers... but trust me, it's got nothing to do with it! :D and you're talking to one of the very few who listens to (quality) black music on this site! è__é
so I repeat...OH MY GOD! XD
Yosif
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08Supernova
19 dec 08Defender85
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08andre86
19 dec 08andre86
19 dec 08andre86
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08brusko
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08You might hear some pop in it, and that's fair enough; you can't deny it, it's true in some productions. Let's call it the pop of Black artists. But broadly speaking, it has nothing to do with pop. The productions have nothing to do with hip-hop (at least not the current ones), the styles and beats are completely different. I'm not speaking from what I read on Wiki; I've known the genre quite well for 14 years. Whether or not it appeals to me is another story; I don’t even like the current stuff, it's too commercialized and pop-friendly! I liked it especially in the late 90s, which is why I enjoyed this album too, as it reminded me a lot of those sounds. So a piece of advice: if you don’t know the genre, nobody is stopping you from expressing your personal opinion, but for what absurd reason invent false things?!
As for Mariah, I honestly don't like her, but saying she couldn't sing is absolutely wrong. In her younger years, she had an insane voice and reached monstrous vocal ranges! Those exaggerated high notes with the accompanying “uh uh oh oh” that you mention can indeed be irritating and extremely annoying, I won’t argue with you; it's one of the reasons I absolutely can't stand her. De-saluti!
Yosif
19 dec 08Yosif
19 dec 08brusko
19 dec 08Supernova
20 dec 08it seems like an axiom to me, but maybe it’s not for everyone -.-
anyway, showing such passion for the music of this beautiful little black potato seems exaggerated to me..
anyway.....AS YOU WISH! :D
ciao
Rock Antologya
17 feb 09Darius
8 apr 13